JPH0872248A - Solid particle flying type image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a solid colored particle flying type recorder wherein a solid colored particle is powerfully concentrated to a discharge part of a recording head, and a particle drop is flown from a proper position. CONSTITUTION: Recording electrodes are arranged in sets of two to a lower substrate of a recording head. A gap d1 between a two-piece set of recording electrodes 22-1a and 22-1b is formed to be narrower than a gap d2 between the set of recording electrodes 22-1a, 22-1b and the adjacent two-piece set of recording electrodes 22-2a, 22-2b. Recording pulse voltage is selectively applied to each two-piece set of recording electrodes. Further, when recording electrodes are arranged at regular gaps, at first a first and a second, a fourth and a fifth,... recording electrodes are respecrively paired, and the voltage is selectively applied thereto. Then, the second and a third, the fifth and a sixth,... recording electrodes are paired, and the voltage is selectively applied thereto. Lastly, the third and the fourth, the sixth and a seventh,... recording electrodes are paired, and the voltage is applied thereto to complete printing of main scan one line.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solid particle flying type image recording apparatus for flying solid colored particles to record an image on a recording member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet type image recording apparatus has been put into practical use. This is to seal the ink in which a dye is dissolved in a conductive solvent in a container, apply a pressure pulse or thermal energy to the container, and eject the ink from the ejection port of the container to the paper. A serial scanning printhead is used, and the printing depends on the precision of the mechanical movement. Therefore, there are drawbacks that deterioration of image quality is unavoidable and it is difficult to increase the recording speed.

There is also a magnetic ink jet system. This is because magnetic ink is arranged in the vicinity of the magnetic electrode array, ink is raised by a magnetic field to form an ink discharge waiting state corresponding to a pixel, and the magnetic ink is ejected by an electrostatic field, and electronic scanning is possible. High speed recording is possible. However, it is not easy to select an ink due to the properties of the magnetic ink, and it is difficult to color it in a bright color, which is not suitable for colorization.

There is also a flat ink jet system. In this method, conductive ink is arranged in a slit-shaped ink reservoir parallel to the electrode array, and the ink is ejected according to the electric field pattern formed between the counter electrode and the electrode array via the recording paper. This is because the voltage applied for ejecting the ink is high and the charge is injected from the electrode to the ink, so that the insulation between the electrode and the ink cannot be performed. Therefore, the distance between the electrodes cannot be narrowed so much that it is difficult to achieve high resolution.
The electrode array must be driven in a time-division manner in order to prevent voltage leakage between adjacent electrodes, which has a drawback that the speed cannot be increased.

Further, there is a thermal electrostatic ink jet type. This is because conductive ink is placed in a slit-shaped ink reservoir parallel to the electrode array and heating element array, electric energy is applied between the counter electrode and the electrode array via the recording paper, and thermal energy is further applied by the heating element. Apply,
Ink is ejected in a region to which both energies are applied. This requires a means for generating / supplying two energies of electric energy and heat energy and means for controlling the respective timings, and thus has a drawback that the structure becomes complicated.

In any of the above-mentioned methods, since droplets of conductive ink are caused to fly to the recording member by an electric field or the like for recording, depending on the recording member, bleeding due to lateral spreading and It is difficult to improve the resolution because the density becomes unstable due to the penetration to the back side. In addition, due to the same thing, color recording has drawbacks such as back stain. Therefore, in practical use,
In order to protect these drawbacks, it is necessary to prepare a special paper, which causes a problem that the recording member is expensive and the management thereof is troublesome.

In order to eliminate all of these disadvantages,
Structurally simple, high density, multi-channel,
Further, an image recording apparatus of solid color particle flying type, which is capable of high-speed recording, is quick-drying, and has neither bleeding on the front surface nor penetration into the back surface is proposed (Japanese Patent Application No. 6-2 filed by the same applicant as the present invention).
No. 0599).

