JPS59181370A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form an image of a high quality by a low recording voltage even in case when a gap between a recording body and a developer carrying body is large, by a simple constitution, by controlling a flying to a recording body of a developer of a carrying body carried by plural electrodes, by a control electrode. CONSTITUTION:Electrodes 181, 182... provided on a cylindrical roller 17 of a developer carrying body are scanned successively, bias voltage is applied, and a toner 24 of a developer is carried on the roller 17. This toner 24 floats and becomes like fog between a control electrode 26 provided between the roller 17 and a recording body, and the roller 17 by feeding electrodes 201, 202... to which DC voltage and AC voltage are applied. When thickness of an insulating layer 27 of this electrode 26 is made thin, an electric field generated in a passing- hole 30 becomes intense, and even if a gap between the roller 17 and the electrode 26 is large, the toner 24 passes through the hole 30 and flies in a good state. Even if a gap between the electrode 26 and the recording body 13 is large, the same result is obtained and an image of a high quality is formed by a low recording voltage, by a good flying of a toner, even when a gap between the recording body and the developer carrying body is large, by a simple constitution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that applies toner onto a recording medium based on an image signal.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Conventionally, a method called contrastography is known in which a signal voltage is applied to one surface of a recording medium while powder development or liquid development is performed on the other surface. In this method, a recording electrode is brought into contact with one side of the recording medium, and at the same time as voltage is applied to the recording electrode, powder development or liquid development is performed from the opposite side. This simplifies the process since they are done simultaneously. In addition, since the visible image forming surface is on the opposite side to the recording electrode contact surface, it is suitable for force 2-recording to repel development on the same recording medium.

However, as shown in FIG. 1, conventional recording devices using powder developer form a layer of developer 2 on the surface of a carrier 1 using magnetic force or the like, and record data on this layer. Since development is carried out with the body 3 and the recording electrode 4 in close proximity, it has the following drawbacks.

That is, the powder developer 2... self-agglomerates due to forces such as Coulomb force and Van der Waals force caused by frictional electrification between the powder particles, and also binds to the surface of the carrier 1 due to similar forces. Is receiving. Furthermore, when magnetic toner is used as the developer 2 and is held on the surface of the carrier 1 by magnetic force, a binding force due to the magnetic force is further applied to the developer 2. Therefore, in order to transfer the developer 2 to the surface of the recording material using the recording voltage, a high voltage must be applied to the recording electrode 4, and in order to strengthen the electric field, the connection between the recording material 3 and the developer carrier 1 must be applied. Since the gap must be set extremely small, mechanical precision must be improved. A method is also known in which the recording medium 3 is brought into contact with a layer of developer 2 to obtain a developer image using a low recording voltage, but in this case, the developer 2 is applied to the non-image area.・
It is difficult to remove the adhesion, slag, and turnips. Furthermore, in order to prevent discharge damage between the recording electrode 4 and the developer carrier 1, a highly insulating special paper must be used as the recording medium 3.

On the other hand, devices using liquid developers also have the same problems as described above. That is, since the toner particles in the liquid visual agent have low mobility, a high voltage is required to obtain a high-density visible image. Furthermore, in order to prevent the developer from penetrating into the recording medium and increasing the fog, at least one surface of the recording medium must be treated to prevent the developer from penetrating.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to obtain a high quality visible image with a low recording voltage even when the gap between the recording medium and the surface of the developer carrier is set large. The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can use plain paper, which does not require extreme mechanical precision, or which is unprocessed or hardly processed.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention relates to a carrier provided facing a recording medium and carrying a developer, a plurality of electrodes disposed on the carrier, and an electric field that forms a temporally varying electric field between these electrodes. a forming means, disposed between the recording body and the supporting body,
The present invention is characterized in that it includes a control electrode that controls the flight of developer from the carrier to the recording medium.

[Embodiments of the invention]

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a backside electric body to which a positive voltage, for example, is applied to the power supply 12. At the tip of this body is a record of, for example, plain paper wound in a roll, and a body 13 is a feed roller. 14 and conveyor roller pair 15
16 in the direction of the arrow in the figure to cause rubbing.

