Claims
- 1. An imaging method comprising the steps of:
- moving an imaging substrate in a first direction;
- forming a latent electrostatic image on an imaging region of the imaging substrate;
- engaging a development device in proximity with the imaging substrate;
- loading a squeegee roller against the imaging substrate, the squeegee roller being driven by the imaging substrate in the first direction;
- applying developer liquid from the development device to the imaging region of the imaging substrate, thereby developing the latent electrostatic image, wherein the squeegee roller removes from the imaging region of the imaging substrate a first excess volume of the developer liquid;
- terminating application of the developer liquid from the development device to the imaging substrate upon movement of a nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the development device, wherein the termination of application of the developer liquid from the development device leaves on the imaging substrate a second excess volume of the developer liquid;
- driving the squeegee roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction upon movement of the nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the squeegee roller, the squeegee roller substantially removing from the imaging substrate the second excess volume of developer liquid; and
- transferring the developer liquid remaining on the imaging region of the imaging substrate to an output imaging substrate, thereby forming a visible representation of an image.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate by the squeegee roller during movement of the squeegee roller in the second direction.
- 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of unloading the squeegee roller from the imaging substrate, and continuing the step of removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate includes engaging a blade in contact with the squeegee roller, the blade removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate.
- 5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of disengaging the blade from contact with the squeegee roller and reengaging the blade in contact with the squeegee roller a plurality of times.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of terminating application of developer liquid to the imaging substrate by the development device includes disengaging the development device from proximity with the imaging substrate.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the latent electrostatic image on the imaging region of the imaging substrate includes forming a plurality of latent electrostatic images, each of the latent electrostatic images corresponding to one of a plurality of different color separation images, the step of engaging the development device in proximity with the imaging substrate includes engaging a plurality of development devices in proximity with the imaging substrate to develop the plurality of latent electrostatic images, each of the development devices delivering to the imaging substrate one of a plurality of differently colored developer liquids, the step of loading the squeegee roller against the imaging substrate includes loading a plurality of squeegee rollers against the imaging substrate, each of the squeegee rollers being associated with one of the development devices, the step of terminating application of developer liquid to the imaging substrate by the development device includes terminating application of developer liquid by each of the development devices upon movement of the nonimaging region past the respective one of the development devices, and the step of driving the squeegee roller in the second direction includes driving each of the squeegee rollers in the second direction upon movement of the nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the respective one of the squeegee rollers.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging substrate is a photoreceptor in a liquid electrophotographic imaging system.
- 9. An imaging system comprising:
- an imaging substrate;
- means for moving the imaging substrate in a first direction;
- means for forming a latent electrostatic image on an imaging region of the imaging substrate;
- a development device;
- means for engaging the development device in proximity with the imaging substrate;
- a squeegee roller;
- means for loading the squeegee roller against the imaging substrate, the squeegee roller being driven by the imaging substrate in the first direction, wherein the development device applies developer liquid to the imaging region of the imaging substrate, thereby developing the latent electrostatic image, and wherein the squeegee roller removes from the imaging region of the imaging substrate a first excess volume of the developer liquid;
- means for terminating application of developer liquid by the development device upon movement of a nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the development device, wherein the termination of application of the developer liquid by the development device leaves on the imaging substrate a second excess volume of the developer liquid;
- means for driving the squeegee roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction upon movement of the nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the squeegee roller, the squeegee roller substantially removing from the imaging substrate the second excess volume of the developer liquid; and
- means for transferring the developer liquid remaining on the imaging region of the imaging substrate to an output imaging substrate, thereby forming a visible representation of an image.
- 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate by the squeegee roller during movement of the squeegee roller in the second direction.
- 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for unloading the squeegee roller from the imaging substrate, and means for continuing operation of the means for removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate.
- 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate includes a blade, and means for engaging the blade in contact with the squeegee roller, the blade removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the imaging substrate.
- 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for disengaging the blade from contact with the squeegee roller and reengaging the blade in contact with the squeegee roller a plurality of times.
- 14. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for terminating application of developer liquid to the imaging substrate by the development device includes means for disengaging the development device from proximity with the imaging substrate.
