A passive toner concentration control system

Abstract: In an electrophotographic printer, an apparatus for supplying a liquid toner (109) that has a solids concentration within a predefined range. The apparatus is constructed inside a reservoir (101) or cartridge. A concentrated solids material (102) and a carrier liquid (103) is inside the reservoir (101). The concentrated solids (102) has a solids concentration higher than the predefined range and has settled out from the carrier liquid (103). A tube has its orifice submerged in the concentrated solids material (102) A second tube (107) has its orifice submerged in the carrier liquid (103). To insure that the orifice remains above the concentrated solids material (102) and simultaneously below the upper surface, a float is formed around the tube. Finally, a mixer is connected to the two tubes and mixes the concentrated solids (102) with carrier liquid (103) to create the liquid toner (109). The solids concentration range is directly related to the ratios of the two orifices.

Description: Technical Field The present invention relates to a passive system for supplying liquid developer in an electrophotographic printer according to the preamble of claim 1. Background of the Invention Electrophotographic printing is well known and has been widely refined. Using electrophotographic techniques, images are photoelectrically formed on a photoconductive layer mounted on a conductive base. Liquid or dry developer or toner mixtures may be used to develop a requisite image. Liquid toner dispersions for use in the process are formed by dispersing dyes or pigments in natural or synthetic resin materials in a highly insulating high dielectric constant carrier liquid. Charge control agents are added to the liquid toner dispersions to aid in charging the pigment and dye particles to the requisite polarity for proper image formation on the desired substrate. The photoconductive layer is sensitized by electrically charging whereby electrical charges are uniformly distributed over the surface. The photoconductive layer is then exposed by projecting or alternatively by writing an image over the surface with a laser, LED, or the like. The electrical charges on the photoconductive layer are conducted away from the areas exposed to the light with an electrostatic charge remaining in the imaged area. The charged pigment and or dye particles from the liquid toner dispersion contact and adhere to the image area of the plate. The image is then transferred to the desired substrate such as a sheet or paper. With liquid electrophotography (LEP), the image development process requires that the toner be delivered to the developer at relatively constant concentration. However, usage of toner solids and toner carrier fluid in an LEP process are independent of each other. Toner solid consumption is proportional to the print coverage on the page and the number of pages printed. Whereas, toner carrier consumption is independent of print coverage and only a function of the number of pages printed. These characteristics result in toner concentration decreasing for above average page coverage and increasing for below average page coverage. Additionally, toner solids will settle out from the toner carrier over time. Thus, a toner concentration control is required for LEP processes. Several active concentration systems are known in the art see for example US-A-3 392 708. Such active control systems generally measure one or more physical properties of the toner thereby determining an effective concentration of solids and carrier fluid. From this information the control system then enables the appropriate pumps to bring the concentration back into design specification. Such an arrangement requires the appropriate sensors, a metering pump for toner solids, a metering pump for the carrier fluid, a working reservoir in which the carrier fluid and solids are mixed and some means to mix within the working reservoir. When an active toner concentration control system is applied to a color LEP printer the aforementioned items must be increased by a factor of four making such an arrangement prohibitively complex and costly. Another disadvantage of the active concentration control system is the difficulty and expense in incorporating all the elements into a single consumable. Some of the elements may actually become a permanent part of the printer. Such elements might include the working reservoir, the sensors, and metering pumps. The primary drawback of this approach is that they may need to be cleaned during toner replacement or addition due to contamination and sludge formation. US-A-4,236,810 discloses a means for inhibiting the separation of toner particles from dispersant in a copy machine. The means includes timer means in combination with switching means disposed in a copying machine for cyclically and automatically activating a pump which circulates liquid developer through the copying machine for a predetermined period of time thereby periodically mixing the toner particles and dispersant in the liquid developer while also rotating the copier drum through an incremental angle thereby periodically immersing each section of the drum surface in the liquid developer reservoir. It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple and unexpensive passive toner concentration control system. This object is achieved by an apparatus for supplying a liquid developer according to claim 1. Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 indicates that the orifices can be placed anywhere along the length of the tube. FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment in accordance with the present invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments The present invention takes advantage of the inherent tendency of an LEP developer to separate into its two basic components. The ideal toner should separate as quickly as possible without separating in a developer. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. It consists of several elements which are primarily integrated into the toner cartridge 101. The toner mixture is housed by toner cartridge or reservoir 101 and is made up of toner concentrate 102 and toner carrier fluid 103. As stated earlier, it is the inherent tendency of an LEP developer to separate into these two basic components. When toner is required by the LEP printer, concentrate 102 is retrieved through orifice 104. In a similar manner, toner carrier fluid 103 passes through orifice 105. Thus, by properly sizing orifices 104 and 105 the overall concentration of toner solid and carrier fluid can be maintained. Carrier fluid tube 107 is made of a flexible material. Float 106 at the end of carrier fluid tube 107 ensures that carrier orifice 105 floats near the top of the toner carrier 103. As the overall level falls flexible carrier tube 107, with the aid of float 106, ensures that carrier orifice 105 withdraws only toner carrier fluid 103. As the two fluids exit toner cartridge 101, they pass through inline mixer 108 thereby insuring proper mixture of the two components. An alternative embodiment of the present invention as shown in Fig. 3 replaces flexible tube 107 with a hinge and rigid tube. Fig. 3 also shows that the carrier fluid tube 107 and toner concentrate tube 110 can join directly to the mixer 108. Briefly referring to FIG. 2 which shows another embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of FIG. 2 conveys the understanding that orifices 104 and 105 may reside anywhere along the length of their respective tubes. By creating a relatively large pressure drop at the orifices this system can be made insensitive to static head differences of fluid level and will deliver a constant ratio regardless of the relative quantities of concentrate and carrier. When either the concentrate 102 or carrier 103 is fully consumed the toner concentration is immediately and drastically altered providing a very obvious feedback to the user that it is time to replace toner cartridge 101. With the passive toner concentration control system there is no need to measure the concentration. Concentration is maintained by properly sizing orifices 104 and 105. Additionally, there are no electronic control systems or sensors, thereby, reducing complexity and cost. Because of the relative simplicity of the overall design and low cost, all elements can be easily and cheaply integrated into a single consumable, namely, toner cartridge 101. An additional benefit of the passive toner concentration control system is that inline mixer 108 alleviates the need for any additional toner agitation. Finally the passive toner concentration control system operates regardless of the relative volumes of concentrate and carrier remaining in the cartridge. Therefore, print quality will remain constant until either the concentrate or carrier is depleted.