FIG. 10 (a) is a diagram showing an example of the substrate structure of the recording head of the solid colored particle flying type recording apparatus.
FIG. 6B is a sectional view of the recording head on the assembled side. To briefly describe this configuration, the recording head 1 is composed of a lower substrate 2 and an upper substrate 3 made of glass or the like.
A plurality of signal electrodes 4 made of a metal material are arranged on the lower substrate 2, and these electrodes are covered with an insulating material 5 such as silicon to insulate each electrode. Between the lower substrate 2 and the upper substrate 3, a spacer (not shown) is arranged at the end portion on the substrate side to maintain a predetermined gap s between the upper and lower substrates. The dispersion liquid 7 containing the solid colored particles 6 is held in the gap s. The dispersion liquid 7 is formed in a state in which the solid colored particles 6 having a positive charge are substantially uniformly dispersed in the insulating carrier liquid. A counter electrode (see FIG. 1 to be described later) formed of a metal roll or the like facing the recording head 1 is arranged apart from the recording electrode 4 in the front end direction, and a recording member is movably arranged between them.

The operation principle will be briefly described. A negative bias voltage is supplied from a power source to the above-mentioned counter electrode,
Due to this electric field, the positive-polarity solid colored particles 6 are attracted to the tip of the signal electrode 4 and aggregate while countering the viscosity in the carrier liquid. Next, a positive recording pulse voltage is selectively applied to the recording electrode 4 from the power supply. Due to this electric field, the solid colored particles 6 obtain a further Coulomb force and are aggregated in the ejection portion 8 at the tip of the signal electrode 4 to grow into an aggregate with a slight amount of carrier liquid, and this growth is further continued to form a grouping. The particle drop 9 that overcomes the surface tension and other tensile strength of the carrier liquid
Then, it is shredded and flies toward the counter electrode. The flying particle droplets 9 land on the recording member to form recording dots. The solid colored particles 6 reduced by the flight are replenished from the dispersion liquid supply unit 10 by concentration dispersion.

[0010]

By the way, in the solid colored particle flying type recording apparatus, it is operative to concentrate the solid colored particles in the dispersion liquid to the ejection portion formed at the tip of the recording electrode of the recording head. It is a very important factor.

In the recording head 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. 10 described above, the solid colored particles 6 are concentrated on the ejection portion 8 as follows.
Although the recording electrode 4 has the tip portion formed in a triangular tip, the solid colored particles 6 are not always formed with such a configuration.
It has been experimentally proved that it is difficult to say that the gas can be efficiently concentrated on the discharge part 8.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solid colored particle flying type recording apparatus which efficiently concentrates the solid colored particles in the ejection portion of the recording head.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a recording electrode, a first substrate having a large number of recording electrodes formed in a comb shape on a surface at a predetermined interval, and a surface facing the first substrate are provided. A second substrate disposed in the same manner, and a dispersion liquid held in a slit-shaped opening formed by the second substrate and the first substrate,
Voltage applying means for applying a high voltage between the counter electrode provided facing the opening holding the dispersion liquid and a selected recording electrode among the plurality of recording electrodes. The solid colored particles dispersed in the dispersion liquid by the electric field formed between the selected recording electrode and the counter electrode by the voltage application of the voltage applying means are applied to the counter electrode from the opening. The present invention is applied to a solid particle flying type image recording device which is made to fly toward and records on a recording medium supplied in this flying space.

First, in the solid particle flying type image recording apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording electrode having a tip branched in a tuning fork shape and flying the solid colored particles from a substantially center line of the tuning fork shaped branch. Configured to have. The recording electrodes have a gap between adjacent recording electrodes that is wider than the width of the gap branched into a tuning fork shape at the tip, for example.

Next, in the solid particle flying type image recording apparatus of the third aspect of the present invention, two adjacent electrodes form a pair and a large number of pairs are arranged. The recording electrodes are arranged such that the distance between them and the electrodes forming the pair is wider than the distance between the two electrodes forming the pair.

According to another aspect of the solid particle flying image recording apparatus of the present invention, the recording electrodes arranged at the same intervals and n are integers of 0, 1, 2, ... A procedure of selecting a pair corresponding to image data from a large number of pairs of the 1st and 1 + 3 × n + 1th recording electrodes, and applying the high voltage to the recording electrodes forming the selected pair; The pair corresponding to the image data is selected from a large number of pairs of the 2 + 3 × nth and 2 + 3 × n + 1th recording electrodes, and the high voltage is applied to the recording electrodes forming the selected pair. Procedure and adjacent 3
A procedure of selecting a pair corresponding to image data from a large number of pairs of the + 3 × nth and 3 + 3 × n + 1th recording electrodes, and applying the high voltage to the recording electrodes forming the selected pair. And a voltage applying unit having a.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a main part of a solid colored particle flying type recording apparatus according to an embodiment. As shown in the figure, the solid colored particle flying type recording device 11 is
At a position facing the recording head 12 fixed to the apparatus main body, the voltage supply unit 13 for supplying a high voltage to the recording head 12, and the ejection unit of the recording head 12 (see the ejection unit 8 in FIG. 10B). The counter electrode 14 is provided, and the counter electrode 14
A recording sheet 15 as a recording member is movably arranged between the recording head 12 and the recording head 12. From the ejection portion of the recording head 12, a solid colored particle droplet 16 (see the particle droplet 9 in FIG. 10B, hereinafter referred to simply as the particle droplet 15) is configured to fly toward the recording paper 15. In FIG. 1, the voltage control unit that controls the voltage of the voltage supply unit 13, the recording head 1
Illustration of a dispersion liquid supply mechanism for supplying the dispersion liquid (ink) to the second discharge unit, a drive system for the recording paper 15, a print data processing unit, etc. is omitted.

