Toner applicator with flexure mounted articulation

An apparatus for applying toner to develop an electrographic latent image formed in the charge retaining surface of a recording medium moving along an axis of travel comprising;

• an applicator housing defining an internal reservoir of toner fluid communicating with parallel toner applying recesses disposed longitudinally in a surface of said housing for forming a developmental engagement with said surface of said recording medium across the entire width thereof;
• means for sensing the position of any point in a locus of points defining said axis of travel of said recording medium with respect to said toner applying recesses and for producing an output signal representative of said position;
• means responsive to said output signal for selectively articulating said applicator housing to provide a developmental engagement with said surface of said recording medium when an electrographic latent image is to be developed and for completely separating said applicator away from said recording medium to facilitate the drying of the toner when development of the electrographic image is to be concluded.

In an electrographic writing system wherein a recording medium is moved along an axis of travel with respect to a writing head for applying a latent electrostatic charge image to said recording medium and a toner station for applying toner for developing said electrostatic latent image, an improved toner applicator comprising:

• an elongate housing defining at least one internal reservoir disposed across the width of said recording medium and including at least two parallel toner applying slots along a face thereof, each of said slots communicating with said internal reservoir and extending longitudinally across the entire width of said recording medium for applying an even, uninterrupted flow of toner to said surface of said recording medium;
• means for sensing the parameters of said latent electrostatic charge image on said surface of said recording medium and for providing an output signal representative of the beginning and end of said image to be developed;
• articulating means responsive to said output signal for maintaining said toner applying slots in a first developmental position with said surface of said writing head for developing said electrostatic image and for separating said applicator away from said recording medium to facilitate drying of said toner;

An apparatus for applying a liquid toner to develop a latent electrostatic charge image on the surface of a recording medium moving forward or backward along a predetermined axis of travel with respect to a writing head and toning station comprising:

• a toner applying structure defining an internal reservoir and having at least two longitudinally extending parallel apertures in a surface thereof for forming a meniscus of toner in a development gap with said surface of said recording medium;
• means for positioning of said toner applying structure in a first position for forming said development gap with said recording medium and for instantaneously breaking said development meniscus and separating said toner applying structure away from said recording medium to prevent toner from wicking into said recording medium.

Apparatus for applying liquid toner to develop an electrographic latent image on the surface of a recording medium moving forward or backward along an axis of travel relative thereto comprising:

• a toner applying member containing a supply of toner fluid for developmental engagement with a recording medium across its entire width, wherein said toner applying member includes a series of parallel toner applying recesses extending longitudinally along the length of said member, each recess communicating with said supply of toner fluid for applying toner across a development gap to said surface of said recording medium;
• means for supporting said toner applying member in precise developmental engagement with said surface of said recording medium and for selectively enabling instantaneous separation of said toner applying member from said developmental engagement.

An improved toner applicator for developing a latent electrographic image on the charge retaining surface of a recording medium moving along an axis of travel with respect to said toner applicator comprising:

• a toner applying structure defining a containment reservoir of toner material, wherein said toner applying structure includes at least two parallel continuous recesses disposed longitudinally along a surface of said structure for applying an even flow of toner to the entire width of said recording medium as it is moved on its axis of travel;
• and
• means for articulating said toner applying structure between a first developmental engagement position with said surface of said recording medium and a second position wherein said toner applying structure is completely separated away from said recording medium.

The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said containment reservoir includes an inlet connected to a supply of toner material and at least two parallel baffles disposed within said containment reservoir substantially orthogonally to said inlet for providing an even distribution of fluid pressure throughout said containment reservoir and a uniform flow of said toner material from said toner applying recesses.