System and method for maintaining color density in liquid toners for an electrographic printer

A system for substantially maintaining color density in liquid toners for an electrographic printer, the system comprising:

• means for substantially continuously supplying toner concentrate to liquid toner in a working strength vessel associated with a toning station in the printer, and
• means for substantially continuously withdrawing liquid toner from the working strength vessel into a waste flowstream;
• further comprising means for substantially continuously supplying diluent to the liquid toner in the working strength vessel and wherein the means for substantially continuously supplying the toner concentrate, the means for substantially continuously supplying the diluent, and the means for substantially continuously withdrawing the liquid toner to waste operate according to the equations:
• C+D=P+W
• Cy.sub.i +Dy.sub.d =Px+Wy.sub.o
• where C is the flowstream of the concentrate to the working strength vessel, D is the flowstream of the diluent to the working strength vessel, P is the flowstream of liquid toner from the working strength vessel to the toning station, and W is the flowstream from the working strength vessel to waste, where x is the mass fraction of toner solids in flowstream P to the toning station, and where y.sub.i, y.sub.o, and y.sub.d represent the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstreams C, W, and D respectively, of toner concentrate, waste and diluent, if any, respectively.

A method to achieve substantially consistent color density of liquid toner in an electrophotographic printing system, the method comprising:

• supplying toner concentrate to liquid toner in a working strength vessel substantially continuously, and withdrawing a portion of the liquid toner from the working strength vessel substantially continuously;
• wherein the acts of supplying and withdrawing operate according to the equations:
• C=P+W
• Cy.sub.i =Px+Wy.sub.o
• where C is the flowstream of concentrate to the working strength vessel, P is the flowstream of the liquid toner from the working strength vessel to a toning station in the printer, and W is the flowstream from the working strength vessel to waste;
• where x is the mass fraction of toner solids in flowstream P to the working strength liquid toner, and where y.sub.i and y.sub.o represent the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstreams C and W, respectively, of toner concentrate and waste, respectively.

A method to achieve substantially consistent color density of liquid toner in an electrophotographic printing system, the method comprising:

• supplying toner concentrate to liquid toner in a working strength vessel substantially continuously, and withdrawing a portion of the liquid toner from the working strength vessel substantially continuously;
• further comprising substantially continuously supplying diluent to the working strength vessel, and wherein the acts of supplying toner concentrate, supplying diluent, and withdrawing working strength liquid toner operate according to the equations:
• C+D=P+W
• Cy.sub.i +Dy.sub.d =Px+Wy.sub.o
• where C is the flowstream of concentrate to the working strength vessel, P is the flowstream of the liquid toner from the working strength vessel to a toning station in the printer, D is the flowstream of diluent to the working strength vessel, and W is the flowstream from the working strength vessel to waste, where x is the mass fraction of toner solids in flowstream P to the working strength liquid toner, and where y.sub.i, y.sub.o, and y.sub.d represent the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstreams C, W, and D respectively, of toner concentrate, waste and diluent, if any respectively.

A system for substantially maintaining color density in a liquid toner for an electrophotographic printer, the system comprising:

• a first flow path that substantially continuously supplies toner concentrate to liquid toner in a working strength vessel associated with a toning station;
• and
• a second flow path that substantially continuously withdraws liquid toner from the working strength vessel into a waste flowstream;
• wherein the first and second flow paths operate according to the equations:
• C=P+W
• Cy.sub.i =Px+Wy.sub.o
• where C is the flowstream of the toner concentrate to the working strength vessel, P is the flowstream of the liquid toner from the working strength vessel to the toning station, and W is the waste flowstream, where x is the mass fraction of toner solids in flowstream P to the toning station, and where y.sub.i represents the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstream C of toner concentrate, and y.sub.o represents the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstream W of waste.

A system for substantially maintaining color density in a liquid toner for an electrophotographic printer, the system comprising:

• a first flow path that substantially continuously supplies toner concentrate to liquid toner in a working strength vessel associated with a toning station;
• and
• a second flow path that substantially continuously withdraws liquid toner from the working strength vessel into a waste flowstream;
• further comprising a third flow path for substantially continuously supplying diluent to the working strength vessel, wherein the first, second, and third flow paths operate according to the equations:
• C+D=P+W
• Cy.sub.i +Dy.sub.d =Px+Wy.sub.o
• where C is the flowstream of toner concentrate to the working strength vessel, D is the flowstream of diluent to the working strength vessel, P is the flowstream from the working strength vessel to the toning station, and W is the waste flowstream:
• where x is the mass fraction of toner solids in flowstream P to the toning station, and where y.sub.i, y.sub.o, and y.sub.d represent the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstreams C, W, and D to toner concentrate, waste, and diluent, if any, respectively.

A method for substantially maintaining color density in a liquid toner for an electrophotographic printer, the method comprising:

• supplying toner concentrate to a liquid toner in a working strength vessel associated with a toning station in the printer;
• and
• withdrawing liquid toner from the working strength vessel into a waste flowstream,
• wherein the acts of supplying toner concentrate and withdrawing liquid toner substantially satisfy the equations:
• C=P+W
• Cy.sub.i =Px+Wy.sub.o
• where C is the flowstream of the toner concentrate to the working strength vessel, P is the flowstream of the liquid toner from the working strength vessel to the toning station, and W is the waste flowstream, where x is the mass fraction of toner solids in flowstream P to the toning station, and where y.sub.i represents the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstream C of toner concentrate, and y.sub.o represents the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstream W of waste.

A method for substantially maintaining color density in a liquid toner for an electrophotographic printer, the method comprising:

• supplying toner concentrate to a liquid toner in a working strength vessel associated with a toning station in the printer;
• withdrawing liquid toner from the working strength vessel into a waste flowstream;
• and
• supplying diluent to the working strength vessel,
• wherein the acts of supplying toner concentrate, withdrawing liquid toner, and supplying diluent substantially satisfy the equations:
• C+D=P+W
• Cy.sub.i +Dy.sub.d =Px+Wy.sub.o
• where C is the flowstream of the toner concentrate to the working strength vessel, P is the flowstream of the liquid toner from the working strength vessel to the toning station, D is the flowstream of the diluent to the working strength vessel, and W is the waste flowstream, where x is the mass fraction of toner solids in flowstream P to the toning station, and where y.sub.i, y.sub.o, and y.sub.d represent the mass fraction of toner solids in the flowstreams C, W, and D of toner concentrate, waste, and diluent, if any, respectively.