Xerox Corporation

F James Wang

Gerald A Domoto

Robert J Kleckner

Oscar G Hauser

An apparatus is provided for drying a liquid image carried on a surface of a medium moving along a predetermined path from an upstream location towards a downstream location. The apparatus includes an air moving device, such as a blower, that moves air. A plenum has an intake that receives air and an outlet permitting the air to exit the plenum. A channel structure communicates with the outlet of the plenum and is disposed generally adjacent to a surface of the medium carrying the image. The channel structure includes an upstream channel portion and a downstream channel portion such that air exiting the outlet of the plenum is diverted to flow towards the upstream location in the upstream channel portion and towards the downstream location in the downstream channel portion. A heater is associated with the medium to heat at least a portion of the medium and thus the image. A method of drying a liquid image on a surface of a medium is also provided. The apparatus and method may arranged so that the direction of air is reversed where the air then moves along the channel structure by suction action rather than by being blown through the channel.

Drying device and method for drying ink on a medium

A single image development and conditioning apparatus is disclosed for removing excess liquid carrier from a developed image developed in a liquid immersion development machine using liquid developer material having a first toner concentration. The single image development and conditioning apparatus includes a first zone located downstream of a coating device relative to a direction of movement of a surface bearing the developed image, a second zone located downstream of the first zone, and a third zone located downstream of the second zone. The first zone includes a first biased electrode for partially removing charged solid toner particles from background areas of the developed image. The second zone includes a second biased electrode for completing removal of charged solid toner particles from the background areas, and the third zone includes a third biased electrode. The first, second and third zones are arranged and biased so as to enable (i) removal, from the background areas, of liquid developer material consisting of liquid carrier and charged solid toner particles, and (ii) removal, from the image areas only, of excess carrier liquid, thereby creating a resulting toner image having a toner concentration significantly higher than the first toner concentration of the liquid developer material.

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Pittsford, NY, United States of America

F James Wang