Patent US2978148A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0121592A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0121592A2
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EP
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Method of and apparatus for toning an electrophotographic member
Assignee: Stork Colorproofing BV
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Filing: 1981-04-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-04-10
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for toning an electrophotographic member provides a shoe (404) presenting a chamber (466), which is sealed to the atmosphere at both sides and the top and open to the bottom, adjoining the member (64). The chamber is essentially vertically arranged. A supply system stores toning fluid capable of being supplied to the chamber and is sealed to the atmosphere, except for a controllable valve for admitting atmosphere to the system. The member (64) is moved downward relative to the chamber (466) at a certain speed, and a pump supplies toning fluid from the supply system to the chamber. The toning fluid falls under the pull of gravity from the bottom of the chamber and causes a negative pressure in the supply system. This results in a substantially stationary vertical meniscus filling the chamber when the weight of the meniscus fluid equals the system negative pressure. The valve then is controllably opened so that the meniscus fluid moves downward at a rate equally the downward movement of the member.
Inventors
- 👤 Raymond E. Thomas
- 👤 John L. Tibbits
- 👤 John F. Keane
- 👤 George H. Kramer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:41
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/10; G03G15/101; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/04; H04N1/047; H04N1/053; H04N1/113; H04N1/1135; H04N1/19; H04N1/191; H04N1/1911; H04N1/387; H04N1/3871; H04N1/12; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/04; H04N2201/047; H04N2201/04701; H04N2201/0471; H04N2201/04734; H04N2201/04744; H04N2201/04746
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
385 words
A method of toning with a toning fluid an electro- photographic member (64) carrying a latent image of charged and discharged areas, the method comprising: providing a chamber (466) adjoining at least a portion of the member carrying the latent image, the chamber being defined by the member, an essentially vertical wall spaced from and parallel to the member, and a seal (450) carried by the vertical wall and engaging against the member, the seal extending around opposite ends and the top of the chamber so that the chamber is essentially sealed to the atmosphere and so that the chamber is open to the bottom and is essentially vertically aligned; providing a supply system which is sealed to the atmosphere containing a quantity of toning fluid and able to supply toning fluid to the top of the chamber opposite the bottom opening of the chamber the supply system including a controllable valve through which atmosphere may be admitted to the system; moving the member (64) relative to the chamber (466) in a downward direction at a predetermined speed with the seals maintaining the chamber essentially sealed to the atmosphere; supplying toning fluid to the top of the chamber from the supply system, the toning fluid moving from the top of the chamber to the bottom of the chamber under the force of gravity, the toning fluid which is moving down through the chamber and thereby being removed from the supply system causing a negative atmosphereic pressure in the supply system and when the negative pressure in the supply system equals the weight of the toning fluid moving down through the chamber, the toning fluid being held stationary and in equilibrium in an essentially vertical meniscus filling esentially the volume of the chamber; admitting atmosphere to the supply system at a controllable rate to reduce the na g ative pressure in the supply system so that the toning fluid may move down through the chamber; and controlling the rate of atmosphere being admitted to the supply system so that the speed of movement of the toning fluid in the chamber is essentially equal to the speed of movement of the member, thereby the toning fluid remaining essentially stationary relative to the member so that the toning fluid may tone the latent image carried on the member.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
385 words
A method of toning with a toning fluid an electro- photographic member (64) carrying a latent image of charged and discharged areas, the method comprising: providing a chamber (466) adjoining at least a portion of the member carrying the latent image, the chamber being defined by the member, an essentially vertical wall spaced from and parallel to the member, and a seal (450) carried by the vertical wall and engaging against the member, the seal extending around opposite ends and the top of the chamber so that the chamber is essentially sealed to the atmosphere and so that the chamber is open to the bottom and is essentially vertically aligned; providing a supply system which is sealed to the atmosphere containing a quantity of toning fluid and able to supply toning fluid to the top of the chamber opposite the bottom opening of the chamber the supply system including a controllable valve through which atmosphere may be admitted to the system; moving the member (64) relative to the chamber (466) in a downward direction at a predetermined speed with the seals maintaining the chamber essentially sealed to the atmosphere; supplying toning fluid to the top of the chamber from the supply system, the toning fluid moving from the top of the chamber to the bottom of the chamber under the force of gravity, the toning fluid which is moving down through the chamber and