Abstract: A developing blade (1) comprises a support member (2) having a coefficient of elasticity in the range of 0.5×104 to 4.0×104 kg/mm2 and a moment of inertia of area (Iz) in the range of 6.5E-04 to 1.2E-02, and a blade member (4) located on one surface of the support member (2) along one side edge (2A). The blade member (4) is made of a rubber material having a 25% modulus of no greater than 0.85 MPa, and has a moment of inertia of area (Iz) in the range of 8E-02 to 1.2E+01, and the blade member (4) has a warping of no greater than 10 mm in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A liquid developer collecting system includes a developing roller cleaning unit that collects liquid developer on a developing roller; a developer storage unit that stores the liquid developer collected by the developing roller cleaning unit; and a concentration control unit that stores the liquid developer fed from the developer storage unit and controls the concentration of the liquid developer.

Abstract: A liquid developer collecting system. A developing unit has a developing roller. A developing roller cleaning unit collects liquid developer on the developing roller. A concentration control unit stores liquid developer collected by the developing roller cleaning unit and controls the concentration of the liquid developer. A first feed unit feeds the liquid developer in the concentration control unit to the developing unit. A second feed unit feeds the liquid developer in the concentration control unit. A developer storage unit stores the liquid developer fed by the second feed unit.

Abstract: A photoconductor drum cleaning apparatus in an electrophotographic printer is disclosed which is simple in makeup, which allows a wiping roll to be rotated to follow rotation of the photoconductor drum is rotated and to be serviced for a prolonged life and is capable of performing an improved cleaning operation.

Abstract: An electrically conductive pattern forming apparatus has process disposition which reduces contamination of a pattern or inside of the apparatus due to backflow and leakage of a liquid material such as a developing agent or a cleaning liquid. A developing device and a cleaning device in the electrically conductive pattern forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method are disposed in a lower region about the center of a photoreceptor, a solvent removing process is disposed in a region in which the photoreceptor rotates upward, and a transfer liquid applying process and an electrostatic transfer process are disposed above the center of the photoreceptor and in a region in which the photoreceptor rotates downward.

Abstract: A system for adjusting air supply applied to evaporate carrier liquid during a one shot process printing job, comprises at least one air supply unit, at least one air knife unit configured for directing air toward at least a separation of the image, wherein each separation includes a single color of a plurality of colors used to form the full colored image, and controller configured for adjusting at least one air supply parameter between separations.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having at least a latent electrostatic image bearing member, and a recharging unit configured to recharge a residual toner remaining on the latent electrostatic image bearing member, wherein after transfer, the residual toner is passed through the recharging unit and is then recovered in a developing device; a charging component of the recharging unit that comes into contact with the latent electrostatic image bearing member is a polymer sheet having a surface roughness (Ra) of 0.12 ?m to 0.51 ?m; the toner contains at least a pigment, a binder resin, and a releasing agent, and contains inorganic fine particles as an external additive, and the amount of the inorganic fine particles and the amount of the releasing agent satisfy three specific Expressions.

Abstract: Hard imaging devices and hard imaging methods are described. According to one embodiment, a hard imaging device includes a photoconductor, a developer member configured to move to provide a marking agent upon the photoconductor to develop a latent image upon the photoconductor, and a squeegee member configured to form a nip with the developer member and to move to provide the marking agent upon the developer member, wherein the squeegee member is configured to move at a speed slower than a speed of the developer member during the provision of the marking agent upon the developer member using a squeegee member.

Abstract: A development apparatus includes an anilox roller for supplying liquid developer to a development roller and a supply roller arranged in a developer container and held in contact with the anilox roller to supply the liquid developer to the anilox roller. An AC voltage is applied to the supply roller, and a bias voltage is applied to the development roller. Liquid developer contained in grooves of undulations of an anilox pattern formed on a surface of the anilox roller is applied to the development roller.

