Abstract: An ink supply apparatus for a wet electrophotographic printer. The ink supply apparatus includes a housing having an installation portion, an ink cartridge installed in the housing, for supplying ink to a developing unit, a detachable refill cartridge loaded in the installation portion, for supplying ink to the ink cartridge, and an ink supply device for supplying ink to the ink cartridge from the refill cartridge.

Abstract: An ink delivery system for a liquid electrophotographic printer is provided.

Abstract: A refill cartridge for a printer and an ink refilling apparatus adopting the same. The refill cartridge includes a case having an ink supply outlet and an air hole, a shaft rotatably supported within the case, a propeller installed on the shaft for discharging ink contained in the case to the ink supply outlet, a shaft driving device for rotating the shaft, and an ink supply outlet plug for opening and closing the ink supply outlet.

Abstract: A developer supplying apparatus of a wet electrographic printer is provided. The apparatus includes a reservoir for storing a developer obtained by mixing a liquid carrier with an ink, a carrier cartridge for supplying the liquid carrier to the reservoir through the carrier supplying path, an ink cartridge for supplying the ink to the reservoir through an ink supplying path, a developing unit for receiving the developer of the reservoir through the developer supplying path to developing an electrostatic latent image, and a process tank for storing the developer draining from the reservoir through a developer draining path.

Abstract: A developer supply method of a wet electrographic printer is disclosed.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for use in an ink replenishment system in an electrographic imaging device. The removable ink cartridge is configured to engage with a cartridge interface assembly and a detector in an ink cartridge bay on an electrographic imaging device. The ink cartridge has an outer shell comprising at least a first compartment containing a liquid ink and a second compartment. A first valve is fluidly coupled to the first compartment. Second and third valves are fluidly coupled to the second compartment. The first, second, and third valves are adapted to engage with corresponding valves at the cartridge interface assembly. A plurality of key slots are provided for receiving one or more key tabs that identify the ink cartridge. The key tabs are positioned to engage with the detector in the ink cartridge bay. A cap for an ink cartridge is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for substantially maintaining color density in liquid toners for electrographic printers is disclosed. The system includes means for substantially continuously supplying toner concentrate to a printer and means for substantially continuously withdrawing liquid toner from a printer into a waste flowstream. A method to achieve substantially consistent color density of liquid toner in an electrographic printing system is also disclosed.

Abstract: An ink delivery system for a liquid electrophotographic color printer delivers a developer liquid to a plurality of development units, and includes a plurality of circulation tanks containing developer liquid, connected to the respective development units; a plurality of jet portions for jetting the developer liquid in the circulation tanks to development gaps in the respective development units; a plurality of ink tanks having concentrated inks incorporated in a printer body; a plurality of agitators installed in the respective ink tanks for agitating the concentrated ink; a refill ink cartridge detachably installed in the printer body, for refilling the concentrated ink consumed in the ink tanks through a concentrated ink refill path; a plurality of concentrated ink supply paths to supply concentrated ink to the corresponding circulation tanks; a carrier tank containing carrier, which is fixed in the printer body; a carrier supply path through which the carrier is supplied to the respective circulation tank

Abstract: An image forming method and a image forming apparatus which make use of a liquid developer capable of changing in surface tension upon exposure or heating. The liquid developer is fed to the surface of a developer holding means on the surface of which the liquid developer to holdable, the surface of the developer holding means on which the liquid developer is held is subjected to selective exposure or heating in accordance with image information to form a latent image, and the latent image is transferred to a recording medium to form a visible image. This method and apparatus make it possible to form highly minute images at a high speed, and promise a high reliability and a low power consumption.

Abstract: A developer liquid supply device of a wet type electrophotographic printer, including: a reservoir, for storing developer liquid made by mixing a liquid carrier and ink, and for supplying the developer liquid to a developing unit through a developer liquid supply passage; a processing tank for storing developer liquid drained from the reservoir through a developer liquid drain passage; an ink cartridge installed inside the processing tank for supplying ink to the reservoir through an ink supply passage; and a carrier cartridge for supplying the liquid carrier to the reservoir through a carrier supply passage.

