JPH11268323A - Electrode substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To improve the fluidity of toner between an electrode substrate and a toner carrying roller in an electrode substrate, thereby preventing toner from sticking. SOLUTION: In order to supply a toner charged body to an opening 5 of an aperture electrode body 1, a charged body carrying roller is arranged in contact with the aperture electrode body 1 in the vicinity of the opening 5, and
The groove 41 provided in the vicinity of the opening 5 reduces the contact pressure at the contact portion with the charge carrying roller, and furthermore,
Since the gap 41 creates a gap between the charged body carrying roller and the aperture electrode body 1, the fluidity of the toner in the gap between the charged body carrying roller and the aperture electrode body 1 is increased, and the contact area between the charged body carrying roller and the charged body carrying roller is increased. It is possible to prevent toner from sticking.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrode substrate for use in a recording apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, etc. For controlling the electrode substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an aperture electrode body having a large number of apertures (apertures) has been known as an electrode body used in a recording apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a surface on which the electrode pattern of the aperture electrode is formed, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a surface on which the electrode pattern of the aperture electrode is not formed. The aperture electrode body 1 includes an insulating substrate 2 and the insulating substrate 2.
, An insulating substrate 2, an opening 5 provided through the coating layer 4, and a large number of control electrodes provided around the opening 5 on the surface of the insulating substrate 2. 6 and an electrode pattern 34 composed of six. The coating layer 4 of the aperture electrode body 1 is obtained by dispersing conductive carbon in a resin such as polyimide and has an antistatic function. A resist layer 3 is provided on the surface of the aperture electrode as an electrode protection layer.
The resist layer 3 is removed only from the IC mounting portion 31, and after this portion is subjected to a plating process such as electroless gold plating, the IC mounting portion 31 and the driving element 35 such as an IC are connected by a method such as wire bonding. They are connected by wires 36. Note that since most of the resist layer 3 is often made of a transparent or translucent resin, FIG.
Indicates a state where the control electrode 6 and the like covered with the resist layer 3 can be recognized from the appearance assuming a transparent state.

As one of the recording apparatuses on which the aperture electrode body 1 is mounted, a recording apparatus as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 has been proposed. Recording by this recording device is performed as follows. An electric field is generated in the opening 5 by applying a voltage to the control electrode 6 of the aperture electrode body 1, and the toner charged to a predetermined charge from the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 on the back surface of the aperture electrode body 1 14 is supplied to the opening 5 by the toner carrying roller 11, the supplied toner 14 passes through the opening 5 in accordance with the electric field in the opening 5, and the toner 14 that has passed through the opening 5
The recording medium P, which is disposed at a predetermined gap from the surface of the aperture electrode body 1 by an electric field generated by the back electrode 8,
Attached on top to form an image.

An aperture electrode 1 is provided in the recording apparatus.
FIG. 4 shows a state in which is mounted. The aperture electrode body 1 is fixedly contacted with the toner carrying roller 11 by a tension indicated by an arrow in the figure. 5 and 6, the toner 14 is frictionally charged between the sponge supply roller 12 and the toner carrying roller 11, as shown in FIGS.
The toner is carried on the surface of the toner carrying roller 11 by an adhesive force such as a mirror image force due to the charged electric charge, and is made uniform in the longitudinal direction on the toner carrying roller 11 by the toner layer regulating blade 13. The toner carrying roller 11 applies the toner 14 to the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 formed on the back surface of the aperture electrode body 1, and particularly to the area around the opening 5.
Are arranged so as to be in contact with each other. Here, since the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 is always in friction with the toner carrying roller 11, it has a semiconductive property and has an antistatic function, and the toner 14 is applied to the aperture electrode body 1. This prevents the adhesion of the toner 14 to the opening 5 due to the adhesion.

[0005]

However, since the conventional aperture electrode body 1 as described above has a large number of control electrodes 6 and openings 5, the aperture electrode body 1 is fixed with a constant tension. Also, the contact pressure at the opening 5 with the toner carrying roller 11 tends to decrease, and the contact pressure at the contact portion 29 tends to increase. For this reason, the fluidity of the toner 14 in the contact portion 29 is reduced, the toner 14 is easily fixed to the antistatic sliding coat layer 4, the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 is easily damaged, and the antistatic sliding coat 4 is hardly damaged. When the layer 4 is damaged, there is a problem that the entire aperture electrode cannot be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is intended to improve the fluidity of toner near an opening through which toner passes in the direction of a recording medium and prevent the toner from sticking. It is another object of the present invention to provide an aperture electrode having improved durability.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrode substrate comprising: an insulating substrate; and a plurality of openings provided in a row at predetermined intervals in the insulating substrate. And an electrode pattern disposed on one surface of the insulating substrate corresponding to the opening, the electrode pattern comprising a plurality of control electrodes for controlling the passage of a charged body in the opening, the electrode pattern A groove is formed on the back surface of the insulating substrate surface provided with the groove at a position near the opening and corresponding to the electrode pattern.

