JPH0789121A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a recording apparatus capable of always achieving stable recording free from irregularity. CONSTITUTION:A large number of control electrodes 3a, 3b are provided on the upper surface of an insulating layer 2 so as to independently surround respective aperture parts 4a, 4b. Conductor parts 5a, 5b are provided from the control electrodes 3a, 3b and the conductor parts 5a on the upstream side in a toner feed direction are arranged so as not to be overlapped with the aperture parts 4 with respect to the toner feed direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device applied to a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as one of recording devices of this type,
As the charged particle control means, an aperture electrode having an opening and modulating and controlling the flow of toner passing through the opening,
A toner transport device that is disposed on the back surface of the aperture electrode and transports the charged toner to the opening of the aperture electrode, and the toner that is transported by the toner transport device and passes through the aperture of the aperture electrode. A recording device has been proposed that includes a counter electrode that leads to a support disposed on the surface.

However, in this recording apparatus, the toner conveyed by the aperture electrode is firmly adhered to the toner conveying member in the toner conveying apparatus by the image force and the like, so that the toner flow can be controlled. There wasn't.

Therefore, the present applicant has filed Japanese Patent Application No. 4-2544.
No. 94 application proposes a recording device in which the toner carrier and the aperture electrode are arranged in contact with each other at least near the opening.

In order to improve the recording density, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, rows of openings 44a are provided at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction, and the rows of openings 44a are arranged in the longitudinal direction. There is also proposed a recording apparatus in which a row of openings 44b, which are shifted by a half pitch of the openings 44a, are provided with aperture electrodes 41 that are provided so as to be displaced in the toner transport direction. And, around these openings 44a and 44b,
Control electrodes 43a and 43b are provided, and the control electrodes 43a and 43b are
Conductor parts 45a and 45b are routed around 43b as shown in FIG. That is, the control electrode 43a provided on the upstream side in the toner transport direction is on the upstream side,
The control electrode 43b provided on the downstream side in the toner conveying direction is provided with conductive wire portions 45a and 45b on the downstream side.

[0006]

However, in the conventional recording apparatus, the amount of toner passing through the opening 44a located upstream in the toner carrying direction passes through the opening 44b located downstream in the toner carrying direction. There is a problem that the amount is less than the amount of toner. Next, this problem will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

The negatively charged toner 54 is supplied to the aperture electrode 41. As shown in FIG.
When -20 V is applied as a toner flow blocking voltage to the control electrode 43a on the upstream side in the toner transport direction through the conductor portion 45a, an electric field is generated which exerts a force to move the toner 54 toward the toner transport roller 51. . Therefore, the toner 54 does not move in the direction of the aperture electrode 41, but smoothly moves between the toner conveying roller 45 and the aperture electrode 41.

As shown in FIG. 6, when a plus 20V is applied as a toner flow passage voltage to the control electrode 43a on the upstream side in the toner conveying direction through the conductor portion 45a, the toner 54 which is negatively charged becomes the toner carrying roller. 5
An electric field that acts so as to move from 1 to the control electrode 43a is formed. At the same time, a similar electric field is formed in the direction of the conductor portion 45a. Due to this electric field, the toner 54 is attracted and adhered to the control electrode 43a and the back of the conductor portion 45a with the insulating layer 42 interposed therebetween. Due to this adhesion, the amount of toner supplied to the opening 44a on the upstream side in the toner transport direction is reduced, so that the amount of toner passing through the opening 44a is reduced.

On the other hand, the opening 44 on the downstream side in the toner conveying direction
To the point b, the toner is supplied without decreasing the amount because the conducting wire portion 45b of the control electrode 43b is not routed upstream in the toner conveying direction. By the operation described above, the amount of toner passing through the opening 44a provided on the upstream side in the toner carrying direction is larger than the amount of toner passing through the opening 44b provided on the downstream side in the toner carrying direction. Less. As a result, there is a problem that the recording is uneven.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus capable of always achieving stable and even recording.

[0011]

To achieve this object, a recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a charged particle carrier for carrying charged particles, and an opening for supplying charged particles by the charged particle carrier. , A charged particle control means provided with a control electrode provided around the opening and a conductive wire portion connected from the control electrode to the image signal application section, and a support on the upper surface of the charged particle control means. A recording device including a counter electrode for guiding, wherein the conductor portion of the control electrode is provided so as not to overlap the corresponding opening portion in the charged particle transport direction.

[0012]

In the recording apparatus of the present invention having the above-described structure, since the conductor of the control electrode is not provided on the upstream side of the opening in the toner conveying direction, the toner conveyed to the opening is applied to the control electrode. It is not affected by the applied voltage.

