JP2956189B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for directly controlling and recording a toner flow. In particular, it relates to the electrode structure.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, after uniformly charging powder colored particles such as a toner stream, an image is controlled by an electric field by a control electrode provided with an opening electrode and a back electrode provided behind a support. There has been proposed an image recording apparatus for outputting. An apparatus of this type is reported, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,689,935.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, when recording is performed using the above-described image recording apparatus, there has been a problem that a hole is clogged with a toner in an opening electrode portion. For example, in order to obtain a recording density of 240 DPI (dots per inch), the size of a dot is at most 100 μm, and therefore the inner diameter of the aperture electrode in the control electrode needs to be as small as about 50 μm. In some cases, toner having a small degree is clogged in the opening electrode portion due to environmental changes, dust, or the like.

As a countermeasure, cleaning with a brush-like carrying roller has been attempted, but no sufficient effect has been obtained.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide an image recording apparatus that can prevent clogging of an opening electrode portion and can always obtain a stable image output.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a carrier for supporting a charged powder, and an opening provided near and above the carrier. And a back electrode opposed to the control electrode with a support serving as an image receiving body interposed therebetween, and at least a surface of the control electrode facing the carrier has the same polarity as the powder. Is provided.

[Operation] According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, a member that is charged to the same polarity as the powder is provided on at least the surface of the control electrode that faces the carrier. There is no close contact. Therefore, it is possible to prevent troubles related to the powder of the electrode portion. As a result, a stable image output can always be obtained.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration of the toner jet recording apparatus 19 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The toner jet recording apparatus 19 is roughly composed of a recording unit 1 for recording an image on the medium P with the toner T and a heat fixing unit 2 for fixing the image recorded on the medium P with the toner T. Further, on the side of the toner jet recording device 19, an insertion port 17 for inserting the medium P and an outlet 18 for discharging the medium P on which an image is fixed are provided.

A toner case K that stores toner T is provided below the recording unit 1. Further, inside the toner case K, a supply roller 4 for charging the toner T by rubbing and supplying the toner to the surface thereof, and a toner case K
And a brush roller 3 which is rotatably supported and is supplied with the toner T in contact with the supply roller 4. Around the brush roller 3, a layer thickness adjusting member 11 for adjusting the layer thickness of the toner T supplied to the brush roller 3, and the brush of the brush roller 3 are scraped and carried by the brush roller 3. A scraping member 10 for flying the toner T to create a toner cloud is provided in contact with the brush roller 3. The brush roller 3 is grounded.

An aperture electrode 9 is provided above the brush roller 3.

Further, the brush roller 3 is sandwiched between the aperture electrodes 9.
On the opposite side, a counter electrode 12 is provided with a certain space from the aperture electrode 9. The medium P that enters the space through the insertion port 17 and is conveyed while being held by the pair of auxiliary rollers 16 while being supported by the guide 15 passes. This counter electrode 12 is connected to a power supply E2 (minus (-)). By this voltage application, the toner T passing through the aperture 5 of the aperture electrode 9 is moved and adsorbed on the medium P.

Here, the aperture electrode 9 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be described. FIG. 1 shows an aperture electrode 9 of this embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view.

The aperture electrode 9 includes a number of apertures 5 and an insulating layer 6.
, A reference electrode layer 7, a number of control electrode layers 8, and an adhesion preventing layer 20. The apertures 5 are provided in the insulating layer 6 with openings, and are arranged in a line. The reference electrode layer 7 is provided on the brush layer 3 side of the insulating layer 6. Further, the control electrode layer 8 is provided independently on the upper surface of the insulating layer 6 around the aperture 5. In addition, the adhesion preventing layer 20 is
And on the surface of the reference electrode layer 9. Anti-adhesion layer
Reference numeral 20 denotes a member which is charged to the same polarity as the toner T.
That is, if the toner T is negatively charged, Teflon or a silicon-based material is preferable, and if the toner T is positively charged, nylon or acrylic is preferable. That is, it is preferable that the one located at the positive / negative end on the charging line is used. The reference electrode layer 7 is connected to a negative (-) DC power supply E1, and the multiple control electrode layers 8 are connected to multiple signal sources S, respectively.