[0008] In the above configuration, in order to supply the charged body to the opening of the electrode substrate, when the charged body carrying roller is arranged in contact with the electrode substrate near the opening, the groove provided near the opening is provided. As a result, the contact pressure at the contact portion between the charge carrying roller and the electrode substrate is reduced, and a gap is formed between the charge carrying roller and the electrode substrate by the groove. Fluidity is increased, and it is possible to prevent toner from being fixed at a contact portion with the charged member carrying roller.

The electrode substrate according to a second aspect is the electrode substrate according to the first aspect, wherein a surface of the insulating substrate opposite to the surface on which the electrode pattern is provided supplies a charged body. A predetermined tension is applied in a state of contacting a part of the charged body carrying roller, and the groove is provided at a position facing the charged body carrying roller.

In the above configuration, the electrode substrate is provided with a predetermined tension so that the electrode substrate is in contact with the charged member carrying roller so that the groove on the back surface of the insulating substrate surface and the charged member carrying roller face each other. The same effect as in the item 1 is obtained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electrode substrate according to the first or second aspect, wherein the groove is arranged between the adjacent openings in a direction in which the openings are arranged in a line. It is formed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction.

In the above configuration, when the electrode substrate and the charged member carrying roller are set to be in contact with each other in the vicinity of the opening, the groove is arranged at the contact portion with the charged member carrying roller. Thereby, an operation equivalent to that of the first aspect is obtained.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electrode substrate according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the depth of the groove decreases as approaching the opening. It has been formed.

In the above configuration, in the contact portion between the toner carrying roller and the electrode substrate near each opening, the shape of the groove facing the portion where the contact pressure is increased becomes deeper. The pressure becomes uniform and clogging due to uneven flow of toner can be prevented.
Since the thickness of the insulating substrate is sufficiently maintained near the opening, the electric field control characteristics of the toner near the opening are stabilized.

The electrode substrate according to a fifth aspect is the electrode substrate according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the grooves are formed by excimer laser processing.

In the above-described configuration, by performing groove processing by excimer laser processing, groove processing of various shapes and depths can be processed with high precision to the order of microns.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an electrode substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2
3 shows an aperture electrode body 1 which is one of the electrode substrates according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an aperture electrode body 1
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a surface on which the electrode pattern is formed (hereinafter, referred to as a front surface). FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a surface of the aperture electrode body 1 on which the electrode pattern is not formed (hereinafter, referred to as a back surface). FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing details of an opening and a groove on the back surface side. The aperture electrode body 1 includes an insulating substrate 2, a plurality of control electrodes 6 arranged in a line at equal intervals on one surface of the insulating substrate 2, and an I-shaped electrode formed at the end of each control electrode 6.
An electrode pattern 34 composed of the C mounting portion 31, an antistatic sliding coat layer 4 as a coat layer provided on the other surface of the insulating substrate 2, and a line arranged at equal intervals corresponding to the control electrodes 6. A plurality of openings 5 formed through the insulating substrate 2 and the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 and the electrode pattern 3 on the back surface of the insulating substrate 2 in the vicinity of the openings 5.
4 comprises a groove 41 formed at a position corresponding to the groove 4.

On the surface of the insulating substrate 2, a resist layer 3 is provided as a protective layer for the control electrode 6 so as to cover the control electrode 6 except for the IC mounting portion 31. The resist layer 3 also has a use as a masking film for preventing the control electrode 6 from being plated when the plating layer is formed on the IC mounting portion 31. As a material of the resist layer 3, an epoxy resin, a polyimide resin, or the like is used. In addition, since the resist layer 3 is usually often made of a transparent or translucent resin, the resist layer 3 is shown in a transparent state in FIGS. 1 and 2 for convenience. In this case, the control electrode 6 covered with the resist layer 3
Can be recognized from the appearance.

