JP2009134241A - Liquid developer transport device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid developer transport device reused by separating a liquid carrier from a liquid developer by a filtering part and maintaining filtering performance of the filtering part over a long period, and an image forming apparatus having this liquid developer transport device. <P>SOLUTION: This liquid developer transport device has a channel switching part for distributing the liquid developer, a first channel for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the channel switching part, the filtering part arranged in the first channel and filtering the liquid developer flowing in the first channel, a first storage part connected to the first channel and storing the liquid developer filtered by the filtering part, a second channel flowing the liquid developer distributed by the channel switching part, and a second storage part connected to the second channel and storing the liquid developer flowing in the second channel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid developer transport device that separates a liquid carrier from a liquid developer, and an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, a printer, and a copier that includes the liquid developer transport device.

  There has been proposed a wet image forming apparatus in which an electrostatic latent image is developed using a high-viscosity liquid developer in which toner particles made of a solid component are dispersed in a liquid carrier, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized. The developer used in the wet image forming apparatus includes a liquid carrier made of an electrically insulating organic solvent such as silicone oil, mineral oil, vegetable oil, and the like and toner particles made of a solid component dispersed in the liquid carrier. The toner particles have a particle size of about 1 μm. On the other hand, the particle diameter of the powder toner particles used in the dry image forming apparatus is about 7 μm. Therefore, the image quality of the image formed by the wet image forming apparatus is higher than the image quality of the image formed by the dry image forming apparatus.

  The developer liquid carrier used in the wet image forming apparatus prevents the toner particles having a particle diameter of about 1 μm from being scattered, and facilitates the movement of the toner particles by the electric field action in the development and transfer processes. Therefore, the liquid carrier is a component necessary for storage of the liquid developer, transportation of the liquid developer, development process, and transfer process. However, the liquid carrier also adheres to the non-image area, and the excessive liquid carrier after development causes a phenomenon that is inconvenient for image formation such as transfer disturbance. Therefore, the liquid carrier of the liquid developer on the photosensitive member and the transfer member is removed (squeezed) and collected. Further, the liquid developer remaining on the photoreceptor and the transfer body after the transfer process is also removed and collected.

  In order to reuse the recovered liquid developer, the liquid developer removed and recovered by the cleaning means is passed through a filtering means including a foam on which an electric field acts, and the liquid carrier is separated and extracted from the liquid developer. Image forming apparatuses have been studied (see, for example, Patent Document 1). FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a conventional monochromatic image forming apparatus. The liquid developer stored in the liquid developer container 31 is sent to the stirring tank 53. When the toner particle concentration of the liquid developer stored in the liquid developer container 31 decreases, the high-concentration liquid developer is sent from the replenishment liquid developer tank 54 to the stirring tank 53 by the pump 553, and further The liquid carrier is fed from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tank 53, and the toner particle concentration in the liquid image developer stored in the stirring tank 53 is adjusted to be constant. When the toner particle concentration of the liquid developer increases, the liquid carrier is sent from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tank 53. The liquid developer having a constant toner particle concentration is sent to the liquid developer container 31 by the pump 551. The liquid developer recovered by the photoconductor cleaning device including the cleaning blade 17 and the liquid developer recovery unit 18 is stored in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 and then sent to the filtration unit 56. The liquid developer recovered by the intermediate transfer member cleaning device including the cleaning blade 46 and the liquid developer recovery unit 47 is also sent to the filtration unit 56. The liquid carrier is separated from the liquid developer filtered by the filtration unit 46, and the liquid carrier is stored in the liquid carrier tank 57 and reused.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a conventional color image forming apparatus. The liquid developer stored in the liquid developer containers 31Y, 31M, 31C, and 31K is sent to the stirring tanks 53Y, 53M, C, and K. When the toner particle concentration of the liquid developer stored in the liquid developer containers 31Y, 31M, 31C, 31K decreases, the high-concentration liquid developer is replenished by the pumps 553Y, M, C, K. Liquids are fed from the tanks 54Y, M, C, K to the agitation tanks 53Y, M, C, K, and liquid carriers are further fed from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the agitation tanks 53Y, M, C, K. The toner particle concentration in the liquid image developer stored in 53Y, M, C, and K is adjusted to be constant. When the toner particle concentration of the liquid developer increases, the liquid carrier is sent from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tanks 53Y, 53M, 53C, and 53K. The liquid developer having a constant toner particle concentration is fed to the liquid developer containers 31Y, 31M, 31C, and 31K by pumps 551Y, M, C, and K. The liquid developer recovered by the photoconductor cleaning device including the cleaning blades 17Y, M, C, and K and the liquid developer recovery units 18Y, M, C, and K is stored in the photoconductor buffer tanks 51Y, 51M, 51C, and 51K. Thereafter, the liquid is fed to the filtration unit 56. The liquid developer recovered by the intermediate transfer member cleaning device including the cleaning blade 46 and the liquid developer recovery unit 47 is also sent to the filtration unit 56. The liquid carrier is separated from the liquid developer filtered by the filtration unit 46, and the liquid carrier is stored in the liquid carrier tank 57 and reused.
The conventional image forming apparatus has a defect that the solid component in the collected liquid developer remains in the foam incorporated in the filtering unit, and the performance of the filtering unit is immediately deteriorated.
JP 2000-89578 A

  The problems to be solved by the present invention include a liquid developer transport device in which a liquid carrier is separated from a liquid developer by a filtration unit and reused, and the filtration performance of the filtration unit is maintained for a long time, and the liquid development The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including an agent transport device.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a flow path switching unit that distributes the liquid developer, a first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit, and the first flow path are arranged. And a filtering unit that filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path, and a first storage unit that is connected to the first flow path and stores the liquid developer filtered by the filtering unit. A second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit; and a second flow path for storing the liquid developer that is connected to the second flow path and flows in the second flow path. A liquid developer transport device having a storage unit. The liquid developer transport device can separate a liquid carrier from the liquid developer and reuse it. Further, the liquid developer transport device can discard the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration into the second storage section in the second flow path without flowing the liquid developer in the first flow path. The part can be difficult to clog for a long time.
In the liquid developer transport device, the liquid developer is distributed to the first flow path or the second flow path, the liquid developer distributed to the first flow path is filtered, and the liquid developer and the liquid are concentrated. A step of separating the liquid carrier into the carrier and storing the liquid carrier in the first storage unit and a step of storing the liquid developer distributed in the second flow path in the second storage unit may be performed.

