EP0629931A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Electrostatographic printer for forming an image onto a receptor element
Assignee: Xeikon NV
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Filing: 1993-06-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-06-18
Abstract
Abstract An electrostatographic printer is described for forming an image onto a moving web (6) or sheet. The printer comprises a number of toner image-producing electrostatographic stations (A, B, C, D, E) having rotatable endless surface means in the form of a drum (21) onto which a toner image can be formed. A development station (4) forms a toner image on the drum (21). Drive rollers (22) convey the web (6) past the image-producing stations. Corona discharge devices (5) transfer the toner image on the drum surface onto the moving web (6). The printer includes an air-conditioning device comprising filters (30, 33) for removing dust and ozone from air leaving the environment of the image-producing station, a heat exchanger (34) and a humidifier (35) for adjusting the temperature and humidity of air leaving the environment of the image-producing station, thereby to produce conditioned clean air, and an inlet manifold (36) for introducing a stream of the conditioned clean air into the environment of the image-producing stations.
Inventors
- 👤 Etienne Marie De Cock
- 👤 Lucien Amedé De Schamphelaere
- 👤 Johan Denise Gustave Elsermans
- 👤 Ludo Verluyten
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:10
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G21/00; G03G21/20; G03G21/206; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0822; G03G15/0887; G03G21/203
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
An electrostatographic printer for forming an image onto a moving receptor element (6), which printer comprises: (i) a toner image-producing electrostatographic station having rotatable endless surface means (21) onto which a toner image can be formed; (ii) development station (4) for forming a toner image on said endless rotatable surface means (21); (iii) means (22) for conveying the moving receptor element (6) past said image-producing station; (iv) means (5) for transferring the toner image on said rotatable surface means (21) onto the moving receptor element (6); and (v) an air-conditioning device comprising means (34, 35) for adjusting the temperature and humidity of air to produce conditioned air, and means (25) for introducing a stream of said conditioned air into the environment of the image-producing station.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
15 words
A printer according to claim 1, wherein the moving receptor element is a paper web.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A printer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air-conditioning device further comprises means (30, 33) for removing dust and ozone from air leaving the environment of the image-producing station.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A printer according to claim 3, wherein said means for removing dust from air leaving the environment of the image-producing station comprises a dust-retaining filter (30).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A printer according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said means for removing ozone from air leaving the environment of the image-producing station is an ozone-sorption and/or an ozone-decomposing device (33).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, wherein the image-producing station is housed in a cabinet having at least one inlet (26) for said conditioned air and at least one outlet (11) for air containing dust and ozone.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, wherein air leaving the environment of the image-producing station is recycled to the air-conditioning device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, wherein the air-conditioning device further comprises sensing means (31) for providing signals indicative of the temperature and humidity of air leaving the environment of the image-producing station.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, wherein said means for adjusting the temperature and humidity of air comprises a cooling unit (34).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A printer according to claim 9, wherein the cooling unit (34) contains, as a cooling medium, water which is kept at a reference temperature by means of a refrigeration device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of image-producing stations (A to E'), said air-conditioning device including an inlet manifold (25) for introducing a separate stream of said conditioned air into the environment of each image-producing station.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of image-producing stations (A to E') housed in a cabinet, said air-conditioning device including a common inlet (36) for introducing a common stream of said conditioned air into said cabinet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of image-producing stations (A to E'), said air-conditioning device including an outlet manifold (28) for removing air from the environment of each image-producing station.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, wherein the means (26) for introducing a stream of said conditioned air into the environment of the image-producing station is so constructed and positioned to direct said conditioned air towards said rotatable endless surface means (21) at a position adjacent said development station (4).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, wherein the means (11) for removing dust and ozone from air leaving the environment of the image-producing station is so constructed and positioned to remove said air from the vicinity of said development station (4).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A printer according to claim 15, wherein said development station (4) comprises a development station box (24), said box having an outlet (11) for the removal of said air therefrom.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A printer according to claim 16, wherein said development station box further comprises an inlet (37) for introducing a stream of separately conditioned air.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
83 words
A printer according to claim 17, comprising a plurality of image-producing stations (A to E') housed in a cabinet (20), said air-conditioning device including a common inlet for introducing a stream of said conditioned air into said cabinet, and wherein said air-conditioning device further comprises means (37) for introducing a stream of air of a first condition directly to each development station and means (36) for introducing air of a second condition simultaneously via a common inlet into the cabinet of the printer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
A printer according to any preceding claim, wherein the development station (4) has a double-walled construction.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for forming an image onto a moving receptor element in an electrostatographic printer which includes a toner image-producing electrostatographic station having rotatable endless surface means onto which a toner image can be formed, the method comprising: - forming a toner image on said endless rotatable surface means; - conveying the receptor element past said image-producing station; - transferring the toner image on said rotatable surface means onto the moving receptor element; - adjusting the temperature and humidity of air to produce conditioned air, and - introducing a stream of said conditioned air into the environment of the image-producing station.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 20, wherein the moving receptor element is a paper web.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
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