1. A toner conveying device arranged under a toner container for storing toner, comprising:
a toner conveying passage for conveying toner supplied from the toner container to a developing unit arranged below, wherein at least a portion of the toner conveying passage is formed of an elastic material, the toner conveying passage comprising:
a toner conveying pipe having an opening along one side thereof, and
a partial sidewall that covers the opening in the toner conveying pipe,
wherein the partial sidewall is movable with respect to the toner conveying pipe; and
a toner conveying passage deforming portion coupled to the partial sidewall, wherein the toner conveying passage deforming portion causes the partial sidewall to move with respect to the toner conveying pipe.
2. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the toner conveying passage is formed at the top end thereof with a toner input port that is connected to the toner container side and at the bottom end thereof with a toner discharge port that is connected to the developing unit side, and the path of toner conveyance from the toner input port to the toner discharge port is formed to be straight.
3. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein part of the exterior wall of the toner conveying passage is formed of an elastic material.
4. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the toner conveying passage deforming portion applies an external force to the toner conveying passage to change a sectional shape of the toner conveying passage.
5. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the toner conveying passage deforming portion comprises a deforming member for pressing part of the external wall of the toner conveying passage in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the toner conveying direction.
6. The toner conveying device according to claim 5, wherein the toner conveying passage deforming portion is adapted to change the pressing force of the deforming member acting on the toner conveying passage with passage of time.
7. The toner conveying device according to claim 5, wherein the deforming member applies an external force to a part that is formed of an elastic material in the toner conveying passage.
8. The toner conveying device according to claim 5, wherein the deforming member applies an external force to a part that is not formed of an elastic material in the toner conveying passage.
9. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a toner feeder for feeding toner from the toner container to the toner conveying passage, wherein the toner conveying passage deforming portion moves in linkage with the driving operation of the toner feeder.
10. A toner supply device including a toner container for storing toner and a toner conveying device arranged under the toner container and having a toner conveying passage for conveying toner supplied from the toner container to a developing unit arranged below, so as to feed the toner supplied from the toner container to the developing unit, characterized in that a toner conveying device defined in claim 1 is used as the toner conveying device.
11. An image forming apparatus in which a toner supply device including a toner container for storing toner and a toner conveying device arranged under the toner container and having a toner conveying passage for conveying toner supplied from the toner container to a developing unit arranged below, so as to feed the toner supplied from the toner container to the developing unit is mounted, characterized in that a toner supply device defined in claim 10 is used as the toner supply device.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A printing method comprising:
forming first patterns on a blanket, the first patterns having different surface energy from the blanket;
forming the blanket around a roller;
rotating the roller and dropping a printing material to form second patterns on the blanket between the first patterns; and
transferring the second patterns onto a substrate.
2. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the forming of the second patterns on the blanket comprises:
forming the printing material on the blanket including the first patterns;
causing the printing material on the first patterns to flow onto the blanket by the difference surface energy between the blanket and the first patterns to form the second patterns on the blanket between the first patterns.
3. The printing method according to claim 2, further comprising vibrating the roller to cause the printing material on the first patterns to flow onto the blanket so as to form the second patterns on the blanket between the first patterns.
4. The printing method according to claim 2, wherein the blanket has higher surface energy than the first patterns.
5. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the blanket is formed of polydimethylsiloxane.
6. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the first patterns are formed of polytetrafluoroethylene.
7. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the second patterns has greater thickness than the first patterns.
8. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the second patterns serve as a mask.
9. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising:
providing a roller including second patterns on a blanket between first patterns;
depositing a pattern material on a substrate;
transferring the second patterns onto the pattern material; and
patterning the pattern material using the second patterns as a mask to form third patterns on the substrate.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the third patterns are one of a gate line, a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, a data line, a sourcedrain electrode, and a pixel electrode.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second patterns have greater thickness than the first patterns.
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first patterns are formed of polytetrafluoroethylene.
13. A roller apparatus comprising:
a roller;
a blanket having first surface energy, the blanket being attached around the roller; and
patterns on the blanket, the patterns having second surface energy different from the first surface energy.
14. The roller apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the blanket is formed of polydimethylsiloxane.
15. The roller apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the patterns are formed of polytetrafluoroethylene.
16. The roller apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second surface energy of the pattern is smaller than the first surface energy of the blanket.
17. The roller apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first surface energy ranges from approximately 22 dynescm2 to approximately 24 dynescm2.
18. The roller apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the second surface energy ranges from approximately 18 dynescm2 to 20 dynescm2.
19. The roller apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the blanket is exposed between the patterns.