Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring a substance concentration in a liquid wherein a continuously variable thickness of the liquid is formed, and light is emitted such that a portion of the light passes through the formed continuously variable thickness of the liquid, an electrical signal is generated according to the portion of the light that passes through the formed continuously variable thickness of the liquid, and the substance concentration in the liquid is determined based on the generated electrical signal.

Abstract: A developing device of the type using a developing liquid and applicable to an image forming apparatus includes a developing roller and a sweep roller. The developing roller is pressed against a photoconductive drum to thereby form a nip. The sweep roller is positioned downstream of the nip in the direction of rotation of the drum and pressed against the drum in such a manner as to sandwich a developed toner layer. The surface of the sweep roller moves at substantially the same speed as the surface of the drum. A bias voltage (250 V) close to the surface potential (100 V to 200 V) of the toner layer formed on the drum is applied to the sweep roller. The bias causes the sweep roller to attract stray excess toner present on the background of the drum after development, thereby preventing a toner image from being blurred.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for forming electrophotographic images by forming on a transfer belt color toner images of, e.g., the colors of transparent, yellow, magenta, cyan and black in that order from the side of the belt. When the toner images are brought into contact under pressure with, and then transferred to, a recording medium, e.g. a copy sheet, the image on the sheet is obtained with the order of the layers reversed with the transparent toner layer as the uppermost. With the use of transparent toners having relatively large particle size to cover a plurality of underlying color toner layers formed beforehand, the efficiency in image fixing is considerably improved. In addition, by using UV curing resin as the carrier and by forming a film from the carrier itself through the curing steps by UV beam irradiation, the image fixing and surface glossiness are much improved in the electrophotographic color image formation.

Abstract: A developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier with a developing liquid includes a liquid storing section for storing the liquid consisting of a developing substance and a carrier liquid. A developer carrier deposits the liquid fed from the liquid storing section thereon. A float type liquid level sensor senses a liquid level in the liquid storing section. The liquid level sensor includes a magnetic force generating member for generating a magnetic force, a magnetic force sensing device for sensing the magnetic force, and floats movable up and down in accordance with the liquid level in the liquid storing section. A distance between the magnetic force generating member and the magnetic force sensing device varies in accordance with the movement of the floats, allowing the liquid level to be determined on the basis of the output of the magnetic force sensing device. An image forming apparatus including the developing device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A developing device of the type using a developing liquid and applicable to an image forming apparatus includes a developing roller and a sweep roller. The developing roller is pressed against a photoconductive drum to thereby form a nip. The sweep roller is positioned downstream of the nip in the direction of rotation of the drum and pressed against the drum in such a manner as to sandwich a developed toner layer. The surface of the sweep roller moves at substantially the same speed as the surface of the drum. A bias voltage (250 V) close to the surface potential (100 V to 200 V) of the toner layer formed on the drum is applied to the sweep roller. The bias causes the sweep roller to attract stray excess toner present on the background of the drum after development, thereby preventing a toner image from being blurred.

Abstract: A liquid developing method that uses a highly-concentrated liquid developing agent to develop an electrostatic latent image. A highly-concentrated liquid developing agent with a viscosity of 100 to 1,000 mPa.s can be used. Therefore, a film of developing agent from 5 to 40 &mgr;m thick can be formed on the surface of the developing roller or developing belt and this provides a soft contact with the photosensitive member surface where the electrostatic latent image has been formed. If the surface of the photosensitive member does not have good release properties, a film of pre-wet liquid can be formed on the surface of the photosensitive member.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrostatic latent image liquid developing method and liquid developing apparatus that can prevent adhesion of toner to the non-image parts on the image bearing member and thereby prevent the occurrence of image inaccuracies. The method provides a pre-wetting process that applies pre-wet liquid to photosensitive member 10 and a developing process. In the developing process, a thin layer of a highly viscous liquid developing agent, in which toner is dispersed at a high concentration in a non-conductive liquid, is formed on the elastic developing roller 506. Developing roller 506 is rotated and, at the same time, the liquid developing agent layer on developing roller 506 is brought into contact with the pre-wet liquid layer on photosensitive member 10 in order to supply liquid developing agent to the latent image on photosensitive member 10. Thus, the toner develops the electrostatic latent image formed on photosensitive member 10.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a developing liquid collected from an image carrier and/or an intermediate transfer body is caused to migrate through a gap between two electrodes to each of which a particular electrode is applied. An electric field formed between the electrodes sequentially increases in strength in the direction of migration of the developing liquid, so that toner and other solids contained in the developing liquid are retained by electrodeposition. One or more foam blocks each having continuous cells absorb the collected liquid under the action of the electric field and thereby retain the solids therein. As a result, only a carrier liquid is recovered from the collected liquid and reused for development.

