Abstract: A novel toner dispensing apparatus without any moving parts is provided. The toner dispensing apparatus, includes a toner hopper for containing a quantity of finely divided toner, said hopper having an elongated opening formed by the cooperation of the walls thereof through which toner is capable of being dispensed from said hopper, and a dispensing electrode array on a surface of one of said wall, for transporting toner in a direction of movement toward said an elongated opening formed at a dispensing rate; and a wave generator for generating a travel wave pattern for transporting toner in said direction of movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for non-interactive, dry powder development of electrostatic images on an imageable surface with developer material; including a housing containing developer material; a resonating donor member, spaced from the imageable surface, for transporting developer material to a development zone adjacent the imageable surface, the resonating donor member forming a cloud of developer material in the development zone to develop the images.

Abstract: An apparatus for non-interactive, dry powder development of electrostatic Images composed of solid areas and fine lines areas on an imageable surface including a housing containing developer material; a magnetic member, spaced a predefined distance from the image, for transporting the developer material from the housing to develop solid areas of the image, the magnetic roll including an magnetic core and a cylindrical sleeve enclosing and rotating about the magnetic core; and a donor member, adjacent to the magnetic roll and spaced from the image receiving member and adapted to transport marking particles to a development zone adjacent the image receiving member; an electrode positioned in the development zone between the image receiving member and the donor member; a voltage supply for electrically biasing the electrode during a developing operation with an alternating current to detach marking particles from said donor member, forming a cloud of marking particles in the development zone, and developing fine

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, the donor member includes an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, the array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member; loading toner onto the donor member; a multi-phase voltage source operatively coupled to the electrode array, the multiphase voltage source generating a waveform which creates an electrodynamic wave pattern for moving toner particles of one polarity to and from a development zone and preventing toner particles of the opposite polarity from moving on to the development zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of toner; a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting developer material on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, a transport member for transporting toner from said housing and loading toner onto the donor member, the transport member, further includes a mask layer adjacent to the photoconductive layer, the mask layer having a screen pattern; a charging device for charging the photoconductive layer and an exposure device for discharging unmasked portions of the transport member thereby generating the fringe field on the surface of the transport member to attract toner from the housing to the surface of the transport member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a stack of sheets in a direction of movement to a process station. A sheet tray is provided for holding the stack of sheets; an air plenum is positioned above the stack of sheets. The air plenum picks up a sheet from the stack of sheets when a vacuum force is in the air plenum; a paper fluffer is provided for blowing air between individual sheets in the stack. The paper fluffer is able to adjust air flow between individual sheets. The paper fluffer includes a support structure and a plate pivotality mounted in the support structure, the plate having a venturi plate portion in contact the sheet and regulating plate portion, the regulating plate portion has an aperture defined therein which permits air to go through and has a cross-section area which limits air low as the sheet moves in contact with the air plenum while pivoting the plate.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of developer material including toner and carrier, a donor member with an electrode array on it, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting developer material on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface; a closed-loop grid, spaced from said donor member, having an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, which faces said array on the donor member, said arrays including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantially across width of the surface of the grid and the donor; a magnetic roll for loading developer material onto said grid, and multi-phase voltage sources operatively coupled to said electrode arrays, the phase being shifted with respect to each other such as to create traveling electrodynamic wave patterns for moving toners along the surface of said electrode arrays, and with bias voltages controlling transfer of toners be

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a chamber for storing a supply of developer material comprising toner; a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, said donor member includes an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, said array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member; first and second discrete vibrating members in contact with said donor member, for applying first and second discrete high frequency vibratory energy to said donor member; a multi-phase voltage source operatively coupled to said electrode array and said vibrating members, wherein the phase of said multi-phase voltage source being shifted with respect to each other such as to create an electrodynamic wave pattern for moving toner particles along said electrode array and driving said vibrating memb

Abstract: A method to form a seven-color CMYKRGB or eight-color CMYKRGBW image having reduced toner pile height than in conventional four-color xerography, resulting in more uniform image gloss. The method includes the steps of: forming first spot next to spot toner images by placing spots of toner of a first color next to spots of toner of a second color on a first photoconductive member; forming second spot next to spot toner images by placing spots of toner of a third color next to spots of toner of a four color a second photoconductive member, and transferring said first and second spot next to spot images to form a composite spot next to spot image on an intermediate imaging member.

