Electrostatographic apparatus having a toner transfer assistance system and process
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsWilliam J. Staudenmayer, Douglas E. Bugner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for assisting the transfer of a toner image formed by electrostatographic apparatus and process to a copy sheet. The transfer assistance system and process utilize drop generators to form a release liquid pattern for joining with such toner image and a supply mechanism delivers release material, e.g., heat wax material, to the drop generators. In a preferred mode release liquid is applied, in a patterns customized to toner patterns, to an intermediate transfer member.
Claims20
In electrostatographic apparatus having means for forming an electrostatic image on a support member, means for applying charged toner particles to form a toner image on said support member and means for transferring such toner image to a copy sheet, a system for assisting toner image transfer comprising:
- (a) drop generator means for controllably directing a plurality of drops of release liquid to form a release pattern for joining with such toner image;
- and
- (b) supply means for delivering such release liquid to said drop generator means.
In electrophotographic apparatus having a photoconductor member movable along an operative path past a charging station, an exposure station and development station that cooperate to form a toner particle image, a toner transfer assistance system comprising:
- (a) drop generator means for controllably directing drops of toner release liquid toward predetermined locations of a region located along said operative path, upstream of said development station;
- (b) supply means for delivering release liquid to said drop generator means;
- and
- (c) means for controlling said drop generator means in timed relation with movement of said photoconductor member to form a predetermined pattern of release liquid on said photoconductor member.
An electrostatographic apparatus comprising:
- (a) a charge retentive image member movable along an imaging path;
- (b) means for forming an electrostatic image on said image member;
- (c) means for developing said image member with toner particles to form a toner image;
- (d) an intermediate transfer member movable along a transfer path between said imaging member and a copy sheet feed path;
- (e) means for effecting transfer of toner images to said transfer member from said image member and from said transfer member to a copy sheet;
- and
- (f) first transfer assist means for selectively directing a plurality of drops of release liquid onto said transfer member, at a location along said transfer path upstream from the site of toner image transfer, to form a predetermined release liquid pattern beneath toner images.
In a process of producing electrostatographic copies that includes forming a toner image that is electrostatically attracted to a support member and transferring such toner image to a copy sheet, the improvement wherein said step of transferring such toner image comprises forming, on the support, a pattern of release liquid drops that is predeterminedly adapted to such toner image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.