Migration imaging system

Abstract

A migration imaging system using a laser-addressable thermoplastic imaging member 10. The imaging member 10 comprises a supporting section 15 and a thermoplastic imaging surface layer 14. A charged, uniform layer of marking particles 24 is deposited on the imaging surface layer 14. An imagewise-modulated laser beam 24 transforms selected volumes of the imaging surface layer 14 in an imagewise pattern to a permeable state. Charged marking particles 42 that overlay a transformed volume then migrate into the imaging surface layer 14, due to an electrostatic attraction to the imaging member 10, so as to be retained. Unaddressed marking particles 56 are cleaned away by particle removing device 20B comprised of a magnetic brush utilizing hard magnetic carrier particles. The imaging member 10, or solely the imaging surface layer 14, may be transferred and bonded to a receiver member such as a drum for use as an exposure mask in a xeroprinting process, or to a receiver sheet 64 to provide a hard copy reproduction. This migration imaging system provides an inexpensive method and apparatus for imaging which generates relatively little waste products.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.