Electrophotography – Remote monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-02-13
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Remote monitoring
C399S057000, C399S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188851
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid electrophotographic imaging apparatus upgrade support system using network and method for upgrading data for calculating the concentration of a developer. The present application is based upon Korean Application No. 98-54535, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
shows a general liquid electrophotographic color printer. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a printer includes a reset device
15
adjacent to a circulation path of a photosensitive belt
14
that circulates around rollers
11
,
12
, and
13
, optical scanning units
16
, developing devices
30
, a drying device
18
, and a transfer device
20
. Reference numeral
39
is a waste developer container.
The reset device
15
includes an erasing device
15
a
for irradiating light to the photosensitive belt
14
to remove an electrostatic latent image, and a charging device
15
b
for charging the photosensitive belt
14
to a predetermined electric potential.
Four optical scanning units
16
respectively scan yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K color information. The four developing devices
30
respectively supply yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K developers to the photosensitive belt
14
.
The developing devices
30
include a developer supply container
32
for holding developer
33
to be supplied to the photosensitive belt
14
, and a developer tub
31
for collecting developer
33
that falls from the photosensitive belt
14
. A developing roller
36
, a brush roller
37
for removing developer
33
stuck on the developing roller
36
, a squeeze roller
34
for separating a liquid carrier from the developer
33
supplied to the photosensitive belt
14
, and a plate
35
for collecting the liquid carrier that falls down through the squeeze roller
34
in the developer tub
31
are arranged in the developing tub
31
.
The developer supply container
32
is designed to receive the developer
33
stored in the developer tub
31
and the liquid carrier (norpor) N, which is a solvent and toner or highly concentrated developer that is a developing material from a developer supplier
38
. The developer
33
stored in the developer supply container
32
is supplied between the developing roller
36
and the photosensitive belt
14
by the driving of a pump (P).
In the operation of such a liquid electrophotographic printer, the optical scanning unit
16
scans light onto the circulating photosensitive belt
14
, passing by the reset device
15
. A latent image is formed on the photosensitive belt
14
by the scanned light. The latent image is developed by the developer
33
supplied from the developer supply container
32
of the developing device
30
. A color image is formed on the photosensitive belt
14
by the optical scanning units
16
and the developing devices
30
. The optical scanning units
16
scan light having different color information and the developing devices
30
develop color information by the developer
33
having colors corresponding to the color information. Most of the liquid carrier in the developer
33
supplied from the developing device
30
to the photosensitive belt
14
during a developing process is collected in the developer tub
31
. The color image formed on the photosensitive belt
14
is first transferred to a transfer roller
21
, and passed through the drying device
18
for absorbing, evaporating, and removing the liquid carrier remaining on the photosensitive belt
14
by a continuous movement of the photosensitive belt
14
. The image on the transfer roller
21
is then transferred to paper
23
by rotating the transfer roller
21
against a backup roller
22
, with the received paper
23
therebetween.
In order to maintain the quality of a picture in the above-mentioned liquid electrophotographic printer, the density of the developer
33
supplied to the photosensitive belt
14
, i.e., ratio of toner to liquid carrier, should be appropriately maintained. In order to do this, it is necessary to measure the density of the developer
33
to be supplied to the photosensitive belt
14
.
A developer density measuring device, as shown in
FIG. 2
, includes a density information generator
40
, an engine controller
50
, and a LUT (look-up table)
51
. The density information generator
40
includes a light source
41
for irradiating light to the developer
33
to be examined, and a photodetector
42
located on the opposite side of the light source
41
for receiving light passing through the developer
33
and outputting a signal corresponding to the amount of light received. The density of the developer
33
or a density calculating equation for calculating the density of the developer corresponding to the signal output from the photodetector
42
is recorded in a LUT
51
. Therefore, the engine controller
50
for controlling the respective devices of
FIG. 1
reads digital information input corresponding to the amount of light received from the photodetector
42
through an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter
43
, searches the density of the developer
33
corresponding to the read digital value in the LUT
51
, and determines the density of the developer
33
. When the density of the calculated developer
33
is outside of a set range, the engine controller
50
controls a concerned pump P and a valve V so that the highly concentrated developer and the liquid carrier are appropriately supplied from the developer supplier
38
to the developer supplying container
32
.
Since the developer
33
is consumed during printing, new developer must be supplied after the developer is consumed. Components that form the developer
33
may change due to continuous development of technology for improving the performance of products and printing ability. Therefore, the developer
33
whose components may change may have different optical transmission characteristics. As a result, in order to use a developer
33
whose components may change, a density measuring device suitable for the changing developer is required.
A method of replacing the circuit substrate of the density measuring device whenever the components of the developer
33
to be used are changed requires a complicated circuit substrate replacement task. Thus, it is not economically feasible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid type image printing apparatus upgrade support system using a network that can facilitate the upgrade of a density measuring device for calculating the density of a developer to be used, and a method for upgrading data for calculating the density of the developer.
Accordingly, to achieve the above object, there is provided a liquid electrophotographic imaging apparatus support system using a network, comprising an upgrade support server including a database for storing information on developer products in order to provide a service supporting upgrade of data for calculating densities with respect to developer products, and an upgrade support engine connected to a network for supporting access to and search of the database; and a liquid electrophotographic imaging apparatus including communication means for connecting to the upgrade support server through the network, searching the information on the developer products stored in the database by exchanging information with the upgrade support engine, and downloading the density calculating data with respect to a desired developer product.
The liquid electrophotographic imaging apparatus preferably comprises a computer connected to the network and a liquid electrophotographic printer connected to the computer.
To achieve the above object, there is provided a method for upgrading developer density calculating data of a liquid electrophotographic imaging apparatus upgrade support system using a network, comprising the steps of (a) determining whether density calculating data with respect to developer to be used is in the liquid electrophotographic im
Chen Sophia S.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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