Abstract: A liquid separator is a device for separating and extracting a dispersoid and a dispersion medium from a liquid sample containing the dispersoid and the dispersion medium. The liquid separator is provided with a liquid storage container capable of storing the liquid sample; an electrode roller including a rotary shaft, arranged to touch the liquid sample in the liquid storage container, capable of conveying the liquid sample along the outer circumferential surface thereof and rotatable about the rotary shaft; and a separating member held in contact with the electrode roller for separating the dispersion medium from the liquid sample being conveyed along the outer circumferential surface of the electrode roller. The liquid storage container includes a first container positioned at a specified distance to the electrode roller and a second container detachably attachable to the first container.

Abstract: An amount-of-developer regulating apparatus configured to restrict the amount of developer carried on a developer bearing member. The amount-of-developer regulating apparatus includes a flexible developer amount regulation member having a contact portion configured to contact with a developer bearing member, and first and second holding portions configured to hold the developer amount regulation member and to contact with the developer amount regulation member at further upstream and further downstream in a direction where the developer bearing member is rotationally moved than the contact portion. With a pressure distribution of the contact portion as to the developer bearing member, there are a plurality of local maximum values in the direction where the developer bearing member is rotationally moved. Thus, the apparatus can be reduced in size, and also image concentration unevenness after long-term use can be prevented.

Abstract: To remove a surplus carrier liquid after development on the surface of a photoconductor drum to obtain homogeneous printed images without being affected by an error in rotational accuracy of such as a carrier liquid removing roller, there is provided a wet type electrophotographic printer in which the carrier liquid removing roller 14 of a carrier liquid removing unit 8 is caused to come in rotational contact with the photoconductor drum 1 to remove a carrier liquid from the liquid toner image, thereby making a toner image for transfer onto a recording medium 7, the wet type electrophotographic printer being so configured that the carrier liquid removing roller in rotational contact with the photoconductor drum is urged against the latter under an urging force made adjustable; and a scraping blade 23 is brought into contact with the carrier liquid removing roller while being urged against the latter under an urging force made adjustable.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer container reserving a liquid developer containing toner particles and a carrier liquid. A developer supply member supplies a developer supporting member with liquid developer. An agitating member is disposed in the developer container and supplies the developer supply member with the liquid developer. A developer supporting member cleaning member removes liquid developer on the developer supporting member.

Abstract: To provide a cleaning apparatus capable of maintaining high cleaning performance even if surface roughness of an image carrier is increased due to wear and a wet image forming apparatus installing the concerned cleaning apparatus, thereby enabling to form images of a stable quality. The cleaning apparatus for removing liquid developer remaining on the surface of a latent image carrier and an intermediate transfer member, which are an image carrier of the image forming apparatus for forming images with the liquid developer including toner particles and carrier liquid, includes three stages of cleaning sections such as a preliminary cleaning member for making contact with the image carrier and suspending the toner particles adhered to the surface of the image carrier in the carrier liquid, a toner particles removing member for removing the suspended toner particles by electrostatic force, and a carrier liquid removing member for removing the remaining carrier liquid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image bearing drum that rotates and on which a latent image is formed; an exposure head having a first light-emitting element that exposes a first region of the latent image bearing drum and a second light-emitting element that exposes a second region of the latent image bearing drum; a storage unit that stores first speed-related information relating to the rotational speed of the first region of the latent image bearing drum and second speed-related information relating to the rotational speed of the second region of the latent image bearing drum; and a light-emission timing adjustment unit that adjusts the timing of the light emission of the first light-emitting element based on the first speed-related information and adjusts the timing of the light emission of the second light-emitting element based on the second speed-related information.

Abstract: There is provided a development system comprising a developer carrier member that carries a developer, a developer supply roller that supplies the developer carrier member with the developer, a developer container that stores the developer, a toner compression roller that contacts with the developer carrier member and presses toner against the developer carrier member, the toner included in the developer and a density sensing unit that senses a density of the toner in the developer in the developer container. A condition for the toner compression roller is changed depending on the density of the toner in the developer in the developer container or depending on a type of a recording medium.