The filtration unit may be a cross flow filter. Since the crossflow filter is unlikely to be clogged, the liquid developer conveying device in which the filtration unit is a crossflow filter can be operated for a long time without replacing the filter of the filtration unit.
The liquid developer conveying device may include a liquid carrier conveying unit that conveys the liquid developer filtered by the filtering unit from the first storage unit to the filtering unit. The liquid developer transport device having a liquid carrier transport unit that transports the liquid developer filtered by the filter unit from the first storage unit to the filter unit uses a liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer, The filtration part can be washed. Washing the filtration section can prolong the filter life of the filtration section.
The flow path switching unit may be a three-way valve. The liquid developer conveying device in which the flow path switching unit is a three-way valve can easily switch the distribution of the liquid developer to the first flow path or the second flow path by switching the three-way valve.
The flow path switching unit may include two pumps. The liquid developer transport device in which the flow path switching unit includes two pumps easily switches the distribution of the liquid developer to the first flow path or the second flow path by turning on and off the two pumps. obtain.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, an image carrier that carries a toner image, a cleaning unit that collects the liquid developer on the image carrier, and a flow that distributes the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit. A path switching unit, a first channel for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the channel switching unit, and a liquid developer that is disposed in the first channel and flows in the first channel. And a first storage part that is connected to the first flow path and stores the liquid developer filtered by the filtration part, and causes the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching part to flow. The image forming apparatus includes: a second flow path; and a second storage section that is connected to the second flow path and stores a liquid developer that flows through the second flow path.
The image forming apparatus includes a step of forming a toner image on an image carrier, a step of collecting a liquid developer on the image carrier, and the collected liquid developer is a first channel or a second channel. A step of distributing the liquid developer distributed to the first flow path, separating the liquid developer into a concentrated liquid developer and a liquid carrier, and storing the liquid carrier in the first storage unit, A step of storing the liquid developer distributed to the second flow path in the second storage unit may be performed.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an image carrier that carries a toner image, a transfer member to which a toner image on the image carrier is transferred, a cleaning unit that collects a liquid developer on the transfer member, A flow path switching unit that distributes the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit, a first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit, and the first flow path; A filtration unit that filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path; a first storage unit that is connected to the first flow path and stores the liquid developer filtered by the filtration unit; and the flow A second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the path switching section; and a second storage section connected to the second flow path and storing the liquid developer flowing in the second flow path. An image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus includes a step of forming a toner image on an image carrier, a step of transferring a toner image on the image carrier to a transfer member, a step of collecting a liquid developer on the transfer member, and a recovery The distributed liquid developer is distributed to the first flow path or the second flow path, and the liquid developer distributed to the first flow path is filtered and separated into a concentrated liquid developer and a liquid carrier. The liquid carrier may be stored in the first storage unit, and the liquid developer distributed in the second flow path may be stored in the second storage unit.

The image forming apparatuses of the second and third embodiments can separate a liquid carrier from a liquid developer and reuse it. Further, the image forming apparatus can discard the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration into the second storage unit disposed in the second flow path without flowing into the filtration unit disposed in the first flow path. The filtration part may be difficult to clog for a long time.
The filtration unit may be a cross flow filter. Since the crossflow filter is unlikely to be clogged, the image forming apparatus in which the filtration unit is a crossflow filter can be operated for a long time without replacing the filter of the filtration unit.
The image forming apparatus may include a liquid carrier transport unit that transports the liquid developer filtered by the filtering unit from the first storage unit to the filtering unit. An image forming apparatus having a liquid carrier transport unit that transports the liquid developer filtered by the filtering unit from the first storage unit to the filtering unit uses a liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer, and the filtering unit Can be washed. Washing the filtration section can prolong the filter life of the filtration section.
The flow path switching unit of the image forming apparatus may be a three-way valve. The image forming apparatus in which the flow path switching unit is a three-way valve can easily switch the distribution of the liquid developer to the first flow path or the second flow path by switching the three-way valve.
The flow path switching unit of the image forming apparatus may include two pumps. The image forming apparatus in which the flow path switching unit includes two pumps can easily switch the distribution of the liquid developer to the first flow path or the second flow path by turning on and off the two pumps.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the liquid developer conveying device of the present invention. The liquid developer transport device according to this embodiment includes a flow path switching unit 3 that distributes the liquid developer to the first flow path 1 or the second flow path 2. The first flow path 1 has a filtration unit 4 that filters the distributed liquid developer and separates the liquid developer into a concentrated liquid developer and a liquid carrier. A first storage unit 5 for storing the liquid carrier is connected to the first flow path 1. A second storage unit 6 that stores the distributed liquid developer is connected to the second flow path 2.
The liquid carrier stored in the first storage unit 5 can be reused. When the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer is high, the liquid developer can flow into the second channel 2 by switching the channel switching unit 3 and be stored in the second storage unit 6. The liquid developer stored in the second storage unit 6 can be discarded.

