Toning shoe employing a bifurcated return port

摘要

An electrostatic recorder or copier having a toning shoe that includes a plurality of fluid supply channels in a bifurcation means for separating fluids, to avoid back pressure in the toning shoe. The bifurcation means substantially separates a flow of return air from a flow of return toner in the toning shoe by defining a plurality of fluid return channels. The electrostatic recorder or copier also includes a backing support spaced apart from the applicator so as to flexibly retain a recording medium in close proximity to a toning surface of the toning shoe.