Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Thomas Camis

James G Bearss

Jeffrey Scott Weaver

Omer Gila

Samuel A Johnson

Peter Gysling

David S Vejtasa

Michael H Lee

John W Huffman

C S Chan

James A Hall, Jr

Gary E Hanson

David J Luman

Michael Joseph Martin

Victor D Loewen

Chris A Storlie

Paul R Spencer

Robert R Hay

Kenneth A Lindblom

Nancy Cernusak

Gregory Ellis

Erwin H Schwiebert

David Vejtasa

Aspects of the invention relate to hard imaging apparatus charging devices, imaging assemblies, imaging assemblies charging methods, and hard imaging device image bearing member charging methods. In one aspect, a hard imaging apparatus charging device is disclosed. The charging device includes first and second end members, and an intermediate member connecting the first and second end members. The intermediate member may have a length corresponding to an imaging area of the image bearing member of the hard imaging apparatus. The intermediate member may be configured to charge the imaging area used to form latent images on the image bearing member during hard imaging operations of the hard imaging apparatus. The first and second end members of the charging device may be configured to maintain a predetermined spaced charging clearance between the intermediate member and the imaging area of the image bearing member. The first and second end members and the intermediate member of the charging device include a monolithic layer.

Hard imaging apparatus charging devices and hard imaging device charging methods

Aspects of the invention relate to hard imaging device charging systems, liquid electrophotography charging systems, hard imaging apparatuses, and hard imaging device electrophotography charging methods. In one embodiment, a hard imaging device charging system is described. The charging system may include a first charging device configured to charge a respective first region of a cylindrical image bearing member used to form latent images during hard imaging operations of the hard imaging device. The charging system may also include a second charging device configured to charge a respective second region of the cylindrical image bearing member used to form latent images during hard imaging operations of the hard imaging device. The first and second regions may have different radii from a central axis of the cylindrical image bearing member.

Hard imaging device charging systems, electrophotography charging systems, hard imaging apparatuses, and hard imaging device electrophotography charging methods

Electronic display devices and methods are described. In one embodiment, a display device comprises a housing and a display area provided within the housing to display content for a user. Memory is provided within the housing to hold data that is to be rendered into user-viewable content. An electrophotographic assembly is provided within the housing and is configured to electrophotographically render user-viewable content from the data that is held in the memory. A loop of material is disposed proximate the electrophotographic assembly and is configured to receive electrophotographically rendered content and present the content for user viewing within the display area. A control area is provided on the housing and includes one or more user-engagable structures to permit a user to interact with the device. The control area is positioned on the housing to accommodate one-handed use of the device. In one embodiment, the control area is provided on a sidewall that extends between front and back faces of the housing. The user-engagable structures can comprise any suitable user engagable structure, with an exemplary structure comprising a rocker-type switch which accommodates one-handed use of the display reader.

Electronic display devices and methods

A system for projecting electrically conductive or semi-conductive toner directly on to print media using a direct electrostatic projection printing device that includes a projection control electrode positioned between a reference electrode and an orifice plate. A mechanism is provided for generating a first electric field between the reference electrode and the orifice plate to form a cloud of toner particles between the reference electrode and the orifice plate. A mechanism is also provided for intermittently generating a second electric field between the projection control electrode and the orifice plate to project toner particles through the orifice plate on to a sheet of paper.

Toner projection system

Solar powered electronic display devices and methods are described. In one embodiment, a device comprises a housing ( ) and a display area ( ) within the housing to display content for a user. Memory ( ) is provided within the housing to hold data that is to be rendered into user-viewable content. An electrophotographic assembly ( ) is provided within the housing and is configured to electrophotographically render user-viewable content from the data that is held in the memory. A loop of material ( ) is disposed proximate the electrophotographic assembly ( ) and is configured to receive electrophotographically rendered content and present the content for user viewing within the display area. A power source is provided and comprises a solar panel member ( ) disposed on the housing for converting solar power into electrical power to power the device. The power source can also include one or more batteries, with the solar panel member supplementing the batteries.

Solar powered electronic display devices and methods

Electronic display devices and methods are described. In one embodiment, a display device comprises a housing with a display area to display content for a user. Memory within the housing holds data that is to be rendered into user-viewable content. A loop of material is provided within the housing and is configured to display user-viewable content for the user. An exposure station is provided internally of the loop of material and is configured to expose selected portions of the loop of material so that the loop of material can receive and retain toner thereon to provide the user-viewable content from the data that is held in the memory. In another embodiment, a display device comprises a toner shuttling system within the housing that is configured to shuttle toner between different locations within the housing from which the toner can be used and reused. The shuttling system, in one implementation, takes the form of multiple toner reclamation/development stations, each of which being configured to operate to either reclaim toner or develop toner. The stations are desirably configured so that when one station operates to reclaim toner, another station operates to develop toner. In one particular implementation, the stations comprise a pair of switchably-biasable, bi-modal reclamation/development stations where, in one mode, a station develops toner and, in the other mode, the station reclaims used toner. Reclamation of toner can advantageously take place through non-invasive techniques, e.g. electrostatic techniques.

Toner processing systems and electronic display devices and methods are described. In one embodiment, a toner processing system comprises an enclosure and an electrostatic toner recovery assembly supported within the enclosure for electrostatically recovering unfused toner from a print media surface. A toner development assembly is supported within the enclosure proximate the electrostatic toner recovery assembly and is configured to receive recovered toner from the electrostatic toner recovery assembly for reuse on the print media surface.

Toner processing systems and electronic display devices and methods

The present invention includes image forming devices, imaging assemblies, sensors, and methods of forming an image. One aspect of the present invention provides an image forming device including a housing configured to guide media along a media path: an input device configured to receive an image; a sensor adjacent the media path and configured to monitor the media and to generate a signal responsive to the monitoring; and an imager adjacent the media path and configured to provide developing material corresponding to the image upon the media according to an imaging parameter and to adjust the imaging parameter responsive to the signal.

