Liquid developing device in electrophotographic copying apparatus

Claim 2

A liquid developing device in an electrophotographic copying apparatus of the liquid development and transfer type, wherein the apparatus includes a photosensitive drum having a surface for bearing an electrostatic latent image, said device comprising: an arcuate developing electrode disposed adjacent said photosensitive drum and in an opposed relationship with said surface of said photosensitive drum; electrode support means including first and second pairs of support members extending respectively from opposite ends of said developing electrode, and means for engaging said support members for uniformly supporting said electrode with respect to said surface of the photosensitive drum and for maintaining said pairs of extending members in a predetermined spaced relationship with said drum surface to thereby maintain a corresponding predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and the surface of said photosensitive drum; means bearing said developing electrode and support means for permitting said electrode and support means to move pivotally toward and away from said surface of said photosensitive drum between operating and inoperative positions and also pivotally in a plane transverse thereto; and means for supplying developing liquid into said clearance between the drum surface and the electrode whereby said developing liquid supplied into said clearance is to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of said photosensitive drum.

Claim 3

A liquid developing device in an electrophotographic copying apparatus of the liquid development and transfer type, wherein the apparatus includes a photosensitive drum having a surface for bearing an electrostatic latent image, said device comprising: an acruate developing electrode disposed adjacent said photosensitive drum and in an opposed relationship with said surface of said photosensitive drum; electrode support means including first and second pairs of support members extending respectively from opposite ends of said developing electrode, and means for engaging said support members for uniformly supporting said electrode with respect to said surface of the photosensitive drum and for maintaining said pairs of extending members in a predetermined spaced relationship with said drum surface to thereby maintain a corresponding predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and the surface of said photosensitive drum; means bearing said developing electrode and support means for permitting said developing electrode and support means to move pivotally toward and away from said surface of said photosensitive drum between operating and inoperative positions and also pivotally in a plane transverse thereto; a tank for storing developing liquid; first supply means for supplying developing liquid from the tank into said clearance between the drum surface and the electrode, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum; and second supply means for supplying the developing liquid to the drum at a position between a transfer position and an image forming position.

Claim 4

A liquid developing device in an electrophotographic copying apparatus of the liquid development and transfer type, wherein the apparatus includes a photosensitive drum having a surface for bearing an electrostatic latent image, said device comprising: an acruate developing electrode disposed adjacent said photosensitive drum and in an opposed relationship with said surface of said photosensitive drum; electrode support means including first and second pairs of support members extending respectively from opposite ends of said developing electrode, and means for engaging said support members for uniformly supporting said electrode with respect to said surface of the photosensitive drum and for maintaining said pairs of extending members in a predetermined spaced relationship with said drum surface to thereby maintain a corresponding predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and the surface of said photosensitive drum; means bearing said developing electrode and support means for permitting said developing electrode and support means to move pivotally toward and away from said surface of said photosensitive drum between operating and inoperative positions and also pivotally in a plane transverse thereto; a tank for storing developing liquid; first supply means for supplying developing liquid from the tank into said clearance between the drum surface and the electrode, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum; and second supply means for supplying the developing liquid to the drum at a position between a transfer position and an image forming position.

Claim 5

A liquid developing device in an electrophotographic copying apparatus of the liquid development and transfer type, said device comprising a photosensitive drum, an arcuate developing electrode disposed below said photosensitive drum in opposed relationship therewith, and spacers disposed at the opposite ends of said developing electrode to maintain a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said photosensitive drum, support arms and a developing electrode support member provided to permit said developing electrode to be pivotally moved in vertical and horizontal planes, and said spacers at the opposite ends of said developing electrode being in uniform contact with said photosensitive drum, whereby developing liquid may be supplied into said clearance to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of said photosensitive drum.

Claim 6

A liquid developing device in an electrophotographic copying apparatus of the liquid development and transfer type, said device comprising a photosensitive drum, an arcuate developing electrode disposed below said photosensitive drum in opposed relationship therewith, and spacers disposed at the opposite ends of said developing electrode to maintain a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said photosensitive drum, support arms and a developing electrode support member provided to permit said developing electrode to be pivotally moved in vertical and horizontal planes, and said spacers at the opposite ends of said developing electrode being in uniform contact with said photosensitive drum, whereby developing liquid may be supplied into said clearance to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of said photosensitive drum.

Claim 7

A liquid developing device in an electrophotographic copying apparatus of the liquid development and transfer type, said device comprising a photosensitive member, a developing electrode disposed adjacent said photosensitive member in opposed relationship therewith, and spacer means disposed at an end of said developing electrode to maintain a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said photosensitive member and a developing electrode support member provided to permit said developing electrode to be pivotally moved in vertical and horizontal planes, and said spacer means being in contact with said photosensitive member, whereby developing liquid may be supplied into said clearance to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of said photosensitive member.

Claim 8

A liquid developing device in an electrophotographic copying apparatus of the liquid development and transfer type, said device comprising a photosensitive member, a developing electrode disposed adjacent said photosensitive member in opposed relationship therewith, and spacer means disposed at an end of said developing electrode to maintain a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said photosensitive member and a developing electrode support member provided to permit said developing electrode to be pivotally moved in vertical and horizontal planes, and said spacer means being in contact with said photosensitive member, whereby developing liquid may be supplied into said clearance to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of said photosensitive member.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 4, wherein said spacer means includes a pair of rollers mounted at both ends of said developing electrode adjacent to non-imaging portions of said photosensitive member.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 4, wherein said developing electrode support member is a resilient member normally biasing said developing electrode toward said photosensitive member.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 4, wherein said developing electrode defines an opening for supplying developer liquid therethrough to said clearance.

