Developing device for electrophotographic color copier

A recording apparatus having a visualizing device which supplies a recording medium with visualizing liquids of different colors for recording information on the recording medium comprising, in combination:

• first visualizing liquid vessel means which contains a visualizing liquid of a first color and is provided with an overflow port;
• second visualizing liquid vessel means comprising a second vessel containing a visualizing liquid of a second color which is different from the firsts color, a third vessel containing a visualizing liquid of a third color which is different from the first and second colors, a fourth vessel containing a visualizing liquid of a fourth color which is different from the first, second and third colors, and a cleaning liquid vessel containing a cleaning liquid therein;
• first supply means having a first visualizing liquid supply unit for supplying the visualizing liquid contained in said first visualizing liquid vessel means to the visualizing device;
• second supply means comprising a first switching unit for selectively supplying any of the visualizing liquids discharged from the visualizing device to said first vessel and second visualizing liquid vessel means, common path means for routing any of the visualizing liquids which is fed toward said second visualizing liquid vessel means, and a second switching unit for selectively supplying the liquid in said common path means to said second vessel, third vessel, fourth vessel and cleaning liquid vessel;
• path switching means for selectively delivering any of the visualizing liquids discharged from the visualizing device to said first and second visualizing vessel means;
• purifier means interposed between said overflow port of said first visualizing liquid vessel means and said second visualizing liquid means for capturing developing agents which are contained in the visualizing liquids, said purifier means comprising a filter member which partitions an inner space communicating to said overflow port of said first vessel and an outer space communicating to said common path means, which delivers a purified liquid to said second liquid vessel means, from each other;
• color commanding means for commanding a color in which a recording is to be made;
• state monitoring means for monitoring the visualizing liquid supply state of the visualizing device;
• and
• liquid supply control means for comparing a color commanded by said color commanding means with the color of said visualizing liquid supply state monitored by said state monitoring means and, if the color of the visualizing liquid in the visualizing device is different from the commanded color, then any of said first and second supply means corresponding to the commanded color are activated to supply the selected visualizing liquid while said path switching means is activated to deliver visualizing liquid to said supply means which corresponds to the commanded color.

A recording apparatus having a visualizing device which supplies a recording medium with visualizing liquids of different colors for recording information on the recording medium comprising, in combination:

• first visualizing liquid vessel means which contains a visualizing liquid of a first color and is provided with an overflow port;
• second visualizing liquid vessel means containing a visualizing liquid of a color which is different from the first color;
• first supply means having a first visualizing liquid supply unit for supplying the visualizing liquid contained in said first visualizing liquid vessel means to the visualizing device;
• second supply means for supplying the visualizing liquid contained in said second liquid vessel means to the visualizing device;
• path switching means for selectively delivering any of the visualizing liquids discharged from the visualizing device to said first and second visualizing liquid vessel means;
• purifier means interposed between said overflow port of said first visualizing liquid vessel means and said second visualizing liquid vessel means for capturing developing agents which are contained in the visualizing liquids;
• color commanding means for commanding a color in which a recording is to be made;
• state monitoring means for monitoring the visualizing liquid supply state of visualizing device;
• and
• liquid supply control means for comparing a color commanding by said color commanding means with the color of said visualizing liquid supply state monitored by said state monitoring means and, if the color of the visualizing liquid in the visualizing device is different from the commanded color, then any of said first and second supply means corresponding to the commanded color are activated to supply the selected visualizing liquid while said path switching means is activated to deliver visualizing liquid to said supply means which corresponds to the commanded color, said first visualizing liquid vessel means comprising an effluent vessel communicating to said overflow port of said first vessel, a discharge conduit extending into the interior of the effluent vessel form an intermediate point on a side wall of the first vessel between an upper limit and a lower limit of liquid level, an air vent conduit extending upwardly to a level above the upper limit, and a supporter for supporting the discharge conduit and air vent conduit together.