JPH0159582B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a recording medium between a recording electrode and a counter electrode that are opposed to each other, and also applies a developer comprising toner particles dispersed in an electrically insulating solvent to the electrodes. The present invention also relates to a recording apparatus that performs recording by making the toner particles adhere to the recording medium by bringing the toner particles into contact with the recording medium and applying a recording voltage between the two electrodes in this state.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional device of this type, in which a developer container 1 contains a developer solution 2 in which toner particles are dispersed in an electrically insulating solvent. A recording electrode 3 and a counter electrode 4 are immersed in the developer 2 so as to face each other. The recording medium 5 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A between the recording electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 with both surfaces immersed in the developer.
In this state, when a recording voltage is applied between the recording electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 from the recording power source 6, the voltage is narrowed between the recording electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 of the recording body 5 by the Coulomba. The toner particles adhere to the area where the recording material 5 is located, and thereby recording is performed (the surface of the recording medium 5 on the recording electrode side or the opposing electrode 4
The side surface on which recording is performed is determined by the polarity of each electrode 3, 4 and the charged polarity of the toner particles, and in FIG. 1, recording is performed on the surface on the recording electrode 3 side. ).

However, in such an apparatus, since both sides of the recording medium 5 are brought into contact with the developer 2, frictional electrification of the recording medium 5, etc. causes toner particles to adhere to the side where recording is not performed, resulting in recording failure. I had a flaw that made my body 5 dirty.

The present invention was made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording device in which toner particles do not adhere to a surface on which no recording is performed.

The present invention will be described below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, a recess member 7 extending in the main scanning direction and in the horizontal direction is provided with a recess 8 and cleaning grooves 11a and 11b with their openings facing upward. The recess 8 further includes a developer introduction groove 9, a developer recovery groove 10, and the like. The developer introduction groove 9 and the developer recovery groove 10 are separated by a partition wall 12 formed in the recess member 7, and the upper end of the partition wall 12 is closer to the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 13 of the recess member 7. It has been lowered slightly.

A large number of elongated recording electrodes 3 penetrate the partition wall 12 in the vertical direction. These recording electrodes 3 correspond to respective pixels, and the upper ends of the recording electrodes 3 are arranged in a line at the same pitch on a straight line extending in the main scanning direction. Further, the upper end of each of the recording electrodes 3 is at the same height as the upper end of the partition wall 12. Note that the recording electrodes are electrically insulated from each other. The developer introduction groove 9 and the cleaning groove 11a and the developer recovery groove 10 and the cleaning groove 11b are partitioned by partition walls 14 and 15 formed integrally with the recess member 7, respectively. The upper ends of these partition walls 14 and 15 are at the same height as the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 13. The developer introduction groove 9 is connected to a developer tank 17 via a suction pipe 16. The developer tank 17 is filled with an electrically insulating solvent such as petroleum or Freon.
A developing solution 2 in which toner particles of about 0.1 to 1 μm are dispersed is stored. The toner particles are made by adsorbing a resin or additive component that imparts properties such as dispersibility, polarity control, and fixability to a pigment such as carbon black.

The developer recovery groove 10 and the cleaning groove 1
1a and 11b are collection pipes 19 connected to the suction port of the developer circulation pump 18 that sucks and discharges gas and liquid.
The discharge port of this pump 18 is further connected to the developer tank 17 via a recovery pipe 20.

A counter electrode 4 is installed above the recessed member 7 to face the recording electrode 3, and a recording voltage corresponding to the image signal is applied between the counter electrode 4 and the recording electrode 3 from a recording power source 6. It's becoming like that.

5 is a recording medium such as electrostatic recording paper or plain paper;
A recording paper feeding means (not shown) transports the recording paper between the recording electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 in the sub-scanning direction, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the recessed member 7 (in the direction of arrow A).
During this conveyance, the recording medium 5 is brought into sliding contact with the outer circumferential wall 13 of the recessed member 7 and the upper ends of the partition walls 14 and 15. For ease of illustration, the gap between the recording body 5 and the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 13 is slightly exaggerated).

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. When the pump 18 is operated in a state where the recording medium 5 has been conveyed between the recording electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4, the pressure in the recess 8 and the cleaning grooves 11a and 11b is reduced.

Therefore, the developer 2 in the developer tank 17 is sucked up via the suction tube 16 and introduced into the developer introduction groove 9, and further this developer 2 passes through the upper end of the partition wall 12 and is used for development. Liquid collection groove 10
Head to. Therefore, the developer 2 comes into contact with the upper end of the recording electrode 3 and the lower surface of the recording medium 5.