Abstract: A wet type developing apparatus is disclosed which can eliminate the need to provide a separately built cleansing unit and, moreover, makes it unnecessary to dismount a developer supply unit for its cleansing operation and to perform its subsequent re-mounting operation. The apparatus in which a developing roller 2 is in rotational contact with a rotating photoconductor drum 1 and an electrostatic latent image made on a surface of the photoconductor drum is developed with a liquid developer 6 supplied onto the developing roller from a developer supply roller 3 whose surface is in part immersed in the liquid developer reserved in a developer reservoir 5, includes a cleansing arrangement, comprising a unit or units 7 and/or 8, which is disposed at a site in the developer reservoir which is always immersed in the liquid developer for cleansing a portion of the developer supply roller which is immersed in the liquid developer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reservoir base section with a recess that receives liquid developer scraped off of a developing roller by a cleaning blade. The recess is substantially U-shaped with an opened top side and an arc angle of not less than 180°. A conveying base station is continuous with the reservoir base section and has a conveying port formed thereon. A conveying member arranged in the reservoir and conveying base sections conveys liquid developer through a hollow path from the recess to the conveying port by rotating about its axis. The radius r1 of the outer periphery of the conveying member, the radius r2 of the conveying port and the radius r3 of curvature of the recess have the relationship r1<r2<r3.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing apparatus includes an image-forming member having a surface on which a latent electrostatic image can be formed and a developer for depositing a layer of ink onto the surface of the image-forming member. The ink includes charged ink particles and a carrier medium. A supply conduit is connectable to an ink tank for supplying ink to the developer. An exit conduit is connectable to the ink tank for delivering unused ink from the developer to the ink tank. The supply conduit, the developer and the exit conduit define a flow path. A separator is operable to separate the carrier medium from the ink particles. The separator is connectable to the flow path to receive unused ink and to reintroduce carrier medium extracted from the unused ink to the flow path.

Abstract: A developing device using a liquid developer removes developer using the contact-rotation between rollers such as a developing roller and thin layer forming roller when an image is not formed, and includes a contact pressure modification section that modifies the contact pressure in the contact region between rollers rotating in contact with one another. When operation is performed to remove the developer using the contact-rotation between rollers with the supply of liquid developer being suspended, modifications are made to ensure that the contact pressure in the contact region is smaller than that during image formation.

Abstract: A binary ink developer (BID) for a liquid electro-photography (LEP) printing device includes a sponge roller to absorb unused ink. The BID includes a squeezer roller to release the unused ink absorbed by the sponge roller for reuse. The squeezer roller releases the unused ink absorbed by the sponge roller by compressing the sponge roller. Compression of the sponge roller results in ink foam. The BID includes a mechanism having a wall, and a housing that together with the wall of the mechanism defines a passageway between the housing and the wall. The passageway is exposed externally to the BID. The BID includes one or more suction cavities defined within the wall of the mechanism through which the ink foam moves back from the passageway.

Abstract: A developing system comprises: a plurality of image carriers; a plurality of developing devices for developing electrostatic latent images, formed on the plurality of image carriers, with respective liquid developers of different colors of which carrier is nonvolatile solvent; and developer collecting means which are disposed at a plurality of locations for collecting excess developers, wherein the developing devices have developer containers, respectively. The developing system further comprises a carrier storing tank for distributing the carrier to the respective developer containers.

