Image-wise toner layer charging for image development
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsHenry R. Till, Stewart W. Volkers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image development method and apparatus, wherein a support member is provided with a layer of marking material thereon, and an electrostatic latent image is created in the layer of marking material via image-wise charging of the layer of marking material. A selectively controllable charging device for directing a charge stream toward the support member having the layer of marking material coated thereon. The image-wise charge stream corresponds to the latent image, which, in turn, leads to image-wise charging of the toner layer, such that the toner layer itself becomes the latent image carrier. The latent image carrying toner layer is subsequently developed and transferred to a copy substrate to produce an output document.
Claims79
An imaging apparatus, comprising:
- a support member including a support surface for supporting a layer of marking material;
- a marking material supply apparatus for depositing marking material on the surface of said support member to form the layer of marking material thereon;
- a charging source for selectively delivering charge species to the layer of marking material in an image-wise manner to form an electrostatic latent image in the layer of marking material, wherein the electrostatic latent image includes image areas defined by a first charge voltage and non-image areas defined by a second charge voltage distinguishable from the first charge voltage;
- and
- a separator member for selectively separating portions of the marking material layer in accordance with the latent image in the marking material layer to create a developed image.
An imaging process, comprising the steps of:
- depositing toner particles on a support member to form a toner layer thereon;
- selectively delivering charges to the toner layer on said support member in an image-wise manner for forming an electrostatic latent image in the toner layer having image areas defined by a first charge voltage and non-image areas defined by a second charge voltage distinguishable from the first charge voltage;
- and
- selectively separating portions of the toner layer from the support member in accordance with the latent image in the toner layer for creating a developed image.
An electrostatographic image development apparatus, comprising:
- means for depositing a layer of marking particles on a support member;
- means for creating a selective electrical discharge in a vicinity of the layer of marking particles on the support member to selectively charge the layer of marking particles so as to create an electrostatic latent image in the layer of marking particles;
- and
- means for selectively separating portions of the layer of marking particles in accordance with the electrostatic latent image for creating a developed image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image formed in the layer of marking particles.
An electrostatographic image development process, comprising the steps of:
- depositing a layer of marking particles on a support member;
- selectively charging the layer of marking particles for creating an electrostatic latent image in the layer of marking particles;
- and
- selectively separating portions of the layer of marking particles in accordance with the electrostatic latent image for creating a developed image.
An image development apparatus, comprising:
- a system for generating an electrostatic latent image in a toner layer by means of a selectively controllable charging device, wherein the electrostatic latent image includes image and non-image areas having distinguishable charge potentials corresponding to image and non-image areas in an image to be developed.
A process for image development, comprising the step of selectively directing charge toward a toner layer for generating an electrostatic latent in the toner layer to form a toner layer having an embedded electrostatic latent image therein, defined by distinguishable charge potentials corresponding to image and non-image areas.
An electrostatographic image development apparatus, comprising:
- a support member including a surface having a layer of marking material thereon;
- and
- means for embedding an electrostatic latent image in the layer of marking material.
An electrostatographic image development process for developing an image on a support member, comprising the steps of:
- providing a layer of marking material on a surface of the support member;
- and
- embedding an electrostatic latent image in the layer of marking material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.