JPH04248572A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To offer an image recorder capable of supplying a stable toner cloud to an aperture electrode and achieving stable recording by suppressing the clogging of a brush roller caused by driving the recorder for a long time. CONSTITUTION:On the lower part of the aperture electrode 9, a brush roller 3 in contact with a scratching member 10 is provided, and on the top end of the scratching member 10, hairs 11 are provided, the hairs 11 scratches the toner T carried on the depth of the brush roller 3 accompanying with the rotation of the brush roller 3, as well, so that even if a device is driven for the long time, the clogging with the toner T carried by the brush roller 3 can be prevented. Thus, the stable toner cloud can be produced.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a direct modulation type non-contact image recording apparatus that is applied to copying machines, printers, etc.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of image recording apparatus is composed of an aperture electrode and a toner carrier. The toner carrier is a means for carrying charged toner and supplying the charged toner to the vicinity of the aperture electrode. The aperture electrode is a control means that modulates the charged toner by applying an image signal to the aperture electrode. Then, this modulated toner
The image is projected onto a support such as plain paper, and an image or the like is formed.

[0003] The above-mentioned image recording apparatus is shown, for example, in the specification and drawings attached to Japanese Patent Application No. 10906/1999, which was previously filed by the present applicant. This image recording device is
It is composed of a toner carrier, a scraping member, and an aperture electrode. The toner carrier is a brush roller. The scraping member scratches this brush roller.

[0004] According to this configuration, the brush roller:
It can support a large amount of toner. A large amount of toner is supplied to the vicinity of the aperture electrode by this brush roller. At that location, the brush roller is scratched by the scratching member. When the brush returns to its original position due to its elasticity, a large amount of toner carried on the brush jumps up. As a result, a large cloud of toner is generated near the aperture electrode. Therefore, an image recording device that can be driven at low voltage and can process at high speed is provided.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when this image recording device is driven for a long period of time, toner accumulates on the brush roller and cannot be removed even with a scraping member, resulting in so-called clogging. Ta. As a result, toner clouds no longer occur, resulting in an image recording device that lacks recording stability.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to supply a stable toner cloud to the aperture electrode by suppressing clogging of the brush roller caused by driving the device for a long time. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device that can achieve stable recording.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image recording device of the present invention is characterized in that at least the tip of the scraping member has a brush-like member that can enter into at least the inside of the brush of the brush roller. shall be.

[0008]

[Operation] According to the present invention having the above configuration, since the brush-like member scratches the inside of the brush of the brush roller, which is the toner carrier, clogging does not occur and a stable toner cloud is created through the aperture. It can be supplied to the electrode.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention.

[0011] An insertion opening 17 is provided on the side of the device exterior 19;
A take-out port 18 is provided. Inside the apparatus, a recording section 1 and a heat fixing section 2 are provided adjacent thereto. An image of the support P entered through the insertion port 17 is recorded in the recording section 1. Next, the image on this support P is transferred to the fixing section 2.
In this step, it is thermally fixed onto the support P. Then, this support P is taken out from the takeout port 18 via the guide 15.

Inside the recording section 1, a rotatable brush roller 3, an aperture electrode 9, and a counter electrode 12 are provided. A supply roller 4 rotating in the same direction as the brush roller 3 and a scraping member 10 are provided around the brush roller 3 in contact with the brush roller 3. As shown in FIG. 2, a large number of bristles 11 are provided at the tip of the scraping member 10. Furthermore, the brush roller 3 is grounded. Further, the supply roller 4 is covered with a toner case K. Toner T is stored inside this toner case K.

The aperture electrode 9 is provided above the brush roller 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the aperture electrode 9 includes a large number of apertures 5, an insulating layer 6,
It is composed of a reference electrode layer 7 and a large number of control electrode layers 8. The apertures 5 are opened into the aperture electrode 9 and arranged in a line. Further, the reference electrode layer 7 is provided on the entire surface of the insulating layer 6 on the brush roller 3 side. Each control electrode layer 8 is arranged around the aperture 5 on the top surface of the insulating layer 6 . The reference electrode layer 7 is connected to a power source E1, and each control electrode layer 8 is connected to a signal source S. The counter electrode 12 is arranged above the aperture electrode 9. Further, a space is provided between the counter electrode 12 and the aperture electrode 9 through which the support P can pass. This counter electrode 12
is connected to, for example, a negative (-) power source E2.