Abstract: A developer collection system comprises a plurality of image carrier members, a plurality of development sections for developing the electrostatic latent images formed respectively on the plurality of image carrier members by means of liquid developers of different colors containing a non-volatile solvent as carrier, an intermediate transfer member for sequentially transferring the developer images developed by the primary transfer sections respectively corresponding to the plurality of image carrier members, superposing them one on the other and carrying and conveying the developer images, an output section for transferring the superposed developer images from the intermediate transfer member onto a sheet on a sheet conveyance route in the secondary transfer section and developer collection means for collecting excessive developers from at least two of the plurality of image carrier members, the plurality of development means, the intermediate transfer member and the output section and at least two of the fl

Abstract: A splash guard is configured to control the flow of excess liquid generated by an interaction between a first roller and a second roller by splitting the flow of the excess liquid into a first flow and a second flow.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the electrographic printing or copying using liquid coloring agents consisting of a carrier liquid and toner particles, including a latent image carrier and at least one supply element in the form of a slot-like supply nozzle via which the liquid toner is applied to the latent image carrier and a suction element by which excess liquid coloring agent is removed from the latent image carrier, a de-coupling channel is arranged between the suction element and the supply element.

Abstract: A system for adjusting air supply applied to evaporate carrier liquid during a one shot process printing job, comprises at least one air supply unit, at least one air knife unit configured for directing air toward at least a separation of the image, wherein each separation includes a single color of a plurality of colors used to form the full colored image, and controller configured for adjusting at least one air supply parameter between separations.

Abstract: A liquid developer includes an insulating liquid; toner particles constituted by a material containing a polyester resin; and an alkyl diamine and an amide compound having a hydroxy fatty acid skeleton as dispersants.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developer carrier which carries liquid developer containing toner and carrier liquid; a developer carrier contact member which contacts the developer carrier; and a developer carrier contact control unit which controls the condition where the developer carrier and the developer carrier contact member contact each other with first contact pressure and the condition where the developer carrier and the developer carrier contact member contact each other with second contact pressure lower than the first contact pressure.

Abstract: Hard imaging devices and hard imaging methods are described. According to one embodiment, a hard imaging device includes a photoconductor, a developer member configured to move to provide a marking agent upon the photoconductor to develop a latent image upon the photoconductor, and a squeegee member configured to form a nip with the developer member and to move to provide the marking agent upon the developer member, wherein the squeegee member is configured to move at a speed slower than a speed of the developer member during the provision of the marking agent upon the developer member using a squeegee member.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image shift can be decreased by a photoconductor belt which has a photosensitive layer formed on the surface of a cylindrically formed belt, a pair of rollers which is placed to apply tension to a photoconductor belt, and rotates the photoconductor belt in a specified direction, a charger which is placed opposite to the surface of the photoconductor belt placed between the pair of rollers, and charges the photosensitive layer, a light source which forms a latent image on the charged photosensitive layer, a developing unit which supplies a developing solution to the photosensitive layer having a latent image, develop the latent image, and forms a toner image, and an absorbing roller which is placed on the backside of the photoconductor belt placed between a pair of rollers, and absorbs the photoconductor belt.

Abstract: A liquid developer collection apparatus and an image forming apparatus can prevent image disturbances and also disturbances of the toner particles on the image section that can be produced by squeezing. The liquid developer collection apparatus includes a first squeezing section 113aY that squeeze a liquid developer on an image carrier carrying an image developed by the liquid developer containing carrier liquid and toner particles, and a second squeezing section 113bY arranged vertically above the first squeezing section 113aY to squeeze the image carrier squeezed by the first squeezing section 113aY, and the liquid developer collected by the second squeezing section 113bY is made to fall free onto the first squeezing section 113aY and collected.

Abstract: A binary ink developer (BID) for a liquid electro-photography (LEP) printing device includes a sponge roller to absorb unused ink. The BID includes a squeezer roller to release the unused ink absorbed by the sponge roller for reuse. The squeezer roller releases the unused ink absorbed by the sponge roller by compressing the sponge roller. Compression of the sponge roller results in ink foam. The BID includes a mechanism having a wall, and a housing that together with the wall of the mechanism defines a passageway between the housing and the wall. The passageway is exposed externally to the BID. The BID includes one or more suction cavities defined within the wall of the mechanism through which the ink foam moves back from the passageway.

Abstract: A splash guard is configured to control the flow of excess liquid generated by an interaction between a first roller and a second roller by splitting the flow of the excess liquid into a first flow and a second flow.

