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US 5,028,964 AGranted
Imaging system with rigidizer and intermediate transfer member
AssigneeSpectrum Sciences B.V.
InventorsBenzion Landa, Amiran Lavon, Hanna Pinhas, Yakov Krumberg, Paul Fenster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for image transfer including an image bearing surface arranged to support a liquid toner image thereon, including image regions and background regions, means for removing pigmented toner particles from the vicinity of background regions defined on the image bearing surface, means for rigidizing the toner image at the image regions, and an intermediate transfer member for receiving the toner image from the image bearing surface after rigidization thereof, for transfer of the image to a substrate.
Claims31
Apparatus for image transfer comprising:
- an image bearing surface arranged to support a liquid toner image having charged toner particles of a given polarity and comprising image regions and background regions thereon;
- means for rigidizing said liquid toner image and removing liquid therefrom, comprising a squeegee roller electrified to a voltage greater than about 500 volts with a polarity that is the same as the polarity of said charged toner particles, and urged against said image bearing surface;
- and
- an intermediate transfer member for receiving said toner image from said image bearing surface after rigidization thereof, for transfer of said image to a substrate.
1 more element
Apparatus for image transfer comprising:
- an image bearing surface arranged to support a liquid toner image comprising image regions and background regions thereon;
- means for rigidizing said liquid toner image;
- squeegee means for removing excess liquid from said liquid toner image after rigidization thereof;
- and
- an intermediate transfer member for receiving said toner image from said image bearing surface downstream of said squeegee means, for transfer of said image to a substrate.
2 more elements
Apparatus for image transfer comprising:
- an image bearing surface arranged to support a liquid toner image comprising image regions and background regions thereon;
- means for rigidizing said toner image comprising:
- a second surface arranged for movement relative to the image bearing surface along a pathway whereby portions of the image bearing surface and the second surface sequentially come into propinquity and subsequently move out of propinquity;
- potential impression means for impressing a first portion of said second surface with a first potential of a first polarity and simultaneously impressing a second portion of said second surface with a second potential of a second polarity;
- and
- means for energizing said potential impression means only when said first and second portions are located at a predetermined location along the pathway;
- and
- an intermediate transfer member for receiving said toner image from said image bearing surface after rigidization thereof, for transfer of said image to a substrate.
5 more elements
Apparatus for image transfer comprising:
- a moving image bearing surface arranged to support a liquid toner image comprising image regions and background regions thereon;
- means for rigidizing said toner image comprising:
- a roller adjacent said image bearing surface having a surface moving in a direction opposite to the movement of said image bearing surface thereby providing metering of excess liquid on said image bearing surface;
- potential impression means associated with at least one portion of said roller for impressing a potential on said at least one portion;
- and
- means for energizing said potential impression means only when said at least one portion is located adjacent said image bearing surface, thereby to provide image rigidization;
- and
- an intermediate transfer member for receiving said toner image from said image bearing surface after rigidization thereof, for transfer of said image to a substrate.
5 more elements
Apparatus for image transfer comprising:
- an image bearing surface arranged to support a liquid toner image comprising image regions and background regions thereon;
- means for rigidizing said liquid toner image at said image regions comprising:
- a member having an elastic outer layer having at least one ply of elastic material whose outer surface is arranged for movement relative to the image bearing surface along a pathway whereby regions of the image bearing surface and the outer surface sequentially come into propinquity and subsequently move out of propinquity;
- and
- potential impression means contained within at least one portion of said elastic outer layer for impressing a potential on said at least one portion when said at least one portion is in propinquity with said image bearing surface to apply a potential therebetween;
- and
- an intermediate transfer member for receiving said toner image from said image bearing surface after rigidization thereof, for transfer of said image to a substrate.
4 more elements
A method for imaging comprising the steps of:
- forming a liquid toner image having charged toner particles of a given polarity on an image bearing surface;
- rigidizing said liquid toner image by urging a squeegee roller against said image bearing surface, said squeegee roller being electrified to a voltage greater than about 500 volts with a polarity that is the same as the polarity of said charged toner particles;
- transferring said rigidized image to an intermediate transfer member;
- and
- subsequently transferring said image to a final substrate.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.