US3335423A - Medium for treating information - Google Patents

Description

8, 1967 NOBORU MASUDA 3,335,423

MEDIUM FOR TREATING INFORMATION Filed March 24, 1965 United States Patent Ofilice 3,335,423 MEDIUM FOR TREATING INFORMATION Noboru Masuda, Ota-ku, Tokyo-to, Japan, assignor to Denki-Onkyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Ota-ku, Tokyo-t0,

Japan Filed Mar. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 442,263 3 Claims. (Cl. 346-135) Punched tapes or punched cards have been mostly used as intermediate memory elements.

This invention relates to recording media for treating information wherein the same means as such punched tapes are electrically given at high speeds by using an electrostatically recording means and more particularly to treating media made of a transparent synthetic film.

There is already a system of electrostatically depositing toners by using paper for a supporting medium. However, as a reflected light is used therein, no information treatment high in S/N has been possible.

An object of the present invention is to provide a treating medium made of a transparent synthetic film to eliminate the above mentioned defect.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of eliminating the disturbance of information in the case of using a transparent synthetic film.

The elctrostatic recording according to the present invention is to give an electric charge from a penningshaped electrode directly to the surface of a synthetic film which is different from any conventional photoconductive substance.

Further, in the present invention, as different from the system of using paper coated with polyethylene, an electric charge giving substance is deposited to be about 100a thick on a base so that electrostatic deposition may be easy.

The present invention is to provide a cheap treating medium in which the above mentioned defect of high molecular structures or specifically of synthetic films are properly and effectively eliminated.

FIGURE 1 is an explanatory view of a charging mechanism of a conventional simple synthetic film.

FIGURE 2 is an explanatory view of a charging mechanism according to the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention shall be explained in detail with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 in the following.

FIGURE 1 shows a charging mechanism of a conventional medium and FIGURE 2 shows a charging mechanism of a medium according to the present invention. 1 is an electrode to apply an electric charge and connected to the positive or negative high voltage power source 5 through an electric conductor. The other electrode of the high voltage power source 5 is connected to an electrode 4 set opposite the electrode 1 also through an electric conductor so as to be easily controlled with an electric switching circuit. 2 is a treating medium formed of a synthetic film in the form of a single layer coated on the surface with such electrolyte as, for example, sodium carbonate or mixed within with a surface activator specifically containing a nonion series substance.

The charging mechanism in the treating medium in the form of a single layer in FIGURE 1 shall now be explained.

Said treating medium is of a high molecular structure of a high property of electrification and is made of an electrostatic insulator having a property of keeping an electrostatic charge. Therefore, as in FIGURE 1, there is usually a slight air layer 3 between the treating medium 2 and the electrode 4.

3,335,423 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 It is well known that the electrostatic capacity is repre sented by the formulas From the Formulas 1 and 2,

wherein As the area S is in contact with the surface of the medium in some places but is enclosed with the insulator, even if the vicinity of S is in contact with the electrode plate 4, they will be individually insulated. That is to say, when the medium is removed from the electrode plate and is developed without neutralizing an electrostatic latent image, d in the Formula 3 will become an infinity and, as K is constant, the voltage will also become an infinity. That is to say, where there is such minute air layer, a kind of destruction of insulation will be caused by removing the medium.

There is another method wherein an apparent electric charge is neutralized by depositing a toner. However, in the present invention, the medium and electrode are made integral and any air gap between the medium and the back electrode plate is eliminated so that the record may be good.

FIGURE 2 is an explanatory view of a charging mechanism in which is used a treating medium according to the present invention. In the drawing, 6 is a charging electrode and 7 is such transparent synthetic film of a high molecular structure of a specific resistivity of less than 10 ohm-centimeters as, for example, a synthetic film composed mostly of polyethylene or such simple substance as polypropylene or polystyrol treated on the recording surface with the above mentioned film. 8 is an electrostatic conductor of such transparent substance of a volume specific resistance of less than from 10 to approximately 10 ohm-centimeters as, for example, polyarylmethane, its mixture or 7-7-8-8 tetracyanoquinodimethane (T.C.N.Q.). 9 is a conductor of a very low volume specific resistance of from approximately 10 to 10 centimeters made of such transparent substance as, for example, cellophane, or polyvinyl alcohol. A recording medium having three layers is shown as an embodyment in the above. However, it is needless to say that any other various combinations are possible. By merely applying an antistatic paint, its effect can be expected to some extent. In case a solvent or heat is to be used in fixing, a combination adapted to it can be easily formed. Further, as the medium of the present invention is formed without making any intermediate air layer between any of the three layers 7, 8 and 9, its resistance is so low that, as the second medium layer 8, the third medium layer 9 and the electrode plate 10 are of the same potential, no electrostatic action will occur at all in any minute space. That is to say, even if the third layer 9 and the metallic electrode 10 are separated from each other, an electrostatic latent image made by an air corona on the transparent synthetic film 7 will not be disturbed.

In the present invention, not only the defects in recording on a simple substance can be easily eliminated but also there is substantially no need of cares of the disturbance of an electric charge caused by the variation of the distance in recording. By using such substance as is shown in the embodiment, a medium adapted to be used for information treating apparatus can be obtained without impairing the transparency. Further, in the present invention, by forming the medium in two, three or more layers, without reducing the resolving power, a very clear information treatment high in S/N can be obtained cheaply at a high speed. By inserting a nontransparent layer between, an information treating medium of a good contrast can be obtained.

What is claimed is: t

1. A medium for treating information adapted to be disposed between a charging electrode and a further electrode comprising in combination: a high molecular synthetic film layer incorporating an electrolyte charge receptive recording surface disposed adjacent the charging elec trode; an electrostatic conductive layer supporting said synthetic film layer and characterized by a specific resistivity of less than 10 and a conductive layer of lower volume specific resistivity than said electrostatic conductive layer supporting said last mentioned layer adjacent to said further electrode.

2. A medium for handling information adapted to be disposed between a charging electrode and a further electrode comprising in combination: a high molecular synthetic film layer comprised principally of a material, selected from the group comprising polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrol, having a surface coating of an electrolyte; an electrostatic conductive layer underlying the synthetic film layer; and a conductive layer underlying said electrostatic conductive layer and disposed adjacent to said further electrode; said layers being characterized by decreasing specific resistivity from the film layer to the conductive layer.

3. The medium of claim 1 wherein said layers are fixed together without any intermediate air layers to minimize the resistance of said layers from said charging electrode to said further electrode.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,063,872 11/1962 Boldebuck 117211 3,138,547 6/1964 Clark 204-2 3,213,429 10/ 1965 Schwertz 340-173 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

I. W. HARTARY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A MEDIUM FOR TREATING INFORMATION ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED BETWEEN A CHARGING ELECTRODE AND A FURTHER ELECTRODE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A HIGH MOLECULAR SYNTHETIC FILM LAYER INCORPORATING AN ELECTROLYTE CHARGE RECEPTIVE RECORDING SURFACE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE CHARGING ELECTRODE; AN ELECTROSTATIC CONDUCTIVE LAYER SUPPORTING SAID SYNTHETIC FILM LAYER AND CHARACTERIZED BY A SPECIFIC RESIS-

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