Claims: An apparatus in a liquid electrophotographic printer for supplying a liquid developer comprising toner solids and a toner carrier liquid and (109) having a solids concentration within a desired range, said apparatus comprising: a reservoir (101) for holding a concentrated solids material (102) and a carrier liquid (103), said concentrated solids (102) having a solids concentration higher than said desired range, said concentrated solids (102) having settled out from said carrier liquid (103), said carrier liquid (103) having an upper surface; a first tube having a first end and a second end, said first end having a first orifice (104); a second tube (107) having a first end and a second end, said first end having a second orifice (105); characterized in that said first orifice (104) is submerged in said concentrated solids material (102); said second orifice (105) is submerged in said carrier liquid (103); said second end of said first tube being connected to said second end of said second tube (107), said toner carrier (103) and said toner solid (102) being mixed together where said second end of said first tube connects to said second end of said second tube (107) to create said liquid developer (109); and a float means (106) is provided for maintaining said second orifice (105) above said concentrated solids material (102) and simultaneously maintaining said second orifice (105) below said upper surface. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a size ratio of said first orifice (104) with said second orifice (105) determines a ratio of said toner solids (102) to said toner carrier (103). The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second tube (107) is formed from a flexible material. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said second tube (107) is formed from a rigid material; and said second end of said second tube further including a hinge that is connected to said second end of said first tube, said hinge being connected to said second end of said first tube. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further including: a mixer (108) connected to said second end of said first tube and said second end of said second tube (107), said mixer (108) mixes said toner solids (102) and said toner carrier (103) to create said liquid developer. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first tube and said second tube (107) are connected with a T shaped connector. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said mixer (108) creates said liquid developer (109) with said desired range, said solid concentration being related to a size ratio of said first orifice (104) to said second orifice (105).

Inventors: ARCARO DAVID J, ARCARO, DAVID J.
Applicants: HEWLETT PACKARD CO, HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
Application year: 1995
Main classification: G03G15
IPC codes: G03G15, B01F15