Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-23
2004-03-09
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S238000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06704531
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-1694, filed Jan. 11, 2002, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing system of a liquid electrophotographic image forming device, and more particularly, to a developing system capable of regulating a developer layer on a development roller of a liquid electrophotographic image forming device using a high-concentration liquid developer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, developing systems of liquid electrophotographic image forming devices form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a desired image by scanning light on a photosensitive body, develop the electrostatic latent image using a developer in which powder-shaped toner is mixed with a liquid solvent, and print the developed electrostatic latent image on a paper.
FIG. 1
is an example of a conventional developing system of a liquid electrophotographic image forming device. Referring to
FIG. 1
, the conventional developing system of a liquid electrophotographic image forming device includes a photosensitive body
10
which is supported by a plurality of rollers
11
and moves as an endless track, a developing unit
20
to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive body
10
, and a transfer unit
30
to transfer the electrostatic latent image onto a paper P.
The photosensitive body
10
is charged to a predetermined electric potential by a charger
12
, and the charged electric potential varies depending on light beams scanned by a laser scanning unit (LSU)
13
installed adjacent to the photosensitive body
10
such that the electrostatic latent image is formed. Next, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive body
10
is developed by the developing unit
20
, and the developed image is transferred onto a transfer roller
14
and is printed onto the paper P passing through the transfer roller
14
and a fusing roller
15
.
The structure of the developing unit
20
is shown in FIG.
2
. Referring to
FIG. 2
, the developing unit
20
develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive body
10
using a developer to form an image. The developing unit
20
includes a development roller
23
that is installed to be rotatable in a main body
21
, a manifold
22
to spray the developer between the development roller
23
and the photosensitive body
10
, and a squeeze roller
24
. Reference numerals
25
,
26
, and
27
denote a cleaning roller to clean the surface of the development roller
23
, a development backup roller, and a squeeze backup roller, respectively.
In the structure of
FIG. 2
, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive body
10
is developed using a liquid developer that is sprayed between the development roller
23
and the photosensitive body
10
by the manifold
22
, and a liquid carrier left on the photosensitive body
10
is removed with the squeeze roller
24
.
A low-concentration liquid developer (less than 2.5-3% solid) is used in the developing system of a liquid electrophotographic image forming device, thereby obtaining a high quality image. However, since the concentration of the developer in an ink cartridge (not shown) to supply the developer to the developing system is 25% solid, a complicated developer supplying unit is required to change the high-concentration developer to the low-concentration developer. Thus, the size of the image forming device increases, and the image forming device has a complicated structure. Also, after development of the image, a system to control the concentration of the liquid developer depending on variations in the toner particles is required when the developer is refilled.
Thus, in order to solve these problems, a new developing system using a high-concentration developer greater than 3% solid is required. A developer layer on the development roller should be regulated regardless of the concentration of the developer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a developing system for a high-concentration liquid electrophotographic image forming device, which is capable of improving the quality of an image by regulating a developer layer on a development roller.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a developing system of a liquid electrophotographic image forming device. The developing system includes a development container in which a developer is stored; a photosensitive body; a development roller to rotate opposite to the photosensitive body, the development roller being partially soaked in the developer in development container; and a metering blade to maintain a layer of the developer on the development roller at a constant thickness, the metering blade including a first face contacting the development roller, and a second face forming an angle with respect to the first face, wherein a point at which the development roller contacts the first face of the metering blade is spaced from an edge at which the first and second faces intersect.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the metering blade is an L-shaped metal plate.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the point at which the circumference of the development roller contacts the first face of the metering blade is spaced more than 1 mm apart from the edge, and a force per centimeter applied to the circumference of the development roller by the metering blade is about 100-200 gf/cm.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, surface roughness of the metering blade is less than 0.5 &mgr;m, and an angle between the first face and the second face of the metering blade is about 90 degrees.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5561264 (1996-10-01), Iino et al.
patent: 5937253 (1999-08-01), Shimazaki et al.
patent: 6115576 (2000-09-01), Nakano et al.
patent: 6184909 (2001-02-01), Matsuno et al.
patent: 6389253 (2002-05-01), Nonomura et al.
patent: 2002/0159794 (2002-10-01), Nakashima et al.
patent: 2000162877 (2000-06-01), None
patent: 2001-324876 (2001-11-01), None
Kim Yong-su
Park Geun-yong
Shin Joong-gwang
Royer William J.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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