Excess developing liquid removing device

Claim 2

In an electrophotographic copying apparatus including a moving photoreceptor, electrostatic charging means, exposure means and transfer means, the combination comprising: means for applying liquid developer onto the surface of the moving photoreceptor to convert an electrostatic latent image into a visible image; a rotating roller means disposed adjacent to said liquid developer applying means for removing excess liquid developer from the surface of the moving photoreceptor to form a uniform film of liquid developer thereon; means for supporting said rotating roller means to provide a gap between the periphery of said rotating roller means and the surface of the moving photoreceptor for thereby preventing said rotating roller means from damaging said visible image formed on the surface of the moving photoreceptor, said supporting means comprising a shaft on which said rotating roller means is rotatably supported, a pair of electrically insulated rollers rotatably supported on said shaft at opposite ends of said rotating roller means, said pair of electrically insulated rollers each having a diameter larger than that of said rotating roller means for thereby providing said gap, and biasing means for urging said pair of electrically insulated rollers into pressing contact with the surface of the moving photoreceptor; driving means for rotating said rotating roller means such that the periphery of said rotating roller means moves at the gap in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of movement of the surface of the moving photoreceptor; and means disposed in contact with the periphery of said rotating roller means for removing liquid developer therefrom.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1, in which said driving means comprises a variable speed motor

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 2, further comprising means for controlling said variable speed motor to vary the number of revolutions of said speed motor.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 1, further comprising means for applying a bias voltage to said rotating roller means, the bias voltage being selected to be lower in magnitude than the electrical potential of image regions of the moving photoreceptor and higher than the electrical potential of non-image reGions.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 1, peripheral which the photoreceptor comprises a rotating drum.

Claim 7

The combination according to claim 1, in which the photoreceptor comprises a belt moved by rollers.

Claim 8

In an electrophotograhic copying apparatus including a moving photoreceptor, electrostatic charging means, exposure means and transfer means, the combination comprising: means for applying liquid developer onto the surface of the moving photoreceptor to convert an electrostatic latent image into a visible image; a rotating roller means disposed adjacent to said liquid developer applying means for removing excess liquid developer from the surface of the moving photoreceptor to form a uniform film of liquid developer thereon; means for supporting said rotating roller means to provide a gap between the periphery of said rotating roller means and the surface of the moving photoreceptor for thereby preventing said rotating roller means from damaging said visible image formed on the surface of the moving photoreceptor, said supporting means comprising a pair of levers pivotally supported on fixed shafts, a pair of rollers rotatably supported by said levers respectively and held in contact engagement with the surface of the moving photoreceptor, a rotatable shaft on which said rotating roller means is rotatably disposed, said rotatable shaft being rotatably supported by said levers at an intermediate position between said pair of rollers and said fixed shafts to provide said gap, means cooperating with said pair of rollers for varying the gap between the moving photoreceptor and said rotating roller means, and biasing means urging said pair of levers to maintain said pair of rollers in contact with said moving photoreceptor; driving means for rotating said rotating roller means such that the periphery of said rotating roller means moves at the gap in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of movement of the surface of the moving photoreceptor; and means disposed in contact with the periphery of said rotating roller means for removing liquid developer therefrom.

Claim 9

In an electrophotograhic copying apparatus including a moving photoreceptor, electrostatic charging means, exposure means and transfer means, the combination comprising: means for applying liquid developer onto the surface of the moving photoreceptor to convert an electrostatic latent image into a visible image; a rotating roller means disposed adjacent to said liquid developer applying means for removing excess liquid developer from the surface of the moving photoreceptor to form a uniform film of liquid developer thereon; means for supporting said rotating roller means to provide a gap between the periphery of said rotating roller means and the surface of the moving photoreceptor for thereby preventing said rotating roller means from damaging said visible image formed on the surface of the moving photoreceptor, said supporting means comprising a pair of levers pivotally supported on fixed shafts, a pair of rollers rotatably supported by said levers respectively and held in contact engagement with the surface of the moving photoreceptor, a rotatable shaft on which said rotating roller means is rotatably disposed, said rotatable shaft being rotatably supported by said levers at an intermediate position between said pair of rollers and said fixed shafts to provide said gap, means cooperating with said pair of rollers for varying the gap between the moving photoreceptor and said rotating roller means, and biasing means urging said pair of levers to maintain said pair of rollers in contact with said moving photoreceptor; driving means for rotating said rotating roller means such that the periphery of said rotating roller means moves at the gap in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of movement of the surface of the moving photoreceptor; and means disposed in contact with the periphery of said rotating roller means for removing liquid developer therefrom.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 7 in which said driving means comprises a variable speed motor.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 7, further comprising means for applying a bias voltage to said rotating roller means, the bias voltage being selected to be lower in magnitude than the electrical potential of image regions of the moving photoreceptor and higher than the electrical potential of non-image regions.

Claim 12

The combination according to claim 7, in which the photoreceptor comprises a belt moved by rollers.