Transfer regulating apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for regulating a system adapted to transfer charged particles from a support surface to a sheet of support material, including: electrical transfer means cooperating with the support surface to attract the charged particles from the support surface to the sheet of support material; means for detecting sample charged particles corresponding to the charged particles remaining on the support surface after said transfer means has attracted the charged particles from the support surface to the sheet of support material; and means, responsive to said detecting means, for variably exciting said transfer means to adjust the electrical attractive force between said transfer means and the support surface.

Claim 3

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said detecting means includes: transparent electrode means electricaly biased to attract the charged particles thereto, said transparent electrode means being mounted on the support surface; means for illuminating said electrode means after said transfer means attracts the charged particles therefrom to the sheet of support material; and means for sensing the intensity of light rays transmitted through said electrode means to produce an electrical output signal indicative of the density of charged particles remaining on said electrode means.

Claim 4

An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said detecting means further includes means for comparing the electrical output signal with an adjustable reference to produce a control signal corresponding to tHe deviation between the actual density of charged particles remaining on said electrode means and the desired density thereof.

Claim 5

An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said detecting means further includes means for adjusting the reference to achieve the desired level of charged particles remaining on said electrode means.

Claim 6

An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said illuminating means includes a light source.

Claim 7

An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said sensing means includes a photosensor positioned in a light receiving relation with the light rays transmitted through said electrode means.

Claim 8

An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said transfer means includes: a cylindrical core of electrical conductive material; and a plurality of resilient layers entrained about said cylindrical core with at least one of the layers in contact therewith and the sheet of support material being secured releasably to the outermost resilient layer.

Claim 9

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said transfer means includes corona generating means disposed adjacent the support surface for applying an alternating charged potential to the support surface pre-conditioning the charged particles thereon to readily facilitate the transfer therefrom.

Claim 10

An electrostatographic printing machine of the type wherein toner particles are transferred to a sheet of support material forming thereon a copy of an original document being reproduced, including: an image bearing member having toner particles deposited thereon; electrical transfer means cooperating with said image bearing means to attract the toner particles from said image bearing member to the sheet of support material; means for detecting sample toner particles corresponding to the toner particles remaining on said image bearing member after said transfer means has attracted the toner particles from said image bearing member to the sheet of support material; and means, responsive to said detecting means, for variably exciting said transfer means to adjust the electrical attractive force between said transfer means and said image bearing member.

Claim 11

An electrostatographic printing machine of the type wherein toner particles are transferred to a sheet of support material forming thereon a copy of an original document being reproduced, including: an image bearing member having toner particles deposited thereon; electrical transfer means cooperating with said image bearing means to attract the toner particles from said image bearing member to the sheet of support material; means for detecting sample toner particles corresponding to the toner particles remaining on said image bearing member after said transfer means has attracted the toner particles from said image bearing member to the sheet of support material; and means, responsive to said detecting means, for variably exciting said transfer means to adjust the electrical attractive force between said transfer means and said image bearing member.

Claim 12

A printing machine as recited in claim 9, wherein said detecting means includes: transparent electrode means electrically biased to attract toner particles thereto, said transparent electrode means being mounted on said image bearing member; means for illuminating said electrode means after said transfer means attracts the toner particles therefrom to the sheet of support material; and means for sensing the intensity of light rays transmitted through said electrode means to produce an electrical output signal indicative of the density of toner particles remaining on said electrode means.

Claim 13

A printing machine as recited in claim 10, wherein said detecting means further includes means for comparing the electrical output signal with an adjustable reference to produce a control signal corresponding to the deviation between the actual density of toner particles remaining on said electrode means and the desired density thereof.

Claim 14

A printing machine as recited in claim 11, wherein said detecting means further includes means for adjusting the reference to achieve the desired level of toner particles remaining on said electrode means.

Claim 15

A printing machine as recited in claim 12, wherein said illuminating means includes a light source.

Claim 16

A printing machine as recited in claim 13, wherein said sensing means includes a photosensor positioned in light receiving relation with the light rays transmitted through said electrode means.

Claim 17

A printing machine as recited in claim 14, wherein said transfer means includes: a cylindrical core of electrically conductive material; and a plurality of resilient layers entrained about said cylindrical core with at least one layer in contact therewith and the sheet of support material being secured releasably to the outermost resilient layer.

Claim 18

A printIng machine as recited in claim 15, wherein said transfer means includes corona generating means disposed adjacent said image bearing member for applying an alternating charged potential to said image bearing member pre-conditioning the toner particles thereon to readily facilitate the transfer therefrom.