Abstract: A wet electrographic printer has (1) a reservoir for supplying a developer obtained by mixing a liquid carrier with an ink to a developing unit, (2) a carrier cartridge for supplying the liquid carrier to the reservoir, (3) an ink cartridge for supplying the ink to the reservoir, and (4) a process tank for receiving the processor from the reservoir. The developer supply method includes the steps of supplying the liquid carrier and the ink to the reservoir to fill the reservoir to a maximum level with developer having an optimum concentration, and determining whether the concentration and level of the developer in the reservoir is less than or equal to a minimum concentration and a minimum level, respectively. If the concentration of the developer is less than or equal to the minimum concentration and the level is higher than the minimum level, the developer is drained from the reservoir to the process tank until the level of the developer falls to the minimum level.

Abstract: An apparatus for preventing toner from settling in a wet developing unit, includes (1) a storage vessel for storing a developer, (2) a developing portion for developing electrostatic latent images formed on a photosensitive medium, (3) a flow pipe having-one end connected to the storage vessel, (4) a cabinet connected to the other end of the flow pipe, for receiving the developer from the storage vessel, (5) a circulation pipe connected to the cabinet and the storage vessel, for returning the developer from the cabinet to the storage vessel, (6) a supply pipe connected to the cabinet and the developing portion, for supplying the developer from the cabinet to the developing portion, and (7) a flow path changing unit for selectively directing the developer supplied via the flow pipe to either the supply pipe or the circulation pipe.

Abstract: A system for substantially maintaining color density in liquid toners for electrographic printers is disclosed. The system includes means for substantially continuously supplying toner concentrate to a printer and means for substantially continuously withdrawing liquid toner from a printer into a waste flowstream. A method to achieve substantially consistent color density of liquid toner in a electrographic printing system is also disclosed.

Abstract: A liquid developing material replenishment system wherein an apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image with a liquid developing material includes a liquid developing reservoir for providing a supply of operative liquid developing material to the developing apparatus, and a liquid developing material supply is coupled to the liquid developing material reservoir for providing a supply of liquid developing concentrate to the liquid developing material reservoir for replenishing the supply of operative liquid developing material in the liquid developing reservoir. A predetermined amount of operative liquid developing material is periodically and/or systematically discharged from the liquid developing material reservoir to remove contaminated liquid developing material from the reservoir.

Abstract: A system and method for color mixing control in an electrostatographic printing system. An operative mixture of colored developing material is continuously replenished with selectively variable amounts of developing materials of basic color components making up the operative mixture. The rate of replenishment of various color components added to the operative mixture is controlled to provide a mixture of developing material capable of producing a customer selectable color on an output copy substrate. A colorimeter is provided for monitoring the color of a test image printed with the operative mixture of developing material in the supply reservoir so that the color thereof can be brought into agreement with a color required to produce the customer selectable output color.

Abstract: Apparatus for dispensing liquid toner concentrate including a container containing liquid toner concentrate, mounting apparatus operative to secure the container while allowing for axial movement of the container and air pressure apparatus for causing axial movement of the container and selective dispensing of the liquid toner concentrate from the container.

Abstract: An hydraulic cylinder (100) driven by a reciprocating motive force operates in conjunction with two check valves (170) and (200) to pump liquid toner concentrate (150) around a loop from a reservoir bottle (180) and back into the bottle (180). A microprocessor circuit (230) analyzes commands and data bytes representative of the number and color of pixels transmitted from a computer (290) to an electrographic printer (280). When a predetermined pixel count has been reached, a microprocessor circuit (230), acting on positional information obtained from an optical sensor (240) and marks (250) and (260) on a wheel (160), causes a previously calculated volume of concentrate (150) to be added to a toner premix stream or reservoir in printer (280), thus replacing toner particles depleted from toner premix in the printer (280) during printing. The wheel (160) can run continuously to provide a stirring action for the concentrate (150).