Abstract: A wet image forming device includes a plurality of developer support members that support a developer including a toner and a carrier functioning as a toner transfer agent, a plurality of image support members, the outer peripheral surfaces of each contacting the plurality of developer support members, and which support an electrostatic latent image developed with toner included in the developer supported by the plurality of developer support members, an intermediate transfer member to which an image developed on each of the plurality of image support members is transferred, a transfer roller that is pressed into contact with each of the plurality of image support members through the intermediate transfer member, and one or more carrier removing members that remove the carrier and arranged between a first image support member that is one of the plurality of image support members and a second image support member that is located adjacent to the first image support member.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer container reserving a liquid developer containing toner particles and a carrier liquid. A developer supply member supplies a developer supporting member with liquid developer. An agitating member is disposed in the developer container and supplies the developer supply member with the liquid developer. A developer supporting member cleaning member removes liquid developer on the developer supporting member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid absorbing member for absorbing excessive ink components from an ink image formed on a recording medium by an ink jet recording method, in which the liquid absorbing member contains fibrous matter, and the fiber thickness of fibers composing the fibrous matter is in a range of about 0.01 to 100 dtex. The fibrous matter preferably contains fibers having a fiber diameter in a range of about 0.5 to 10 ?m, and fibers composing the fibrous matter are preferably polyester fibers. The invention also provides an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a printhead and the liquid absorbing member.

Abstract: A developer conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus having such a developer conveying apparatus can smoothly convey residual liquid developer. A developer conveying apparatus according to the present invention comprises a developer reservoir 310 for storing liquid developer, a developer conveying screw 320 in the developer reservoir 310 to convey the liquid developer by rotating around the axis thereof and a hollow path containing the developer conveying screw 320 in the inside thereof and guiding the liquid developer being conveyed by the developer conveying screw 320.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus employing nonvolatile liquid developers is provided, which image forming apparatus exhibits high transfer efficiency in transferring images on an image carrier to a recording media and enables formation of images with sufficient fixing strength. An image forming apparatus which incorporates a squeezing mechanism which removes a part of carrier liquid from the liquid developer incorporating image visualizing particles, fine thermoplastic resin particles, and nonvolatile carrier liquid, and incorporates a transferring mechanism which transfers a visible image, in which a part of carrier liquid is removed, onto the recording medium.

Abstract: This invention concerns an electrophotographic printing apparatus comprising an image-forming member having a surface on which a latent electrostatic image can be formed, a developer for depositing onto the surface of the image-forming member a layer of ink, the ink comprising charged ink particles and a carrier mediums a supply conduit connectable to an ink tank for supplying ink to the developer and an exit conduit connectable to the ink tank for delivering unused ink from the developer to the ink tank, the supply conduit, developer and exit conduit defining a flow path and a separator for separating the carrier medium from the ink particles, the separator connectable to the flow path to receive unused ink and to reintroduce carrier medium extracted from the unused ink to the flow path.

Abstract: A side face excluding the edge of a squeegee cleaner made of a plate-shaped urethane rubber is brought into pressure contact with a squeeze roller. Even for long-term use, a pressure contact surface of the squeegee cleaner does not break and long life of the squeegee cleaner is obtained and good cleaning performance is maintained and a liquid developing agent of a surface of the squeeze roller is surely removed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a developing unit for maintaining constant density in an electrophotographic imaging process. The developing unit has a developer roll, wherein the developer roll provides a surface and a first voltage is applied to the developer roll; a skive device, wherein the skive device is positioned in contact with the developer roll and a second voltage is applied to the skive device; a cleaning device for the developer roll, wherein the cleaning device is in contact with the developer roll; and an ink container, wherein the developer roll and the cleaning device are inside the ink container. It is preferred that a current measuring device is present to measure current flow between skive device and the developer, or a voltage meter is present to measure a voltage across a known resistor that is in series with the power supply to the skive device.