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the structure of the signal electrodes arranged on the lower substrate of the recording head 12. The lower substrate 21 (first substrate) shown in the figure is made of glass, ceramics, or the like.
A plurality of recording electrodes 22 (22
, 22-2, ...) Are arranged in a comb shape. These recording electrodes 22 are made of a metal oxide such as indium oxide or a metal material such as chromium, and are in the main scanning direction of the recording paper 15 (see FIG. 1) (direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the recording paper 15). That is, the number of pixels corresponding to the number of pixels to be printed at once (simultaneously) in the width direction is provided. The branch width d1 of the tips of the recording electrodes 22 that are branched in a tuning fork shape is formed so as to be narrower than the interval d2 between the recording electrodes 22, and is approximately on the center line of the branch width d1 of the tips. An ejection unit for flying the particle drops 16 is formed. Although not specifically shown, the lower substrate 21 is covered with an insulating layer (see insulating layer 5 in FIG. 10) made of an electrically insulating material made of silicon dioxide or the like over substantially the entire substrate from above the recording electrodes 22. The recording electrodes 22 are insulated.

The recording head 12 is the same as the lower substrate 2 described above.
1 is provided with an upper substrate (second substrate) (not shown) which is disposed so as to face it. This upper substrate is also made of glass, ceramics or the like, and is joined to the lower substrate 21 via a spacer,
A predetermined gap is formed by the spacer between both substrates. The dispersion liquid is also supplied to this gap from a dispersion liquid supply mechanism (not shown) (see FIG. 10 (b)).

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operating state of the recording electrode 22 having the above structure. In the same figure, in the recording head 12 including the recording electrode 22, the solid coloring particles are concentrated in the dispersion liquid by applying a recording pulse voltage to the recording electrode 22. Also in the figure, as the configuration of the recording head 12, only the lower substrate 21 and the recording electrodes 22 are shown, and the upper substrate is not shown. In the figure, the dispersion liquid 24 supplied to the gap between the lower substrate 21 and the upper substrate (not shown).
Are shown on the lower substrate 21.

Here, the dispersion liquid will be described. The dispersion liquid 24 used in this embodiment is the solid colored particles 2
5. Consists of a carrier liquid, a charge control agent and a fixing agent which are dissolved in the carrier liquid. Solid colored particles 2
In the case of No. 5, a pigment made of, for example, carbon black is used for black, and an inorganic or organic pigment is used for color. The particle size of these is about 0.1 to 0.5 μm.

The carrier liquid is an isoparaffin-based, carbon tetrachloride-based, petroleum-based insulating liquid such as fluorinated chlorinated ethylene and siloxane, or an olefin-based insulating liquid.
It has a high resistance of about 0 ⁸ to 10 ¹⁴ Ωcm and dissolves a fixing agent and a charge control agent as a solvent.

The charge control agent is composed of linseed oil having various electron-donating or electron-accepting polar groups soluble in the carrier liquid, various organic metal salts, synthetic resins and the like, and solid colored particles 25 in a solvent. Is adsorbed on the solid colored particles 25 to determine the charge polarity and charge amount of the solid colored particles 25, that is, the solid colored particles 25 are given a charge of a predetermined polarity. Thus, the solid colored particles 25 can be charged either positively or negatively. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, a positive charge is applied. In addition, the charge control agent gives an electric charge to the solid colored particles 25 in this manner and disperses the solid colored particles 25 as a dispersion medium.

