Abstract: A contact electrostatic printing (CEP) apparatus and method provide custom color capabilities. Custom colors can be provided by combining two or more toner layers of different color. Correction of custom color toner patches can also be performed by combining toner layers. Controllable toner applicators apply toner patches in any desired size, shape or density on a support.

Abstract: Custom color control techniques are extended by using a high and a low pigment loaded toner for each color of the primary colors in the printing system. In one application, a large gamut of colors and fine control of color is accomplished by using a minimum number of colored pigments with each color incorporated into both high and low pigment loaded toners. Another application of the high/low pigment loaded toners is the ability to increase the developed mass per unit area (DMA) for rough papers without increasing pigment mass per unit area (PMA) by either mixing high and low pigment-loaded toners or by mixing a high pigment-loaded toner with an unpigmented toner to obtain the desired custom color. A novel sensor which senses fluorescent molecules in toner particles provides a color independent measure of total toner solids.

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: A device including a plurality of image-formation units stacked one over another, and a photosensitive body, provided in each of the image-formation units, which has an electrostatic image formed thereon. Also included is a development unit, provided in each of the image-formation units, which develops the electrostatic latent image with a liquid development agent to create a development-agent image on the photosensitive body. In addition, a sheet-conveyer/transfer unit is included which transfers the development-agent image formed by the image-formation units onto a sheet conveyed by the sheet-conveyed transfer unit.

Abstract: An ink delivery system for a liquid electrophotographic color printer including a plurality of circulation tanks connected to respective development units containing developer liquids, a plurality of jet portions disposed between the respective circulation tanks and the respective development units, for jetting the ink in the circulation tanks to development gaps in the respective development units, a plurality of ink cartridges having concentrated ink of different colors and detachably installed in a printer body, a plurality of concentrated ink supply paths through which the concentrated ink is supplied to the corresponding circulation tanks, a carrier tank containing a carrier and fixed in the printer body, a carrier supply path through which the carrier in the carrier tank is supplied to the respective circulation tanks, a waste ink disposal tank connected to the respective circulation tanks by an ink exhaust path, for collecting the waste ink in the circulation tanks, and a filtering mechanism installed

Abstract: A method for driving development devices of an image forming apparatus including the steps of: (a) simultaneously rotating gear cams of the respective development devices for colors Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) and K (black); (b) determining whether the frame of the development devices is lifted to a preset position; (c) rotating a developing roller; (d) coating a developer liquid on an image portion of a photoreceptor belt; (e) determining whether the image portion has passed through a transfer roller or not; (f) simultaneously rotating the gear cams of the respective development devices for colors Y, M, C and K if the image portion has passed through the transfer roller; (g) determining whether the distance between the frame and the photoreceptor belt is a preset value; (h) simultaneously stopping the gear cams of the respective development devices for colors Y, M, C and K if the distance between the frame and the photoreceptor belt is the preset value; and (i) simultaneously removing drip lines by sim

Abstract: A system for determining, in real time, the precise color measurements of a colorant being applied in a printing apparatus, the colorant being a combination of two or more primary colorants. Light from a light source is transmitted through or reflected from the colorant mixture, and received by a sensor having a relatively small number of photodetectors, each photodetector having a different translucent primary-color filter thereon. Various special algorithms can be used to approach the accuracy of a spectrophotometer using a relatively simple light sensor.

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: An electrographic printing apparatus comprises a rotatable charge bearing member, a rotatable roller assembly which applies a chargeable pre-wetting oil to the surface of the charge bearing member, a charger assembly which applies uniform charge to the surface of the charge bearing member and/or the pre-wetting oil coating, and a light source which discharges selected areas on the charge bearing member and/or the pre-wetting oil to produce a latent electrostatic image thereon. The electrographic printing apparatus further comprises a liquid development system comprising an ink head assembly which applies liquid toner to the charge bearing member thereby developing the latent electrostatic image, and a rotatable transfer member which receives the developed image from the charge bearing member and then transfers it to a substrate such as paper. The electrographic printing apparatus may also be adapted to produce color images on the substrate.