[0013]

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram embodying the structure of a recording apparatus embodying the present invention.
Insertion port 21 for inserting the support P on which an image is to be recorded
Is provided, and an outlet 22 through which the support P on which an image is recorded is discharged is provided on the left side. Then, an aperture electrode 1 as a charged particle control means, a counter electrode 6, and a toner carrying device 10 are provided inside the device.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the aperture electrode 1 has a plate-like insulating layer 2 made of an insulating material described later.
In the longitudinal direction, a large number of openings 4a are arranged in a line at equal intervals. Further, the openings 4b are arranged in a line at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction by being displaced by a half pitch of the openings 4a and further displaced to the downstream side in the toner conveying direction described later.

On the upper surface of the insulating layer 2, a large number of control electrodes 3a and control electrodes 3b are provided so as to individually surround the openings 4a and the openings 4b. further,
Conductor parts 5a and 5b are provided from the control electrodes 3a and 3b, and the conductor part 5a on the upstream side in the toner conveying direction is provided.
Are arranged so as not to overlap the opening 4 in the toner transport direction.

The insulating layer 2 is made of a polymer resin film having a thickness of 25 μm, preferably polyimide, and the control electrodes 3a and 3b are made of a metal film having a thickness of 1 μm, preferably copper. . The control electrodes 3a and 3b are connected to the image signal applying section 7 through the conductor portions 5a and 5b, respectively.

Then, in the lower part of the aperture electrode 1,
A toner transport device 10 is provided. The toner carrying device 10 is covered with a toner case 15,
It is composed of a toner carrying roller 11 as a toner carrying body, a supply roller 12, and a blade 13. The toner 14 is stored inside the toner case 15. The supply roller 12 is configured to rotate in the arrow direction in the figure in order to supply the toner 14 to the toner transport roller 11. Further, the blade 13 is arranged so as to be in pressure contact with the toner conveying roller 11.

The aperture electrode 1 described above has all the openings 3
Mount the base 9 so that a and 3b are in contact with the toner conveying roller 11.
Supported by.

A counter electrode 6 is provided above the aperture electrode 1.
Are arranged. Further, a space of, for example, 0.1 mm is provided between the counter electrode 6 and the aperture electrode 1 so that the support P can pass therethrough. A voltage of plus 200 V is applied to the counter electrode 6 by the DC power supply 8.

The support P is conveyed by the pair of guide rollers 23 from the insertion port 21 toward the lower side of the counter electrode 6, and after passing through the counter electrode 6, the heat roller 24 and the press roller 25 having a heat source inside. Was transported between
The toner on the support is heat-fixed.

Next, the operation of the recording apparatus having the above structure will be described.

In the toner carrying device 10, the toner 14 stored in the toner case 15 is supplied to the toner carrying roller 11 by the supply roller 12. At this place
The toner 14 is supplied by the supply roller 12 and the toner conveying roller 11.
By and, they contact and rub and become negatively charged. The charged toner 14 is transferred to the toner carrying roller 11
Is rotated, it is conveyed via the blade 13 to the opening of the aperture electrode 1, first to the opening 4a on the upstream side and then to the opening 4b on the downstream side. The toner 14 carried by the toner carrying roller 11 by the blade 13 becomes a thin and uniform toner layer.

The toner 14 carried as a thin and uniform toner layer on the toner conveying roller 11 is conveyed to the insulating layer 2 of the aperture electrode 1 and the toner before being conveyed to the opening 4 of the aperture electrode 1. By sliding on the surface of the transport roller 11, kinetic energy due to shearing force is given, and the toner adhesion force to the toner transport roller 11 is relaxed. The toner, the adhesion of which to the toner carrying roller 11 is relaxed, is carried to the opening of the aperture electrode 1.

Then, the openings 4a, 4 of the aperture electrode 1 are formed.
The toner 14 conveyed to the control electrode 3 is conveyed from the image signal applying section 7 to the control electrode 3 through the conducting wire sections 5a and 5b of the aperture electrode 1.
Depending on the voltage applied to a and 3b, this control electrode 3
openings 4a and 4 provided corresponding to a and 3b, respectively.
The passage of b is controlled. At this time, the charged toner to be controlled is transported in a state in which the adhesive force with the toner transport roller 11 is relaxed, so that control with a considerably low voltage is possible.

