Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-14
2001-06-26
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S012000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253049
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid developer refilling system of a liquid electrophotographic printer and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a liquid developer refilling system of a liquid electrophotographic printer, in which in order to supply any one of concentrated inks and a liquid carrier stored in a cartridge to a corresponding one of a plurality of ink tanks and a carrier tank equipped within the main body of the printer, the structure thereof is improved so that a corresponding valve of a plurality of valves can be automatically connected to the cartridge by matching the corresponding valve to the cartridge after identifying the cartridge installed at a common installation portion which is provided at a main body of a printer, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in a printing device such as a laser printer or a copier, a latent electrostatic image formed on the surface of a photosensitive medium such as a photosensitive belt is developed with a liquid developer composed of a solid toner having a predetermined color and a liquid carrier functioning as a solvent; and the developed image is transferred to a paper.
A conventional liquid electrophotographic printing device includes an ink supplying structure in which ink cartridges and a carrier cartridge are installed at a main body of the printing device. Concentrated inks and a carrier within the cartridges are supplied to a developing unit, and liquid developers required for the printing device are made by mixing the concentrated inks and the carrier. Here, the liquid developers are solutions made by mixing, in predetermined proportions, the concentrated inks composed of powder toners and are supplied from the ink cartridges and liquid carrier supplied from the carrier cartridge. The toners include pigments exhibiting colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively.
However, since the above cartridges supply the concentrated inks or the carrier contained therein to the developing unit via a predetermined passage and a pump, there is a disadvantage in that the passage between the cartridge and the developing unit is long. Also, although the cartridge has a characteristic of a consumable part, a functional part such as an agitator must be installed so that the contents stored in the cartridge do not precipitate. Therefore, the conventional ink delivery system has a disadvantage in which the system is expensive.
In order to reduce the cost thereof, various ink delivery systems have been proposed recently, in which tanks are provided in the vicinity of a developing unit, the functional part such as an agitator can be omitted, and a refill cartridge is installed at the outside of a main body of a printer for supplying a carrier or inks to the tanks.
In a liquid developer circulation process of an ink delivery system, liquid developer which has been recovered at a corresponding circulation tank via a development gap of a developing unit and a drying/condensing unit is transferred from one developing unit to another neighboring developing unit by a circulating photosensitive medium, and is mixed with a different liquid developer. Such a developer mixing event is referred to as cross contamination. Therefore, when printing jobs are repeatedly performed, the purity of the liquid developers of the tanks is not maintained within an allowable range due to the cross contamination, and the liquid developers stored in the circulation tanks become unusable waste developer. Under this situation, the waste developer must be discharged out of the circulation tank, and new inks and new carrier are refilled to fill liquid developers within the allowable purity range. Thus, a waste tank is installed at a printing device for recovering waste developer within the circulation tank. On the other hand, although the waste developer in the waste tank can be recovered to a separate waste bottle installed at the printing device, a method of recovering waste developer by using an empty refill cartridge corresponding to a tendency in which an ink delivery system employs a refill cartridge is under consideration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a liquid developer refilling system of a liquid electrophotographic printer, in which the structure thereof is improved so that in the case that any one of concentrated inks and a liquid carrier stored in a cartridge is refilled to a corresponding ink tank and a carrier tank equipped within the main body of the printer, when any one of ink refill cartridges storing yellow, magenta, cyan, and black inks, respectively, a carrier refill cartridge and an empty cartridge is installed at a common installation portion, a corresponding valve of a plurality of valves installed at a valve block can be automatically connected to the cartridge, and a method thereof.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a liquid developer refilling system of a liquid electrophotographic printer for refilling any one of concentrated inks and a carrier to a corresponding ink storage tank and a carrier storage tank installed in the printer, comprising: a main frame provided with a common installation portion; an auxiliary frame installed to be movable with respect to the main frame; a cartridge installed at the installation portion and provided with a discharge hole through which a concentrated ink or carrier is discharged by compressed air; a fastener for fixing the cartridge installed at the installation portion to the main frame; a valve unit provided with a plurality of valves which can be selectively matched with the discharge hole and installed to be movable with respect to the auxiliary frame; and a valve raising/lowering mechanism which raises or lowers the auxiliary frame with respect to the main frame to connect or disconnect a corresponding valve to or from the discharge hole.
Here, the valve unit comprises: a disc provided with the plurality of valves which are installed at predetermined positions and can be selectively matched with the discharge hole, and being rotatable with respect to the auxiliary frame; disc supporter portions installed at the auxiliary frame to support the disc; and a disc rotating portion installed at the auxiliary frame to rotate the disc.
In addition, the valve unit may comprise: a slider provided with the plurality of valves which are installed at predetermined positions and can be selectively matched with the discharge hole, and being horizontally movable with respect to the auxiliary frame; and a slider mechanism which moves the slider horizontally with respect to the auxiliary frame.
On the other hand, the valve raising/lowering mechanism comprises: supporter portions formed at the auxiliary frame to be projected therefrom; a cam shaft rotatably installed at the main frame; cam members installed on the cam shaft to contact the supporter portions; and a cam driving portion installed at the main frame so as to transfer a rotational force to the cam shaft.
The fastener comprises: a cap installed at the cartridge so as to surround the discharge hole; and an engagement portion formed at the inside of the installation portion for the cap to be assembled.
In addition, the fastener comprises: a cap at which an engagement portion is formed and which is installed at the cartridge so as to surround the discharge hole; lockers installed at the main frame to be movable so as to be engaged with the engagement portion; and locker moving portions for moving the lockers with respect to the main frame.
A cartridge guide installed at the main frame is further comprised for guiding the cartridge being inserted into the installation portion.
The plurality of valves include at least two valves, which are comprised of a concentrated ink valve for refilling a concentrated ink stored in the cartridge; and a carrier valve for refilling the carrier stored in the cartridge to the printer.
In addition, to achieve the abo
Baek Chung-guk
Hong Seung-Ho
Park Geun-yong
Chen Sophia S.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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