Patent ID: 6932469
Filing Date: 2005-08-23
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. For forming an ink-jet-ink-derived material image on an operational surface of a member and transferring said ink-jet-ink-derived material image to a receiver member, an imaging apparatus comprising: an ink jet device including a first source of a first ink having a liquid phase and a second source of a second ink having a liquid phase, said ink jet device adapted to provide imagewise jetting, on to said operational surface, droplets of said first ink from said first source and droplets of said second ink from said second source, thereby forming on said operational surface of said member a primary image including at least the liquid phase of at least one of said first ink and said second ink; a plurality of process zones associated with said operational surface of said member, said plurality of process zones located sequentially in proximity with said operational surface, and said plurality of process zones including a coagulate formation process zone, an excess liquid removal process zone, and a transfer process zone; in said coagulate formation process zone, a coagulate forming mechanism for causing a formation of coagulates within a liquid phase of said primary image; in said excess liquid removal process zone, a liquid removal mechanism for removing from said coagulates a portion of said liquid phase to form on said operational surface a liquid-depleted image; and in said transfer process zone, a transfer mechanism for transferring, to a receiver member from said operational surface, said liquid-depleted image; wherein one of said first ink and said second ink is a coagulable marking ink and the other of said first ink and said second ink is a non-marking ink, said marking ink and said non-marking ink being mutually miscible in said primary image; and wherein said primary image includes a plurality of smallest resolved imaging areas, each of said plurality of smallest resolved imaging areas having received, from said ink jet device, a preselected number of droplets of said first ink and a complementary preselected number of droplets of said second ink, said preselected number including zero and said complementary preselected number including zero.