Method and apparatus for forming toner images with two distinct toners

Claim 2

An image forming method for use in an apparatus which forms a two toner image by a first submethod including: forming a first electrostatic image of a first polarity on an image member; applying a first toner to the electrostatic image to form a first toner image on the image member; imagewise exposing the image member to form a second electrostatic image in registration with the first toner image; applying a second toner to the second electrostatic image to form a second toner image in registration with the first toner image; one of the toner images being made up of toner of the first polarity and the other toner image being made up of toner of a second polarity opposite the first polarity; treating the two toner images to make the toners substantially of one polarity; and transferring the two toner images to a receiving surface by application of an electrical field of a first direction which urges transfer of toner of the one polarity toward the receiving surface to form the two toner image; said method forming a single toner image by a second submethod including the following steps; determining that a single toner image is to be made in a toner of a polarity opposite the one polarity; forming the single toner image using the steps of the first submethod applicable to formation of that toner image except that the treating step is eliminated and the transferring step includes application of an electrical field of a second direction, opposite the first direction, urging transfer of the untreated single toner image to a receiving surface.

Claim 3

Image forming method according to claim 1 wherein said treating step applies a charge to the two toner images that is the same as a charge on the first toner.

Claim 4

Image forming method according to claim 2 wherein the first toner is of the first polarity.

Claim 5

Image forming method according to clam 2 wherein the first and second toners are of different color and the two toner image is a two color toner image.

Claim 6

Image forming method according to clam 2 wherein the first and second toners are of different color and the two toner image is a two color toner image.

Claim 7

An image forming method for use in an apparatus which forms a two toner image by a first submethod including: forming a first electrostatic image of a first polarity on an image member; applying a first toner to the electrostatic image to form a first toner image on the image member; imagewise exposing the image member to form a second electrostatic image in registration with the first toner image; applying a second toner to the second electrostatic image to form a second toner image in registration with the first toner image, said applying a second toner step including moving a developer containing said second toner into contact with the image member with presence of an electrical field urging toning of the second electrostatic image, one of the toner images being made up of toner of the first polarity and the other toner image being made up of toner of a second polarity opposite the first polarity; treating the two toner images to make the toner substantially of one polarity; and transferring the two toner images to a receiving surface at a transfer station by application of an electrical field of a first direction which urges transfer of toner of the one polarity toward the receiving surface to form the two toner image; said method being characterized by a second submethod including the following steps to be carded out when no images are to be made: moving said developer into contact with the image member with presence of an electric field urging deposit on the image member of any of the first toner that is mixed in said developer; allowing any such deposited first toner to pass through the transfer station and remain on the image member; and cleaning such deposited toner off the image member.

Claim 8

An image forming method for use in an apparatus which forms a two toner image by a first submethod including: forming a first electrostatic image of a first polarity on an image member; applying a first toner to the electrostatic image to form a first toner image on the image member; imagewise exposing the image member to form a second electrostatic image in registration with the first toner image; applying a second toner to the second electrostatic image to form a second toner image in registration with the first toner image, said applying a second toner step including moving a developer containing said second toner into contact with the image member with presence of an electrical field urging toning of the second electrostatic image, one of the toner images being made up of toner of the first polarity and the other toner image being made up of toner of a second polarity opposite the first polarity; treating the two toner images to make the toner substantially of one polarity; and transferring the two toner images to a receiving surface at a transfer station by application of an electrical field of a first direction which urges transfer of toner of the one polarity toward the receiving surface to form the two toner image; said method being characterized by a second submethod including the following steps to be carded out when no images are to be made: moving said developer into contact with the image member with presence of an electric field urging deposit on the image member of any of the first toner that is mixed in said developer; allowing any such deposited first toner to pass through the transfer station and remain on the image member; and cleaning such deposited toner off the image member.

Claim 9

An image forming method for use in an apparatus which forms a two toner image by a first submethod including: forming a first electrostatic image of a first polarity on a photoconductive image member; applying a first toner of the first polarity to the electrostatic image to form a first toner image on the photoconductive image member; imagewise exposing the image member to form a second electrostatic image in registration with the first toner image; applying a second toner of a second polarity opposite the first polarity to the second electrostatic image to form a second toner image in registration with the first toner image to form a two toner image which two toner image contains toner of both the first and second polarities, said applying a second toner step including contacting the image member with a developer containing said second toner with presence of an electrical field urging toning of the second electrostatic image, treating the two toner image to make the toner substantially of one polarity; and transferring the two toner image to a receiving surface by application of an electrical field of a first direction which urges transfer of toner of the one polarity toward the receiving surface; said method being characterized by a second submethod to be carried out when no image formation is desired, to remove first toner that has been scavenged into the developer: eliminating charge on the image member; contacting the uncharged image member with said developer with presence of an electric field urging such scavenged toner to deposit on the image member but preventing deposit of the second toner on the image member; and cleaning said scavenged toner off the image member.

