Apparatus for controlling concentration of toner in the liquid toner of a recording apparatus

Claim 2

In a recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by repeating one line recording based on image data having a large number of dot signals representing the image by using a liquid toner including a toner and a solvent for solving the toner, said liquid toner being contained in a container, an apparatus for controlling concentration of the toner in the liquid toner comprising: first means for deriving a first value related to a number of the dot signals included in said image data supplied to the recording apparatus; second means for deriving a second value related to a number of repetitions of said one line recording; and third means for supplying additional toner into said container on the basis of said first value and second value.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third means includes means for deriving a third value as a predetermined function of said first value and said second value, and means for supplying additional toner into said container when said third value exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said third value is a value derived by subtracting said second value from said first value.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising means for supplying a predetermined amount of solvent to said container when said third value is negative and an absolute value thereof exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording apparatus is an electrostatic recording apparatus.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third means includes means for determining a timing of supplying the toner to the container based on said first value with a delay determined by said second value.

Claim 8

In a recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by repeating one line recording based on image data having a large number of dot signals representing the image by using a liquid toner including a toner and a solvent for solving the toner, said liquid toner being contained in a container, an apparatus for controlling concentration of the toner in the liquid toner based on a correlation between decrease of the toner and of the solvent in said liquid toner during a printing process, comprising: first means for deriving a first value related to a number of the dot signals included in aid image data supplied to the recording apparatus during the printing process; second means for deriving a second value related to a number of repetitions of said one line recording during the printing process; and third means for receiving said first and said second value and for supplying additional toner into said container on the basis of a third value determined as a correlation between said first value and said second value.

Claim 9

In a recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by repeating one line recording based on image data having a large number of dot signals representing the image by using a liquid toner including a toner and a solvent for solving the toner, said liquid toner being contained in a container, an apparatus for controlling concentration of the toner in the liquid toner based on a correlation between decrease of the toner and of the solvent in said liquid toner during a printing process, comprising: first means for deriving a first value related to a number of the dot signals included in aid image data supplied to the recording apparatus during the printing process; second means for deriving a second value related to a number of repetitions of said one line recording during the printing process; and third means for receiving said first and said second value and for supplying additional toner into said container on the basis of a third value determined as a correlation between said first value and said second value.