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US 4,786,576 AGranted
Method of high resolution of electrostatic transfer of a high density image to a nonporous and nonabsorbent conductive substrate
AssigneeOlin Hunt Specialty Products Inc.
InventorsDavid P. Bujese, Gary W. Schmidt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fabricating a toned pattern on an isolated nonabsorbent conductive receiving surface is disclosed wherein a charged electrostatic latent image area is established on an electrostatically imageable surface, and is transferred to the conductive receiving surface across a gap of between about 1 mil and about 20 mils filled with a liquid formed at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent in which are suspended charged toner particles.
Claims38
A method of fabricating a toned pattern on an electrically isolated nonabsorbent conductive receiving surface, comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing a charged electrostatic latent image area on an electrostatically imageable surface;
- (b) developing the electrostatic latent image area by applying to the electrostatically imageable surface charged tones particles of a predetermined height suspended in a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a first liquid layer with a first liquid surface, the charged toner particles being directed to the latent image area of the electrostatically imageable surface to form a developed latent image;
- (c) applying to the conductive receiving surface a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a second liquid layer with a second liquid surface;
- (d) establishing an electric field between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface by connecting a D.C. voltage directly to the conductive receiving surface;
- (e) placing the conductive receiving surface adjacent to the electrostatically imageable surface so that a gap is maintained therebetween and the first liquid surface contacts the second liquid surface to create a liquid transfer medium across the liquid-filled gap, the liquid-filled gap being of a depth greater than the height of the toner particles;
- (f) transferring the developed latent image from the electrostatically imageable surface at a point of transfer through the liquid to the conductive receiving surface to form a transferred toner particle image in an imaged area and define non-imaged area where toner particles are absent;
- (g) maintaining the gap during transfer of the developed latent image between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface at the point of transfer between at least about 1 mil and about 20 mils;
- and
- (h) fusing the transferred toner particles image to the conductive receiving surface.
6 more elements
A method of fabricating a toned pattern on an electrically isolated nonabsorbent conductive receiving surface, comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing a charged electrostatic latent image area on an electrostatically imageable surface the electrostatically imageable surface having a first plane passing therethrough;
- (b) developing the electrostatic latent image area by applying to the electrostatically imageable surface charged toner particles of a predetermined height suspended in a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a first liquid layer with a first liquid surface, the charged toner particles being directed to the latent image area of the electrostatically imageable surface to form a developed latent image;
- (c) applying to the conductive receiving surface a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a second liquid layer with a second liquid surface;
- (d) establishing an electric field between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface by connecting a D.C. voltage directly to the conductive receiving surface;
- (e) placing the conductive receiving surface adjacent to the electrostatically imageable surface and the first plane so that a gap is maintained therebetween and the first liquid surface contacts the second liquid surface to create a liquid transfer medium across the liquid-filled gap, the liquid-filled gap being of a depth greater than the height of the toner particles, the conductive receiving surface further having a second plane passing therethrough;
- (f) transferring the developed latent image from the electrostatically imageable surface at a point of transfer through the liquid to the conductive receiving surface to form a transferred toner particle image in an imaged area and define non-imaged areas where toner particles are absent;
- (g) maintaining the gap during transfer of the develped latent image between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface at the point of transfer between at least about 1 mil and about 20 mils and maintaining the first plane parallel to the second plane at the point of transfer;
- (h) fusing the transferred toner particle image to the conductive receiving surface;
- (i) etching the non-imaged areas of the conductive receiving surface to remove the conductive receiving surface from the non-imaged areas of the conductive receiving surface on the conductor laminate;
- and
- (j) removing the toner particles from the imaged area of the conductive receiving surface.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.