Claims
- 1. A method of replenishing an ink transfer sheet including an electrically conductive ink layer on an insulating substrate after portions of the ink layer have been removed during printing to create depleted regions in the ink layer, comprising:
- supplying charged electrically conductive replacement ink adhering to an intermediate member by electrostatic force, the intermediate member having an electrically conductive layer and an outer surface of a dielectric layer on the electrically conductive layer;
- contacting charged replacement ink adhered to the intermediate member with the ink layer of the ink sheet including the depleted regions;
- supplying sufficient charge to the insulating substrate side of the ink sheet to overcome the electrostatic attraction of the replacement ink to the intermediate member at the depleted regions and selectively replenishing the depleted regions of the ink layer with replacement ink from the intermediate member by electrostatic force.
- 2. The ink replenishing method of claim 1, including supplying replacement ink in the form of a powder with a volume-mean particle size of from about 5 to 50 .mu.m.
- 3. The ink replenishing method of claim 1, including removing replacement ink remaining on the intermediate member after contacting the ink sheet.
- 4. The ink replenishing method of claim 1, including the step of returning the surface charge of a portion of the intermediate member to zero, after that portion of the intermediate member has contacted replacement ink to the ink sheet.
- 5. The ink replenishing method of claim 3, including removing any electrical charge remaining on the intermediate member at portions that contacted the ink sheet.
- 6. The ink replenishing method of claim 1, wherein the ink sheet includes a plurality of colored ink sections and each colored ink section is replenished with ink of the color of the section.
- 7. The ink replenishing method of claim 5, wherein the ink sheet includes a plurality of colored ink sections and each colored ink section is replenished with ink of the color of the section.
- 8. The ink replenishing method of claim 1, including supplying replacement ink to the intermediate member by disposing a supply electrode in a supply of replacement ink, the replacement ink supply disposed between the supply electrode and the intermediate member, and applying a voltage between the supply electrode and the conductive layer of the intermediate member so that ink contacting the dielectric layer becomes charged and adheres to the dielectric layer.
- 9. The ink replenishing method of claim 8, wherein the supply electrode is cylindrical and rotates in a supply of replacement ink.
- 10. The ink replenishing method of claim 8, wherein the ink is powdered ink and a single layer of powder is transferred to the depleted portion.
- 11. The ink replenishing method of claim 1, wherein the replacement ink added to the depleted regions is fixed to the ink sheet.
- 12. The ink replenishing method of claim 10, wherein the replacement ink added to the depleted regions is fixed to the ink sheet by application of heat and pressure.
- 13. The ink replenishing method of claim 1, wherein the replacement ink is powdered ink and is replenished to the depleted regions in a single layer.
- 14. The ink replenishing method of claim I, wherein the intermediate member is a roller.
- 15. A method of replenishing depleted regions of an ink transfer sheet including an electrically conductive ink layer on an insulating substrate after portions of the ink layer have been transferred to create depleted regions in the ink layer, comprising:
- supplying charged electrically conductive replacement ink electrostatically adhered to an intermediate member having an electrically conductive layer and a photo-electrically conductive layer surface on the electrically conductive layer;
- contacting the charged replacement ink adhered to the intermediate member to the ink layer including the depleted regions; and;
- supplying sufficient charge to the insulating layer side of the ink sheet to overcome the electrostatic attractive force to the intermediate roller of replacement ink in contact with depleted portions and selectively replenishing replacement ink from the intermediate member to the depleted regions of the ink layer.
- 16. The ink replenishing method of claim 15, including supplying replacement ink in the form of a powder with a volume-mean particle size of from about 5 to 50 .mu.m.
- 17. The ink replenishing method of claim 15, wherein the ink is powdered ink and is replenished to the depleted regions in a single layer.
- 18. The ink replenishing method of claim 15, including removing replacement ink remaining on the intermediate member and charge remaining on the intermediate roller after contacting the ink sheet.
- 19. The ink replenishing method of claim 15, including removing any electrical charge remaining on the intermediate member at portions that contacted the ink sheet.
- 20. The ink replenishing method of claim 18, including removing any electrical charge remaining on the intermediate member at portions that contacted the ink sheet.
- 21. The ink replenishing method of claim 15, wherein the ink sheet includes a plurality of colored ink sections and each colored ink section is replenished with ink of the color of the section.