The filtration unit 4 may be a cross flow filter. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of crossflow filtration. The separation membrane is installed in parallel with the flow of liquid containing solid particles (arrow a), and the permeate that has permeated through the separation membrane flows out in the direction perpendicular to the flow of the liquid (arrow b). A boundary layer consisting of solid particles is formed on the separation membrane, and solid particles that have not accumulated in the boundary layer flow out together with the liquid, so the concentration of solid particles in the liquid that has passed through the crossflow filtration increases, and the crossflow filtration As a result, the liquid containing the solid particles is concentrated. Cross flow filtration hardly causes clogging, and replacement of a separation membrane in cross flow filtration is unnecessary for a long time. Therefore, the liquid developer conveying device including the cross flow filter can be operated for a long time without replacing the filter of the filtration unit.
The liquid developer transport device may include a liquid carrier transport unit 7 that transports the liquid developer filtered by the filter unit 4 from the first storage unit 5 to the filter unit 4. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a liquid developer carrying device including the liquid carrier carrying unit 7. The liquid carrier stored in the first storage unit 5 is fed to the filtration unit 4 via the liquid carrier transport unit 7 that transports the liquid carrier from the first storage unit 5 to the filtration unit 4. Can be washed.
The flow path switching unit 3 can be a three-way valve. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a liquid developer conveying device in which the flow path switching unit 3 is a three-way valve 3a. By switching the three-way valve 3a, the distribution of the liquid developer to the first flow path 1 or the second flow path 2 can be easily switched.
The flow path switching unit 3 may include two pumps. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a liquid developer conveying device in which the flow path switching unit 3 includes two pumps 3b and 3c. One of the two pumps 3b and 3c operates and the other stops. When the pump 3 b connected to the first flow path 1 is activated and the pump 3 c connected to the second flow path 2 is stopped, the liquid developer is distributed to the first flow path 1. When the pump 3 b connected to the first flow path 1 is stopped and the pump 3 c connected to the second flow path 2 is operating, the liquid developer is distributed to the second flow path 2. Therefore, in the liquid developer transport device in which the flow path switching unit 3 includes the two pumps 3b and 3c, the first flow path 1 or the second flow path 2 of the liquid developer is turned on / off by the two pumps 3b and 3c. The distribution can be easily switched.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The image forming unit of the monochrome image forming apparatus of this embodiment includes a latent image eraser (not shown), a photoconductor along the rotation direction (movement direction) of the outer periphery of the photoconductor 10 that is an image carrier that carries a toner image. 10 cleaning blades 17 and a developer recovery unit 18, a cleaning device that is a cleaning unit for recovering the liquid developer on the image carrier, a charging roller (not shown), an exposure unit (not shown), and development of the development unit The cleaning device includes a roller 20, a photoconductor squeeze roller 13, and a cleaning blade 14 and a developer recovery unit 15 which are attached components. The developing unit includes a cleaning blade (not shown), a developer supply roller 32 using an anilox roller, and a regulating blade (not shown) for regulating the developer supply amount on the outer periphery of the developing roller 20. A developer stirring roller (not shown) that stirs the developer in a uniformly dispersed state is disposed in a liquid developer container (reservoir) 31 in which the liquid developer is accommodated. A primary transfer roller (not shown) of the primary transfer portion is disposed at a position facing the photoconductor 10 via an intermediate transfer body 40 that is a transfer member to which the liquid developer on the image carrier is transferred. An intermediate transfer member squeeze device (not shown) is disposed along the intermediate transfer member 40 on the downstream side in the moving direction.

  The liquid developer contained in the liquid developer container 31 has a high concentration, high viscosity, and a non-volatile solvent at room temperature as a liquid carrier. That is, in the liquid developer in the present embodiment, solid particles having an average particle diameter of 1 μm in which a colorant such as a pigment is dispersed in a thermoplastic resin are contained in a liquid solvent such as an organic solvent, silicone oil, mineral oil, or edible oil. It is a liquid developer having a high viscosity (about 30 to 10,000 mPa · s) which is added together with a dispersant and has a toner solid content concentration of about 25% by mass. The image forming apparatus of the present invention is a low-concentration (toner solid content concentration of about 1 to 2% by mass), a low-viscosity, and normal temperature, in which Isopar (trademark: Exxon), which is generally used conventionally, is used as a liquid carrier. Do not use volatile liquid developer.

  In the image forming unit and the developing unit, a charging roller (not shown) charges the photoreceptor 10 uniformly. A photoconductor on which an electrostatic latent image is charged by irradiating a modulated laser beam based on an input image signal from an exposure unit (not shown) having an optical system such as a semiconductor laser, a polygon mirror, and an F-θ lens. 10 is formed. Then, the developer supply roller 32 supplies the liquid developer to the developing roller 20 from the developer container 31 that stores the liquid developer, and the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 10 is developed.

  The intermediate transfer member 40 is an endless elastic belt member, is wound around a driving roller 41 and a tension roller 42, and is rotated by the driving roller 41 while being in contact with the photosensitive member 10 at the primary transfer portion. The In the primary transfer portion, a primary transfer roller (not shown) is disposed to face the photoconductor 10 with the intermediate transfer body 40 interposed therebetween. The developed toner image on the photoreceptor 10 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer body 40 with the contact position of the photoreceptor 10 and the intermediate transfer body 40 as a transfer position, and a toner image is formed. The toner image formed on the photoreceptor 10 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer member 40 and secondarily transferred to the recording medium. Even if the recording medium surface is made of a non-smooth material such as a fiber, secondary transfer is performed following the non-smooth recording medium surface. Therefore, an elastic belt member is employed as the intermediate transfer member 40.

  In the secondary transfer unit 60, the secondary transfer roller 61 is disposed opposite to the belt driving roller 41 via the intermediate transfer body 40, and further, a cleaning blade (not shown) of the secondary transfer roller 61 and a developer recovery unit (not shown). Is provided. In the secondary transfer unit 60, paper, film, and cloth that are conveyed and supplied from the recording medium conveyance path in accordance with the timing at which the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 40 reaches the transfer position of the secondary transfer unit 60. Secondary transfer onto a recording medium such as A fixing unit (not shown) is disposed in front of the recording medium conveyance path, and the monochromatic toner image secondarily transferred onto the recording medium is fixed to the recording medium by thermal fusion. Even if the surface of the recording medium is a non-smooth material such as a fiber, secondary transfer is performed following the surface of the non-smooth recording medium. Therefore, the secondary transfer roller 61 has an elastic surface covered with an elastic body. Laura.

