Claims
- 1. In a method for developing an electrical latent image on a migration imaging member, said member comprising a substrate, a layer of softenable material on said substrate and migration material in or in contact with said softenable material, wherein the surface of said member opposite said substrate bears said latent image which is brought into and out of contact with a volume of liquid capable of developing said image by softening said softenable material sufficiently to cause migration of said migration material in depth in said softenable layer, the improvement comprising positioning a liquid support member adjacent said surface and in contact with said liquid volume which extends between said adjacent support member and said surface whereby a meniscus is formed on each liquid surface continuously between said surface and support, moving said imaging member past said support member and causing said liquid to flow in a direction away from the direction of said imaging member to provide turbulent flow of said liquid adjacent said surface whereby unmigrated migration material is removed from said imaging member and carried away in said flow.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said softenable layer is of a thickness in the range between about 1/2 and about 16 microns.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said softenable layer is of a thickness in the range between about 1 and about 4 microns.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said migration marking material comprises particulate material of average particle size not greater than about 2 microns.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said migration marking material is particulate material dispersed throughout the softenable layer.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the imaging member additionally comprises a second softenable layer, said second softenable layer being initially free of migration marking mateial, and said second softenable layer contacting the substrate between the substrate and the first softenable layer
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said migration marking material is arranged in a fracturable layer contiguous the surface of said softenable layer spaced apart from said substrate.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the imaging member additionally comprises a second softenable layer, said second softenable layer being initially substantially free of migration marking material, and said second softenable layer contacting the substrate between the substrate and the first softenable layer.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of passing the surface of said imaging member through said developing liquid removes substantially all of said first softenable layer.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the supporting substrate is electrically conductive.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some point of said support member is spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member by a distance not greater than about 20 mils.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some point of said support member is spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member by a distance in the range between about 3 and about 15 mils.
- 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the support member spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member comprises a straight edge parallel to the plane of the surface of the imaging member.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the support member spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member comprises a support surface, said surface being everywhere substantially equidistantly spaced apart from the substrate of the imaging member.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of support members spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member and small meniscuses extending between a plurality of support members and the surface of the imaging member.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the deveoping liquid is periodicaly replenished.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said developing liquid is continuously replenished.
- 18. The method of claim 1 wherein said developing liquid is at least in part periodically removed from the volume thereof.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said developing liquid is at least in part continuously removed from the volume of developing liquid.
- 20. The method of claim 1 wherein the volume of developing liquid is a small volume not greater than about 0.3 cc/cm.sup.2 of imaging member surface.
- 21. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising a uniform electrical field across said migration imaging member in the area of contact of said imaging member and the developing liquid.
- 22. The method of claim 1 wherein the passing of the surface of said imaging member through the developing liquid removes at least part of said softenable layer.
- 23. In a method for developing an electrical latent image on a migration imaging member, said member comprising a substrate, a layer of softenable material on said substrate and migration material in or in contact with said softenable material, wherein the surface of said member opposite said substrate bears said latent image and is brought into and out of contact with a volume of liquid capable of developing said image by softening said softenable material sufficiently to cause migration of said migration material in depth in said softenable layer, the improvement comprising moving said member past an adjacent liquid support member, said liquid support member being in contact with said liquid and forming a meniscus continuously between said surface and said support at least at the point of exit of said imaging member from said liquid and causing said liquid to flow in a direction away from the direction of said imaging member whereby (1) the surface tension forces of said liquid bridging said surface and said support member and (2) the relative movement of said imaging member to the liquid, cause removal of at least a portion of said development liquid which contains the unmigrated migration material from the imaging member as it passes said support member as said member is brought out of contact with said volume of liquid.
- 24. The method of claim 23 wherein said softenable layer is of a thickness in the range between about 1/2 and about 16 microns.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said softenable layer is of a thickness in the range between about 1 and 4 microns.
- 26. The method of claim 23 wherein said migration marking material comprises particulate material of average particle size not greater than about 2 microns.
- 27. The method of claim 23 wherein the migration marking material in the complementary background pattern is particulate material dispersed throughout the background portion of the softenable layer.
- 28. The method of claim 27 wherein the imaging member additionally comprises a second softenable layer, said second softenable layer contacting the substrate between the substrate and the first softenable layer.
- 29. The method of claim 23 wherein said migration marking material in the background pattern areas is arranged in a fracturable layer contiguous the surface of the softenable layer spaced apart from the substrate.
- 30. The method of claim 29 wherein the imaging member additionally comprises a second softenable layer contacting the substrate between the substrate and the first softenable layer.
- 31. The method of claim 23 wherein the supporting substrate is electrically conductive.
- 32. The method of claim 31 wherein said support member is spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member by a distance in the range between about 3 and about 15 mils.
- 33. The method of claim 23 wherein the support member spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member comprises a straight edge parallel to the plane of the surface of the imaging member.
- 34. The method of claim 23 wherein the support member spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member comprises a support surface, said surface being everywhere substantially equidistantly spaced apart from the substrate of the imaging member.
- 35. The method of claim 23 wherein there are a plurality of support members spaced apart from the surface of the imaging member and small meniscuses extending between each of the plurality of said support members and the surface.
- 36. The method of claim 23 wherein the developing liquid is replenished.
- 37. The method of claim 35 wherein said developing liquid is continuously replenished.
- 38. The method of claim 23 wherein said developing liquid is at least in part periodically removed from the volume of developing liquid.
- 39. The method of claim 37 wherein said developing liquid is at least in part continuously removed from the volume of developing liquid.
- 40. The method of claim 23 wherein the volume of developing liquid is a small volume not greater than about 0.3 cc/cm.sup.2 of imaging member surface.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 300,940, filed Oct. 26, 1972, now abandoned; which is a divisional application of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 84,691, filed Oct. 28, 1970, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of my copending U.S. patent applications (1) Ser. No. 837,780, filed June 30, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 3,475,195, and (2) Ser. No. 483,675, filed Aug. 30, 1965, abandoned; application (1) being a continuation-in-part of (2) and applications Ser. No. 725,676, filed May 1, 1968; Ser. No. 460,377, filed June 1, 1965, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,681; and Ser. No. 403,002, filed Oct. 12, 1964 (403,002 pending when 725,676 was filed, and 725,676 pending when application (1) was filed, but both 403,002 and 725,676, now abandoned; (2) and 460,377 both being continuation-in-part of 403,002.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Related Publications (5)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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483675 |
Aug 1965 |
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725676 |
May 1968 |
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460377 |
Jun 1965 |
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403002 |
Oct 1964 |
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460377 |
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
84691 |
Oct 1970 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
300940 |
Oct 1972 |
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Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
837780 |
Jun 1969 |
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Parent |
483675 |
Aug 1965 |
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Parent |
403002 |
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