US 5,625,856 A · Image forming solution applicator, image forming solution application unit, and method of manufacturing applicator

Abstract

An image forming solution applicator which is formed of a flexible, porous material, and which can absorb and hold an image forming solution supplied from an external portion, and from which absorbed and held image forming solution flows out due to the applicator contacting an image recording material, and which applies the image forming solution to the image recording material by moving while contacting the image recording material. An average porosity of a portion of the applicator to which the image forming solution is supplied is greater than an average porosity of a portion of the applicator which contacts the image recording material. Accordingly, supplied image forming solution smoothly penetrates into the applicator, and is quickly absorbed and stably retained by the applicator.

Claims21

Dependent claims

wherein an average porosity of a first region of said applicator, to which first region the image forming solution is supplied, is greater than an average porosity of a second region of said applicator, which second region contacts the image recording material.

An image forming solution application unit, comprising:

a container movable relatively to an image recording material along the image recording material, and housing an image forming solution for obtaining an image on the image recording material, and having, at a bottom wall of said container which bottom wall opposes the image recording material, an applicator for applying the image forming solution to the image recording material;
and
a communicating/supplying portion provided at the bottom wall of said container and supplying the image forming solution within said container directly to said applicator,
wherein said applicator is formed of a flexible, porous material and can absorb and hold the image forming solution supplied from said communicating/supplying portion, the absorbed and held image forming solution flowing out from said applicator due to said applicator contacting the image recording material, said applicator applying the image forming solution to the image recording material by moving relatively to the image recording material while contacting the image recording material, and an average porosity of a first region of said applicator, to which first region the image forming solution is supplied, is greater than an average porosity of a second region of said applicator, which second region contacts the image recording material.

1 more element

A method of manufacturing an image forming solution applicator which is formed of a flexible, porous material, and which can absorb and hold an image forming solution supplied from an external portion, and from which the absorbed and held image forming solution flows out due to said applicator contacting an image recording material, and which applies the image forming solution to the image recording material by moving relatively to the image recording material while contacting the image recording material, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming said applicators as a substantial column on the whole by extrusion molding such that first regions, to which image forming solution is supplied and which have a large average porosity, are positioned at a central portion and second regions, which contact image recording materials and have a smaller average porosity than said first region, are positioned at a periphery of said first regions;
and
(b) after said step (a), dividing said substantial column in two along an axial center of said substantial column such that said second regions are at symmetrical positions and said first regions are exposed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image forming solution applicator, image forming solution application unit, and method of manufacturing applicator

Life of this patent

Image forming solution applicator, image forming solution application unit, and method of manufacturing applicator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21