- 22. The ink replenishing method of claim 15, including supplying replacement ink to the intermediate member by disposing a supply electrode in a supply of replacement ink the replacement ink supply disposed between the supply electrode and the intermediate member, and applying a voltage between the supply electrode and the conductive layer of the intermediate member so that ink contacting the dielectric layer becomes charged and adheres to the dielectric layer.
- 23. The ink replenishing method of claim 22, wherein the supply electrode is cylindrical and rotates in a supply of replacement ink.
- 24. The ink replenishing method of claim 22, wherein the ink is powdered ink.
- 25. The ink replenishing method of claim 15, wherein the replacement ink added to the depleted regions is fixed to the ink sheet.
- 26. An apparatus for replenishing the ink layer of an ink sheet including a layer of electrically conductive ink on an insulating substrate from which portions of the ink layer have been removed to create depleted regions in the ink layer, comprising:
- ink supply means for holding replacement ink;
- ink charging means for supplying charge to the ink of the ink supply means;
- intermediate ink transfer means for receiving and electrostatically holding ink from the ink supply means including a conductive layer having an insulating layer disposed on the outer surface thereof facing the ink supply means;
- ink sheet charge means for applying charge to the insulating substrate side of the ink sheet sufficient to remove ink by electrostatic force from the intermediate ink transfer means and selectively adhere the replacement ink to the depleted regions of the ink layer.
- 27. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, wherein the insulating layer of the intermediate ink transfer means is formed of photo-electrically conductive material that is in an insulating condition.
- 28. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including ink in the form of a powder having a volume-mean particle size from about 5 to 50 .mu.m.
- 29. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including a supply electrode coupled to a voltage source to apply voltage between the supply electrode and the conductive layer of the intermediate ink transfer means contacting ink in the ink supply means so that the ink contacts with both the supply electrode and the insulating surface of the intermediate ink transfer means to charge and adhere the ink to the insulating layer by electrostatic force.
- 30. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, wherein the intermediate ink transfer means is a roller having a conductive layer with the insulating layer on the surface thereof.
- 31. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 29, wherein the ink supply means includes a roller having a conductive surface.
- 32. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including ink removal means for removing ink on the intermediate ink supply means that was not transferred to the ink sheet.
- 33. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including charge removal means for removing charge from portions of the intermediate ink transfer means after contacting ink to the ink sheet.
- 34. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 32, including charge removal means for removing charge from portions of the replacement ink transfer means that had contacted the ink sheet.
- 35. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 27, including ink removal means for removing ink on the intermediate ink transfer means that was not transferred to the ink sheet.
- 36. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 33, wherein the charge removal means includes a lamp capable of irradiating the photo-electrically conductive layer with light having a wave length which will make the photo-electrically conductive layer electrically conductive.
- 37. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, wherein the ink layer includes portions of different colors and the apparatus includes a supply of replacement ink for each color and is constructed to selectively replenish the depleted portions with ink having the same color as the ink that was removed from the depleted regions.
- 38. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including non-magnetic ink.
- 39. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including magnetic ink.
- 40. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including ink that includes static control agents.
- 41. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including ink that includes static control agents selecting from the group consisting of electron-accepting organic complexes, polyester chloride, nitrophnic acid, quaternary ammonium salts and pyridinium salts.
- 42. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including ink having a volume resistivity of 10.sup.8 .OMEGA..multidot.cm or less.
- 43. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including ink having a volume resistivity of 10.sup.5 .OMEGA..multidot.cm or less.
- 44. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including fixing means for fixing the replenished ink to the ink sheet after ink replenishing.
- 45. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, wherein the fixing device includes a heated roller.
- 46. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, wherein the ink sheet is in the form of an endless sheet.
- 47. The apparatus for replenishing ink of claim 26, including powdered ink and the components of the apparatus are constructed and arranged to replenish the depleted regions with a single layer of powdered ink.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1-222031 |
Aug 1989 |
JPX |
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1-222032 |
Aug 1989 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 07/483,834, filed Feb. 23, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,828 which is a division of application Ser. No. 07/312,000, filed Feb. 17, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,056.
US Referenced Citations (11)
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
312000 |
Feb 1989 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
483834 |
Feb 1990 |
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