Method of high resolution of electrostatic transfer of a high density image to a nonporous and nonabsorbent conductive substrate

Claim 1

A method of fabricating a toned pattern on an electrically isolated nonabsorbent conductive receiving surface, comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a charged electrostatic latent image area on an electrostatically imageable surface; (b) developing the electrostatic latent image area by applying to the electrostatically imageable surface charged tones particles of a predetermined height suspended in a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a first liquid layer with a first liquid surface, the charged toner particles being directed to the latent image area of the electrostatically imageable surface to form a developed latent image; (c) applying to the conductive receiving surface a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a second liquid layer with a second liquid surface; (d) establishing an electric field between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface by connecting a D.C. voltage directly to the conductive receiving surface; (e) placing the conductive receiving surface adjacent to the electrostatically imageable surface so that a gap is maintained therebetween and the first liquid surface contacts the second liquid surface to create a liquid transfer medium across the liquid-filled gap, the liquid-filled gap being of a depth greater than the height of the toner particles; (f) transferring the developed latent image from the electrostatically imageable surface at a point of transfer through the liquid to the conductive receiving surface to form a transferred toner particle image in an imaged area and define non-imaged area where toner particles are absent; (g) maintaining the gap during transfer of the developed latent image between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface at the point of transfer between at least about 1 mil and about 20 mils; and (h) fusing the transferred toner particles image to the conductive receiving surface.

Claim 2

A method of fabricating a toned pattern on an electrically isolated nonabsorbent conductive receiving surface, comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a charged electrostatic latent image area on an electrostatically imageable surface; (b) developing the electrostatic latent image area by applying to the electrostatically imageable surface charged tones particles of a predetermined height suspended in a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a first liquid layer with a first liquid surface, the charged toner particles being directed to the latent image area of the electrostatically imageable surface to form a developed latent image; (c) applying to the conductive receiving surface a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a second liquid layer with a second liquid surface; (d) establishing an electric field between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface by connecting a D.C. voltage directly to the conductive receiving surface; (e) placing the conductive receiving surface adjacent to the electrostatically imageable surface so that a gap is maintained therebetween and the first liquid surface contacts the second liquid surface to create a liquid transfer medium across the liquid-filled gap, the liquid-filled gap being of a depth greater than the height of the toner particles; (f) transferring the developed latent image from the electrostatically imageable surface at a point of transfer through the liquid to the conductive receiving surface to form a transferred toner particle image in an imaged area and define non-imaged area where toner particles are absent; (g) maintaining the gap during transfer of the developed latent image between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface at the point of transfer between at least about 1 mil and about 20 mils; and (h) fusing the transferred toner particles image to the conductive receiving surface.

Claim 31

A method of fabricating a toned pattern on an electrically isolated nonabsorbent conductive receiving surface, comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a charged electrostatic latent image area on an electrostatically imageable surface the electrostatically imageable surface having a first plane passing therethrough; (b) developing the electrostatic latent image area by applying to the electrostatically imageable surface charged toner particles of a predetermined height suspended in a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a first liquid layer with a first liquid surface, the charged toner particles being directed to the latent image area of the electrostatically imageable surface to form a developed latent image; (c) applying to the conductive receiving surface a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a second liquid layer with a second liquid surface; (d) establishing an electric field between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface by connecting a D.C. voltage directly to the conductive receiving surface; (e) placing the conductive receiving surface adjacent to the electrostatically imageable surface and the first plane so that a gap is maintained therebetween and the first liquid surface contacts the second liquid surface to create a liquid transfer medium across the liquid-filled gap, the liquid-filled gap being of a depth greater than the height of the toner particles, the conductive receiving surface further having a second plane passing therethrough; (f) transferring the developed latent image from the electrostatically imageable surface at a point of transfer through the liquid to the conductive receiving surface to form a transferred toner particle image in an imaged area and define non-imaged areas where toner particles are absent; (g) maintaining the gap during transfer of the develped latent image between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface at the point of transfer between at least about 1 mil and about 20 mils and maintaining the first plane parallel to the second plane at the point of transfer; (h) fusing the transferred toner particle image to the conductive receiving surface; (i) etching the non-imaged areas of the conductive receiving surface to remove the conductive receiving surface from the non-imaged areas of the conductive receiving surface on the conductor laminate; and (j) removing the toner particles from the imaged area of the conductive receiving surface.

Claim 32

A method of fabricating a toned pattern on an electrically isolated nonabsorbent conductive receiving surface, comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a charged electrostatic latent image area on an electrostatically imageable surface the electrostatically imageable surface having a first plane passing therethrough; (b) developing the electrostatic latent image area by applying to the electrostatically imageable surface charged toner particles of a predetermined height suspended in a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a first liquid layer with a first liquid surface, the charged toner particles being directed to the latent image area of the electrostatically imageable surface to form a developed latent image; (c) applying to the conductive receiving surface a liquid comprised at least partially of a nonpolar insulating solvent to form a second liquid layer with a second liquid surface; (d) establishing an electric field between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface by connecting a D.C. voltage directly to the conductive receiving surface; (e) placing the conductive receiving surface adjacent to the electrostatically imageable surface and the first plane so that a gap is maintained therebetween and the first liquid surface contacts the second liquid surface to create a liquid transfer medium across the liquid-filled gap, the liquid-filled gap being of a depth greater than the height of the toner particles, the conductive receiving surface further having a second plane passing therethrough; (f) transferring the developed latent image from the electrostatically imageable surface at a point of transfer through the liquid to the conductive receiving surface to form a transferred toner particle image in an imaged area and define non-imaged areas where toner particles are absent; (g) maintaining the gap during transfer of the develped latent image between the electrostatically imageable surface and the conductive receiving surface at the point of transfer between at least about 1 mil and about 20 mils and maintaining the first plane parallel to the second plane at the point of transfer; (h) fusing the transferred toner particle image to the conductive receiving surface; (i) etching the non-imaged areas of the conductive receiving surface to remove the conductive receiving surface from the non-imaged areas of the conductive receiving surface on the conductor laminate; and (j) removing the toner particles from the imaged area of the conductive receiving surface.