Patent ID: 6207336
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
A liquid developing method wherein electrically charged liquid developing agent is used to develop electrostatic latent images formed on the surface of an image bearing member, the method comprising:forming a film of pre-wet liquid of a selected thickness on a surface of an image bearing member, wherein said pre-wet liquid is silicone oil,forming an electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member,forming a 5 to 40 .mu.m film of liquid developing agent on the surface of a development agent bearing member, wherein said liquid developing agent is formed by dispersing toner in a dielectric liquid such that the liquid developing agent has a viscosity of 100 to 10,000 mPa.s,bringing the development agent bearing member adjacent the image bearing member to form a gap therebetween wherein the gap is greater than the thickness of the film of liquid developing agent but smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the pre-wet liquid film and the liquid developing agent film, thereby bringing the film of liquid developing agent on the surface of the development agent bearing member into contact with the pre-wet film on the surface of the image bearing member to develop the image and wherein the developing agent bearing member is formed from a flexible belt.