Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
AN ELECTROSTATIC POWDER COATING METHOD COMPRISING, EXPOSING A LAYR OF CHARGED PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER PARTICLES FORMED ON AN ELECTRICALL CONDUCTIVE SUBSTRATE TO AN OPTICAL IMAGE, THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER PARTICLES HAVING A MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENT; SELECTIVELY ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE ALL OF THE IRRADIATION DISCHARGED TONER PARTICLES FROM SAID TONER LAYER AT THE IRRADIATED AREAS TO FORM A TONER IMAGE CORRESPONDING TO SAID OPTICAL IMAGE WHERE A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE TONER PARTICLES UNDERSIRABLDY REMAIN IN THE IRRADIATION DISCHARGED AREA; THEN, WHILE THE REMAINING CHARGED TONER LAYER STILL RETAINS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL CHARGE, ELECTROSTATICALLY SPRAYING A SECOND POWDER HAVING A MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENT AND HAVING THE SAME CHARGE POLARITY AS THAT OF SAID TONER LAYER OVER THE TONER IMAGE BEARING SURFACE WHEREBY SAID SECOND POWDER IS PERFERENTIALLY DEPOSITED ONT THE IRRADIATED AREAS OF SAID IMAGE BEARING SURFACE; FUSING SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER PARTICLES AND SAID SECOND POWDER PARTICLES BY HEATING TO FORM A CONTINUOUS FILM, WHEREIN THE AFFINITY BETWEEN A MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENT OF SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER AND THAT OF SAID SECOND POWDER IS HIGH AND BOTH MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENTS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER WHEN FUSED BY HEATING; AND DISCHARGING THE CHANGED TONER PARTICLES OF SAID CHARGED TONER LAYER BY UNIFORM IRRADIATION AND REMOVING SAID DISCHARGED TONER PARTICLES FROM THE SUBSTRATE, AFTER ELECTROSTATICALLY SPRAYING SAID SECOND POWDER OVER THE TONER IMAGE BEARING SURFACE SO THAT ALL OF THE REMOVED TONER PARTICLES MAY BE REUSED.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
AN ELECTROSTATIC POWDER COATING METHOD COMPRISING, EXPOSING A LAYR OF CHARGED PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER PARTICLES FORMED ON AN ELECTRICALL CONDUCTIVE SUBSTRATE TO AN OPTICAL IMAGE, THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER PARTICLES HAVING A MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENT; SELECTIVELY ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE ALL OF THE IRRADIATION DISCHARGED TONER PARTICLES FROM SAID TONER LAYER AT THE IRRADIATED AREAS TO FORM A TONER IMAGE CORRESPONDING TO SAID OPTICAL IMAGE WHERE A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE TONER PARTICLES UNDERSIRABLDY REMAIN IN THE IRRADIATION DISCHARGED AREA; THEN, WHILE THE REMAINING CHARGED TONER LAYER STILL RETAINS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL CHARGE, ELECTROSTATICALLY SPRAYING A SECOND POWDER HAVING A MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENT AND HAVING THE SAME CHARGE POLARITY AS THAT OF SAID TONER LAYER OVER THE TONER IMAGE BEARING SURFACE WHEREBY SAID SECOND POWDER IS PERFERENTIALLY DEPOSITED ONT THE IRRADIATED AREAS OF SAID IMAGE BEARING SURFACE; FUSING SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER PARTICLES AND SAID SECOND POWDER PARTICLES BY HEATING TO FORM A CONTINUOUS FILM, WHEREIN THE AFFINITY BETWEEN A MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENT OF SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE TONER AND THAT OF SAID SECOND POWDER IS HIGH AND BOTH MAIN RESINOUS COMPONENTS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER WHEN FUSED BY HEATING; AND DISCHARGING THE CHANGED TONER PARTICLES OF SAID CHARGED TONER LAYER BY UNIFORM IRRADIATION AND REMOVING SAID DISCHARGED TONER PARTICLES FROM THE SUBSTRATE, AFTER ELECTROSTATICALLY SPRAYING SAID SECOND POWDER OVER THE TONER IMAGE BEARING SURFACE SO THAT ALL OF THE REMOVED TONER PARTICLES MAY BE REUSED.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as described in claim 1, wherein said main resinous components of said photoconductive toner and said second powder contain chemically the same materials.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method as described in claim 2, wherein said chemically same materials are selected from the group consisting of an epoxy resin of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A, a polyester of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid or isophthalic acid, a copolyester of ethylene glycol, terephthalic acid and is o-phthalic acid, and a phenoxy resin comprising an epoxy resin having a high degree of polymerization terminated by a bisphenol A residue.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as described in claim 1, wherein said main resinous components of said photoconductive toner and said second powder contain chemically similar materials.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method as described in claim 4, wherein said chemically similar materials are selected from the group consisting of a methacryl ester, an acryl ester or a styrene copolymer including monomers such as glycidyl methacrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, maleic anhydride or methacrylic acid, and a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as described in claim 1, wherein one of said main resinous components of said photoconductive toner and said second powder has a low molecular weight.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as described in claim 6, wherein said main resinous component is a polyamide resin having a low degree of polymerization.