The fixing agent is made of polystyrene, silicon, alkyd resin or the like, and adheres to the surface of the solid colored particles 25 and flies onto the recording paper together with the solid colored particles 25, and the solid colored particles 25 are removed by evaporation and drying of the carrier liquid. It is fixed on the recording paper 15.

When the amount of the solid colored particles 25 in the recording head 21 (gap formed by the upper and lower substrates) decreases due to the ejection (flying) of the particle droplet 16 from the ejection portion,
It is supplied into the recording head 21 from a dispersion liquid supply mechanism (not shown), and is uniformized by concentration diffusion to maintain the original concentration.

As described above, in this embodiment, the solid colored particles are positively charged. Here, when the voltage supply unit 13 applies a high voltage (bias voltage and recording pulse voltage) having the recording electrode 22 as a positive electrode between the recording electrode 22 and the counter electrode 14 to generate an electric field between both electrodes, this electric field is generated. Due to the Coulomb force of the solid colored particles 25 and the solid colored particles 25, the solid colored particles 25 charged in the positive polarity are separated from the recording electrode 22 which is the positive electrode in the dispersion liquid 24 and the counter electrode which is the negative electrode. Move toward 14

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the recording electrode 22 is branched in a tuning fork shape. The solid colored particles 25 in the dispersion liquid 24 which is going to be separated from the two branched ends are the dispersion liquid 24 formed at the substrate end portion in front of the front end of the recording electrode 22 along the center line of the branch. The particle group 25-1 of the solid colored particles 25 is formed by concentrating on the discharge part 24-1 composed of the interface of.

Here, the particle group 25-of the solid colored particles 25
The ratio of the Coulomb force of 1 to the surface tension of the interface of the dispersion liquid 24 will be considered. The Coulomb force is determined by the strength of the electric field and the amount of charge. The amount of electric charge is the number of solid colored particles 25 in the particle group 25-1. This number is 25-1
When is viewed as a sphere, it is proportional to the cube of the radius. On the other hand, the surface tension is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the particle group 25-1. That is, the surface tension is proportional to the square of the radius when the particle group 25-1 is viewed as a sphere. Therefore, the ratio of the Coulomb force applied to the particle group 25-1 and the surface tension at the interface of the dispersion liquid 24 is “(radius 3
Squared: (square of radius) ”, and the larger the particle group 25-1, the larger the Coulomb force. Therefore, by adjusting conditions such as the strength of the electric field and the surface tension of the dispersion liquid 24, it is possible to selectively fly only the particle group 25-1 of the solid colored particles 25. That is, the surface tension of the dispersion liquid 24 cannot be shaken off by the solid coloring particles 25 alone, but the surface tension can be shaken off when they aggregate as the particle group 25-1 and grow into the particle droplets 16. In this way, from the dispersion liquid 24 toward the counter electrode 14, that is, the recording paper 1
The particle droplet 16 of the solid colored particles 25 flies toward 5.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the recording electrode 22 whose tip is branched like a tuning fork is used, the solid colored particles 2 are formed by the electric field formed from this branched tip.
5 can be concentrated in the ejection portion 24-1 along the branch center line to efficiently form the particle group 25-1, and the particle group 25-1 can be removed from the influence of the adjacent recording electrodes. And efficiently grow the particles 24 as the droplets 16
You can fly from -1 correctly.

In the above embodiment, the shape of the recording electrode 22 is
Although the tip of one recording electrode is formed by branching in a tuning fork shape, the present invention is not limited to this, and instead of the tuning fork tip, two pairs of recording electrodes corresponding thereto may be arranged. Similar results are obtained.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment having such an array of recording electrodes. In the figure, the illustration of the substrate is omitted, and only the wiring relationship between the recording electrodes and the recording electrodes and the power source is shown. A set of two recording electrodes 22- shown in FIG.
The gap between 1a and 22-1b corresponds to the branch width d1 of the tip of the tuning fork-shaped recording electrode. Also in this case, these two 1
The gap d1 between the pair of recording electrodes 22-1a and 22-1b is
Formed so as to be narrower than the distance between the adjacent two recording electrodes 22-2a and 22-2b, that is, the distance d2 between the recording electrode 22-1b of one set and the recording electrode 22-2a of the other set. Has been done. This pair of two recording electrodes 22-1a
And 22-1b (or 22-2a and 22-2b) gap d
On the approximate center line of 1, the ejection portion for flying the particle droplet 16 is formed as in the case of the first embodiment. The recording pulse voltage is selectively applied to each pair of recording electrodes.

FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are diagrams for explaining the operating state of the second embodiment having the above-mentioned structure. In the same figure (a), the above 2
The array of the recording electrodes of one set is reproduced again, and the discharge state of the particle droplets for each set is schematically shown in FIG. Same figure
As shown in (a) and (b), one pair of recording electrodes is composed of recording electrodes 22-1a and 22-1b, 22-2a and 22-2b,
22-33 and 22-3b are arranged, and as described above, the gap d1 between the recording electrodes of one pair of electrodes is more than the gap d2 between the recording electrodes of an adjacent pair of two electrodes. narrow. Therefore, even if these groups are simultaneously driven (recording pulse voltage is applied), the Coulomb force received by the solid colored particles 25 from the electric field formed by this driving is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Is strong on the center line of and the distance is weaker than d2. As a result, the solid colored particles 25 are concentrated in front of the center line of the distance d2 between the pair of recording electrodes, and fly as particle drops 16.

By the way, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, one dot is formed at the tip of the two tuning fork-shaped recording electrodes.
Further, in the second embodiment, one dot is formed by a set of two recording electrodes. Therefore, the dot density becomes coarser (lower) than the array density at the tip of the electrode, which causes a problem that the resolution is lowered. Further, in order to prevent interference between adjacent dots, the distance d2 between the respective recording electrodes is increased in the first embodiment, and the distance d2 between the pairs is increased in the second embodiment. This is a factor that hinders high density of the recording electrodes, and is not appropriate when high resolution is required.

Next, the third embodiment in which the recording electrodes can be arranged at a high density and a high resolution can be obtained will be described below with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an array of recording electrodes according to a third embodiment. As shown in the figure, the recording electrodes 27 (27-1, 27
, -2, 27-3, 27-4, ...) have the same distance d from the adjacent recording electrodes, and are arranged at equal intervals. The width of the recording electrodes 27 is substantially equal to the distance d between the recording electrodes, which is an extremely high density array. In the third embodiment, the two adjacent recording electrodes 27 corresponding to the recording data are selected in a fixed order and the recording pulse voltage is applied.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the formation of the particle group 25-1 of the solid colored particles 25 by the recording electrode 27 having such a structure. In the figure, among the recording electrodes 27, the k−1th and kth
The th, k + 1 th, and k + 2 th recording electrodes are shown as an example. Then, in the figure, the kth recording electrode 27-k and the k + 1th recording electrode 27-k + 1 are selected corresponding to the recording data, and the recording pulse voltage Vp is applied to the two adjacent recording electrodes. It is shown that it is being applied. In the present embodiment, when two adjacent recording electrodes are selected in this manner, only the bias voltage VB is applied to the k−1th and k + 2th recording electrodes adjacent to both sides of these recording electrodes to perform recording. The pulse voltage Vp is not applied. Therefore, as shown by the arrow in the figure,
A strong electric field is formed in the tip direction on the center line of the selected pair of two (one pair), and the interface 24- of the dispersion liquid 24 in this direction is formed.
A particle group 25-1 of the solid colored particles 25 is formed in one part. This state is the same as in the first and second embodiments,
The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that in the next printing operation of the third embodiment, the k−1th and kth or the k + 1th and k + 2th recording electrodes are used. 27
Is selected, and a recording pulse voltage is applied to these two recording electrodes 27 as one set (two pairs). As a result, the ejection portions are formed on the center lines of all the gaps (intervals) between the recording electrodes 27. That is, the recording electrode 27 that has just been driven and the recording electrode 2 that has not been driven are immediately adjacent to the ejection portion where the particle group 25-1 has been formed by the preceding printing and the flight of the particle droplet 16 has ended.
The next ejection portion is formed at the interface 24-1 on the center line between the seven, and the next particle droplet 16 flies from there. This will be described in more detail.

FIGS. 8 (a), 8 (b) and 8 (c) are diagrams for explaining the operating state of the third embodiment having the above-mentioned structure. In the same figure, the electrode numbers 1, 2, ..., 8, ... As shown in FIG. 3A, in printing one line in the main scanning direction, first, second, fourth, fifth, ... (1 + 3 × nth and 1 adjacent to each other)
+ 3 × n + 1st, n: 0, integer of 1, 2, ..., Recording electrodes 27-k, 27-k + 1 (k: 1, 2, 3, ...).
・ ·) Set a large number of recording electrode pairs. This corresponds to 1/3 of one main scanning line. A recording electrode pair corresponding to recording data (image data) is selected from among these many pairs, and each recording electrode 2 forming the selected pair is selected.
A recording pulse voltage (high voltage) is applied to 7-k and 27-k + 1. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6A, the particle droplet 16-1 flies from every two ejection portions of the ejection portions to be formed on the center line between all the recording electrodes described above.

