Research Laboratories of Australia Pty Ltd.

Nippon Steel Corporation

Tai Hasegawa

Tsutomu Sasaki

Masahiko Itaya

Yoshiyuki Tanaka

Toshihiro Saito

Hiroyuki Nakagoshi

Liquid developing method

A multi-color image formation apparatus that has multiple developed image formation devices, each corresponding to one color. Each of the developed image formation devices has a photosensitive member, charging apparatus that charges the photosensitive member, exposure apparatus that exposes the charged photosensitive member, and developing apparatus that supplies highly viscous and highly concentrated color liquid developing agent to the surface of the latent image on the photosensitive member. Each of the developed image formation devices is provided with transfer apparatus that sequentially transfers the developed images, each of which has been formed on the surface of the latent imgae on one of the photosensitive members, to the paper transported by the transfer belt and thereby forms a color image on the paper. An electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive member such that a developed image corresponding to the desired print image remains on the developing agent bearing member. The highly viscous and highly concentrated liquid developing agent that has been applied to the developing belt is removed at the positions corresponding to the electrostatic latent image and the normal developed image remaining on the developing belt is transferred to the paper the developed image is not spread during pressure transfer and the surface energy of the image bearing member is lower than that of the thin layer of liquid developer agent

Image formation apparatus using a liquid developing agent

A liquid developing method and a liquid developing apparatus that use a highly-concentrated liquid developing agent to develop an electrostatic latent image A highly-concentrated liquid developing agent with a viscosity of 100 to 1,000 mPa.s can be used. Therefore, a film of developing agent from 5 to 40 .mu.m thick can be formed on the surface of the developing roller or developing belt (510) and this provides a soft contact with the photosensitive member surface where the electrostatic latent image has been formed. If the surface of the photosensitive member does not have good release properties, a film of pre-wet liquid can be formed on the surface of the photosensitive member (10). A gap which is larger than the thickness of the liquid developing agent film and smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the liquid developing agent film and the pre-wet liquid film is maintained between the surfaces of the photosensitive member and the developing roller or other developing agent bearing member such that the pre-wet liquid is always interposed between the two surfaces. Extremely good copies can be obtained if a 5 to 40 .mu.m thin film of liquid developing agent with a viscosity of 100 to 10,000 mPa.s and containing toner with an average particle size of 1 to 5.0 .mu.m at a concentration of 5 to 40% is used with a 30 .mu.m or less thin film of pre-wet liquid with a viscosity of 0.5 to 5.0 mPa.s and the gap between the photosensitive member and the developing agent roller or other developing agent bearing member is set at 5 to 60 .mu.m.

Liquid developing method and liquid developing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tai Hasegawa