System for toner cleaning

A toner cake layer delivery and cleaning apparatus operable, in a first mode, for delivery of a toner cake layer having a high solids content to a receiving member surface on a receiving member, and in a second mode, for cleaning of a toner cake layer from the receiving member surface, comprising:

• a supply of liquid developing material, the liquid developing material being a mixture of toner in a carrier fluid, the mixture exhibiting a percentage level of solids content that is less than the percentage level of solids content in the desired toner cake layer;
• a liquid developing material applicator connected to the supply of liquid developing material and operable for receiving a quantity of liquid developing material and for providing therefrom a layer of liquid developing material;
• a supply of carrier fluid;
• a movable coating member aligned with the liquid developing material applicator and the receiving member, the coating member having a carrier permeable segment for receiving, in the first mode of operation, the layer of liquid developing material at an exterior surface thereof, and in the second mode of operation, a quantity of carrier fluid at an interior surface from the carrier fluid supply;
• wherein the coating member is operable:
• (a) in the first mode, for separating at least a portion of the carrier fluid present in the layer of liquid developing material so as to increase the percentage level of solids content in the layer of liquid developing material, thus providing the desired toner cake layer, and wherein the coating member is movable for transporting the resulting toner cake layer into engagement with the receiving member surface for subsequent delivery of at least a portion of the toner cake layer to the receiving member surface;
• and
• (b) in the second mode, for engaging the receiving member to receive transfer of at least a portion of residual toner cake from the receiving member surface, and for inducing carrier fluid flow therein to cause the portion of residual toner cake to be detached from the carrier permeable segment for subsequent collection.

An imaging system for effecting electrostatic printing of an output image, comprising:

• an imaging assembly having an imaging member, the imaging member having an image bearing surface for receiving an electrostatic latent image thereon, the electrostatic latent image being representative of the desired output image;
• a development assembly for developing the electrostatic latent image, the development assembly including a receiving member having a receiving member surface for receiving a layer of toner and engaging the electrostatic latent image on the image bearing surface for development of the electrostatic latent image into a developed image representative of the output image;
• and
• a toner cleaning system for cleaning a toner layer from at least one of the receiving member surface and the image bearing surface, comprising:
• a movable member including a carrier permeable segment having a porous structure, the movable member being located to engage the at least one of the receiving member surface and the image bearing surface, so as to receive therefrom the toner layer at an exterior surface of the carrier permeable segment;
• and
• a supply of carrier fluid provided at an interior surface of the carrier permeable segment;
• wherein the carrier permeable segment supports carrier fluid flow from the supply of carrier fluid to a portion of the received toner layer so as to disengage a portion of the received toner layer from the carrier permeable segment.

A method for cleaning a toner from a supporting surface, comprising the steps of:

• providing a movable member including a carrier permeable segment having interior and exterior surfaces and a porous structure therebetween;
• engaging the movable member with the supporting surface so as to receive the toner onto the exterior surface;
• and
• providing a supply of carrier fluid at the interior surface of the carrier permeable segment;
• wherein the carrier permeable segment enables carrier fluid flow from the supply of carrier fluid to a portion of the received toner so as to disengage the portion of the received toner from the carrier permeable segment.