JPS61134770A - Controller for electrostatic charge image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable ion current to be exactly controlled and to obtain a stable image by measuring ion current near an ion receptor and controlling voltage of a discharging device in accordance with its measured value. CONSTITUTION:The ion current measuring device 32 measures the ion current received with a terminal 31 as the current value flowing from the ground through a bias power supply 30, and the controller 33 applies voltage set in accordance with this measured current value to the wire voltage source 21 of a corotron 24. At that time, ions are generated from the discharge wire 22, and advance straight toward the receptor 28 for forming an electrostatic latent image as the ion current in accordance with the negative potential of the bias power supply 30. Since voltage is not applied to an electrode 27, the ion current passes through it without being affected, and received with the ion current measuring terminal 31. The difference produced by neutralizing positive ions received on the terminal 31 with the negative ions flowing from the ground through the bias voltage source 30 is fed back to control the voltage.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention measures the ion flow rate near an ion receptor,
The present invention relates to a control device for an electrostatic latent image recording device that determines a discharge voltage that generates a certain amount of ion flow based on the measured value.

[Conventional technology]

As a conventional electrostatic latent image recording device, for example, ions are generated by a discharge corotron with a discharge wire arranged inside a shield or a discharge device with electrodes facing each other with a discharge gap, and an image signal is generated in the path of this ion flow. There is a method in which a control electrode is arranged to which a control voltage can be applied in accordance with the control voltage, and a receptor such as a belt or drum is charged based on the ion flow passing through the control electrode to form an electrostatic latent image.

In such electrostatic latent image recording devices, there are problems with uniform image quality, such as deterioration due to long-term use of the discharge device and fluctuations in discharge characteristics due to environmental changes, that is, fluctuations in ion flow rate.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, while these problems have conventionally been dealt with by periodic maintenance or parts replacement, there has been no means to deal with hourly fluctuations.

[Means and effects for solving the problems] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and furthermore, the ion flow is constantly measured near the ion receptor, and the discharge device is adjusted based on the measured value. The object of the present invention is to provide a control device for an electrostatic latent image recording device that always ensures a stable ion flow by controlling the voltage, and thereby obtains a stable image.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a control device for an electrostatic latent image recording device according to the present invention will be explained in detail. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a wire power source 21 that outputs a predetermined DC voltage (for example, a positive voltage of several KV), a discharge wire (thin metal wire) 22 to which this voltage is applied, and a Surrounding shield (ground electrode) 2
3, a drive unit 25 that drives control electrodes 26 (described later) according to input image information, and a drive unit 25 that drives control electrodes 26, which will be described later, according to input image information, and control electrodes in which at least one of them is arranged in an array according to the number of dots of the printed line (the control electrodes 26 are 26 facing each other with a gap through which the ion flow passes, an electrode 27 that allows the ion flow to pass through corresponding to an ion flow measurement terminal 31 (to be described later), and an electrode 27 that passes the ion flow that has passed through the control electrode 26 onto a printed line. a receptor 28 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed in accordance with an image signal; a back electrode 29 disposed on the inner wall of the receptor 28; a bias power supply 30 applying a bias voltage to the back electrode 29; An ion flow measuring terminal 31 disposed on the side surface of the receptor and measuring the ion flow generated by the corotron 24; and an ion flow measuring terminal 31 that measures the ion flow received by the terminal 31 as a current value flowing from the ground via the bias power supply 30. Measuring equipment W
, 32, and a control section 33 that sets the voltage of the wire power supply 21 at a level corresponding to the measured current value.

In the above configuration, the wire power supply 21 of the corotron 24
When a predetermined voltage is applied to the discharge wire 22, ions corresponding to this voltage are generated around the discharge wire 22. Based on the negative potential of the bias power supply 30, these ions travel straight as an ion stream to the receptor 28 forming an electrostatic latent image, and are charged to form one printed line.
A control electrode 26 disposed between the receptors 28 controls the flow according to the image signal. That is, a negative voltage is applied to one array of control electrodes 26 except for the electrode corresponding to the image signal, and the array or single electrode on the opposite side is grounded. Therefore, ions flowing from the corotron 24 to the receptor 28 are absorbed in the part to which a negative voltage is applied, and pass through other parts as they are, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the receptor 28 in accordance with the image signal. .

On the other hand, since no voltage is applied to the electrode 27, the ion flow passes through as is and is received by the ion flow measurement terminal 31. The positive ions received by this terminal 31 are the bias power supply 3
The difference in current value caused by being neutralized by negative ions flowing from the ground through the wire is returned to the wire power source 21 to control the voltage.

In the above embodiments, a discharge device equipped with a corotron has been described, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a counter-electrode type device in which discharge electrodes are opposed to each other with an insulator in between.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the control device for an electrostatic latent image recording device of the present invention, the ion flow is measured near the ion receptor and the voltage of the discharge device is controlled based on the measured value. The ion flow rate can be controlled accurately and stable images can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The accompanying drawings are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration of the present invention. Explanation of symbols 2t------Wire power supply, 2t---------
corotron, 25-----one drive section, 26----
--- Control electrode, 28-...- receptor, 31-
---Ion current measurement terminal, 32--Ion current measurement device, 33--Control unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim] In an electrostatic latent image recording device that forms an electrostatic latent image on an ion receptor by controlling the flow of ions generated by a discharge means by a control voltage applied to a control electrode array according to an image signal. , a control for an electrostatic latent image recording device, comprising: an ion current measuring means provided near the ion receptor; and a control section that controls a discharge voltage of the discharging means based on a measured value of the ion current measuring means. Device.