General Electric Company

Siu K Luk

Lawrence W Dobbins

A liquid toner applicator for elongated photoconductive film medium on which a latent electrostatic image has been formed includes an upper bearing surface for supporting moving film medium, which is spaced from a conductive block having an upper surface. The conductive block has slots cut into a toning region of its upper surface. During operation, pressurized toner wells through the slots into the region between the lower surface of the film and the upper surface of the block. The toner tones the latent image. The upwelling toner spills into fluid channels, which carry the toner which is not used to a catch basin. From the catch basin, a toner pump recirculates the toner. Downstream form the toning region, a further slot cut into the block communicates with a vacuum source to squeegee away excess toner which is not associated with the toned image. An air knife downstream from the vacuum squeegee includes a slot cut an an angle through the block and a pressurized air source therefor. The air knife directs an airstream in a retrograde direction relative to the motion of the film to keep excess toner in the vicinity of the vacuum squeegee, to enhance its effect. The block is maintained at a potential relative to the film.

Growing community of inventors

Collingswood, NJ, United States of America

Siu K Luk