Liquid charging method and apparatus

• US 6,600,888 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yu, Robert C. U., Popovic, Zoran D., Mishra, Satchidanand, Foley, Geoffrey M. T., Yuh, Huoy-Jen, Horgan, Anthony M., Swain, Eugene A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRASE, SANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US10/001,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20030086724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 399/50, 399/168, 399/174, 399/175, 399/176, 361/225, 430/902
• US Class Current: 399/174
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0208 by contact, friction or induction, e.g. liquid charging apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0291 corona discharge devices, e.g. wires, pointed electrodes, means for cleaning the corona discharge device

Abstract

A method including: (a) dispensing an electrically conductive liquid into a contact member permeable to the liquid; (b) rubbing the contact member and a surface against each other, at a contact length greater than a tangential contact length, to release the liquid from the contact member to wet the surface with the electrically conductive liquid in a layer ranging in thickness from about 1 to about 100 micrometers; and (c) electrifying the liquid at any time effective for imparting an electrical charge to the surface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) dispensing an electrically conductive liquid into a contact member permeable to the liquid wherein the contact member is a web or an endless belt;

(b) rubbing the contact member and a surface against each other, at a contact length greater than a tangential contact length, to release the liquid from the contact member to wet the surface with the electrically conductive liquid in a layer ranging in thickness from about 1 to about 100 micrometers; and

(c) electrifying the liquid at any time effective for imparting an electrical charge to the surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the force exerted by the contact member on the surface along the contact length ranges from about 1 to about 100 grams per linear cm width.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact member is an endless belt.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, an alcohol, and a water/alcohol mixture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid consists of distilled water.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact length is at least about 7 mm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact length ranges from about 10 mm to about 3 cm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid layer ranges in thickness from about 5 to about 50 micrometers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrifying of the liquid occurs prior to the rubbing the contact member and the surface against each other.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is a photoreceptor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rubbing the contact member and a surface is accomplished by moving the contact member and the surface in opposite directions.

12. An electrostatographic printing machine comprising:

(a) a photoreceptor;

(b) a developer member including toner particles;

(c) a dispensing equipment that dispenses an electrically conductive liquid;

(d) a contact member that receives the liquid and is permeable to the liquid, wherein the contact member is a web or an endless belt, where the contact member and the photoreceptor rub against each other, at a contact length greater than a tangential contact length, to release the liquid from the contact member to wet the photoreceptor surface with the electrically conductive liquid in a layer ranging in thickness from about 1 to about 100 micrometers; and

(e) a power source that electrifies the liquid.

13. The machine of claim 12, wherein the force exerted by the contact member on the photoreceptor along the contact length ranges from about 1 to about 100 grams per linear cm width.

14. The machine of claim 12, wherein the contact member is an endless belt.

15. The machine of claim 12, wherein the liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, an alcohol, and a water/alcohol mixture.

16. The machine of claim 12, wherein the liquid consists of distilled water.

17. The machine of claim 12, wherein the contact length is at least about 7 mm.

18. The machine of claim 12, wherein the contact length ranges from about 10 mm to about 3 cm.

19. The machine of claim 12, wherein the liquid layer ranges in thickness from about 5 to about 50 micrometers.

20. The machine of claim 12, wherein the contact member and the photoreceptor accomplish the rubbing by moving in opposite directions.