Further, a cylindrical roller 17 serving as a developer is disposed opposite to the tip of the back electrode 11 with a gap of, for example, 3 m+a therebetween, and is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow. This cylindrical row 217 is formed by coating the surface and end surface of a hollow aluminum roller with an outer diameter of 40πn with a polyimide resin thin film, for example. Electrode 181-18□6
are arranged along the axial direction and parallel to each other. These linear electrodes 181 to 1816 are connected to the cylindrical roller 1, for example.
A thin copper film was deposited on the polyimide resin film on the outer circumferential surface of No. 7 using a vacuum evaporation method, and this was selectively etched. .2 mm. Further, from the ends of these linear electrodes 18□ to 1816, conductive wires 191 to 1
9.6 extends to the center edge 1 of the cylindrical roller 17.

In addition, these conducting wires 19. ~19□6 A brush (not shown) is attached to the tip.

Further, inside the cylindrical roller 17, there are five power feeding electrodes 20 curved at positions facing the back electrode 11. ~205
are fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical row 217 at regular intervals.

These power supply electrodes 201 to 20. Among them, every other electrode 201 r 203 , 20B is connected to the DC power supply 21,
The remaining electrodes 2 1204 are connected to the AC power supply 22 respectively.These power supply electrodes are connected to the wires 19. to 1 of the linear electrodes that have moved into the area of these power supply electrodes.
9 and 6 are now touching. , 5 Further, 23 is a hopper sheet, and the toner 24 as a developer supplied from this hopper 23 is insulating, and its components are styrene resin, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, polyester resin, maleic resin, or a copolymer thereof. It is a general particulate material in which charge control agents such as carbon black and pigments are blended in desired proportions in resin such as coalescence.

Further, the carrier roller of the hopper 23 is provided.

Furthermore, a control electrode 26 for controlling the flight of the toner 24 is provided between the back electrode 11 and the cylindrical roller 17,
This means that the distance from the tip of back electrode 1 is, for example, 1'1.
It is set to be m1L. This control electrode 26
As shown in FIG. 3, for example, two layers of electrodes 28, 1 and 29 are provided on the upper and lower sides with an insulating layer 27 in between, and the electrode 28 has a large number of toner passage holes 30. A multi-signal voltage is applied from the signal source 31 to the signal source 31. The thickness of the insulating layer 27 is 300 μm, the thickness of the electrodes 28 and 29 sandwiching the insulating layer 27 is 20 μm, and toner passing holes with a diameter of 150 μm are arranged in a line at a pitch of 300 μm using a laser beam. . In addition, insulation N27 is polyester, electrode 2B,
, 29 is made of copper.

When the cylindrical roller 17 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the toner 24 comes into contact with the cylindrical roller 17 and the elastic blade 25 and is negatively charged due to friction. Such a cylindrical four-ra 1
7, for example, the linear electrodes 181 to 18□
6, for example, five linear electrodes 18, - 18.6 facing the control electrode 26. Power supply electrode that does not rotate 20° to 20°
6 through an alternating voltage (e.g. 200V).

- p 1 kHz) and a DC voltage (for example, OV) are applied, an AC electric field is generated between the linear electrodes 18□ to 1B, and the toner 24... vibrates on the surface of the cylindrical roller 17. It floats nearby and turns into smoke.

Here, the principle by which the toner 24... floats and becomes smoked will be explained based on FIG. 4. Now, for example, from the AC power supply 22, electrodes 1 &'1, 18'l +18'5
An alternating voltage (VA) is applied to r 18'7, and electrode 1 B'2 + 18'4 *
When a DC voltage (VD) is applied to the electrode 18'6, an alternating voltage (VA) is applied to the electrode 18'□, and a DC voltage (VD) is applied to the electrode 18'2, for example.
An alternating electric field is generated between 0 and 0. In this electric field, the Tsutsujiku roller 1
If there is toner 24 that is negatively charged due to frictional charging with the surface of 7, this toner 24...
・At the moment when vA>VD, a voltage is generated from electrode 18'! 1
At the moment VA<vD, a force toward B'x acts from the electrode 18' toward the electrode 18'2. Therefore, the toner 24 floats in the space near the surface of the cylindrical row 217 while vibrating along the lines of electric force generated between adjacent electrodes.

Next, in this state, when a positive constant voltage is applied to the back electrode 11 and a positive signal voltage (for example, 100 V) is applied to the voltage $i28 of the control electrode 26, the control room &26
Toner 24- floating near the toner passage hole 30 of
... passes through the toner passage hole 30 and is attracted to the surface of the recording medium 13, forming a visible image JFA.