  A cleaning device that includes a cleaning blade 46 and a liquid developer recovery unit 47 and recovers the liquid developer of the intermediate transfer member 40 is disposed on the tension roller 42 side that stretches the intermediate transfer member 40 together with the belt drive roller 41. . The intermediate transfer member 40 that has passed through the secondary transfer unit 60 proceeds to the winding portion of the tension roller 42, and the cleaning on the intermediate transfer member 40 is performed by the cleaning blade 46. The intermediate transfer member 40 is again subjected to the primary transfer. Head to the club. The liquid developer collected in the liquid developer collecting unit 47 is collected in a waste liquid tank 48 that stores the liquid developer as a second storage unit.

  The toner particles in the liquid developer have a positive charge in the liquid developer container 31 and are agitated by a stirring roller (not shown) to be uniformly dispersed. The liquid developer is pumped up from the liquid developer container 31 by the rotation of the developer supply roller 32 and supplied to the developing roller 20. Initially, the toner particles in the liquid developer stored in the liquid developer container 31 are uniformly dispersed at a concentration of about 25% by mass. In the case of development with a high image area ratio, the amount of toner particles consumed is large. On the other hand, in the case of development with a low image area ratio, the amount of toner particles consumed is small. That is, the toner particle concentration of the liquid developer stored in the liquid developer container 31 changes with development on the photoconductor 10, and this change is constantly monitored, and the toner particle concentration is approximately 25% by mass. Needs to be maintained.

  In order to control the toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the developer container 31, a transmission type photosensor that detects the concentration of toner particles, torque detection means that detects the stirring torque of the liquid developer stirring roller, and the inside of the liquid developer container 31 Means for detecting the toner particle concentration, such as a reflective photosensor for detecting the liquid developer level, is provided in the developing unit. The liquid developer stored in the liquid developer container 31 is sent to the stirring tank 53. When the toner particle concentration of the liquid developer stored in the liquid developer container 31 decreases, a high-concentration liquid developer having a toner particle concentration of 35 to 55% by mass is supplied from the replenishment liquid developer tank 54 by the pump 553. The liquid image is fed to the agitation tank 53, and the liquid carrier is further fed by the pump 558 from the liquid carrier tank 57 that stores the liquid carrier as the first storage unit to the agitation tank 53 and stored in the agitation tank 53. The toner particle concentration in the developer is adjusted to be about 25% by mass. When the toner particle concentration of the liquid developer stored in the liquid developer container 31 becomes high, the liquid carrier sequentially moves the liquid carrier tank 57, the second liquid carrier transport unit 59B, and the three-way valve 60 by the pump 558. Then, the solution is fed to the stirring tank 53. The liquid developer prepared with a toner particle concentration of about 25% by mass is fed to the liquid developer container 31 by the pump 551.

  A cleaning device that includes a cleaning blade 17 and a developer recovery unit 18 and that is a cleaning unit that recovers the liquid developer on the photoconductor 10 is disposed downstream of the primary transfer unit with respect to the rotation direction of the photoconductor 10. Yes. The liquid developer remaining on the photoconductor 10 after the primary transfer is cleaned by the cleaning blade 17. The liquid developer cleaned by the cleaning blade 17 is collected in the developer collecting unit 18. The liquid developer recovered by the developer recovery unit 18 is stored in a photoreceptor buffer tank (PC buffer tank) 51 that is a liquid developer buffer storage unit. The liquid developer stored in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is sent by the pump 52 to the filtration filter 56 or the waste liquid tank 48 via the three-way valve 58a that distributes to the filtration filter 56 or the waste liquid tank 48. The three-way valve 58a is a flow path switching unit that distributes the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit that collects the liquid developer on the image carrier. The filtration filter 56 is a filtration unit that filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path while being arranged in the first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit. The liquid carrier tank 57 is a first storage unit that stores the liquid developer that is connected to the first flow path and flows in the first flow path. The waste liquid tank 48 is a second storage unit that is connected to the second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit and stores the liquid developer flowing in the second flow path.

Other examples of signals used for switching the three-way valve 58a include the concentration of toner particles (developer concentration) contained in the liquid developer in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51, and the liquid is fed from the three-way valve 58a to the filtration filter 56. Liquid developer pressure, the number of printed recording media, and a signal at the end of printing. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of image formation by the monochromatic image forming apparatus of the present embodiment when the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51 is a signal used for switching the three-way valve 58a. It is.
First, the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is determined based on the transmission torque of the transmission type photosensor for detecting the concentration of the toner particles and the stirring torque of the stirring blade provided in the photoconductor buffer tank 51. It is measured by means for detecting the toner particle concentration, such as torque detecting means for detecting, a reflection type photosensor for detecting the liquid developer liquid level in the photoconductor buffer tank 51, and the like.
When the toner particle concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined concentration set in advance, the liquid feeding path from the photoconductor buffer tank 51 to the filtration filter 56 is released, and the liquid feeding path from the photoconductor buffer tank 51 to the waste liquid tank 48. The three-way valve 58 a is switched so as to be closed, and the liquid developer stored in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51 is sent to the filter 56 by the pump 52. Then, the liquid developer concentrated by the filtration filter 56 is sent to the photoreceptor buffer tank 51. The liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer by the filtration filter 56 is sent to the liquid carrier tank 57 via the liquid carrier transport unit 59A for transporting the liquid carrier from the filtration filter 56 to the liquid carrier storage unit, and stored. The

  When the toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is higher than a predetermined concentration, the liquid supply path from the photoconductor buffer tank 51 to the filtration filter 56 is closed, and the photoconductor buffer The three-way valve 58a is switched so that the liquid supply path from the tank 51 to the waste liquid tank 48 is released, and the liquid developer stored in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is supplied to the waste liquid tank 48 by the pump 52. Stored. As a result, the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration does not flow into the filtration filter 56, and the filtration filter 56 is not clogged for a long time.