Claim 14

A developing device comprising: a surface for bearing an electrostatic image to be developed; a developing electrode disposed adjacent said surface in opposed relationship therewith; spacer means disposed at at least one end of said developing electrode to maintain a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said surface, wherein said spacer means uniformly contacts a non-imaging portion of said electrostatic image bearing surface; and a developing electrode support member provided to permit said developing electrode to be pivotally moved in vertical and horizontal planes; whereby developer may be supplied to said clearance to develop said electrostatic image bearing surface.

Claim 15

A developing device comprising: a surface for bearing an electrostatic image to be developed; a developing electrode disposed adjacent said surface in opposed relationship therewith; spacer means disposed at at least one end of said developing electrode to maintain a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said surface, wherein said spacer means uniformly contacts a non-imaging portion of said electrostatic image bearing surface; and a developing electrode support member provided to permit said developing electrode to be pivotally moved in vertical and horizontal planes; whereby developer may be supplied to said clearance to develop said electrostatic image bearing surface.

Claim 16

A developing device comprising: a surface for bearing an electrostatic image to be developed; a developing electrode disposed adjacent said surface in an opposed relationship therewith; electrode support means, mounted on said developing electrode, for supporting said developing electrode in opposed relationship with said electrostatic image bearing surface; means for permitting said electrode and said electrode support means to move pivotally toward and away from said electrostatic image bearing surface and also pivotally in a plane transverse thereto; and means for holding said electrode support means at a predetermined distance from said electrostatic image bearing surface to maintain a predetermined clearance between a surface of said developing electrode and said electrostatic image bearing surface to facilitate development when said holding means is in its operative position and when said holding means is in its inoperative position, spaces said developing electrode away from said electrostatic image bearing surface without contacting said electrostatic image bearing surface to facilitate relative movement between said electrostatic image bearing surface and said developing electrode.

Claim 17

A developing device comprising: a surface for bearing an electrostatic image to be developed; a developing electrode disposed adjacent said surface in an opposed relationship therewith; electrode support means, mounted on said developing electrode, for supporting said developing electrode in opposed relationship with said electrostatic image bearing surface; means for permitting said electrode and said electrode support means to move pivotally toward and away from said electrostatic image bearing surface and also pivotally in a plane transverse thereto; and means for holding said electrode support means at a predetermined distance from said electrostatic image bearing surface to maintain a predetermined clearance between a surface of said developing electrode and said electrostatic image bearing surface to facilitate development when said holding means is in its operative position and when said holding means is in its inoperative position, spaces said developing electrode away from said electrostatic image bearing surface without contacting said electrostatic image bearing surface to facilitate relative movement between said electrostatic image bearing surface and said developing electrode.

Claim 18

In an electrostatic image reproducing apparatus having a movable photoreceptor member comprising: means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said member; development means for applying developing material to the latent image to develop the same; and a transfer station adjacent the moving photoreceptor member for transferring a developed image; the improvement comprising: a developing electrode; spacer means for maintaining a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said photoreceptor member; and developing electrode support means for permitting said developing electrode to move pivotally in vertical and horizontal planes.

Claim 19

In an electrostatic image reproducing apparatus having a movable photoreceptor member comprising: means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said member; development means for applying developing material to the latent image to develop the same; and a transfer station adjacent the moving photoreceptor member for transferring a developed image; the improvement comprising: a developing electrode; spacer means for maintaining a predetermined clearance between said developing electrode and said photoreceptor member; and developing electrode support means for permitting said developing electrode to move pivotally in vertical and horizontal planes.

Claim 20

In an electrophotographic copying apparatus comprising means for charging a photo-conductive member with an electrostatic charge, means to expose said charged member to imaging light, means to develop said exposed member to imaging light, means to develop said exposed member with toner particles, the improvement comprising: applicator means for applying the toner particles to the photoconductive member; spacer means mounted on opposite ends of said applicator means to maintain a predetermined clearance between said applicator means and said photoconductive member, said spacer means being in uniform contact with a mon-imaging area of said photoconductive member; and support means provided to permit said applicator means to be pivotally moved in each of two planes transverse with respect to one another; whereby toner particles may be supplied into said clearance to develop said exposed photoconductive member.

Claim 21

In an electrophotographic copying apparatus comprising means for charging a photo-conductive member with an electrostatic charge, means to expose said charged member to imaging light, means to develop said exposed member to imaging light, means to develop said exposed member with toner particles, the improvement comprising: applicator means for applying the toner particles to the photoconductive member; spacer means mounted on opposite ends of said applicator means to maintain a predetermined clearance between said applicator means and said photoconductive member, said spacer means being in uniform contact with a mon-imaging area of said photoconductive member; and support means provided to permit said applicator means to be pivotally moved in each of two planes transverse with respect to one another; whereby toner particles may be supplied into said clearance to develop said exposed photoconductive member.