Methods and apparatus to duplicate images on various image carrying media using liquid carrier based developer

A method of adjusting an amount of a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media via a photoreceptor drum, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media;
• b) applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer according to said image to be reproduced, said toner particles being placed at a predetermined range of distance from each other;
• c) removing a first predetermined amount of said developer from said photoreceptor drum;
• and
• d) applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles on said photo receptor drum according to said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring onto said selected image-carrying medium, whereby the quality of said image created by said toner particles on said selected image-carrying medium is optimized.

A method of adjusting an amount of a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media via a photoreceptor drum, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media;
• b) applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer according to said image to be reproduced, said toner particles being placed at a predetermined range of distance from each other on said photoreceptor drum;
• and
• c) applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to transfer said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said selected image-carrying medium based upon image reproduction surface characteristics of said selected image-carrying medium, whereby the quality of said image is optimized.

A method of adjusting an amount of a liquid carrier based developer containing a liquid carrier and toner particles for reproducing an image on one of a group of image-carrying media via a photoreceptor drum, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media;
• b) applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer containing a first predetermined amount of said liquid carrier, said toner particles being placed at a predetermined range of distance at each other on said photoreceptor drum;
• c) removing a second predetermined amount of said liquid carrier from said developer on said photoreceptor drum prior to transferring said developer onto said image-carrying medium;
• d) applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to further remove a third predetermined amount of said liquid carrier remaining after said step c) based upon said selected image-carrying medium so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles prior to transferring said developer onto said image-carrying medium, said second amount and said third amount being smaller than said first amount;
• and
• e) transferring said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said image-carrying medium based upon said selected image-carrying medium.

A method of adjusting an amount of a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media via a photoreceptor drum, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media;
• b) applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer for reproducing said image based upon said selected image-carrying medium, said toner particles contained therein being placed approximately at a predetermined distance with each other on said photoreceptor drum;
• c) removing a first predetermined amount of said developer from said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• and
• d) applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to further remove a second predetermined amount of said liquid carrier over said toner on said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium, said second amount being smaller than said first amount, whereby the quality of said image on said selected image-carrying medium is optimized.

A method of adjusting an amount of a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media via a photoreceptor drum, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media;
• b) applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer for reproducing said image based upon said selected image-carrying medium;
• c) removing a first predetermined amount of said developer from said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• and
• d) applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to transfer said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said selected image-carrying medium based upon said selected image-carrying medium.

A method of adjusting an amount of a liquid carrier based developer containing a liquid carrier and toner particles for reproducing an image on one of a group of image-carrying media via a photoreceptor drum, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media;
• b) applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer containing a first predetermined amount of said liquid carrier based upon said selected image-carrying medium in said step a), said toner particles contained therein being placed at a predetermined range of distance from each other;
• c) removing a second predetermined amount of said liquid carrier from said developer on said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• d) applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to further remove a third predetermined amount of said liquid carrier remaining after said step c) based upon said selected image-carrying medium so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• and
• e) transferring said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said image-carrying medium based upon said selected image-carrying medium.

An apparatus for preventing edge collapses in an image rendered on an image-carrying medium by a wet developer containing liquid carrier and toner particles suspended in the liquid carrier, comprising:

• a photoreceptor drum for holding the wet developer;
• a developer for applying the wet developer onto said photoreceptor drum according to the image to be rendered, the applied wet developer on said photoreceptor drum having a second weight;
• and
• a toner particle stabilizer located at a predetermined distance from said photoreceptor drum for applying a predetermined voltage to said developer through an air gap towards said photoreceptor drum so as to pack the toner particles in the applied wet developer located on said photoreceptor drum so that a distance between the toner particles is reduced before the toner particles are transferred onto said image-carrying medium, the toner particles having a first weight, whereby said toner particle stabilizer substantially prevents the toner particles near the edge from collapsing when the toner particles are transferred onto said image-carrying medium.

