Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-11-06
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314260
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vapor capture subsystem and method thereof, in which liquid is captured from a place by making the liquid vapor, and further the vapor is made to be liquid again and returned to the original place.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
An image forming apparatus using electrophotography provides a vapor capture subsystem, in which liquid is captured from a place and is made to be vapor, and further the vapor is made to be liquid again and returned to the original place.
A developing material (ink) consists of toners being solid particles, a solvent including carrier electrons (hereinafter referred to as a carrier solvent), and other substances. The ink made to be visible on an organic photoconductor surface can not be transferred to a paper, when the solvent remains. In this, the organic photoconductor is also called an organic photo-rayer. In order to transfer the ink, it is necessary that only the solid particles are made to remain on the organic photoconductor surface selectively, and the unnecessary solvent is removed, and an image must be formed in filming. This function is performed by a vapor capture subsystem.
When an image is transferred to a paper at an image forming apparatus using a carrier solvent, capturing, all the carrier solvent thoroughly is an important subject to achieve a high quality image and also to reuse the carrier solvent.
As a first example of the conventional technology Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 8-166721 discloses a carrier solvent vapor capture subsystem for a liquid image forming apparatus. This conventional carrier solvent vapor capture subsystem for a liquid image forming apparatus provides a liquefying means for liquefying captured carrier solvent vapor, a separating means for separating the liquid made through the liquefying means into the carrier solvent and water, and a cooling equipment having fins for cooling provided at a route which the captured carrier solvent vapor passes through. And at least a part of the surface of the fin is made of a material which is difficult to be gotten wet by the carrier solvent.
As a second example of the conventional technology, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Opcn No. HEI 8-166722 discloses a carrier solvent vapor capture subsystem for a liquid image forming apparatus and a liquid image forming apparatus using this subsystem. This conventional carrier solvent vapor capture subsystem for a liquid image forming apparatus provides a vapor capturing chamber where a part such as a fuser, in which the carrier solvent vapor is liable to rise, is covered by a covering component and is made to be an airtight structure, a vapor drain from the vapor capturing chamber to a vapor liquefying means, a vapor liquefying means for liquefying the carrier solvent vapor captured through the vapor drain, a separating means for separating the liquid made through the liquefying means into the carrier solvent and water, and an air current generator which is at a route through which the carrier solvent vapor passes and at a downstream position from the vapor liquefying means.
However, the first example mentioned above only describes that the vapor capturing is performed smoothly. And the second example mentioned above only describes that high liquefying efficiency is performed. And they do not disclose a concrete means to improve the capturing efficiency of the carrier solvent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vapor capture subsystem and a method thereof, in which capturing efficiency of a carrier solvent is improved.
According to a first embodiment of the present invention, for achieving the object mentioned above, there is provided a vapor capture subsystem. The vapor capture subsystem provides an absorbing means for absorbing a carrier solvent in a developing material that is developed on the surface of an organic photoconductor belt by a developer, a vaporizing means for vaporizing the carrier solvent absorbed at the absorbing means, a cooling means which captures the carrier solvent vaporized by the vaporizing means and makes the vaporized carrier solvent liquid by cooling, tube components which lead the carrier solvent vaporized by the vaporizing means to the cooling means, a sucking means which leads the carrier solvent vaporized by the vaporizing means to the cooling means, and a covering component which covers one end side of the absorbing means and the vaporizing means in order that the vapor generated by the vaporizing means does not leak to the outside.
Preferably, the drying temperature of the vaporizing means is made to be 85° C. or more, and the air sucking quantity of the sucking means is made to be 22 to 45 liters/minute, most preferably 22 to 38 liters/minute.
Additionally, the number of the tube components is preferably four to twelve pieces, and the inside diameter of the tube components is preferably seven to twelve mm.
Preferably, the covering component is made of a heat-resistant resin material and the heat-resistant resin material is preferably polycarbonate or polyethylene terephthalate.
In a preferred embodiment, the absorbing means is a ring shaped drying belt whose one end contacts the organic photoconductor belt, the vaporizing means is a regeneration roller which is provided at the opposite side of the position where the ring shaped drying belt contacts the organic photoconductor belt, and contacts the inside surface of the ring shaped drying belt. In this preferred embodiment, the covering component has an opening pair at the side where the ring shaped drying belt contacts the organic photoconductor belt, and is provided in a state that a designated interval exists between the outside surface of the ring shaped drying belt and the inside surface of the covering component in order to provide routes through which outside air from said opening par passes. The capacity of a first route provided on the outside surface of the upper side of the ring shaped drying belt is, in this embodiment, preferably larger than the capacity of a second route provided on the outside surface of the lower side of the ring shaped drying belt. The covering component has preferably has an air outlet at the vertical under position of the regeneration roller, and the vapor sucked by the sucking means is outputted from the air outlet.
Further, the covering component is preferably provided in a state that the ratio of inputting air quantity of the first route to the addition of the inputting air quantities of the first and second routes is 40 to 60%.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a vapor capture subsystem provides an absorbing means for absorbing a carrier solvent in a developing material that is developed on the surface of an organic photoconductor belt by a developer, a vaporizing means for vaporizing the carrier solvent absorbed at the absorbing means, a cooling means which captures the carrier solvent vaporized by the vaporizing means and makes the vaporized carrier solvent liquid by cooling, tube components which lead the carrier solvent vaporized by the vaporizing means to the cooling means, a sucking means which leads the carrier solvent vaporized by the vaporizing means to the cooling means, and a covering component which covers one end side of the absorbing means and the vaporizing means such that the vapor generated by the vaporizing means does not leak to the outside. Preferably, the number of the tube components is four to twelve pieces, and the inside diameter of the tube components is seven to twelve mm.
Preferably, in the second embodiment, the covering component is made of a heat-resistant resin material and the heat-resistant resin material is polycarbonate or polyethylene terephthalate.
In this second embodiment, preferably, the absorbing means is a ring shaped drying belt whose one end contacts with the organic photoconductor belt, the vaporizing means is a regeneration roller which is provided at the opposite side of the position where the ring shaped
NEC Corporation
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Royer William J.
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