  Further, the three-way valve 60a is switched so that the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tank 53 is closed and the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the filtration filter 56 is released. The liquid carrier stored in (1) is fed by the pump 558 to the filtration filter 56 sequentially through the liquid carrier transport part 59B and the three-way valve 60a (back flow sequence). As a result, the liquid carrier that has passed through the filtration filter 56 is discarded to the waste liquid tank 48 through the photosensitive body buffer tank 51 together with the solid content such as toner particles accumulated on the separation membrane of the filtration filter 56. Washing the filter by reverse flow sequence increases the life of the filter.

  A controller (CPU) that manages the image signal has a toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the developer container 31 and a toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 in accordance with the line ratio of the output image. Thus, the replenishment from the replenishment liquid developer tank 54 and the liquid carrier tank 57 and the concentration of the liquid developer by the filtration filter 56 can be predicted and controlled. Control responsiveness and reliability are enhanced by the predictive control.

  In the primary transfer portion, the photosensitive member 10 and the intermediate transfer member 40 move at the same speed, and the developer image developed on the photosensitive member 10 is transferred to the intermediate transfer member 40 by the primary transfer roller, and the intermediate transfer member 40 rotates. In addition, the driving load of movement is reduced, and the disturbance effect on the visible toner image of the photoconductor 10 is suppressed.

  The toner image on the intermediate transfer body 40 is secondarily transferred to a recording medium, and a desirable secondary transfer function and fixing function are exhibited in a fixing process step (not shown). It is about mass%. When the toner particles have not reached the desired dispersion state at the fixing step, an intermediate transfer body squeeze device (not shown) is provided as a means for further removing excess carrier from the intermediate transfer body 40. The intermediate transfer member squeeze device has a function of increasing the toner particle ratio in the visible image and collecting originally unwanted fog toner. When the squeeze ability of the primary transfer portion upstream of the intermediate transfer member squeeze stroke described above by the photoconductor 10 is sufficient, the intermediate transfer member squeeze device needs to be provided downstream in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer member 40 from the primary transfer stroke. There is no.

  The recording medium is supplied in accordance with the timing at which the toner image on the intermediate transfer body 40 reaches the secondary transfer portion, and after the toner image is secondarily transferred to the recording medium, the final image formation on the recording medium is fixed. The process ends. When a recording medium supply trouble such as a jam occurs, all the toner images are transferred to the secondary transfer roll and are not collected, and some toner images remain on the intermediate transfer body 40. The toner image on the intermediate transfer member 40 in the normal secondary transfer process is secondarily transferred 100% and is not transferred to the recording medium, and a secondary transfer residue of several percent occurs. In particular, when a recording medium supply trouble such as a jam occurs, the toner image on the intermediate transfer member 40 is secondarily transferred in contact with the secondary transfer roller 61 without the recording medium being interposed, and the recording medium back surface is stained. . A bias in a direction in which the toner particles of the liquid developer are pressed toward the intermediate transfer body 40, that is, a bias having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the toner particles, is applied to the unnecessary toner image on the intermediate transfer body 40. The bias applied when a trouble such as a jam occurs is applied to either the secondary transfer roller 61 or the intermediate transfer member squeeze roller. By applying the bias, the toner particles of the liquid developer remaining on the intermediate transfer body 40 are pressed against the intermediate transfer body 40 side, the liquid carrier is collected on the secondary transfer roller 61 side, and the cleaning blade 46 of the intermediate transfer body 40 is collected. Thus, the cleaning of the intermediate transfer body 40 and the cleaning of the secondary transfer roller 61 by a cleaning blade (not shown) of the secondary transfer roller are efficiently performed.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The single-color image forming apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 has a first pair of pumps (58b, 58c), respectively, instead of the three-way valves 58a, 60 of the single-color image forming apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. It has a second pair of pumps (60b, 60c). The liquid developer is distributed by turning on / off the first pair of pumps (58b, 58c) which are flow path switching units for distributing the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit for collecting the liquid developer on the image carrier. The liquid carrier distribution is switched by turning on / off the second pair of pumps (60b, 60c). Examples of signals used to turn on and off the first pair of pumps (58b, 58c) and the second pair of pumps (60b, 60c) are included in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51. Toner particle concentration (developer concentration), the pressure of the liquid developer fed from the first pair of pumps (58b, 58c) to the filter 56, the number of printed recording media, and a signal at the end of printing It is. Hereinafter, an example in which the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51 is used as the signal will be described.

First, the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is determined based on the transmission torque of the transmission type photosensor for detecting the concentration of the toner particles and the stirring torque of the stirring blade provided in the photoconductor buffer tank 51. It is measured by means for detecting the toner particle concentration, such as torque detecting means for detecting, a reflection type photosensor for detecting the liquid developer liquid level in the photoconductor buffer tank 51, and the like.
When the toner particle concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined concentration set in advance, the pump 58b for supplying liquid from the photoconductor buffer tank 51 to the filtration filter 56 is operated, and the liquid is supplied from the photoconductor buffer tank 51 to the waste liquid tank 48. The liquid developer stored in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is sent to the filter 56 by the pump 58b. Then, the liquid developer concentrated by the filtration filter 56 is sent to the photoreceptor buffer tank 51. The liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer by the filtration filter 56 is sent from the filtration filter 56 to the liquid carrier tank 57 as the first storage unit via the liquid carrier transport unit 59A that transports the liquid carrier, and stored. Is done. The filtration filter 56 is a filtration unit that filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path while being arranged in the first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit. The liquid carrier tank 57 is a first storage unit that stores the liquid developer that is connected to the first flow path and flows in the first flow path. The waste liquid tank 48 is a second storage unit that is connected to the second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit and stores the liquid developer flowing in the second flow path.

