The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 1987
Filed:
May. 09, 1986
Gene F Day, Cupertino, CA (US);
Precision Image Corporation, Redwood City, CA (US);
Abstract
A toner applicator assembly for electrostatic drum printers featuring a toning shoe with a biasing mechanism in which the toning shoe is biased only at a single point. The toning shoe scans a sheet having an electrostatic latent image supported on a rotating drum, in a helical path, and applies liquid developer to the sheet to develop the latent image. The toning shoe has a normal orientation which is skewed with respect to the drum's rotation axis so as to follow a helical path. The toning shoe is movable with respect to three degrees of freedom relative to the normal orientation so as to automatically adjust its orientation to match the orientation of the sheet. The biasing mechanism comprises a base fixed relative to the drum, a lever body pivotally mounted to the base, a pin mounted on an end of the lever body and engaging a detent in the back of the shoe, and a spring connected to both the base and the end of the lever body opposite from the pin. The spring provides torque to cause the pin to push against the shoe. The toning shoe is loosely secured to the base by partially inserted screws which limit the shoe's forward movement.