The k-1th and k + 2th recording electrodes adjacent to both sides of the recording electrode which has just been driven are
As described above, only the bias voltage VB is applied and the recording pulse voltage Vp is not applied.
There is no mutual influence.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the second and third
The 5th, 6th, ... (2 + 3 adjacent to each other
Xnth and 2 + 3xn + 1th) recording electrodes 27-k,
A large number of recording electrode pairs each including 27-k + 1 are set. This also corresponds to 1/3 of one main scanning line. A recording electrode pair corresponding to recording data (image data) is selected from among these many pairs, and a recording pulse voltage (high voltage) is applied to each of the recording electrodes 27-k and 27-k + 1 forming the selected pair. To do. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, in this case as well, the particle drop 1 is ejected from every other ejection portion different from the ejection portion to be formed on the center line between all the recording electrodes.
6-2 flies. On the recording paper 15, 2/3 lines of printing dots are formed together with the previously landed printing dots (particle drop 16-1, shown by a shaded black circle in FIG. 1B).

Then, as shown in FIG. 3C, the third and fourth positions, the sixth and seventh positions, ...
(3 × nth and 3 + 3 × n + 1th) recording electrodes 27−
A large number of recording electrode pairs including k and 27-k + 1 are set. This also corresponds to 1/3 of one main scanning line. A recording electrode pair corresponding to recording data is selected from these and a recording pulse voltage (high voltage) is applied. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6C, in this case as well, the particle droplets 16-3 are ejected from every two ejection portions different from the first and second ejection portions to be formed on the center line between all the recording electrodes. Flies. On the recording paper 15, a total of 3/3 lines of print dots are formed with the first and second landed print dots (particle droplets 16-1 and 16-2, the shaded black circles in FIG. 6C). Then, the printing of one main scanning line is completed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, one line of main scanning is printed in three divisions, but the two-division printing performed every 1/2 line is not suitable in this case. As shown in FIG. 9, in the two-division printing, only the recording electrode 27-1 at the end portion is repeatedly driven and stopped, and all the other recording electrodes 27-1.
-K will always be driven. Therefore, the particle drop (dot to be ejected) 1 by the selected pair of recording electrodes 1
This is because not only 6a and 16b but also particle drops (incorrect dots) 16d are generated between the pairs.

In this third embodiment, two adjacent two
The order of setting the recording electrodes of the book in pairs is (a), (b), (c) in FIG.
The order is not limited to, for example, (a), (c), (b) or (c),
There are various possibilities such as (a) and (b). Further, the number of divisions is not limited to three divisions performed for each ⅓ line, and may be, for example, four divisions or any number of divisions as long as the division printing is three or more divisions.

[0042]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, one flying particle is formed by the two divided tips of the recording electrode or the two recording electrodes. It is possible to efficiently concentrate the solid colored particles on the ejection portion of. Further, since it is possible to drive the recording electrodes arranged at equal intervals in pairs, a high array density of the recording electrodes can be obtained, and thus a high resolution solid particle flying type image recording device is realized. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a main part of a solid colored particle flying recording apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of signal electrodes arranged on a substrate.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of recording electrodes.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an array of recording electrodes according to a second embodiment.

5 (a) and 5 (b) are diagrams for explaining an operation state of the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an array of recording electrodes according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing particle group formation of solid colored particles by the recording electrode of the third embodiment.

8 (a), (b) and (c) are diagrams for explaining the operating state of the third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the reason why two-division printing is not suitable.