  When the toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is larger than a predetermined concentration set in advance, the pump 58b for feeding liquid from the photoconductor buffer tank 51 to the filtration filter 56 is stopped, and the photoconductor The pump 58c for feeding the liquid from the buffer tank 51Y to the waste liquid tank 48 is operated, and the liquid developer stored in the photoconductor buffer tank 51 is sent to the waste liquid tank 48 and stored by the pump 58c. As a result, the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration does not flow into the filtration filter 56, and the filtration filter 56 is not clogged for a long time.

  Further, the pump 60b for feeding the liquid from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tank 53 is stopped, and the pump 60c for feeding the liquid from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the filtration filter 56 is operated, so that the liquid carrier stored in the liquid carrier tank 57 is Then, the liquid is fed by the pump 60c to the filtration filter 56 through the liquid carrier transport part 59B (back flow sequence). As a result, the liquid carrier that has passed through the filtration filter 56 is discarded to the waste liquid tank 48 through the photosensitive body buffer tank 51 together with the solid content such as toner particles accumulated on the separation membrane of the filtration filter 56.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same constituent elements for each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Hereinafter, the liquid developer transport device for yellow (Y) will be described. The liquid developer transport device for each color of magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) is the same as the liquid developer transport device for yellow (Y).

Examples of signals used for switching the three-way valve 58Y include the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51Y, and the liquid developer sent from the three-way valve 58Y to the filtration filter 56Y. The pressure, the number of printed recording media, and a signal at the end of printing. Hereinafter, image formation by the color image forming apparatus of the present embodiment when the pressure of the liquid developer fed from the three-way valve 58Y to the filtration filter 56Y is a signal used for switching the three-way valve 58Y will be described. .
First, the pressure of the liquid developer fed from the three-way valve 58Y to the filtration filter 56Y is measured by the pressure detection means 62Y.
When the pressure is equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure set in advance, the liquid feeding path of the filtration filter 56Y is released from the photoconductor buffer tank 51Y, and the photoconductor buffer tank 51Y goes to the waste liquid tank 48 as the second storage unit. The three-way valve 58Y is switched so that the liquid supply path is closed, and the liquid developer stored in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51Y is supplied to the filter 56Y by the pump 52Y. Then, the liquid developer concentrated by the filter 56Y is sent to the photoreceptor buffer tank 51Y. The liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer by the filtration filter 56Y is sent to the liquid carrier tank 57, which is the first storage unit, via the liquid carrier transport unit 59YA that transports the liquid carrier from the filter 56Y, and stored. Is done.
The three-way valve 58Y is a flow path switching unit that distributes the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit that collects the liquid developer on the image carrier. The filtration filter 56Y is a filtration unit that filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path while being arranged in the first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit. The liquid carrier tank 57 is a first storage unit that stores the liquid developer that is connected to the first flow path and flows in the first flow path. The waste liquid tank 48 is a second storage unit that is connected to the second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit and stores the liquid developer flowing in the second flow path.

  When the concentration of the toner particles in the liquid developer becomes high and the pressure is higher than a predetermined pressure, the liquid supply path from the photoconductor buffer tank 51Y to the filtration filter 56Y is closed, and the photoconductor buffer The three-way valve 58Y is switched so that the liquid supply path from the tank 51Y to the waste liquid tank 48 is released, and the liquid developer stored in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51Y is sent to the waste liquid tank 48 by the pump 52Y, Stored. As a result, the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration does not flow into the filtration filter 56Y, and the filtration filter 56 is not clogged for a long time.

  Further, the three-way valve 60Y is switched so that the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tank 53Y is closed and the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the filtration filter 56Y is released. The liquid carrier stored in is sequentially sent to the filtration filter 56Y by the pump 558Y through the liquid carrier transport unit 59BY and the three-way valve 60Y (back flow sequence). As a result, the liquid carrier that has passed through the filtration filter 56Y is discarded to the waste liquid tank 48 through the photosensitive body buffer tank 51Y together with solids such as toner particles accumulated on the separation membrane of the filtration filter 56Y. Washing the filter by reverse flow sequence increases the life of the filter.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The monochromatic image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an intermediate transfer member 40 that is a transfer member to which a toner image on an image carrier is transferred, a cleaning blade 46, and a liquid developer recovery unit 47, and includes a liquid developer as a transfer member. A liquid developer transport device for the liquid developer collected by the cleaning device which is a cleaning unit for collecting the liquid developer. The liquid developer recovered by the liquid developer recovery unit 47 is stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a. The liquid developer stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51 a is sent by the pump 52 to the filtration filter 56 or the waste liquid tank 48 via the three-way valve 58 that distributes the liquid developer to the filtration filter 56 or the waste liquid tank 48. . The three-way valve 58 is a flow path switching unit that distributes the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit that collects the liquid developer of the transfer member. The filtration filter 56 is a filtration unit that filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path while being arranged in the first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit. The liquid carrier tank 57 is a first storage unit that stores the liquid developer that is connected to the first flow path and flows in the first flow path. The waste liquid tank 48 is a second storage unit that is connected to the second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit and stores the liquid developer flowing in the second flow path.

Examples of signals used for switching the three-way valve 58 include the concentration of toner particles (developer concentration) contained in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank (belt CL buffer tank) 51a, and filtration from the three-way valve 58. The pressure of the liquid developer fed to the filter 56, the number of printed recording media, and a signal at the end of printing. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of image formation by the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment when the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is a signal used for switching the three-way valve 58. is there.
First, the concentration of the toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is determined by the transmission torque of the agitating blade provided in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a. It is measured by means for detecting toner particle concentration, such as torque detecting means for detecting, a reflection type photosensor for detecting the liquid developer level in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a.
When the toner particle concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined concentration set in advance, the liquid feeding path of the filtration filter 56 is released from the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a, and the liquid feeding path from the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a to the waste liquid tank 48. The three-way valve 58 is switched so as to be closed, and the liquid developer stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51 a is fed to the filtration filter 56 by the pump 52. Then, the liquid developer concentrated by the filter 56 is fed to the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a. The liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer by the filtration filter 56 is sent to the liquid carrier tank 57 via the liquid carrier transport unit 59A for transporting the liquid carrier from the filtration filter 56 to the liquid carrier storage unit, and stored. The

  When the toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is larger than a predetermined concentration, the liquid supply path from the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a to the filtration filter 56 is closed, and the belt cleaning buffer. The three-way valve 58 is switched so that the liquid supply path from the tank 51a to the waste liquid tank 48 is released, and the liquid developer stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is supplied to the waste liquid tank 48 by the pump 52. Stored. As a result, the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration does not flow into the filtration filter 56, and the filtration filter 56 is not clogged for a long time.