More specifically, when a voltage of plus 20 V is applied to the control electrodes 3a and 3b as the toner passing voltage from the image signal applying section 7, the toner conveying roller 11 and the control electrodes 3a and 3b which are grounded are connected. Between and, that is, inside the openings 4a, 4b corresponding to the control electrodes,
An electric field is generated so that the negatively charged toner 14 can pass through the openings 4a and 4b, and the toner 14 is
Pass 4b.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, a plus 20 is applied to the control electrode 3a provided on the upstream side in the toner conveying direction.
When the toner flow passing voltage of the volt is applied, an electric field in which a force acts so that the negatively charged toner 14 moves to the control electrode 3a and the conductive wire portion 5a is formed. Due to this electric field, the toner 14 is attracted and adhered to the back surfaces of the control electrode 3a and the conductive wire portion 5a with the insulating layer 2 interposed therebetween. Due to this adhesion, conventionally, the opening 4 on the upstream side in the toner conveying direction is formed.
Since the amount of toner conveyed to a is small, the amount of toner passing through the opening 4a is reduced. However, in the present embodiment, the conductor portion 5a is
Since it does not overlap the opening, a certain amount of toner is conveyed to the opening 4a. Therefore, when a voltage is applied to the control electrode 3a, a desired amount of toner passes through the opening 4a. At this time, the control electrode 3a is also present on the upstream side in the toner transport direction, but its area is extremely small, so there is almost no problem.

On the other hand, the opening 4b on the downstream side in the toner conveying direction.
Since the conducting wire portion 5b of the control electrode 3b is routed to the downstream side in the toner transport direction, the toner is supplied by the application of the control voltage without decreasing the amount. Then, a desired amount of toner passes through the opening 4b. By such an operation, the amount of toner passing through the opening 4a provided upstream in the toner transport direction and the amount of toner passing through the opening 4b provided downstream in the toner transport direction are substantially equal to each other. Can be matched.

Further, as the toner shielding voltage from the image signal applying section 7, a voltage of minus 20 V is applied to the conducting wire portions 5a, 5a.
When it is applied to the control electrodes 3a and 3b through b, the toner carrying roller 11 and the control electrode 3a,
3b, that is, inside the openings 4a and 4b, the negatively charged toner 14 is discharged to the openings 4a and 4b.
The toner 14 does not pass through the openings 4a and 4b because an electric field is generated that blocks passage of b.

A voltage of plus 200 V is applied to the counter electrode 6 by the DC power supply 8. By this voltage application, an electric field is formed between the counter electrode 6 and the aperture electrode 1, and the opening 4a of the aperture electrode 1 is formed along the electric field.
The toner 14 that has passed through 4b is attracted to the counter electrode 6. Then, the toner 14 is applied to the conveyed support P.

On the other hand, the support P inserted into the apparatus through the insertion port 21 is conveyed to the counter electrode 6 by the pair of guide rollers 23.

Then, the toner image is formed on the support P by sequentially transporting the support.

After that, the support P is conveyed in the direction of the take-out port and is sandwiched by the heat roller 24 and the press roller 25, and the toner image on the support P is thermally fixed.

The support P on which the toner image is thermally fixed is conveyed to the take-out port 22 and discharged outside the apparatus.

As described above, since the conductor portion of the control electrode is provided so as not to overlap the opening in the toner transport direction, the toner supplied to the opening is
It is not disturbed by the application of the control voltage. Therefore, stable and stable recording is achieved. Further, when the openings are arranged so as to be displaced in the toner carrying direction, the amount of toner passing through the opening 4a provided upstream in the toner carrying direction and the opening 4b provided downstream in the toner carrying direction. The amount of toner passing through the toner is almost the same. As a result, recording without unevenness in density is achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the present embodiment, the aperture electrodes having the openings displaced from the toner transport direction have been described. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the openings 34 are arranged in one row. It is also possible to use the formed aperture electrode 31. Also in this case, the conducting wire portion 35 is arranged so as not to overlap the opening portion 33 in the toner transport direction.

Further, the apertures can be applied to a plurality of rows of aperture electrodes arranged so as to be offset by three or more rows in the toner conveying direction.

In this embodiment, the aperture electrode is used as the toner flow control means.
It is easily understood that it is also possible to use the mesh-shaped toner flow control means described in Japanese Patent No. 3221.

[0040]

As described above, according to the recording apparatus of the present invention, the conductor portion of the control electrode is provided so as not to overlap the opening portion in the toner conveying direction.
The toner supplied to the opening is not disturbed by the application of the control voltage. Therefore, stable and stable recording is achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration cross-sectional view of a recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an aperture electrode mounted on the recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing another embodiment of the aperture electrode.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an aperture electrode mounted on a conventional recording device.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of a conventional recording apparatus.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram of a conventional recording apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Aperture electrode 2 Insulating layer 3a, 3b Control electrode 4a, 4b Opening 5a, 5b Conductor part 6 Counter electrode 7 Image signal application part 10 Toner carrier device 11 Toner carrier roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A charged particle carrier for carrying charged particles, an opening through which charged particles are supplied by the charged particle carrier, a control electrode provided around the opening, and an image from the control electrode. In a recording device including a charged particle control unit provided with a conductive wire portion connected to a signal applying unit, and a counter electrode for guiding a support to an upper surface of the charged particle control unit, the conductive wire portion of the control electrode corresponds to A recording apparatus, which is provided so as not to overlap the opening to be carried in the charged particle transport direction.