Abstract: A method of heating toner of an image on a moving surface of an intermediate transfer member in order to transfer the image to a printing medium of a printing system includes providing a toner image on an intermediate transfer member, and placing a surface of a heated member in contact with the toner image on the intermediate transfer member prior to transferring the toner image to a further surface from the intermediate transfer member. Heating of the toner image by the contacting heated member is in addition to heating by a heater internal to the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image shift can be decreased by a photoconductor belt which has a photosensitive layer formed on the surface of a cylindrically formed belt, a pair of rollers which is placed to apply tension to a photoconductor belt, and rotates the photoconductor belt in a specified direction, a charger which is placed opposite to the surface of the photoconductor belt placed between the pair of rollers, and charges the photosensitive layer, a light source which forms a latent image on the charged photosensitive layer, a developing unit which supplies a developing solution to the photosensitive layer having a latent image, develop the latent image, and forms a toner image, and an absorbing roller which is placed on the backside of the photoconductor belt placed between a pair of rollers, and absorbs the photoconductor belt.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image shift can be decreased by a photoconductor belt which has a photosensitive layer formed on the surface of a cylindrically formed belt, a pair of rollers which is placed to apply tension to a photoconductor belt, and rotates the photoconductor belt in a specified direction, a charger which is placed opposite to the surface of the photoconductor belt placed between the pair of rollers, and charges the photosensitive layer, a light source which forms a latent image on the charged photosensitive layer, a developing unit which supplies a developing solution to the photosensitive layer having a latent image, develop the latent image, and forms a toner image, and an absorbing roller which is placed on the backside of the photoconductor belt placed between a pair of rollers, and absorbs the photoconductor belt.

Abstract: In liquid-developing image formation, a ghost image caused by the contact between a photosensitive member and an absorbing roller to collect a surplus liquid developer is prevented by preventing occurrence of a speed difference (relative speed) between a photosensitive member and a porous member (an absorbing roller) and by keeping an optimum pressing force from a porous member to a visible image on a photosensitive member.

Abstract: Rinsing nozzles 310a to 310e are moved on a wafer W while they are discharging rinsing solution 326. At that point, discharging openings 317a to 317e are contacted to developing solution 350 coated on the wafer W or rinsing solution 326 on the wafer W. Thus, the impact against the wafer W can be suppressed. As a result, pattern collapse can be prevented. In addition, a front portion of the developing solution 350 can push away the developing solution 350.

Abstract: In one implementation, an apparatus includes a foil that is adjacent to a portion of an ink developer electrode. The foil at least partially limits an accumulation of splashed ink along one or more portions of the ink developer electrode.

Abstract: A developing device includes an image carrier, a developer carrier, a biasing unit disposed upstream of a developing area, and a controller configured to control the biasing unit, and a cleaning member disposed downstream of the developing area to remove the liquid developing agent remaining on the developer carrier. A latent image held on the image carrier may be developed with the liquid developing agent, including charged toner and a carrier liquid, at the developing area where the developer carrier faces the image carrier. The controller causes the biasing unit to apply a first bias voltage to the surface of the liquid developing agent held on the developer carrier during developing, or a second bias voltage thereto during cleaning.

Abstract: Squeegee rollers are disposed between a primary transferring position and a secondary transferring position on an intermediate transfer roller facing against the intermediate transfer roller. The squeegee rollers are movable between a contacting position to contact with liquid developer on the intermediate transfer roller and a clear-off position to stay out of contact therewith. Being positioned at the contacting position, the squeegee rollers strip off carrier liquid from the intermediate transfer roller. The stripped carrier liquid is returned back to a tank which stores liquid developer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a cleaning patch and method thereof for cleaning a residual toner in a developing unit. The cleaning patch is composed of a plurality of cleaning regions. Each cleaning region includes a plurality of cleaning toner point alternately arranged in a row, which may reduce the absorbed toner in each cleaning region to improve the image quality.