The heat fixing unit 2 is a heat roller having a heat source (not shown)
13 and a press roller 14. The heat roller 13 and the press roller 14 are arranged so that the medium P can pass between them.

Next, the operation of the toner jet recording apparatus 19 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

The medium P inserted from the insertion port 17 is conveyed to the recording unit 1 while being supported by the guide 15 and nipped by the auxiliary roller 16. When the support P is conveyed to the recording unit 1, the supply roller 4 rotates in the direction of the arrow, and the toner T is rubbed between the supply roller 4 and frictionally charged to be carried on the surface of the supply roller 4. Is done. Next, the toner T carried on the surface of the supply roller 4 comes into contact with the brush roller 3. At this time, the toner T
Is further rubbed between the supply roller 4 and the brush roller 3 and frictionally charged, for example, positively (+).
The toner T charged to plus (+) moves from the surface of the supply roller 4 to the surface of the brush roller 3 and is carried. Then, the toner T carried on the surface of the brush roller 3 comes into contact with the layer thickness regulating member 11 according to the rotation of the brush roller 3, so that the toner T excessively supplied to the brush roller 3 is scraped off. As a result, a uniform toner layer is formed on the brush roller 3. When the brush roller 3 further rotates, the brush roller 3 is scraped by the scraping member 10 near the aperture electrode 9. Then, when the brush returns to the original state due to the elasticity of the brush of the brush roller 3, the toner T carried by the brush in an appropriate amount jumps up. As a result, the toner T is supplied to the aperture electrode 9 in a cloud state. However, since the adhesion preventing layer 20 is disposed on the electrode, the toner does not adhere even when the toner approaches. That is, since the adhesion preventing layer 20 is made of a material which is easily charged to the same polarity as the toner T, even if the toner T comes close, it repels due to the cloning force and does not adhere.

The cloud of the toner T charged to the plus (+) is drawn to the reference electrode layer 7 connected to the minus (-) power supply E1. Then, the flow of the toner T is modulated according to the voltage applied from the signal source S to the control electrode layer 8 of the aperture electrode 9. Since the brush roller 3 rotates until the medium P passes through the aperture electrode 9, the toner T is always supplied stably. The toner flow is modulated by the aperture electrode 9 by the signal source S and recorded on the medium P.
That is, the negative (−) power supply E2 connected to the opposite electrode
The positive (+) charged toner T modulated by
Fly toward the counter electrode. The toner T is attracted to the medium P.

After that, the medium P is transported to the heat fixing unit 2. Then, the toner T adhered on the medium P is heated by a heat roller.
The image is recorded on the medium P by being pressed by the press roller 13 and the press roller 14. Since this fixing method is a general method, a detailed description is omitted. And finally, the medium P on which the image is formed is
Via the guide 15, it is conveyed to the take-out port 18 and discharged out of the apparatus.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment,
Changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. That is, the gist of the present invention is to provide an anti-adhesion layer on the surface of the aperture electrode to prevent toner accumulation.
In this embodiment, the adhesion preventing layers are provided on both sides of the electrode. However, for example, the adhesion preventing layer may be arranged only on the reference electrode side, or may be arranged inside the hole.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, since at least the surface of the control electrode facing the carrier is provided with a member charged to the same polarity as the powder, The charged powder does not adhere to the control electrode. Therefore, it is possible to prevent troubles related to the powder of the electrode portion. As a result, it is possible to provide an image recording apparatus capable of always obtaining a stable image output, which has an industrially remarkable effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aperture electrode, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the aperture electrode, and FIG. It is a schematic block diagram. In the figure, 5 is an aperture, 6 is an insulating layer, 7 is a reference electrode, 8 is a control electrode, 9 is an aperture electrode, and 20 is an adhesion preventing layer.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A carrier for supporting a charged powder, a control electrode provided in close proximity to the carrier and provided with an opening, and a support serving as an image receiving body with respect to the control electrode. An image recording apparatus comprising: a back electrode that faces each other, wherein at least a surface of the control electrode that faces the carrier is provided with a member that is charged to the same polarity as the powder. .