  Further, the three-way valve 60 is switched so that the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tank 53 is closed and the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the filtration filter 56 is released. The liquid carrier stored in (3) is fed by the pump 558 to the filtration filter 56 sequentially through the liquid carrier transport unit 59B and the three-way valve 60 (back flow sequence). As a result, the liquid carrier that has passed through the filtration filter 56 is discarded to the waste liquid tank 48 via the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a together with solids such as toner particles accumulated on the separation membrane of the filtration filter 56. Washing the filter by reverse flow sequence increases the life of the filter.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The color image forming apparatus of the present embodiment does not have the first color liquid developer conveying device, and includes a cleaning blade 46 and a liquid developer collecting unit 47, and is a cleaning unit that collects the liquid developer on the transfer member. The apparatus includes a liquid developer conveying device for the liquid developer collected from the intermediate transfer body 40 which is a transfer member to which the toner image on the image carrier is transferred. The liquid developer recovered by the liquid developer recovery unit 47 is stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a. The liquid developer stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51 a is sent by the pump 52 to the filtration filter 56 or the waste liquid tank 48 via the three-way valve 58 that distributes the liquid developer to the filtration filter 56 or the waste liquid tank 48. . The three-way valve 58 is a flow path switching unit that distributes the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit that collects the liquid developer of the transfer member. The filtration filter 56 is a filtration unit that filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path while being arranged in the first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit. The liquid carrier tank 57 is a first storage unit that stores the liquid developer that is connected to the first flow path and flows in the first flow path. The waste liquid tank 48 is a second storage unit that is connected to the second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit and stores the liquid developer flowing in the second flow path.

  Examples of signals used for switching the three-way valve 58 include the concentration of toner particles (developer concentration) contained in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank (belt CL buffer tank) 51a, and filtration from the three-way valve 58. The pressure of the liquid developer fed to the filter 56, the number of printed recording media, and a signal at the end of printing. Hereinafter, image formation by the color image forming apparatus of the present embodiment when the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is a signal used for switching the three-way valve 58 will be described. .

First, the concentration of the toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is determined by the transmission torque of the agitating blade provided in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a. It is measured by means for detecting the toner particle concentration, such as torque detecting means for detecting, a reflection type photosensor for detecting the liquid developer level in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a.
When the toner particle concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined concentration set in advance, the liquid feeding path of the filtration filter 56 is released from the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a, and the liquid feeding path from the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a to the waste liquid tank 48. The three-way valve 58 is switched so as to be closed, and the liquid developer stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51 a is sent to the filtration filter 56 by the pump 52. Then, the liquid developer concentrated by the filter 56 is fed to the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a. The liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer by the filtration filter 56 is sent from the filtration filter 56 to the liquid carrier tank 57 as the first storage unit via the liquid carrier transport unit 59A that transports the liquid carrier, and stored. Is done.

  When the toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is larger than a predetermined concentration, the liquid supply path from the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a to the filtration filter 56 is closed, and the belt cleaning buffer. The three-way valve 58 is switched so that the liquid supply path from the tank 51a to the waste liquid tank 48 is released, and the liquid developer stored in the belt cleaning buffer tank 51a is supplied to the waste liquid tank 48 by the pump 52. Stored. As a result, the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration does not flow into the filtration filter 56, and the filtration filter 56 is not clogged for a long time.

  In FIG. 14, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The color image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a liquid developer transport device for each color of magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Hereinafter, the liquid developer conveying device relating to magenta (M) will be described. The liquid developer transport device for each color of cyan (C) and black (K) is the same as the liquid developer transport device for magenta (M).

An example of a signal used for switching the three-way valve 58M, which is a flow path switching unit that distributes the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit that collects the liquid developer on the image carrier, is the photoreceptor buffer tank 51M. The concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer, the pressure of the liquid developer fed from the three-way valve 58M to the filtration filter 56M, the number of printed recording media, and a signal at the end of printing. Hereinafter, image formation by the color image forming apparatus of the present embodiment when the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51 is a signal used for switching the three-way valve 58M will be described. .
First, the concentration of toner particles contained in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51M is determined by the transmission torque for detecting the toner particle concentration, and the stirring torque of the stirring blade provided in the photoconductor buffer tank 51M. It is measured by means for detecting the toner particle concentration, such as torque detecting means for detecting, a reflection type photosensor for detecting the liquid developer level in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51M.
When the toner particle concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined concentration set in advance, the liquid feeding path of the filtration filter 56M is released from the photoconductor buffer tank 51M, and the waste liquid tank that is the second storage unit from the photoconductor buffer tank 51M. The three-way valve 58M is switched so that the liquid supply path to 48 is closed, and the liquid developer stored in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51M is supplied to the filter 56M by the pump 52M. Then, the liquid developer concentrated by the filter 56M is sent to the photoreceptor buffer tank 51M. The liquid carrier separated from the liquid developer by the filtration filter 56M is sent to the liquid carrier tank 57 as the first storage unit via the liquid carrier transport unit 59A that transports the liquid carrier from the filtration filter 56M, and stored. Is done. The filtration filter 56M is disposed in the first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching section for distributing the liquid developer collected by the cleaning section for collecting the liquid developer on the image carrier. And a filtration unit for filtering the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path. The liquid carrier tank 57 is also a first storage unit that stores the liquid developer that is connected to the first flow path and flows in the first flow path. The waste liquid tank 48 is connected to a second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching section and is also a second storage section for storing the liquid developer flowing in the second flow path.