Abstract: A multi-color image formation apparatus that has multiple developed image formation devices, each corresponding to one color. Each of the developed image formation devices has a photosensitive member, charging apparatus that charges the photosensitive member, exposure apparatus that exposes the charged photosensitive member, and developing apparatus that supplies highly viscous and highly concentrated color liquid developing agent to the surface of the latent image on the photosensitive member. Each of the developed image formation devices is provided with transfer apparatus that sequentially transfers the developed images, each of which has been formed on the surface of the latent imgae on one of the photosensitive members, to the paper transported by the transfer belt and thereby forms a color image on the paper. An electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive member such that a developed image corresponding to the desired print image remains on the developing agent bearing member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a developing device includes a reservoir storing a viscous and dense developing liquid. A developing sleeve, an applicator roller, a circulation pump for circulating the liquid and a screw for agitating the liquid are disposed in the reservoir. The reservoir is open only at its portion where the developing sleeve contacts an image carrier. The liquid is agitated by the screw before flowing into the circulation pump and then applied to the applicator roller. As a result, the liquid is fed to the developing sleeve via the applicator roller with a uniform toner content. The apparatus is small size and stably forms high quality images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the type depositing a developing liquid on a developing sleeve in the form of a thin layer, developing a latent image formed on a photoconductive element with the liquid and transferring the resulting toner image to a recording medium is disclosed. The developing sleeve is implemented as a conductive hollow tubular member. A drive roller is rotatably disposed in the bore of the developing sleeve and extends in the axial direction of the sleeve. A cleaning blade is pressed against the outer periphery of the sleeve for pressing the drive roller via the sleeve. The drive roller and cleaning blade cooperate to cause the sleeve to rotate. An applicator roller applies the liquid to the outer periphery of the sleeve. An electric field for development is formed in a developing region between the photoconductive drum and the sleeve. The liquid is transferred from the sleeve to the latent image formed on the drum for thereby developing it.

Abstract: A liquid developing method and a liquid developing apparatus that use a highly-concentrated liquid developing agent to develop an electrostatic latent imageA highly-concentrated liquid developing agent with a viscosity of 100 to 1,000 mPa.s can be used. Therefore, a film of developing agent from 5 to 40 .mu.m thick can be formed on the surface of the developing roller or developing belt (510) and this provides a soft contact with the photosensitive member surface where the electrostatic latent image has been formed. If the surface of the photosensitive member does not have good release properties, a film of pre-wet liquid can be formed on the surface of the photosensitive member (10).

Abstract: A developing apparatus develops a latent image with a liquid developer includes a developer container capable of containing the liquid developer therein, a developer carrying device that carries the developer thereon and develops a latent image thereon, a developer applying device that applies the developer to the developer carrying device and forms a thin developer layer thereon, and a developer supplying device positioned in contact with the developer applying device and supplies the developer from the developer container to the developer applying device. The developer-supplying device is separated after the developer carrying device develops a latent image, while the developer applying device removes the developer remaining on the developer carrying device.

Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus is arranged to generate an electrostatic latent image on an image supporting medium having an insulating releasing layer and a resin thin film layer formed successively on an electrically conductive substrate, to generate a toner image on the resin thin film layer by developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner solution, and to transfer the toner image together with the resin thin film layer to a recording medium by superposing the recording medium on the resin thin film layer of the image supporting medium with the toner image formed on the resin thin film layer and pressing and heating at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin thin film layer.

Abstract: The electrostatic recording head includes an air introducing path for introducing an air, an ion exhaust path, an array of a large number of pin electrodes provided near the ion exhaust path within the air introducing path, an opposing electrode disposed opposite to the pin electrode array so that when a predetermined voltage is applied to the pin electrodes, corona discharge is caused between the pin electrodes and the opposing electrode, thereby ionizing the introduced air, and an array of control electrodes for selectively controlling flow of the ionized air through the ion exhaust path.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus for forming a color image. An image retainer is provided for carrying the color image, and a charger charges a surface of the image retainer. A latent image former forms a latent image on the charged surface of the image retainer, and a multicolor developer develops the latent image. A black developer develops the latent image. A transfer sheet conveyer conveys a transfer sheet and transfers the developed latent image onto the transfer sheet. A cleaner cleans a residual developer on the surface of the image retainer. The image retainer, either one of the black developer or the multicolor developer, and the cleaner are formed as a detachable processing cartridge, and the rest of the black developer or the multicolor developer is detachable to the body of the color image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus for forming a color image comprising; an image retainer for carrying the color image, a charger for charging a surface of the image retainer, a latent image former for forming a latent image on the charged surface of the image retainer, a multicolor developer for developing the latent image, a black developer for developing the latent image, a transfer sheet conveyer for conveying a transfer sheet and transferring the developed latent image onto the transfer sheet, and a cleaner for cleaning a residual developer on the surface of the image retainer, in which the image retainer, either one of the black developer or the multicolor developer, and the cleaning means are formed as a detachable processing cartridge, and the rest of the black developer or the multicolor developer is detachable to the body of the color image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An electrostatic recording apparatus having a transfer separation unit of a belt-roller transfer system wherein an endless-form transfer material conveyance belt is attached to a toner image retainer by an electrode roller and detached from the toner image retainer on the downstream side of the attached plane. A transfer material is passed through a gap between the transfer material conveyance belt and the electrode roller so that the toner image on the toner image retainer be transferred onto the transfer material.

Abstract: A color image forming method and apparatus for sequentially forming toner images of a plurality of colors on a photosensitive body so as to form a color toner image. The method and apparatus maintain a substantially constant developing bias so that a first exposure potential of a photosensitive surface and a second exposure potential of the photosensitive surface are substantially equal to one another.

Abstract: A color image reader for discriminating a color component of a light image, comprising a first photoelectric transfer device for transferring visible range light to an electric signal, a second photoelectric transfer device for transferring infrared range light to another electric signal, and a discriminator for discriminating between a chromatic portion of the light image and an achromatic portion of the light image according to the two different electric signals.