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US 6,148,165 AGranted
Apparatus with bipolar photoconductive element for making multicolor electrophotographic images and method for producing images
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsSusan A. Visser, Paul M. Borsenberger, Donald S. Rimai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for producing, in a single pass, an electrophotographic image comprising at least two colors. The photoconductive element is bipolar, and has a single active layer and a protective layer of diamond-like carbon.
Claims18
A method of producing an electrophotographic image comprising at least two colors, said method comprising, in order, the steps of:
- a) providing a bipolar photoconductive element;
- b) charging said bipolar photoconductive element to a surface potential of a first element polarity;
- c) image-wise exposing said charged photoconductive element to create a first electrostatic latent image;
- d) developing said first latent image using a first toner of a first color having an electrostatic charge of a first toner polarity, said first toner polarity being selected from (1) the same, and (2) the opposite of the first element polarity in step b);
- e) charging said photoconductive element to a surface potential of a second element polarity which is opposite the first element polarity in step b);
- f) image-wise exposing the photoconductive element charged in step e) to create a second electrostatic latent image;
- and
- g) developing said second latent image using a second toner of a second color having an electrostatic charge of a polarity which is
- i) the opposite of the second element polarity if (1) was elected in step d);
- and
- ii) the same as the second element polarity if (2) was elected in step d).
8 more elements
A method of producing an electrophotographic image comprising at least two colors, said method comprising, in order, the steps of:
- a) providing a bipolar photoconductive element having a diamond-like carbon outermost layer;
- b) charging said bipolar photoconductive element to a surface potential of a first element polarity;
- c) image-wise exposing said charged photoconductive element to create a first electrostatic latent image;
- d) developing said first latent image to form a charged first toned image using a first toner of a first color having an electrostatic charge of a first toner polarity, said first toner polarity being selected from (1) the same, and (2) the opposite of the first element polarity in step b);
- e) charging said photoconductive element to a surface potential of a second element polarity which is opposite the first element polarity in step b);
- f) image-wise exposing the photoconductive element charged in step e) to create a second electrostatic latent image;
- g) developing said second latent image to form a charged second toned image using a second toner of a second color having an electrostatic charge of a polarity which is
- i) the same as the second element polarity if (1) was elected in step d);
- and
- ii) opposite the second element polarity if (2) was elected in step d);
- and
- h) reversing the polarity of the charge on the second toned image.
9 more elements
An apparatus for producing an electrophotographic image comprising at least two colors, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a photoconductive element having a single layer aggregate photoconductive layer and having a diamond-like carbon outermost layer;
- b) a means of charging said photoconductive element to a surface potential of a first polarity;
- c) a means of image-wise exposing said photoconductive element to create a first electrostatic latent image;
- d) a means of developing said first latent image to form a charged first toned image;
- e) a means of charging said photoconductive element to a surface potential of a second polarity opposite said first polarity;
- f) a means of image-wise exposing said photoconductive element to create a second electrostatic latent image;
- g) a means of developing said second latent image to form a charged second toned image;
- wherein all of the said means are arranged to carry out their function in the order (a) through (g).
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.