Liquid ink electrostatic image development system
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorNicholas K. Sheridon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus form a toned image on a copy sheet using a transfer layer. An imaging member is charged and a latent electrostatic image is formed on it. Subsequently, a highly viscous or non-Newtonian liquid transfer layer is applied over the latent electrostatic image. The latent electrostatic image is then developed to form a toned image, which is subsequently transferred to the copy sheet.
Claims28
A method of developing an electrostatic latent image, comprising the steps of:
- forming a latent electrostatic image on an imaging member;
- applying a transfer layer over the latent electrostatic image formed on the imaging member, the transfer layer comprising a highly viscous liquid or a non-Newtonian liquid;
- developing the latent electrostatic image into a toned image with a liquid developer, said liquid developer comprising pigment particles and a liquid carrier;
- and
- allowing said pigment particles to move through said transfer layer to at least a point below the transfer layer surface prior to transferring the toned image to an image receiving member.
A method of developing a latent electrostatic image on a surface of an image bearing member, comprising the steps of:
- forming a latent electrostatic image on a surface of an image bearing member;
- applying a transfer layer onto the latent electrostatic image formed on the surface of the image bearing member, the transfer layer comprising a gel that is capable of allowing pigment particles to move through said gel;
- developing the latent electrostatic image into a toned image with a liquid developer, said liquid developer containing pigment particles and a liquid carrier;
- and
- allowing said pigment particles to move through said transfer layer to at least a point below the transfer layer surface prior to transferring the toned image to an image receiving member.
An apparatus for forming a toned image on an image receiving member comprising:
- applying means for applying a transfer layer over a latent electrostatic image formed on a surface of an image member;
- developing means for developing a latent image;
- removing means for removing a portion of the transfer layer subsequent to developing the toned image and before transferring the toned image to an image receiving member;
- and
- transferring means for transferring the toned image to an image receiving member.
An imaging member for forming a toned image comprising:
- an imaging layer for forming a latent electrostatic image;
- and
- a transfer layer applied over the imaging layer having means for allowing pigment particles from a liquid developer, that is to be contacted with said transfer layer, to permeate through said transfer layer to the imaging layer without allowing liquid carrier from said liquid developer to permeate through said transfer layer to said imaging layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.