Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
An apparatus for developing a latent image, including; a housing defining a chamber for storing a supply of developer material therein; a donor roll mounted at least partially in the chamber of said housing, said donor roll being adapted to advance developer material to the latent image; a magnetic transport roll mounted in the chamber of said housing and being positioned adjacent said donor roll, said transport roll being adapted to advance developer material to said donor roll; means for rotating said transport roll and said donor roll so that the surface velocity of said transport roll is at least twice the surface velocity of said donor roll; and means for applying an alternating electric field between said donor roll and said transport roll to assist in transferring at least a portion of the developer material from said transport roll to said donor roll.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
144 words
An apparatus for developing a latent image, including; a housing defining a chamber for storing a supply of developer material therein; a donor roll mounted at least partially in the chamber of said housing, said donor roll being adapted to advance developer material to the latent image; a magnetic transport roll mounted in the chamber of said housing and being positioned adjacent said donor roll, said transport roll being adapted to advance developer material to said donor roll; means for rotating said transport roll and said donor roll so that the surface velocity of said transport roll is at least twice the surface velocity of said donor roll; and means for applying an alternating electric field between said donor roll and said transport roll to assist in transferring at least a portion of the developer material from said transport roll to said donor roll.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developer material includes toner particles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developer material includes carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto with the portion of the developer material being transferred from said transport roll to said donor roll being toner particles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, further including an electrode member positioned in the space between the latent image and said donor member, said electrode member being closely spaced from said donor member and being electrically biased to detach toner particles from said donor member so as to form a toner powder cloud in the space between said electrode member and the latent image with detached toner particles from the toner cloud developing the latent image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus according to claim 4, where said electrode member includes a plurality of small diameter wires.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said applying means applies an electrical field that alternates at a selected frequency ranging between about 200 Hz and about 20 kHz with a voltage less than 400 V rms .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said donor roll includes a surface made from an electrically conductive material to allow surface charges to dissipate; and said transport roll includes a surface made from an electrically conductive material to allow surface charges to dissipate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: said surface of said donor roll has an electrical conductivity of at least 10 -13 (ohm.cm) -1 ; and said surface of said transport roll has an electrical conductivity of at least 10 -13 (ohm.cm) -1 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the electrical conductivities of the surfaces of said donor roll and said transport is preferably about 10 -11 (ohm.cm) -1 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the ratio of the height of the layer of developer material on said donor roll to the minimum spacing between said donor roll and said transport roll is about 2:3.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, said rotating means rotates said transport roll and said donor roll so that the ratio of the surface velocity of said transport roll to the surface velocity of said donor roll is less than 5:1.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said rotating means rotates said transport roll and said donor roll so that the ratio of the surface velocity of said transport roll to the surface velocity of said donor roll is preferably about 3:1.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image recorded on a moving photoconductive member, including: a housing defining a chamber for storing a supply of developer material therein; a donor roll mounted at least partially in the chamber of said housing to advance developer material to the photoconductive member to develop the electrostatic latent image recorded thereon; a magnetic transport roll mounted in the chamber of said housing and being positioned adjacent said donor roll to advance developer material to said donor roll; means for rotating said transport roll and said donor roll so that the surface velocity of said transport roll is at least twice the surface velocity of said donor roll; and means for applying an alternating electric field between said donor roll and said transport roll to assist in transferring a portion of the developer material from said transport roll to said donor roll.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image recorded on a moving photoconductive member, including: a housing defining a chamber for storing a supply of developer material therein; a donor roll mounted at least partially in the chamber of said housing to advance developer material to the photoconductive member to develop the electrostatic latent image recorded thereon; a magnetic transport roll mounted in the chamber of said housing and being positioned adjacent said donor roll to advance developer material to said donor roll; means for rotating said transport roll and said donor roll so that the surface velocity of said transport roll is at least twice the surface velocity of said donor roll; and means for applying an alternating electric field between said donor roll and said transport roll to assist in transferring a portion of the developer material from said transport roll to said donor roll.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the developer material includes toner particles.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the developer material includes carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto with the portion of the developer material being transferred from said transport roll to said donor roll being toner particles.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
78 words
An apparatus according to claims 14 or 15, further including an electrode member positioned in the space between the photoconductive member and said donor member, said electrode member being closely spaced from said donor member and being electrically biased to detach toner particles from said donor member so as to form a toner powder cloud in the space between said electrode member and the photoconductive member with detached toner particles from the toner cloud developing the latent image.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, where said electrode member includes a plurality of small diameter wires.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said applying means applies an electrical field that alternates at a selected frequency ranging between about 200 Hz and about 20 kHz with a voltage less than 400 V rms .
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: said donor roll includes a surface made from an electrically conductive material to allow surface charges to dissipate; and said transport roll includes a surface made from an electrically conductive material to allow surface charges to dissipate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein: said surface of said donor roll has an electrical conductivity of at least 10 -13 (ohm.cm) -1 ; and said surface of said transport roll has an electrical conductivity of at least 10 -13 (ohm.cm) -1 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the electrical conductivities of the surfaces of said donor roll and said transport is preferably about 10 -11 (ohm.cm) -1 .
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, in which the ratio of the height of the layer of developer material on said donor roll to the minimum spacing between said donor roll and said transport roll is about 2:3.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, said rotating means rotates said transport roll and said donor roll so that the ratio of the surface velocity of said transport roll to the surface velocity of said donor roll is less than 5:1.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said rotating means rotates said transport roll and said donor roll so that the ratio of the surface velocity of said transport roll to the surface velocity of said donor roll is preferably about 3:1.