Toner recycling by counterflow
US4923581A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 28, 1988 |
| Grant date | May 8, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 28, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G21/0088
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system and method for recovering charge-bearing solid pigment particles from a fluid dispersant in a liquid toner, wherein the system includes a particle-accumulating surface spaced apart from a complementary electrically biased electrode surface to define a channel therebetween. The channel has a mouth in gravity-feed relation to an outlet. Liquid toner is introduced at the mouth to cause flow within the channel. The bias of the electrode, however, sets up an electric field in the channel directing charge-bearing solid pigment particles away from the electrode surface so that only substantially particle-free fluid dispersant reaches the outlet. A slime rich in charge-bearing solid pigment particles collects on the particle-accumulation surface which is moved in a direction opposite of toner flow. At a location remote from the electrode, the solid pigment particles are removed from the particle-accumulating surface and are stored for later remixing with the fluid dispersant to form fresh toner.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.