Here, this principle will be explained. Now, as shown in FIG. 5, a positive voltage is applied to the p-electrode 28 by the power source 31',
When the electrode 29 is grounded, electric lines of force 32 are generated in the toner passage hole 30 from above to below. Further, there are electric lines of force (not shown) extending from top to bottom between the back electrode 1 and the cylindrical roller 17. Therefore, the toner 24 existing near the toner passage hole 3Q of the control electrode 26 receives an upward force from the above-mentioned electric lines of force, passes through the toner passage hole 30, reaches the recording medium 13, and adheres thereto. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when a negative voltage is applied to the electrode 28 by the power supply 31', electric lines of force 32 are generated in the toner passage hole 30 from the bottom to the top, and the negatively charged toner 24 is generated in the toner passage hole 30. is blocked from passing and cannot reach the recording medium 13. In this way, by applying a signal voltage to the control electrode 26, the flow of the toner 24 is controlled, and the toner 24 is applied to the surface of the recording medium 13.
ii! A visible image can be formed by depositing based on the li image signal.

The toner 24 that does not contribute to the formation of a visible image passes through the alternating current electric field region as the cylindrical roller 217 rotates, adheres to the bottom surface of the cylindrical roller 17 again, and returns to the cylindrical roller 23.

According to the above configuration, various effects listed below can be obtained.

(2) When forming a visible image, the toner 24 is suspended in advance between the cylindrical row 217 and the control electrode 24 due to reciprocating motion between the electrodes 181 to 18□6 provided on the surface of the cylindrical row 217;
Since the toner 24 is smoked, the self-cohesive force of the toner 24 and the binding force to the cylindrical row 217 are non-existent or very small, and even when the voltage applied to the back electrode and the control electrode is low, the toner 24 moves toward the recording medium, and a good visible image can be formed. Furthermore, by reducing the thickness of the insulating layer 27 of the control electrode 26, the electric field generated in the toner passage hole 30 can be strengthened. Yoshi can also be set much smaller.

■ For the same reason as above ■, the recording body 13 and the cylindrical roller 1
7 Even when the gap between the surfaces is set large, a high-quality visible image can be obtained with a low recording voltage, and a high level of mechanical precision is not required. No assembly technology is required, reducing equipment costs and simplifying maintenance〇■ Since the signal voltage can be set low and the gap described above can be set large, the carrier 13, control electrode 26, back electrode 1 Therefore, the recording medium 13 can be plain paper that is unprocessed or hardly processed.

■ The self-agglomeration of the toner 24 can be destroyed by turning it into smoke, so the toner 24...
The particles become primary particles and adhere to the recording medium 13, so that a dense, high-quality visible image can be obtained.

(2) For the same reason as (2), the toner passage hole 3Q is not blocked by aggregated toner.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 7 to 9. In FIGS. 7 to 9, structural acid parts similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

That is, a container 35 having an opening 33 and an inclined bottom surface 34 is provided below the back electrode no.
Inside the toner 24..., a carrier plate 36 as a developer carrier fixed to the tip of the back electrode 24 opposite to each other via a control electrode 26, and a stirrer 37 for stirring the toner 24. It is located. The support plate 36 is
As shown in FIG. 8, the insulator has a shape in which a short plate part 39 and a long plate part 4o extend downward from both ends of the horizontal plate part 38, and a long plate part 39 and a long plate part 4o extend downward from both ends of the horizontal plate part 38. The lower ends of the plate portions 4θ are immersed in the toner 24, and the lower ends of the short plate portions 39 are positioned on the upper end side of the tilting body without being immersed in the toner 24.

Further, on the surface of the support plate 38, linear electrodes 41° to 41n are provided along the width direction and parallel to each other. As shown schematically in FIG. 9, alternating current voltages of three or more phases having mutually different phases are applied to these voltages &4, -41 by a father current power source 42,43,44.

That is, these AC power sources 42, 43, and 44 are three-phase AC power sources whose phases differ by, for example, 120 degrees, and the power source 42 is a linear electrode..., 4 Jk,.

41, 41 +3..., the power source 43 is a linear electrode...
・.

"k-2"'+1'..., the power supply 39 is a linear electrode...

-1 to 41, +2 to 47. ... are connected to each other.