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a substrate configuration example of a recording head of a conventional solid colored particle flying type recording apparatus, and FIG. 10B is an assembled side sectional view of the recording head.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Recording Head 2 Lower Substrate 3 Upper Substrate 4 Recording Electrode 5 Insulating Layer s Gap 6 Solid Colored Particles 7 Dispersion 8 Ejection Section 9 Particle Drop 10 Dispersion Supply Section 11 Solid Colored Particle Flying Recording Device 12 Recording Head 13 Voltage Supply Section 14 Counter Electrode 15 Recording Paper 16, 16-1, 16-2, 16-3 Solid Colored Particle Drop (Particle Drop) 16a, 16b Dot to be Discharged 16d Illegal Dot 21 Lower Substrate 22 (22-1, 22-2, ...) Recording electrodes 22-1a, 22-1b, two sets of recording electrodes 22-2a, 22-2b One set of recording electrodes 22-3a, 22-3b Recording of two sets Electrode d1 Branch width (gap) d2 Distance between recording electrodes 24 Dispersion liquid 24-1 Discharge part (dispersion liquid interface) 25 Solid colored particles 25-1 Particle group 27 (27-1, 27-2 ... 27-k) ... Recording electrodes equidistant sequence

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A recording electrode, a first substrate on which a plurality of recording electrodes are formed in a comb shape on the surface at a predetermined interval, and a second substrate which is arranged so as to face the surface of the first substrate. And a dispersion liquid held in a slit-shaped opening formed by the second substrate and the first substrate, and a counter electrode provided to face the opening holding the dispersion liquid. And a voltage applying means for applying a high voltage between the counter electrode and a selected recording electrode among the plurality of recording electrodes, and the selected recording electrode by the voltage application of the voltage applying means. A solid that causes solid colored particles dispersed in the dispersion liquid to fly from the opening toward the counter electrode by an electric field formed between the counter electrode and the counter electrode, and performs recording on a recording medium supplied in the flying space. In a particle flying type image recording device, the tip is branched into a tuning fork shape Solid particles flying type image recording apparatus characterized by having a recording electrode configured so as to fly the solid colored particles from the approximate center line. 2. The solid particle flying type image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording electrodes have a gap between adjacent recording electrodes that is wider than the width of the gap that is branched like a tuning fork at the tip. 3. A recording electrode, a first substrate on the surface of which a plurality of recording electrodes are formed at predetermined intervals in a comb shape, and a second substrate which faces the surface of the first substrate. And a dispersion liquid held in a slit-shaped opening formed by the second substrate and the first substrate, and a counter electrode provided to face the opening holding the dispersion liquid. And a voltage applying means for applying a high voltage between the counter electrode and a selected recording electrode among the plurality of recording electrodes, and the selected recording electrode by the voltage application of the voltage applying means. A solid that causes solid colored particles dispersed in the dispersion liquid to fly from the opening toward the counter electrode by an electric field formed between the counter electrode and the counter electrode, and performs recording on a recording medium supplied in the flying space. In a particle flying type image recording device, two adjacent electrodes form a pair. Number pair is arranged,
A solid particle flight characterized by having a recording electrode arranged such that a distance between an electrode forming a pair and an electrode forming another pair adjacent to each other is wider than an interval between two electrodes forming a pair. Type image recording device. 4. A recording electrode, a first substrate on which a plurality of recording electrodes are formed in a comb shape on a surface at a predetermined interval, and a second substrate which faces the surface of the first substrate. And a dispersion liquid held in a slit-shaped opening formed by the second substrate and the first substrate, and a counter electrode provided to face the opening holding the dispersion liquid. And a voltage applying means for applying a high voltage between the counter electrode and a selected recording electrode among the plurality of recording electrodes, and the selected recording electrode by the voltage application of the voltage applying means. A solid that causes solid colored particles dispersed in the dispersion liquid to fly from the opening toward the counter electrode by an electric field formed between the counter electrode and the counter electrode, and performs recording on a recording medium supplied in the flying space. In the particle flying type image recording device, recording electrodes arranged at the same interval, 0,1,2, and an integer., Adjacent 1 + 3 ×
a procedure of selecting a pair corresponding to image data from a large number of pairs of the nth and 1 + 3 × n + 1th recording electrodes, and applying the high voltage to the recording electrodes forming the selected pair; Adjacent 2 + 3 × n and 2 + 3 × n +
A procedure of selecting a pair corresponding to image data from a large number of pairs of the first recording electrodes and applying the high voltage to the recording electrodes forming the selected pair, and an adjacent 3 + 3 × n And a 3 + 3 × n + 1th recording electrode pair, a pair corresponding to the image data is selected from a large number of pairs, and the high voltage is applied to the recording electrodes forming the selected pair. A solid particle flying type image recording apparatus comprising: a voltage applying unit.