Abstract: A charging apparatus for applying a uniform electrostatic charge to a charge retentive surface is provided. There is also provided a housing; an array of pin electrodes supported by said housing and positioned adjacent said surface in a non-contact relationship; wherein each pin in said array being composed of austenitic stainless steel; a power supply operatively coupled to said pin electrodes for supplying a predetermined current to each of said pin electrode, wherein said predetermined current ranges from 5 &mgr;A/pin and which co-acts with a protruding distance of the pins from the housing so as to optimize the charge uniformity and to minimize the ozone generated within said charging apparatus.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine of the type in which an electrostatic latent image recorded on a charge retentive surface is developed with toner particles to form a visible image thereof. A Hybrid Scavengeless Development (HSD) developer housing designed to control toner emission by employing two internal capture[JMC16], external exhaust manifolds. The location of the two manifolds are placed above and below the upper and lower donor rolls respectively. The manifolds are mounted in position to improve emissions control as well as reductions in the flow needed to accomplish the task. The upper and lower manifolds are able to control the loose toner emitted by the housing and lower powder cloud, they cannot collect the toner released by the upper powder cloud. To prevent toner accumulation in the middle regions of the wire module, a manifold is incorporated as an integral part of the wire module frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a chamber for storing a supply of developer material including toner; a dispensing system for dispensing toner of a first color and toner of a second color into said housing; an air system for fuildizing and mixing toner of said first color and toner of said second color; a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, said donor member includes an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, said array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member; and a multi-phase voltage source operatively coupled to said electrode array, the phase being shifted with respect to each other such as to create an electrodynamic wave pattern for moving toner particles to and from a development zone.

Abstract: A printing system using a recharge, expose and development image on image process color system in which there is an optional gloss development step is employed that results in the image having an uniform gloss and toner pile height. The printing system may be a single pass system where all of the color are developed in a single pass or a multi-pass system where each color is developed in a separate pass. The additional gloss development step results in optimal color quality.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on a surface, including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of developer material comprising toner; a toner donor member spaced from the surface and being adapted to transport toner to a region opposed from the surface; an electrode member spaced near the surface of a donor roll, said electrode member being electrically biased by a power supply to detach toner from said donor member as to form a toner cloud for developing the latent image; and a current signature analysis system, in communication with said power supply, for sampling an instant current signature being supplied to said electrode member; and a comparator, in communication with said current signature analysis system, for comparing said instant current signature to a plurality of preset fault signatures, said comparator including means for generating a message fault if the difference between said instant current signature to a plurality of preset fault signatures exceed a preset thresho

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including: a housing defining a chamber for storing a supply of developer material comprising toner; a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, the donor member includes an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, the array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member; and a multi-phase voltage source operatively coupled to the electrode array, for generating a first electrodynamic wave pattern for moving toner particles along the surface of the electrode array to and from a development zone and generating a second electrodynamic wave to provide a fast oscillating-like toner motion along and perpendicular to the surface of the electrode array.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of developer material, a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting developer material on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, the donor member includes an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, the array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantially across the width of the surface of the donor member: a cascade loading member, spaced from the donor member, for cascading developer material at a predefined velocity onto the donor member; and a multi-phase voltage source operatively coupled to the electrode array, the phase being shifted with respect to each other such as to create an electrodynamic wave pattern having at a phase velocity for moving developer material to and from a development zone.

Abstract: A document scanner, including a document input tray for holding a compilation of documents in a predetermined sequence; a document output tray for receiving documents; an imaging station for scanning each one of said compilation of documents at predefined scanning rate; an imaging transport system for moving the documents received from said document input tray through said imaging station at a first velocity; an inverter, spaced a predetermined distance from said imaging transport system for moving selected documents of said compilation of documents back to said imaging transport system, said inverter having one mode of operation for moving selected documents to said imaging transport system so that a second side of said selected documents is scanned by said imaging station, said inverter having second mode of operation for moving selected documents to said imaging transport system so that said first side of said selected documents are rescanned by said imaging station.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of developer material including toner; a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, said donor member includes an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, said array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member; a multi-phase voltage source operatively coupled to said electrode array, the phase being shifted with respect to each other such as to create an electrodynamic wave pattern for moving toner particles to and from a development zone; and a charging device for charging toner on the surface of said donor member.

Abstract: A development system is which includes a developer roll with a magnetic sleeve. The sleeve has a static magnetic field pattern for transporting developer material to a development zone; and a magnetic system for generating a superimposed alternating magnetic field to agitate developer material in the development zone in order to produce a charged toner cloud intended for the non-interactive development of latent electrostatic images.

Abstract: A developer unit for developing a latent image recorded on an image receiving member with marking particles, to form a developed image, including: a donor member spaced from the image receiving member and adapted to transport marking particles to a development zone adjacent the image receiving member; a donor voltage supply for electrically biasing said donor member, said donor voltage supply having a donor frequency at a first phase; an electrode positioned in the development zone between the image receiving member and the donor member; an electrode voltage supply for electrically biasing said electrode during a developing operation with an alternating voltage to detach marking particles from said donor member, forming a cloud of marking particles in the development zone, and developing the latent image with marking particles from the cloud, said electrode voltage supply uses frequency generation of the donor AC and wire AC modulation frequencies by integer division of the wire AC oscillator thereby minimizi