thereby being removed from the supply system causing a negative atmosphereic pressure in the supply system and when the negative pressure in the supply system equals the weight of the toning fluid moving down through the chamber, the toning fluid being held stationary and in equilibrium in an essentially vertical meniscus filling esentially the volume of the chamber; admitting atmosphere to the supply system at a controllable rate to reduce the na g ative pressure in the supply system so that the toning fluid may move down through the chamber; and controlling the rate of atmosphere being admitted to the supply system so that the speed of movement of the toning fluid in the chamber is essentially equal to the speed of movement of the member, thereby the toning fluid remaining essentially stationary relative to the member so that the toning fluid may tone the latent image carried on the member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
395 words
Apoparatus for toning with a toning fluid an electrophotographic member carrying a latent image of charged and discharged areas the method comprising: shoe means (402,404) adjoining at least a portion .-of the member (64) carrying the latent image, the shoe means providing an essentially vertical wall spaced from and parellel to the member, a seal (450) carried by the vertical wall and extending outward therefrom to engage against the member on three sides, the member, the seal and the vertical wall defining a downwardly opening chamber essentially sealed to the atmosphere except at the bottom opening with the chamber being essentially vertically aligned, supply means (416, 418, 420) coupled to the shoe at the top of the chamber, the supply means being otherwise sealed to the atmosphere except to the opening to the top of the chamber and containing a quantity of toning fluid which is able to supply to the top of the chamber, the supply means including a controllable valve (436) through which atmosphere may be admitted to the system; means for moving the member relative to the chamber in a downward direction in a predetermined speed with the seals maintaining the chamber essentially sealed to the atmosphere; pump means for supplying toning fluid to the top of the chamber from the supply system, the toning fluid moving from the top of the chamber to the bottom of the chamber under the force of gravity, the toning fluid which is moving down through the chamber as thereby being removed from the supply system causing a negative atmospheric pressure in the supply system, and when the negative pressure in the supply system equals the weight of the toning fluid moving down to the chamber, toning fluid being held stationary and in equilibrium in an essentially vertical meniscus filling the volumn of the chamber; and control means(412) operating the controllable valve to admit atmosphere to the supply system at a controlled rate to reduce the negative pressure in the supply system so that the toning fluid may move down through the chamber with a speed of movement of the toning fluid in the chamber essentially equal to the speed of movement of the member so that the toning fluid remains essentially stationary relative to the member as it flows down through the chamber with the toning fluid toning the latent image carried on the member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
395 words
Apoparatus for toning with a toning fluid an electrophotographic member carrying a latent image of charged and discharged areas the method comprising: shoe means (402,404) adjoining at least a portion .-of the member (64) carrying the latent image, the shoe means providing an essentially vertical wall spaced from and parellel to the member, a seal (450) carried by the vertical wall and extending outward therefrom to engage against the member on three sides, the member, the seal and the vertical wall defining a downwardly opening chamber essentially sealed to the atmosphere except at the bottom opening with the chamber being essentially vertically aligned, supply means (416, 418, 420) coupled to the shoe at the top of the chamber, the supply means being otherwise sealed to the atmosphere except to the opening to the top of the chamber and containing a quantity of toning fluid which is able to supply to the top of the chamber, the supply means including a controllable valve (436) through which atmosphere may be admitted to the system; means for moving the member relative to the chamber in a downward direction in a predetermined speed with the seals maintaining the chamber essentially sealed to the atmosphere; pump means for supplying toning fluid to the top of the chamber from the supply system, the toning fluid moving from the top of the chamber to the bottom of the chamber under the force of gravity, the toning fluid which is moving down through the chamber as thereby being removed from the supply system causing a negative atmospheric pressure in the supply system, and when the negative pressure in the supply system equals the weight of the toning fluid moving down to the chamber, toning fluid being held stationary and in equilibrium in an essentially vertical meniscus filling the volumn of the chamber; and control means(412) operating the controllable valve to admit atmosphere to the supply system at a controlled rate to reduce the negative pressure in the supply system so that the toning fluid may move down through the chamber with a speed of movement of the toning fluid in the chamber essentially equal to the speed of movement of the member so that the toning fluid remains essentially stationary relative to the member as it flows down through the chamber with the toning fluid toning the latent image carried on the member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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