Electrostatic development method using magnetic brush configuration transport

Claim 1

A METHOD OF DEVELOPING AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE PATTERN WITH A DRY DEVELOPER COMPRISING A MIXTURE OF ELESTROSTATICALLY ATTRACTABLE TONER PARTICLES AND MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE CARRIER R PARTICLES, SAID CARRIER PARTICLES AND SAID TONER PARTICLES HAVING A TRIBOELECTRIC RELATIONSHIP OF OPPOSITE POLARITY AND SAID TONER PARTICLES BEING CHANGED TO A POLARITY OPPOSITE THAT OF THE CHARGE PATTERN TO BE DEVELOPED, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PROVIDING A DEVELOPMENT ZONE BETWEEN A MOVABLE DEVELOPER DONOR MEMBER AND A DEVELOPER RECEIVING MEMBER UPON WHICH TO DEVELOP SAID CHARGE PATTERN, TRANSPORTING THE DEVELOPER MIXTURE FROM A DEVELOPER SUPPLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT ZONE WHILE PRESENT IN A MAGNETIC BRUSH CONFIGURATION ON THE MOVABLE DEVELOPER DONOR MEMBER, SAID MAGNETIC BRUSH CONFIGURATION BEING FORMED BY STATIONARY MULTIPOLE MAGNET MEMBERS, EACH MEMBER BEING AFFIXED TO GENERATE AN OPPOSITE POLARITY WITH RESPECT TO AN ADJACENT MAGNETIC POLE MEMBER, TRANSPORTING SAID DEVELOPER WHILE ON SAID MOVABLE DONOR MEMBER THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT ZONE IN WHICH THE MAGNETIC FIELD IN THE DEVELOPMENT ZONE IS INSUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE DEVELOPER IN A BRUSH CONFIGURATION, SAID DEVELOPER MIXURE BEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM BRUSHLESS, BLANKET CONTACT WITH SAID DEVELOPER RECEIVING MEMBER IN SAID DEVELOPMENT ZONE, AND TERMINATING CONTACT BETWEEN SAID DEVELOPER RECEIVING MEMBER AND SAID BRUSHLES BLANKET OF THE DEVELOPER FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF DEVELOPING AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE PATTERN WITH A DRY DEVELOPER COMPRISING A MIXTURE OF ELESTROSTATICALLY ATTRACTABLE TONER PARTICLES AND MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE CARRIER R PARTICLES, SAID CARRIER PARTICLES AND SAID TONER PARTICLES HAVING A TRIBOELECTRIC RELATIONSHIP OF OPPOSITE POLARITY AND SAID TONER PARTICLES BEING CHANGED TO A POLARITY OPPOSITE THAT OF THE CHARGE PATTERN TO BE DEVELOPED, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PROVIDING A DEVELOPMENT ZONE BETWEEN A MOVABLE DEVELOPER DONOR MEMBER AND A DEVELOPER RECEIVING MEMBER UPON WHICH TO DEVELOP SAID CHARGE PATTERN, TRANSPORTING THE DEVELOPER MIXTURE FROM A DEVELOPER SUPPLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT ZONE WHILE PRESENT IN A MAGNETIC BRUSH CONFIGURATION ON THE MOVABLE DEVELOPER DONOR MEMBER, SAID MAGNETIC BRUSH CONFIGURATION BEING FORMED BY STATIONARY MULTIPOLE MAGNET MEMBERS, EACH MEMBER BEING AFFIXED TO GENERATE AN OPPOSITE POLARITY WITH RESPECT TO AN ADJACENT MAGNETIC POLE MEMBER, TRANSPORTING SAID DEVELOPER WHILE ON SAID MOVABLE DONOR MEMBER THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT ZONE IN WHICH THE MAGNETIC FIELD IN THE DEVELOPMENT ZONE IS INSUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE DEVELOPER IN A BRUSH CONFIGURATION, SAID DEVELOPER MIXURE BEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM BRUSHLESS, BLANKET CONTACT WITH SAID DEVELOPER RECEIVING MEMBER IN SAID DEVELOPMENT ZONE, AND TERMINATING CONTACT BETWEEN SAID DEVELOPER RECEIVING MEMBER AND SAID BRUSHLES BLANKET OF THE DEVELOPER FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENT.

Claim 12

A method of developing an electrostatic charge pattern with a dry developer comprising a mixture of electrostatically attractable toner particles and magnetically attractable carrier particles, said carrier particles and said toner particles having a triboelectric relationship of opposite polarity and said toner particles being charged to a polarity opposite that of the charge pattern to be developed, said method comprising providing a development zone between a movable developer receiving member upon which to develop said charge pattern and a stationary conductive surface, transporting the developer mixture from a developer supply while in a magnetic brush configuration on a developer transport surface, said magnetic brush configuration being formed by stationary multipole magnet members, each member being affixed to generate an opposite polarity with respect to an adjacent magnetic pole member, catapulting the developer from the transport surface into the development zone in which the magnetic field is insufficient to maintain the developer in a brush configuration, said developer mixture being in substantially uniform brushless, blanket contact with said developer receiving member in said development zone, terminating contact between said developer receiving member and said brushless blanket of developer following development, and magneTically recapturing the developer in the form of a magnetic brush on a developer recapture surface following development.

Claim 13

A method of developing an electrostatic charge pattern with a dry developer comprising a mixture of electrostatically attractable toner particles and magnetically attractable carrier particles, said carrier particles and said toner particles having a triboelectric relationship of opposite polarity and said toner particles being charged to a polarity opposite that of the charge pattern to be developed, said method comprising providing a development zone between a movable developer receiving member upon which to develop said charge pattern and a stationary conductive surface, transporting the developer mixture from a developer supply while in a magnetic brush configuration on a developer transport surface, said magnetic brush configuration being formed by stationary multipole magnet members, each member being affixed to generate an opposite polarity with respect to an adjacent magnetic pole member, catapulting the developer from the transport surface into the development zone in which the magnetic field is insufficient to maintain the developer in a brush configuration, said developer mixture being in substantially uniform brushless, blanket contact with said developer receiving member in said development zone, terminating contact between said developer receiving member and said brushless blanket of developer following development, and magneTically recapturing the developer in the form of a magnetic brush on a developer recapture surface following development.

Claim 14

A method of developing an electrostatic charge pattern comprising providing a development zone between a movable endless developer donor member and a developer receiving member upon which to develop said charge pattern, the magnetic field in said development zone being insufficient to maintain developer in a brush configuration, transporting a dry electrostatically attractable developer from a developer reservoir to the development zone while in a magnetic brush configuration on the movable endless donor member, said magnetic brush configuration being formed by stationary multipole magnet members, each member being affixed to generate an opposite polarity with respect to an adjacent magnetic pole member, transporting said developer while on said movable endless donor member through the development zone in a brushless blanket magnetically unconstrained configuration while said developer is in substantially uniform contact with said developer receiving member and terminating contact between said developer receiving member and said developer.

Claim 15

A method of developing an electrostatic charge pattern comprising providing a development zone between a movable endless developer donor member and a developer receiving member upon which to develop said charge pattern, the magnetic field in said development zone being insufficient to maintain developer in a brush configuration, transporting a dry electrostatically attractable developer from a developer reservoir to the development zone while in a magnetic brush configuration on the movable endless donor member, said magnetic brush configuration being formed by stationary multipole magnet members, each member being affixed to generate an opposite polarity with respect to an adjacent magnetic pole member, transporting said developer while on said movable endless donor member through the development zone in a brushless blanket magnetically unconstrained configuration while said developer is in substantially uniform contact with said developer receiving member and terminating contact between said developer receiving member and said developer.