Patent Document ID: 6091918
Application ID: 08977387
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A squeegee apparatus for removing excess developer liquid from an imaging substrate in a liquid electrographic imaging system, the squeegee apparatus comprising: a squeegee roller having a shaft with a first end, a second end, and a core extending between the first end and the second end along a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and an elastomeric material formed about the core, wherein the core has a cross-sectional area oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that varies along the longitudinal axis; and a loading mechanism for applying a loading force to each of the first end and the second end to load the core of the squeegee roller against the imaging substrate, thereby forming a pressure nip between the elastomeric material and the imaging substrate, wherein the cross-sectional area of the core and the loading force applied to each of the first end and the second end are selected to produce a substantially uniform loading force along the nip, the squeegee roller thereby removing excess developer liquid from the imaging substrate in a substantially uniform manner.