Claim 10

An image forming method for use in an apparatus which forms a two toner image by a first submethod including: forming a first electrostatic image of a first polarity on a photoconductive image member; applying a first toner of the first polarity to the electrostatic image to form a first toner image on the photoconductive image member; imagewise exposing the image member to form a second electrostatic image in registration with the first toner image; applying a second toner of a second polarity opposite the first polarity to the second electrostatic image to form a second toner image in registration with the first toner image to form a two toner image which two toner image contains toner of both the first and second polarities, said applying a second toner step including contacting the image member with a developer containing said second toner with presence of an electrical field urging toning of the second electrostatic image, treating the two toner image to make the toner substantially of one polarity; and transferring the two toner image to a receiving surface by application of an electrical field of a first direction which urges transfer of toner of the one polarity toward the receiving surface; said method being characterized by a second submethod to be carried out when no image formation is desired, to remove first toner that has been scavenged into the developer: eliminating charge on the image member; contacting the uncharged image member with said developer with presence of an electric field urging such scavenged toner to deposit on the image member but preventing deposit of the second toner on the image member; and cleaning said scavenged toner off the image member.

Claim 11

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a two color toner image made up of two toner images of different color and opposite polarities, said means including a first toning station and a second toning station, said first toning station containing toner of a first polarity and said second toning station containing toner of a second polarity, said second toning station being positioned to apply toner to an electrostatic image on the image member after formation of a first toner image by the first toning station, where there is a tendency to scavenge toner applied by the first toning station into the second toning station; means for treating the two color toner image to make the toner substantially of one polarity; and transfer means for transferring the two color toner image to a receiving sheet with presence of an electric field urging transfer of toner of said one polarity; said apparatus being characterized by means for passing the image member through the second toning station with presence of an electric field urging deposit on the image member of toner of the first polarity present in the second toning station, means for disabling the transfer means to permit such deposited toner of the first polarity to pass through the transfer means on the image member; and means for cleaning such toner of the first polarity off the image member.

Claim 12

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a two color toner image made up of two toner images of different color and opposite polarities, said means including a first toning station and a second toning station, said first toning station containing toner of a first polarity and said second toning station containing toner of a second polarity, said second toning station being positioned to apply toner to an electrostatic image on the image member after formation of a first toner image by the first toning station, where there is a tendency to scavenge toner applied by the first toning station into the second toning station; means for treating the two color toner image to make the toner substantially of one polarity; and transfer means for transferring the two color toner image to a receiving sheet with presence of an electric field urging transfer of toner of said one polarity; said apparatus being characterized by means for passing the image member through the second toning station with presence of an electric field urging deposit on the image member of toner of the first polarity present in the second toning station, means for disabling the transfer means to permit such deposited toner of the first polarity to pass through the transfer means on the image member; and means for cleaning such toner of the first polarity off the image member.

Claim 13

In a process in which a combined toner image of two single toner images of opposite first and second polarities are formed in a frame of an image member, the combined toner image is treated in a treating step so as to as much as possible eliminate charge of the second polarity and the combined toner image is transferred to a receiving surface with presence of an electrical field urging transfer of toner of the first polarity, in which process one of the toner images is formed by applying a first toner to an electrostatic image with presence of a second toner of the other toner image using a toner applying station that tends to scavenge some of the second toner from the other toner image into the toner applying station; a subprocess for removing scavenged second toner from the other toner image from the toner applying station when making single toner images only with the first toner from the toner applying station which includes applying the first toner from the toner applying station to an electrostatic image with presence of an electrical field urging application of the first toner in image areas of the electrostatic image and scavenged second toner in background areas of the electrostatic image, eliminating the treating step and transferring the toner image to a receiving surface with presence of an electrical field having a tendency to transfer the first toner but leave the scavenged second toner on the image member.

Claim 14

In a process in which a combined toner image of two single toner images of opposite first and second polarities are formed in a frame of an image member, the combined toner image is treated in a treating step so as to as much as possible eliminate charge of the second polarity and the combined toner image is transferred to a receiving surface with presence of an electrical field urging transfer of toner of the first polarity, in which process one of the toner images is formed by applying a first toner to an electrostatic image with presence of a second toner of the other toner image using a toner applying station that tends to scavenge some of the second toner from the other toner image into the toner applying station; a subprocess for removing scavenged second toner from the other toner image from the toner applying station when making single toner images only with the first toner from the toner applying station which includes applying the first toner from the toner applying station to an electrostatic image with presence of an electrical field urging application of the first toner in image areas of the electrostatic image and scavenged second toner in background areas of the electrostatic image, eliminating the treating step and transferring the toner image to a receiving surface with presence of an electrical field having a tendency to transfer the first toner but leave the scavenged second toner on the image member.