Patent ID: 6101356
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
A carrier recovery apparatus, for a liquid electrophotographic printer; comprising:a drying unit for absorbing liquid carrier from a developer liquid supplied to and remaining on a photoreceptor belt and evaporating the absorbed liquid carrier;a condenser for condensing the carrier gas evaporated by the drying unit and moisture from air induced from an outside into liquid carrier and water, respectively;a purge tank for storing water and liquid carrier condensed by the condenser;a carrier tank for storing the water and liquid carrier condensed by the condenser in a phase-separated state and storing a new liquid carrier additionally induced from the outside;water/carrier separating means for separating liquid carrier and water stored in the carrier tank from each other and making the same flow through different paths, respectively;a waste water tank for receiving from the carrier tank the water phase-separated from the liquid carrier by the water/carrier separating means, and storing the same; anda working solution tank for receiving from the carrier tank the liquid carrier phase-separated from the water by the water/carrier separating means, and mixing the received liquid carrier with concentrated ink supplied from an external ink storage tank, to produce the developer liquid.