Image forming devices, imaging assemblies of image forming devices, and methods of forming an image upon media

The present invention relates to image forming devices, fusing assemblies and methods of forming an image. According to one aspect of the invention, an image forming device includes a housing including a media path configured to guide media in a downstream direction within the housing; an input device configured to receive an image; a developing assembly adjacent the media path and configured to provide developing material; a sensor adjacent the media path and configured to determine a qualitative characteristic of the media and to generate a signal indicative of the qualitative characteristic; and a fuser adjacent the media path and configured to adjust a fusing parameter responsive to the signal and to fuse the developing material corresponding to the image to the media and according to the fusing parameter.

Image forming devices, fusing assemblies, and methods of forming an

The present invention includes image forming devices, imaging assemblies, sensors, and methods of forming an image. One aspect of the present invention provides an image forming device including a housing configured to guide media along a media path; an input device configured to receive an image; a sensor adjacent the media path and configured to monitor the media and to generate a signal responsive to the monitoring; and an imager adjacent the media path and configured to provide developing material corresponding to the image upon the media according to an imaging parameter and to adjust the imaging parameter responsive to the signal.

Image forming devices and sensors configured to monitor media, and

A color printer incorporating the invention hereof includes an ionographic image projection head which employs AC and DC potentials to provide an ion pool from which ions may be projected onto a movable dielectric surface. Plural developer modules are arranged about the dielectric surface, each developer module including an ion imaging head and a color toner module. Each developer module, after ion-beam imaging the movable dielectric surface, develops the charge image on the dielectric surface by bringing it into contact with a single color toner module. A processor controls each ionographic image projection head and each associated toner module to immediately apply the color toner after imaging of the dielectric surface. A transfer station is located downstream from the plural developer modules and enables transfer of the full color toned image from the dielectric surface to a sheet after a single pass of the dielectric surface past the plural developer modules.

Ionographic color printer with plural print heads removable toner

Embodiments of a wet contact charging method and apparatus for electrophotography charging stations are shown and described. Each embodiment includes placing a charging member, having a charge bias, against an electrophotography charge-receiving member, and placing a liquid between the charging member and charge-receiving member. Preferably, a charging roller is rotated through a liquid-filled container and the wet roller carries liquid into the nip between the roller and a photoconductor. This wet contact charging results in stable, uniform charging without photoconductor release property degradation.

Wet contact charging for electrophotography

A single pass EP color printer includes a photoreceptor web having multiple layers and including a charge transport layer and a charge generation layer. Four exposure devices (e.g. either laser-based or thin film electroluminescent edge emitting (TFEL) devices) are serially arrayed along the photoreceptor web and act to expose the photoreceptor web in accordance with cyan, magenta, yellow and black color image pixel data. A liquid toner developer module is associated with each exposure device and includes a liquid toner reservoir, a developer roll for carrying the liquid toner to a transfer point and a squeegee roll. Each developer module is fixed so as to position its developer roll at a constant prescribed distance from the photoreceptor web at the toner transfer point and to create a fluid interfacial layer between its developer roll and the photoreceptor web. In addition, each squeegee roll is maintained in constant contact with the photoreceptor web. Erasure devices and corona charging devices are positioned between the respective developer modules to enable preparation of the photoreceptor web for a subsequent exposure/development operation. A drying roll is positioned after a last developer module for fixing the imaged toner on the photoreceptor web. The exposure devices operate from either the lower side of the photoreceptor web or from the upper side; however, in the latter instance, the photoreceptor web is comprised of a transparent support and ground plane layer. Additional embodiments of the invention are disclosed which employ a dielectric powder toner and a liquid toner four pass system.

Single pass, in-line color electrophotographic printer with interspersed

An electrophotographic method and apparatus for developing and printing color images by the electrostatic projection of dry powder color toners onto a photoconductive member. A plurality of color toner projection units are spaced from the photoconductive member and are AC and DC biased to sequentially project each of the cyan, yellow, magenta, and black color planes onto the photoconductive member. The photoconductive member is directly driven against an intermediate transfer member which sequentially receives and stores each of the color planes to thereby form a composite color image, and each color plane is transferred from the photoconductive member before the next color plane is received thereon. The composite color image is then directly transferred to the print medium, whereby the use of the intermediate transfer member eliminates the problems of counter potentials at the surface of the photoconductive member and enables dot-on-dot (DOD) formatting to be utilized for achieving the maximum resolution and print quality of the printed image.

Method and apparatus for developing color images using dry toners and an

Image development and transfer apparatus for use in electrophotographic color printers and including a photoconductor, such as either a photoconductive drum or belt, which is spaced from sources of liquid color toners. An intermediate transport film is driven around a section of the photoconductor surface and between this surface and the sources of liquid color toners. Thus, the latent image developed on the surface of the photoconductor is transferred from the surface of the photoconductor to the outer surface of the intermediate transport film where the composite color image is developed. Then, this composite color image is transferred directly onto a print receiving media. Consequently, the photoconductor is not exposed to heat or carrier fluids during the image transfer and development process. This novel feature not only improves overall print quality on the printed media, but additionally extends the useful lifetime of the photoconductor. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermediate transfer film is passed into contact with a conditioning squeegee roller of a selected material during each pass around the photoconductor in order to compress the developed image on the film and enhance the image quality thereof. Also, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermediate transfer film comprises a first main layer of a polyester material and a thin outer release layer of either a fluorosilicon material or a cross-linked siloxane material.

Growing community of inventors

Boise, ID, United States of America

Thomas Camis