Apparatus, printer and method for electrostatic printing
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Indigo B.V.
InventorsShmuel Borenstain, Sagi Daren, Dror Kella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed an apparatus which may comprise a transfer member and a photoconductor. The apparatus may be operable to apply a potential difference between the transfer member and the photoconductor and the photoconductor may be operable to transfer a layer of electrostatic printing material from the photoconductor to the transfer member at a transfer region under the action of the applied potential difference. According to the present disclosure, the apparatus may further comprise a humidity raising device which may be operable to raise the relative humidity of the transfer region above an ambient level. A printer and a method of facilitating transfer of electrostatic printing material are also disclosed.
Claims14
An apparatus comprising:
- a transfer member;
- a photoconductor to transfer a layer of electrostatic printing material from the photoconductor to the transfer member at a transfer region under the action of a potential difference applied between the transfer member and the photoconductor;
- a humidity raising device to raise a relative humidity of air and to output the raised humidity air;
- and
- a conduit having a first end positioned to receive the raised humidity air from the humidity raising device and a second end positioned to deliver the raised humidity air directly to the transfer region.
A printer for printing on a print media, the printer comprising:
- a photoconductor to receive electrostatic printing material according to a latent image formed on the photoconductor;
- a transfer member to deliver the electrostatic printing material from the photoconductor to the print media, wherein the photoconductor is to transfer a layer of the electrostatic printing material onto the transfer member at a transfer region of the printer under the action of a potential difference applied between the transfer member and the photoconductor;
- a humidity raising device to raise a relative humidity of air and to output the raised humidity air;
- and
- a pipe having a first end positioned to receive the raised humidity air from the humidity raising device and a second end positioned to deliver the raised humidity air directly to the transfer region.
A method of facilitating transfer of electrostatic printing material from a photoconductor to a transfer member, wherein the transfer is effected at a transfer region under the action of an applied potential difference, the method comprising:
- receiving air into a humidity raising device;
- increasing a relative humidity of the received air at the humidity raising device to generate raised humidity air;
- and
- delivering the raised humidity air to the transfer region via a conduit having an end positioned at an entrance to the transfer region to increase the relative humidity of the transfer region above a threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.