When an alternating current voltage is applied, a traveling wave type alternating current electric field is generated on the surface of the support plate 31, which travels from the long plate part 40 to the horizontal plate part 38 and the short plate part 39.

Therefore, the toner 24... is always present on the lower end surface of the long plate portion 40 of the carrier plate 41, and this toner 24...
... are negatively charged due to friction with the surface of the support plate 31. Then, a voltage is applied to the electrodes 411 to 41n,
When a traveling wave type alternating current electric field is generated, the toner 24.
... vibrates, floats and smokes between the linear electrodes 41 □ to 41 , reaches upward through the inclined surface of the long plate portion 40 of the carrier plate 36 , and is supplied to the recording medium 1 " 3 through the opening 33 . Development of the electrostatic latent image is performed. Toner 2 that does not contribute to development
4 are further conveyed and fall downward at the short plate part 39, slide down by the action of gravity along the inclined bottom surface 34 of the container 35, and return to the lower end side of the long plate part 40 of the carrier plate 36.

According to the above configuration, a toner conveying function is added to the effect of the first embodiment, and there is no need to use a rotating body driving device as the carrier plate 36, so that the device can be simplified,
In the second embodiment, power may be supplied as shown in FIG. 10. That is, the linear electrodes 41, 41 and 4
For example, every other linear electrode in 1n...*' 41
-2 m 41k +2 to 141, ..., an AC voltage (for example, 200p-p) is applied to the linear electrode by the AC power supply 45, -5y to 141, -1*4 ik+ to 41,
A DC voltage is applied from a DC power supply 46 to +5 m . . . a41. Also, DC power supply 4
6 and the linear electrode..., -5+ to 41, -1 to 41, +1 to 41, +5 to 4-1. There is resistance between...
47 to 1, 47 to '471 (with +1, . . . interposed) to produce a gradient in the DC voltage value applied to these linear electrodes 41, to 41n. According to the above MJjlc, an electric field in which an AC electric field and a DC electric field are multiplied by M is generated between adjacent linear electric fields, and the negatively charged toner present on the surface of the carrier plate 36 is vibrated by the AC electric field. , while floating and turning into smoke, it is transported in a certain direction (from left to right in this case) by the blood flow electric field. Therefore, even with such a power supply method, the same effects as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided a carrier which is provided opposite to a recording medium and carries a developer, and a plurality of electrodes which are disposed on the carrier, and a temporal gap between these electrodes. The recording body is equipped with an electric field forming means for forming a changing electric field, and a control electrode disposed between the recording body and the carrier to control the flight of the visual agent from the carrier to the recording body. Even when the gap between the developer carrier and the surface of the developer carrier is set large, high-quality visible images can be obtained with a low recording voltage.
Therefore, it produces excellent young fruits, such as the ability to use paper that does not require a high degree of mechanical precision, or even unprocessed or barely processed plain paper.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional example, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a control electrode of the same embodiment, and FIG. FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views of the control electrode of the same embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the developer carrier of the second embodiment; FIG.
The figure is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the supporting part of the same embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the power supply method in the second embodiment. 13...Recording body, 17...Developer carrier (cylindrical roller), 181-18m6...electrode, 21...-DC power supply, 22...AC power supply, 24...Developer ( toner)
, 26... Control electrode, 36... Developer carrier (carrying plate), 41, ~41k-41n... Electrode, 42...
AC' power supply, 43... AC power supply, 44... AC power supply, 45... AC power supply, 46... DC power supply, 47k.
··resistance. Applicant's Representative Patent Attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 61, Figure 9, Figure 10

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A carrier provided facing the recording medium and carrying a developer, a plurality of electrodes disposed on the carrier, and an electric field forming means for forming a temporally varying electric field between these electrodes. and a control electrode disposed between the recording body and the carrier to control the flight of developer from the carrier to the recording body. (2) The control electrode has an insulating layer and at least two layers of electrodes sandwiching the insulating layer, and a signal voltage is applied to this electrode according to a time-series signal of image recording. A recording device according to claim 1. (3) The electric field forming means is configured to form a traveling wave type AC electric field on the surface of the carrier by applying multiphase AC voltages having mutually different phases to the plurality of electrodes. recording device. (4) The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electric field forming means superimposes a temporally changing electric field and a temporally unchanging electric field.