When a recording voltage is applied from the recording power source 6 between the recording electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 in response to an image signal in such a state, the charge in the developer 2 on and around the recording electrode 3 is increased. The toner particles are
Charge injected from the counter electrode 4 to the recording medium 5 (third
Due to the coulomb acting between the particles (negative charges in the figure), they are attracted to the recording medium 5 and adhere to the lower surface of the recording medium 5. Thereby, recording corresponding to the image signal is performed.

On the other hand, the developer 2 that has passed through the upper end of the partition wall 12
enters the developer recovery groove 10, and then enters the recovery tube 1.
9, the developer is returned to the developer tank 17 via the pump 18 and the recovery pipe 20.

Furthermore, the portion of the recording body 5 facing the recess 8 is leaking the developer 2 . However, during pump operation, external air flows through the cleaning grooves 11a and 1 through a small gap between the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 13 of the recessed member 7 and the recording medium 5, as shown by arrow B.
It is sucked into 1b. This suction is generated through the unevenness on the surface of the recording medium 5, and the larger the gap between the unevenness of recording paper (for example, electrostatic recording paper), the greater the suction force. Therefore, the outer peripheral wall 1
An air curtain is formed between the upper end of the cleaning groove 3 and the recording medium 5, which is made up of air flowing from the outside toward the cleaning grooves 11a and 11b.

Therefore, when the recording body 5 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A, the portion of the recording body 5 wetted with the developer 2 reaches the upper end of the portion of the outer circumferential wall 13 on the cleaning groove 11a side. Since the developer 2 adhering to the recording medium 5 is subjected to a force directed toward the inside of the cleaning groove 11a by the air curtain, it cannot follow the recording medium 5 and go out of the cleaning groove 11a. The liquid is separated from the body 5 and returned to the developer tank 17 through the cleaning groove 11a, the recovery pipe 19, the pump 18, and the recovery pipe 20.

On the other hand, the toner particles attached to the recording medium 5 due to the application of the recording voltage will not adhere to the recording medium 5 because the Coulomb force is sufficiently stronger than the force of the air curtain.
It exits the cleaning groove 11a while remaining attached to the cleaning groove 11a. Therefore, the recording medium 5 that has passed through the concave member 7
has toner particles attached to the portion corresponding to the image signal, and is in a dry state after the developer 2 has been removed.

Here, in this recording apparatus, only the surface of the recording body 5 on which recording is performed is brought into contact with the developer 2, so that toner does not adhere to the surface on which recording is not performed (the surface on the counter electrode 4 side). , never get dirty.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which cleaning members 21a and 22b are provided separately from the recess member 7 provided with the recess 8, and these members 2
Cleaning grooves 11a, 1a and 21b, respectively.
11b is provided.

The other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment described above, and the same effects as those of the embodiment described above can be obtained in this embodiment as well.

In each of the above embodiments, a developer is brought into contact with the recording electrode so that recording is performed on the surface of the recording body on the recording electrode side. Recording may be performed on the surface facing the counter electrode.

Further, the position of the counter electrode does not necessarily have to be strictly opposite to the recording electrode 3 as shown in the drawings, but may be located at any position where charges can be injected into the recording medium 5. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the recess 8 is arranged upward, but
It is not necessarily limited to the upward direction.

As is clear from the above description, the recording device according to the present invention applies a developer solution formed by dispersing toner particles in an electrically insulating solvent to either one of the recording electrode or the counter electrode, and to the two electrodes. By bringing the toner into contact with only one side of the recording medium supplied between them, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect of preventing toner from adhering to the surface of the recording medium on which recording is not performed and causing staining. Further, since the developing section and the cleaning groove are provided in the same concave member, maintenance and the like can be easily performed. Furthermore,
Since cleaning grooves for suction are provided on both sides of the developing section where the recording electrodes are located, the recording medium does not float or sag during recording, and stable recording can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional recording device, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of main parts of the embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of main parts of another embodiment of the present invention. 2...Developer, 3...Recording electrode, 4...Counter electrode, 5...Recording body, 6...Recording power source, 7...Recessed member, 8...Recess, 17...Developer tank, 18
...Developer circulation pump.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1: a recessed member, a recessed developing section provided in the recessed member, and a partition wall that partitions the recessed portion of the developing section into two grooves and is formed lower than the upper end of the outer circumferential wall of the recessed member; A recording electrode provided through this partition wall, a counter electrode provided opposite to this recording electrode, and one of the two grooves formed by the partition wall are filled with toner particles in an electrically insulating solvent. a pump that sends a developer dispersed in the liquid and collects the developer from the other side; 1. A recording device comprising two grooves for sucking liquid and gas, the two grooves being provided in a member forming the developing section.