The support P is conveyed by a guide 15 and a pair of guide rollers 16 from the insertion opening 17 to the heat fixing section 2 via the counter electrode 12.

Inside the heat fixing section 2, a heat roller 13 having an internal heat source and a press roller 14 are provided in contact with each other. The support P is configured to be able to pass between the heat roller 13 and the press roller 14.

Next, the operation of the image recording apparatus of the present invention will be explained.

Inside the recording unit 1, the toner T is supplied to the brush roller 3 by the supply roller 4. At this time, the toner contacts and rubs against the supply roller 4 and the brush roller 3, and is charged, for example, positively (+). The toner T is then conveyed to the vicinity of the aperture electrode 9 by the brush roller 3 . The brush roller 3 is scratched by the scraper 10 near the aperture electrode 9 . As a result, the toner T carried on the brush roller 3 forms a cloud and forms an aperture electrode 9.
supplied to At this time, the tip of the scraping member 10 has hairs 1
1, and the bristles 11 scrape out the toner T carried deep inside the brush roller 3, so even if the device is driven for a long time, the toner T carried on the brush roller 3 will be scraped out.
I don't get dizzy. Therefore, it is possible to generate a stable toner cloud.

The toner T thus transported to the vicinity of the aperture electrode 9 and formed into a cloud shape is attracted to the reference electrode layer 7 of the aperture electrode 9 by the electric field generated by the power source E1.

On the other hand, the support P inserted into the apparatus through the insertion port 17 is conveyed to the counter electrode 12 by a guide 15 and a guide roller 16.

At this location, a signal voltage is applied from the signal source S to the control electrode layer 8 of the aperture electrode 9. Based on this signal voltage, the flow of the toner T is modulated and controlled. That is, from the signal source S to minus (-
) When a voltage is applied to the control electrode layer 8, the positively (+) charged toner T inside the aperture 5,
An electric field is generated from the reference electrode layer 7 toward the control electrode layer 8. Therefore, the toner T passes through the aperture 5.

When no voltage is applied from the signal source S, no electric field is generated inside the aperture 5. Therefore, the toner T does not pass through the aperture 5.

A negative (-) voltage is applied to the counter electrode 12 by a power source E2. The toner T is attracted to the counter electrode 12 by this voltage application. Then, the toner T is applied to the support P. As a result of the above, the support P
An image is formed on top.

Thereafter, the support P is conveyed from the recording section 1 to the heat fixing section 2. The image on the support P is then thermally fixed. Since this heat fixing method is already a known technique, detailed explanation will be omitted.

The support P that has passed through the heat fixing section 2 is conveyed to the take-out port 18 via the guide 15, and then
taken out.

The image recording apparatus of the present invention described above is not limited to this embodiment, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

[0026]

[Effect of the invention] As is clear from the detailed description above,
Since it is possible to scrape out even the toner carried deep within the brush roller, a stable toner cloud is always supplied to the aperture electrode. As a result, stable recording can be achieved even if the device is operated for a long time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the scraping member.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an aperture electrode.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 Toner carrying roller 4 Supply roller 5 Aperture 6 Insulating layer 7 Reference electrode layer 8 Control electrode layer 9 Aperture electrode 10 Scraping member 11 Hair K Toner case S Signal source

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus that controls passage of powder through an aperture to obtain an image on a support by applying an image signal to an electrode with an aperture, as means for supplying powder to the aperture. Consisting of a rotatable brush roller and a scraping member for scraping the brush roller,
An image recording apparatus characterized in that a brush-like member that can enter at least the inside of the brush of the brush roller is provided at least at the tip of the scraping member.