Toner dispersant absorption belt system
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsRobert Simms, Tab Tress, Dana Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for increasing the solids content of an image formed from liquid developer comprising a belt which is comprised of an absorption material containing small pores to absorb dispersant from a dispersant laden image and a pair of rollers bearing the belt wherein the belt on one of the rollers contacts a dispersant laden image bearing portion of an image carrying member such as a photoreceptor drum or an intermediate sheet.
Claims34
A method for increasing solids content of an image formed on an image carrying member, the image formed from a liquid developer at a developer station, the image comprising toner particles and liquid toner dispersant, the method comprising:
- contacting a belt comprising an absorption material capable of absorbing the liquid toner dispersant to the image formed on the image carrying member, the belt contacting said image carrying member at a location separate from and downstream from the developer station and prior to transfer of the image to an image receiving member, said absorption material absorbing the toner dispersant and maintaining the toner particles on said image carrying member, said belt extending around a contact roller and a back up roller, said belt only contacting said image carrying member at a portion of said belt located between said image carrying member and said contact roller;
- and
- reducing an amount of absorbed liquid toner dispersant carried by said belt before said absorption material is contacted to a subsequent image on said image carrying member by removing said absorbed toner dispersant from said absorption material at said back up roller remote from said contact roller and said image carrying member so that immediately prior to said portion of said belt contacting said image on said image carrying member, said portion is in an uncompressed state having any previously absorbed liquid toner dispersant removed from said belt.
A device for increasing solids content of an image formed on an image carrying member, the image formed using a liquid developer at a developer station, the image comprising toner particles and liquid toner dispersant, the device comprising:
- a belt at a location separate from and downstream from the developer station and upstream from a transfer station that transfers the image to an image receiving member, the belt comprising an absorption material capable of absorbing the liquid toner dispersant from the image on the image carrying member and maintaining the toner particles on said image carrying member, said belt extending around a contact roller and a back up roller, said belt only contacting said image carrying member at a portion of said belt located between said image carrying member and said contact roller;
- and
- means for reducing an amount of absorbed liquid toner dispersant carried by said belt after said belt absorbs said liquid dispersant from the image and before said absorption material contacts a subsequent image on said image carrying member by removing said absorbed liquid toner dispersant from said absorption material at said back up roller remote from said contact roller and said image carrying member so that immediately prior to said portion of said belt contacting said image, said portion is in an uncompressed state having previously absorbed toner dispersant removed from said belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.