Patent ID: 7959278
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus for printing an image-wise ink pattern on a receiver, said printing apparatus comprising: a primary imaging member including a series of substantially equal-sized cells located over the substrate surface of said primary imaging member, said primary imaging member having an electrically conductive layer, each cell having a size; an ink jet printhead that selectively ejects drops of ink into said cells of said primary imaging member in a desired image-wise ink pattern, the ink including marking particles suspended in an electrically insulating liquid solvent, each marking particle having a size, the size of each cell being greater than the size of each marking particle; a mechanism for fractionating such image-wise ink on said primary imaging member to separate liquid solvent from marking particles in the ink; a transport device for transporting a receiver into operative association with said primary imaging member; and a transfer mechanism for applying pressure between said receiver and said primary imaging member, while said receiver member is in operative association with said primary imaging member, and establishing an electrostatic field to transfer an image-wise ink pattern to such receiver, the image-wise ink pattern including the fractionated marking particles of the image-wise ink, wherein the establishment of the electrostatic field causes the marking particles to be urged away from the primary imaging member while leaving at least some of the liquid solvent on the primary imaging member.