An apparatus for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media using a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said apparatus comprising:

• a medium selector for selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media, said one of said image-carrying media being a selected image-carrying medium;
• a photoreceptor drum for holding said developer before placing said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a developing roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer according to said image to be reproduced, said toner particles being placed at a predetermined range of distance from each other;
• a developer reduction means located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for removing a predetermined amount of said developer applied onto said photoreceptor drum;
• and
• a set roller located near said photoreceptor drum for applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to selectively remove said liquid carrier from an area over said toner particles placed on said photoreceptor drum according to said selected image-carrying medium so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles before said toner particles are transferred onto said image-carrying medium, whereby a quality of said image on said selected image-carrying medium is optimized.

An apparatus for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media using a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said apparatus comprising:

• a medium selector for selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media, said one of said image-carrying media being a selected image-carrying medium;
• a photoreceptor drum for holding said developer before placing said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a developing roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer according to said image to be reproduced, said toner particles being placed approximately at a predetermined range of distance at each other prior to transferring said developer;
• and
• a transfer roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to transfer said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said image-carrying medium based upon said selected image-carrying medium thereby transferring an appropriate amount of said developer based upon said selected image-carrying medium.

An apparatus for reproducing an image on one of a group of image-carrying media using a liquid carrier based developer containing a liquid carrier and toner particles, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said apparatus comprising:

• a medium selector for selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media, said one of said image-carrying media being a selected image-carrying medium;
• a photoreceptor drum for holding said developer before placing said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a developing roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer containing a first predetermined amount of said liquid carrier, said toner particles being placed at a predetermined range of distance from each other;
• a reverse roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for removing a second predetermined amount of said liquid carrier from said developer on said photoreceptor drum prior to transferring said developer onto said image-carrying medium;
• a set roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to further remove a third predetermined amount of said liquid carrier based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said image-carrying medium so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles;
• and
• a transfer roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for transferring said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said image-carrying medium based upon said selected image-carrying medium.

A system of for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media using a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said system comprising:

• a medium selector for selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media, said one of said image-carrying media being a selected image-carrying medium;
• a photoreceptor drum for holding said developer before placing said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a developing roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer for reproducing said image based upon said selected image-carrying medium, said toner particles being placed at a predetermined range of distance from each other;
• a reverse roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for removing a first predetermined amount of said developer from said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• and
• a set roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to further remove a second predetermined amount of said liquid carrier on said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium, whereby a quality of said image on said selected image-carrying medium is optimized.

A system for reproducing an image on one of a selected group of predetermined image-carrying media using a liquid carrier based developer containing toner particles and a liquid carrier, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said system comprising:

• a medium selector for selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media, said one of said image-carrying media being a selected image-carrying medium;
• a photoreceptor drum for holding said developer before placing said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a developing roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer for reproducing said image based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a reverse roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for removing a first predetermined amount of said developer from said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• and
• a transfer roller located near said photoreceptor drum for applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to transfer said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said selected image-carrying medium based upon said selected image-carrying medium.

A system for reproducing an image on one of a group of image-carrying media using a liquid carrier based developer containing a liquid carrier and toner particles, each of said predetermined image-carrying media providing varying image reproduction surface characteristics, said system comprising:

• a medium selector for selecting one of said predetermined image-carrying media, said one of said image-carrying media being a selected image-carrying medium;
• a photoreceptor drum for holding said developer before placing said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a developing roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying onto said photoreceptor drum said developer containing a first predetermined amount of said liquid carrier based upon said selected image-carrying medium, said toner particles contained therein being placed at a predetermined range of distance from each other;
• a reverse roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for removing a second predetermined amount of said liquid carrier from said developer on said photoreceptor drum based upon said selected image-carrying medium prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• a set roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for applying a predetermined voltage to said developer from a predetermined distance through an air gap so as to further remove a third predetermined amount of said liquid carrier based upon said selected image-carrying medium so as to reduce said predetermined range of distance between said toner particles prior to transferring said developer onto said selected image-carrying medium;
• and
• a transfer roller located adjacent to said photoreceptor drum for transferring said developer from said photoreceptive drum onto said image-carrying medium on said transfer roller based upon said selected image-carrying medium.