- 15. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for forming a latent electrostatic images includes means for forming a plurality of latent electrostatic images, each of the latent electrostatic images corresponding to one of a plurality of different color separation images, the development device includes a plurality of development devices, each of the development devices applying one of a plurality of differently colored developer liquids to the imaging substrate, the means for engaging the development device in proximity with the imaging substrate includes means for engaging each of the development devices in proximity with the imaging substrate, the squeegee roller includes a plurality of squeegee rollers, each of the squeegee rollers being associated with one of the development devices, the means for loading the squeegee roller against the imaging substrate includes means for loading each of the squeegee rollers against the imaging substrate, the means for terminating application of the developer liquid by the development device includes means for terminating application of the developer liquid by each of the development devices upon movement of the nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the respective one of the development devices, and the means for driving the squeegee roller in the second direction includes means for driving each of the squeegee rollers in the second direction upon movement of the nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the respective one of the squeegee rollers.
- 16. The system of claim 9, wherein the imaging substrate is a photoreceptor in a liquid electrophotographic imaging system.
- 17. A method for removing developer liquid from an imaging substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the imaging substrate in a first direction;
- loading a first squeegee roller against the imaging substrate, the first squeegee roller being driven by the imaging substrate in the first direction, wherein the first squeegee roller removes from an imaging region of the imaging substrate a first excess volume of developer liquid applied by a development device during development of a latent electrostatic image in the imaging region of the imaging substrate;
- loading a second squeegee roller against the imaging substrate; and
- driving the second squeegee roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction upon movement of a nonimaging region of the imaging substrate past the second squeegee roller, the second squeegee roller substantially removing from the imaging substrate a second excess volume of developer liquid formed by termination of application of developer liquid to the imaging substrate by the development device.
- 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the imaging substrate is a photoreceptor in a liquid electrophotographic imaging system.
- 19. A liquid electrophotographic imaging method comprising the steps of:
- moving a photoreceptor in a first direction;
- exposing an imaging region of the photoreceptor to a pattern of radiation to form a latent electrostatic image on the imaging region of the photoreceptor;
- engaging a development device in proximity with the photoreceptor;
- loading a squeegee roller against the photoreceptor, the squeegee roller being driven by the photoreceptor in the first direction;
- applying developer liquid from the development device to the imaging region of the photoreceptor, thereby developing the latent electrostatic image, wherein the squeegee roller removes from the imaging region of the photoreceptor a first excess volume of the developer liquid;
- terminating application of the developer liquid from the development device to the photoreceptor upon movement of a nonimaging region of the photoreceptor past the development device, wherein the termination of application of the developer liquid from the development device leaves on the photoreceptor a second excess volume of the developer liquid;
- driving the squeegee roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction upon movement of the nonimaging region of the photoreceptor past the squeegee roller, the squeegee roller substantially removing from the photoreceptor the second excess volume of developer liquid;
- transferring the developer liquid remaining on the imaging region of the photoreceptor to an imaging substrate, thereby forming a visible representation of an image; and
- removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the photoreceptor by the squeegee roller during movement of the squeegee roller in the second direction.
- 20. A liquid electrophotographic imaging system comprising:
- a photoreceptor;
- means for moving the photoreceptor in a first direction;
- means for exposing an imaging region of the photoreceptor to a pattern of radiation to form a latent electrostatic image on the imaging region of the photoreceptor;
- a development device;
- means for engaging the development device in proximity with the photoreceptor;
- a squeegee roller;
- means for loading the squeegee roller against the photoreceptor, the squeegee roller being driven by the photoreceptor in the first direction, wherein the development device applies developer liquid to the imaging region of the photoreceptor, thereby developing the latent electrostatic image, and wherein the squeegee roller removes from the imaging region of the photoreceptor a first excess volume of the developer liquid;
- means for terminating application of developer liquid by the development device upon movement of a nonimaging region of the photoreceptor past the development device, wherein the termination of application of the developer liquid by the development device leaves on the photoreceptor a second excess volume of the developer liquid;
- means for driving the squeegee roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction upon movement of the nonimaging region of the photoreceptor past the squeegee roller, the squeegee roller substantially removing from the photoreceptor the second excess volume of the developer liquid;
- means for transferring the developer liquid remaining on the imaging region of the photoreceptor to an imaging substrate, thereby forming a visible representation of an image; and
- means for removing from the squeegee roller at least a portion of the developer liquid removed from the photoreceptor by the squeegee roller during movement of the squeegee roller in the second direction.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/536,521 filed Sep. 29, 1995, now abandoned.
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Continuations (1)
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536521 |
Sep 1995 |
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