Abstract: A color REaD IOI system in which a light source illuminates the photoreceptor so as to erase that photoreceptor after the development of black toner but before exposure and development of the next color image.

Abstract: A system and method for color mixing management in an electrostatographic printing system, wherein a developing material reservoir containing an operative solution of colored developing material including a mixture of selected color components is continuously replenished with selected differently colored developing material concentrates in a predetermined ratio so as to be capable of producing a customer selectable color image area on an output substrate. The present invention may also be utilized to mix a customer selectable color in situ, either from stored proportions known to compensate for developability differences or from approximate amounts of primary color components initially deposited and mixed in the developing material reservoir with the resultant operative developing material mixture continually developed and replenished with a predetermined ratio of color components until the developing material mixture reaches a steady state color.

Abstract: The present invention is a printing apparatus, in which toner images on a latent image bearing member are electrically transferred onto an intermediate transfer member, for recording onto a recording medium, comprising charging the surface of the intermediate transfer member in the same polarity as the toner image whenever each of the toner images is transferred from the latent image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member.The present invention can present a printing apparatus and printing method for suppressing the reverse transfer of the toner images onto the photosensitive element when the toner images are transferred in lamination onto the intermediate transfer member, for example, in an electrophotographic printer.

Abstract: A multicolor electrostatic imaging system has multicolor spray apparatus for supplying a liquid toner of a selectable color to an electrostatic image. The spray means has a multiplicity of spray outlets including a plurality of spray outlets distributed among the multiplicity of outlets, for supplying liquid toner of each of a plurality of colors.

Abstract: A toner station for use in single-pass or multi-pass electrostatic printers includes two or more toner applicators for each color, thereby increasing the printing speed without degrading print quality.

Abstract: A development system for developing a latent image so as to compensate for differences in the surface roughness of different types of copy papers receiving the developed image. The development system includes a development unit for each color of toner particles being used within the machine for latent image development. Each development unit has a first developer material supply source, and a second developer material supply source, containing respectively a first developer material and a second developer material of a same color. In order to more fully correct for hue and density differences in images of the same color developed and transferred onto rough versus smooth surface type copy papers, the first developer material importantly contains a higher level of pigmentation than the second developer material.

Abstract: A liquid development and transfer apparatus includes a plurality of applicators for supplying developing solution uniformly to the surface of an electrostatic latent image. A voltage opposite in polarity to the electrostatic latent image is applied to one applicator and a voltage the same polarity as the latent image is applied to the other applicator. At least one of the applicators is a dish type development electrode. After development of the electrostatic latent image for a given color on the electrostatic latent image carrier, solvent contained in the developed image layer is removed or heated, and color superimposing development is performed consecutively in similar fashion for other colors. By collectively transferring the resulting developed image to a recording paper or an intermediate transfer medium, color superimposing development can be accomplished with high accuracy without mixing of the colors of the developing solutions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for simultaneously developing and transferring a liquid toner image. The method includes the steps of moving a photoreceptor including a charge bearing surface having a first electrical potential, applying a uniform layer of charge having a second electrical potential onto the charge bearing surface, and imagewise dissipating charge from selected portions on the charge bearing surface to form a latent image electrostatically, such that the charge-dissipated portions of the charge bearing surface have the first electrical potential of the charge bearing surface. The method also includes the steps of moving an intermediate transfer member biased to a third electrical potential that lies between said first and said second potentials, into a nip forming relationship with the moving imaging member to form a process nip.

Abstract: An image-forming method using a latent-image forming body which consists of a transparent electrode layer, a photoconductive layer, an electrode layer and a pyroelectric-material layer made of a dielectric substance that are successively stacked on its transparent base. In this method, conductive carriers are generated in the photoconductive layer by irradiating information light thereto by using a light source that is placed at a location opposite to the transparent base. Then, heat is exerted at the light-irradiation portion of the photoconductive layer by applying a voltage across the transparent electrode layer and the electrode layer, and the heat causes a temperature rise in the pyroelectric-material layer such that an electrostatic latent image is formed by the pyroelectric effect. The electrostatic latent image is developed by allowing the developer, charged to have the polarity reversed to that of the electrostatic latent image, to be attracted by the electrostatic latent image.