Flexible donor belt employing a DC traveling wave

An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of developer material comprising toner;
• a donor member spaced from the imaging surface for transporting toner on a surface of said donor member to a region opposed from the imaging surface, said donor member includes an electrode array on the surface of said donor member, said array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member;
• and
• a multi-phase DC voltage source operatively coupled to said electrode array, said multi-phase DC voltage source generating an electrodynamic wave pattern for moving toner particles to and from a development zone for developing the latent image.

An electrophotographic printing machine, wherein an electrostatic latent image recorded on an imaging surface of a photoconductive member is developed to form a visible image thereof, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of developer material comprising toner;
• a donor member spaced from the imaging surface and for transporting toner on a surface of said donor member to a region opposed from the imaging surface, said donor member includes an electrode array on the surface of said donor member, aid array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member;
• and
• a multi-phase DC voltage source operatively coupled to said electrode array, said multi-phase DC voltage source generating an electrodynamic wave pattern for moving loner particles to and from a development zone for developing the latent image.