Patent ID: 6600890
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
A liquid developer image forming apparatus, using first and second liquid developers respectively containing a solvent and a plurality of toner particles, comprising;a latent image retaining body comprising a photosensitive layer, the photosensitive layer configured to keep a latent image and have a relative dielectric constant âˆˆp [C2/Nm2] and an average thickness dp [m]; a first developing surface facing the latent image retaining body at a first development station, supplied with an electrical potential for a first development, and configured to provide the first liquid developer to the latent image retaining body; a latent image forming unit facing the latent image retaining body and configured to form a second latent image comprising image and non-image regions of the photosensitive layer supporting an image of the first liquid developer; and a second developing surface facing the latent image retaining body at a second development station and supplied with an electrical potential for a second development, the electrical potential for the second development having an electrical potential difference &Dgr;V from an electrical potential of the non-image region of the second latent image, the second developing surface configured to provide the second liquid developer to the latent image retaining body supporting the image of the first liquid developer and the second latent image, the plurality of toner particles of the first liquid developer at the second development station having a volume density of toner particles &rgr;m [kg/m3], a surface density mr [kg/m2], a relative dielectric constant âˆˆr [C2/Nm2], an average radius r [m], and a density of electrical charge qr [C/kg], the first image having an average thickness dr [m] at the second development station, the second liquid developer having an average thickness dt [m] at the second development station, and a relative dielectric constant âˆˆt [C2/Nm2], wherein the following equations are satisfied, 1Ã—10-11&af;[N]&leq;4&it;Ï€&it;â€ƒ&it;r3&it;Ï m&it;qr3&it;(-qr&it;mr&varepsilon;r&it;dr&it;(dr-1A&it;drmr&it;(-Î”&it;â€ƒ&it;Vqr+(dr2&it;â€ƒ&it;&varepsilon;r+dt&varepsilon;t)&it;mr)))&leq;8Ã—10-9&af;[N],&NewLine;&it;andA=dp&varepsilon;p+dr&varepsilon;r+dt&varepsilon;t.