Abstract: A system for removing excess carrier liquid from an electrostatic image developed with liquid developing material made up of toner particles immersed in a liquid carrier medium on an image bearing member. The system includes an absorbent contact roller for absorbing at least a portion of the liquid carrier off of the liquid image, a vacuum source coupled to the contact roller for generating negative pressure at the surface of the roller to draw the absorbed liquid through the contact roller, and a nonpermeable vacuum sealing membrane member partially surrounding the contact member in an area not adjacent to the image bearing surface for reducing the surface area of the contact roller which is exposed to the ambient atmosphere to create a vacuum sealing arrangement adapted to deliver negative pressure airflow to a selected area adjacent the image bearing surface.

Abstract: A development apparatus for developing a latent electrostatic image on an imaging substrate in a liquid electrographic imaging system includes a cleaning roller for removing back-plated developer from a development device such as a development roller, and a squeegee apparatus for.sub.-- removing both "drip-line" developer liquid and "wrap-around" developer liquid from the imaging substrate. The squeegee apparatus may include a squeegee roller having a crowned profile and a loading mechanism configured to achieve a uniform loading force across a pressure nip formed between the squeegee roller and the imaging substrate. The cleaning roller may include a fiber cleaning media and fluid delivery means for flushing back-plated developer from the cleaning media. The development apparatus also may include means for spacing the development apparatus relative to the imaging substrate without contacting the imaging substrate, thereby avoiding disruption of the motion quality of the imaging substrate.

Abstract: A squeegee apparatus and method for removing excess developer liquid from an imaging substrate in a liquid electrographic imaging system make use of a squeegee roller having a core with a crowned profile. With determination of a proper loading force, the squeegee apparatus and method achieve substantially uniform loading force along the length of the squeegee roller, and thus along the width of a nip formed along an the imaging region of the imaging substrate. As a result, the squeegee apparatus and method provide substantially uniform removal of developer liquid from the imaging substrate, enhancing quality of an ultimate printed image.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a blotter roll for uniformly conditioning liquid images consisting of toner particles and carrier liquid. The method includes electroforming a semi-rigid resilient and perforated metallic substrate for preventing undesirable impressions of substrate outlines and footprints on an image being conditioned. The resilient metallic substrate is electroformed so as to be seamless and to have a cylindrical hollow interior, and first and second open ends.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing back-plated developer from a development device includes a shaft, cleaning media mounted about the outer surface of the shaft, means for loading the cleaning media against the development device, and means for rotating the shaft and the cleaning media, wherein the cleaning media removes back-plated developer from the development device. The cleaning media may include a fiber material having a plurality of flow paths. A fluid flow means can be provided to deliver a cleaning liquid to the cleaning media to flush at least a portion of the removed back-plated developer from the cleaning media.

Abstract: A liquid developing material-based electrostatographic printing system including a carrier imbibing intermediate transfer member for absorbing liquid carrier from a liquid developed image transported thereon. A liquid extraction system is also provided for extracting imbibed liquid carrier from the liquid carrier imbibing layer of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: A method of forming an economical image conditioning device suitable for conditioning low solids and high solids images in a liquid Immersion Development reproduction machine. The method includes the steps of arranging a quantity of metallic fibers into a flat pattern having a desired thickness; partially compressing and sintering the fibers forming the pattern to create a sintered metallic fiber sheet held together by metallic bonds between touching fibers; rolling the sintered metallic fiber sheet into a cylindrical shape having a seam; welding the seam to create a finished cylindrical core; and forming a foam layer and a skin layer over the core for contacting an image being conditioned.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing excess developer liquid from an imaging substrate make use of a squeegee roller, and a mechanism for loading the squeegee roller against the imaging substrate. The squeegee roller removes the excess developer liquid from the imaging substrate at an upstream side of the squeegee roller relative to a direction of movement of the imaging substrate. A portion of the excess developer liquid can pass to a downstream side of the squeegee roller, however, and be transferred from the squeegee roller to the imaging substrate. A second developer liquid removal mechanism is provided to remove from the imaging substrate the portion of the excess developer liquid transferred from the squeegee roller. The second developer liquid removal mechanism may include a second squeegee roller mounted at a position adjacent the downstream side of the first squeegee roller.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printer includes a photosensitive drum, an exposure device for successively forming a plurality of electrostatic latent images based on the color-separated print information on the photosensitive drum and a developing device for successively developing the electrostatic latent images into toner images by toners of different colors corresponding to the print information. An intermediate transfer medium is pressed against the photosensitive drum so that the toner images on the photosensitive drum are successively transferred to the intermediate transfer medium to form a multicolor toner image on the intermediate transfer medium. A transporting medium is used for feeding and delivering a recording medium, which the multicolor toner image formed on the intermediate transfer medium is to be transferred to and fixed on, to and from the intermediate transfer medium.

Abstract: An electrographic development process with liquid toner. In the process charged toner particles are moved electrostatically from the liquid dispersion containing them to a charged photoconductor surface. An intermediate development component collects the charged toner particles from the dispersion and carries them out of the liquid phase in a manner to reduce the amount of liquid carrier that is applied to the image bearing substrate or photoconductor. In one embodiment of the invention an intermediate conductive substrate and at least one squeeze mechanism are placed between the dispersion and the photoconductor surface. An electrical bias with the same polarity as the toner particles is applied between the conductive substrate and the first squeeze mechanism. In another embodiment of the invention, the toner dispersion is a high-concentrate slurry, and no roller is necessary between the dispersion and the photoconductor surface.

Abstract: A liquid removing device for removing carrier liquid from an image carrying member on which a toner image containing toner particles is formed. The liquid removing device is useful for image reproducing apparatus such as a color image copier. The liquid removing device comprises a base member, an elastic perforated material formed on the base member and having a continuous porosity sufficient to absorb excess liquid therein and an outermost layer formed on the elastic perforated material which has low surface energy sufficient to prevent an offset phenomenon of the toner image and small apertures defined thereby allowing passage the carrier liquid but the toner image therethrough.

Abstract: Liquid developing method and liquid developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrying member via a toner dispersed in a carrier liquid. An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrying surface, a liquid developer layer having a bottom layer of toner particles as the main constituent and a top layer of liquid carrier as the main constituent is formed on a developer holding surface and the electrostatic image is contacted with the top layer without substantially contacting the bottom layer with the image carrying surface. A member for maintaining a clearance between an image carrying member and a developer holding member at a predetermined space in which the top layer contacts with the electrostatic latent image without contacting the bottom layer to the image carrying member is provided.