Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Hyong-gu Lee

Jong-woo Kim

Yong-su Kim

Woo-chul Jung

Geun-Yong Park

Hyun-seong Shin

Hee-guk Kwak

An electrophotogrphic image forming apparatus having a fixing unit and a driver rotating the fixing unit, the fixing unit having: a heat roller assembly with a heat roller, a gear cap coupled to an end of the heat roller and transmitting rotation to the heat roller, and an elastic member coupling the gear cap with the heat roller; and a pressing roller pressing a recording medium passing between the pressing roller and the heat roller toward the heat roller, the gear cap having an insertion portion inserted in the heat roller, and a gear portion integrally provided adjacent to the insertion portion and rotated by the driver, and the elastic member being provided between an outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion of the gear cap and an inner circumferential surface of the heat roller, and coupling the gear cap with the heat roller.

Heat roller assembly for image forming apparatus

The present invention provides an ink delivery system and an ink delivery method of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer which are adapted to detect whether or not liquid in any one of containers which supply ink and a solvent to circulation tanks is exhausted without installing separate level sensors.

Ink delivery system and ink delivery method of liquid -type electrophotographic printer

A method of controlling an ink agitator of a wet-type electrophotography printer. The method includes the steps of checking and determining the extent of the printer non-usage time during the printer initialization operation, selecting the driving time of the ink agitator according to the extent of the non-usage time from the first step, and driving the ink agitator according to the ink agitator driving time selected at the second step. Here, the printer non-usage time determining step determines whether the non-usage time is a first selection time, a second selection time, or a third selection time and sets a first, second and third ink agitator driving time according to the length of the non-usage time. Accordingly, because the ink agitator is driven according to the non-usage time of the printer, it is able to completely dissolve deposition and lumps of ink even when the non-usage time is substantially long. Also, in cases where the ink agitator driving time is longer than the time taken to completely disperse the developer within the circulation tanks, when dispersion of the developer within the circulation tanks is completed, the printer is able to perform printing operations and the ink agitator is continually driven throughout the set time. Therefore, uniform initialization operation time can be maintained regardless of the non-usage time of the printer.

Method of controlling an ink agitator of a wet-type electrophotography printer

A liquid level detector includes an electrode portion including a substrate, a first electrode plate separated a predetermined distance from the substrate, a hollow second electrode plate extending from the substrate to the first electrode plate and having an opening corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the first electrode plate, and a liquid level detecting portion which detects the presence of the liquid at the detection position from a change in electrostatic capacity measured by the first and second electrode plates. Thus, the level of liquid stored in the container can be detected from outside of the container in a non-contact manner, simplifying the structure of the apparatus and preventing the generation of an error in measuring the liquid level due to ink adhering to the container.

Liquid level detector and liquid level measuring apparatus of printer adopting the same

An ink delivery system for a liquid electrophotographic printer supplies developer of a predetermined concentration and comprising a mixture of ink and carrier to a development unit. A circulation tank receives and holds developer to be supplied to the development unit. An ink tank and a carrier tank included in a main body of the printer store ink of a predetermined color and carrier, respectively, for supply to the circulation tank. A refill cartridge refills ink/carrier through an ink/carrier supply path when ink or carrier in the ink tank and/or the carrier tank is used up. A refill cartridge installation unit, to which the refill cartridge is detachably installed, supplies the ink or carrier from the installed refill cartridge to the ink tank or the carrier tank, respectively. A waste tank connected to the circulation tank collects waste developer in the circulation tank. A waste refill cartridge installation unit is provided in the main body ofthe printer for connection to the waste tank, and an empty refill cartridge is detachably installed to the waste refill cartridge installation unit to receive waste developer.

Ink delivery system for liquid electrophotographic printer

A developer supplying apparatus of a wet electrographic printer is provided. The apparatus includes a reservoir for storing a developer obtained by mixing a liquid carrier with an ink, a carrier cartridge for supplying the liquid carrier to the reservoir through the carrier supplying path, an ink cartridge for supplying the ink to the reservoir through an ink supplying path, a developing unit for receiving the developer of the reservoir through the developer supplying path to developing an electrostatic latent image, and a process tank for storing the developer draining from the reservoir through a developer draining path.

Developer supplying apparatus of wet electrographic printer

A developer liquid supply device of a wet type electrophotographic printer, including: a reservoir, for storing developer liquid made by mixing a liquid carrier and ink, and for supplying the developer liquid to a developing unit through a developer liquid supply passage; a processing tank for storing developer liquid drained from the reservoir through a developer liquid drain passage; an ink cartridge installed inside the processing tank for supplying ink to the reservoir through an ink supply passage; and a carrier cartridge for supplying the liquid carrier to the reservoir through a carrier supply passage.

Developer liquid supply device of wet type electrophotographic printer

A wet electrographic printer has (1) a reservoir for supplying a developer obtained by mixing a liquid carrier with an ink to a developing unit, (2) a carrier cartridge for supplying the liquid carrier to the reservoir, (3) an ink cartridge for supplying the ink to the reservoir, and (4) a process tank for receiving the processor from the reservoir. The developer supply method includes the steps of supplying the liquid carrier and the ink to the reservoir to fill the reservoir to a maximum level with developer having an optimum concentration, and determining whether the concentration and level of the developer in the reservoir is less than or equal to a minimum concentration and a minimum level, respectively. If the concentration of the developer is less than or equal to the minimum concentration and the level is higher than the minimum level, the developer is drained from the reservoir to the process tank until the level of the developer falls to the minimum level. Subsequently, liquid carrier and ink are supplied to the reservoir to fill the reservoir to the maximum level with developer having the optimum concentration. If, on the other hand, the concentration of the developer is higher than the minimum concentration and the level of the developer is less than or equal to the minimum level, liquid carrier and ink are supplied to the reservoir to fill the reservoir to the maximum level with developer having the optimum concentration.

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Kunpo, South Korea

Hyong-gu Lee