  When the toner particle concentration in the liquid developer in the photoconductor buffer tank 51M is larger than a predetermined concentration, the liquid supply path from the photoconductor buffer tank 51M to the filtration filter 56M is closed, and the photoconductor buffer The three-way valve 58M is switched so that the liquid supply path from the tank 51M to the waste liquid tank 48 is released, and the liquid developer stored in the photoreceptor buffer tank 51M is sent to the waste liquid tank 48 by the pump 52M. Stored. As a result, the liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration does not flow into the filtration filter 56M, and the filtration filter 56M is not clogged for a long time.

  Further, the three-way valve 60M is switched so that the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the stirring tank 53M is closed and the liquid feeding path from the liquid carrier tank 57 to the filtration filter 56M is released. The liquid carrier stored in is sequentially sent to the filtration filter 56M by the pump 558M through the liquid carrier transport unit 59BM and the three-way valve 60M (back flow sequence). As a result, the liquid carrier that has passed through the filtration filter 56M is discarded to the waste liquid tank 48 via the photosensitive body buffer tank 51M together with solids such as toner particles accumulated on the separation membrane of the filtration filter 56M. Cleaning the filtration filter 56M by the reverse flow sequence prolongs the life of the filtration filter 56M.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the image forming apparatus of the present invention may be a tandem color image forming apparatus having a liquid carrier recovery system for any one to three colors of each color and / or an intermediate transfer member cleaning device. In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of image forming units corresponding to the respective development colors are supported on a cylindrical rotating support, and each image forming unit is sequentially moved to the transfer position of the intermediate transfer member by the rotation of the rotating support. It may also be a rotary type color image forming apparatus in which the toner images of each color are moved and transferred one after another. Further, an intermediate transfer drum can be used in the embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. When the intermediate transfer drum is used in the embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade provided on the intermediate transfer member is used during the primary transfer process in which the toner image is transferred from the image forming unit to the intermediate transfer member. Further, it is separated from the intermediate transfer member until a full-color toner image or a single-color toner image transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium passes, and then the edge contact with the intermediate transfer member after the so-called printing operation is completed. And press-sliding contact.

Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a conventional monochromatic image forming apparatus Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a conventional color image forming apparatus Schematic diagram of an embodiment of a liquid developer conveying device Schematic diagram of cross-flow filtration Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a liquid developer carrying device provided with a liquid carrier carrying unit Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a liquid developer conveying device having a three-way valve Schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a liquid developer conveying device including two pumps Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a monochromatic image forming apparatus Flowchart of image formation by single color image forming apparatus Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a monochromatic image forming apparatus Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a color image forming apparatus Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a monochromatic image forming apparatus Flowchart of image formation by single color image forming apparatus Schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a color image forming apparatus

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st flow path, 2 ... 2nd flow path, 3 ... Flow path switching part, 4 ... Filtration part, 5 ... 1st storage part, 6 ... 2nd storage part, 7 ... Liquid carrier conveyance part, 10 ... Photosensitivity , Squeeze roller, 14 ... cleaning blade, 15 ... liquid developer collecting section, 17 ... cleaning blade, 18 ... liquid developer collecting section, 20 ... developing roller, 31 ... developer container, 32 ... developer Supply roller, 40 ... intermediate transfer member, 41 ... drive roller, 42 ... tension roller, 46 ... cleaning blade, 47 ... liquid developer recovery unit, 48 ... waste liquid tank, 51 ... buffer tank, 53 ... stirring tank, 54 ... replenishment Liquid developer tank, 56 ... filtration filter, 57 ... liquid carrier tank, 58 ... channel switching section, 59 ... liquid carrier transport section, 60 ... channel switching section, 61 ... secondary transfer roller, 62 ... pressure detection means

Claims (15)

A flow path switching unit for distributing the liquid developer;
A first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit;
A filtration unit that is disposed in the first flow path and filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path;
A first storage unit connected to the first flow path and storing the liquid developer filtered by the filtering unit;
A second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit;
A second storage unit connected to the second flow path and storing a liquid developer flowing in the second flow path;
A liquid developer conveying device comprising: The liquid developer conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the filtering unit is a cross flow filter. 3. The liquid developer transport device according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid carrier transport unit configured to transport the liquid developer filtered by the filter unit from the first storage unit to the filter unit. The liquid developer conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the flow path switching unit is a three-way valve. The liquid developer conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the flow path switching unit includes two pumps. An image carrier for carrying a toner image;
A cleaning unit for recovering the liquid developer on the image carrier;
A flow path switching unit for distributing the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit;
A first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit;
A filtration unit that is disposed in the first flow path and filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path;
A first storage unit connected to the first flow path and storing the liquid developer filtered by the filtering unit;
A second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit;
A second storage unit connected to the second flow path and storing a liquid developer flowing in the second flow path;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the filtering unit is a cross flow filter. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a liquid carrier transport unit configured to transport the liquid developer filtered by the filter unit from the first storage unit to the filter unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the flow path switching unit is a three-way valve. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the flow path switching unit includes two pumps. An image carrier for carrying a toner image;
A transfer member to which a toner image on the image carrier is transferred;
A cleaning unit for collecting the liquid developer of the transfer member;
A flow path switching unit for distributing the liquid developer collected by the cleaning unit;
A first flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit;
A filtration unit that is disposed in the first flow path and filters the liquid developer flowing in the first flow path;
A first storage unit connected to the first flow path and storing the liquid developer filtered by the filtering unit;
A second flow path for flowing the liquid developer distributed by the flow path switching unit;
A second storage unit connected to the second flow path and storing a liquid developer flowing in the second flow path;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the filtering unit is a cross flow filter. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a liquid carrier transport unit configured to transport the liquid developer filtered by the filter unit from the first storage unit to the filter unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the flow path switching unit is a three-way valve. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the flow path switching unit includes two pumps.

Images