As described above, the groove 41 is formed in the vicinity of the opening 5 on the back surface of the insulating substrate 2 so as to face the electrode pattern 34, as shown in FIGS.
The groove 41 is formed between the adjacent openings 5 so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the openings 5 are arranged in a row. As shown in FIG. 3, the groove 41 has a length of 2
It has a length of about 10 to 10 times, and the groove is deepest at both ends 41 a, and gradually becomes shallower as approaching the opening 5. The groove 41 is not formed in the portion 41 b adjacent to the opening 5 or is formed extremely shallow. The groove depth at both end portions 41 a is about １ ／ or less of the thickness of the insulating substrate 2. Various shapes other than the shape shown in FIG. 3 can be applied to the groove shape. For example, the groove depth may be uniformly formed at a constant depth.

This groove processing is preferably performed by an excimer laser. If excimer laser processing is used, a groove having a complicated shape can be easily formed with extremely high precision.
The antistatic sliding coat layer 4 is formed around the opening 5 and on the groove 41. The opening 5 may be a through hole having a circular shape having a diameter of 10 to 80 μm, or an elliptical or polygonal opening cross section having the same area as the above, in addition to the illustrated shape. The processing of the opening 5 can also be performed with high precision using an excimer laser.

The electrode pattern 34 is formed of a metal thin film, generally, a copper thin film having a thickness of 3 to 10 μm. A plating layer necessary for bonding a driving element 35 such as an IC via a wire 36 is formed on the IC mounting portion 31 by a wire bonding method or the like. For this plating layer, electroless gold plating or the like is often used. Since electroless gold plating is formed by a substitution reaction with nickel, it is necessary to perform electroless nickel plating as a base film. That is, after electroless nickel plating with a film thickness of 1 to 10 μm is performed on the electrode pattern 34 made of a copper thin film, the film thickness is 0.1 to 0.1 μm.
Electroless gold plating of 5 μm is applied. The insulating substrate 2 is composed of a polymer resin film having a thickness of 25 to 100 μm, preferably a polyimide resin. Specifically, UPILEX S, a polyimide film manufactured by Ube Industries, or the like is used. The antistatic sliding coat layer 4 is mainly composed of a synthetic resin liquid that solidifies by heat, and conductive particles such as carbon black are dispersed in the main component. As a main component, for example, a polymer resin ink, preferably a polyimide ink, specifically, upicoat, which is a low-temperature curable polyimide ink manufactured by Ube Industries, and the like can be used.

As shown in FIG. 4, the aperture electrode body 1 constructed as described above is
Is stretched in the recording apparatus with a predetermined tension in a direction indicated by an arrow in a state of contact with a part of the recording medium. The configuration of the recording device will be described later. Charged on the toner carrying roller 11,
The transported toner 14 reaches the opening 5, and when a predetermined voltage is applied from the back electrode 8 and the control electrode 6, which will be described later, the toner 14 passes through the opening 5. The contact pressure between the aperture electrode body 1 and the toner carrying roller 11 is
9 is highest, and becomes lowest near the opening 5. Therefore,
In the vicinity of the contact portion 29 where the contact pressure is the highest, the fluidity of the toner 14 is reduced, and the toner 14 is likely to be fixed.

However, the aperture electrode body 1 of the present invention
Since the groove portion 41 is provided at the portion exactly located at the contact portion 29, a gap is formed at the contact portion 29, and as a result, the contact pressure between the aperture electrode body 1 and the toner carrying roller 11 decreases. Thereby, the fluidity of the toner 14 is improved, and the fixation of the toner 14 to the aperture electrode body 1 can be prevented. Further, as described above, since the groove 41 is not grooved or formed as shallow as possible in the adjacent portion 41b of the opening, the electric field controllability near the opening 5 is improved, and the groove 41 is used as a recording device. When used, its printing characteristics are significantly improved.

Next, a recording apparatus on which the aperture electrode body 1 is mounted will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a recording apparatus on which the aperture electrode body 1 is mounted, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of a recording mechanism in the recording apparatus. An insertion hole 21 for inserting a recording medium P on which an image is to be recorded is provided on the right side of the apparatus exterior 26, and an extraction hole 22 for discharging the recording medium P on which the image is recorded is provided on the left side. Is provided. Inside the recording device, an aperture electrode body 1, a back electrode 8, and a toner charge supply device 10 are provided. Toner charging supply device 1
0 is the toner case 15, the toner carrying roller 11,
It comprises a supply roller 12 and a toner layer thickness regulating blade 13. Also, inside the toner case 15,
The toner 14 as charged particles is stored. The supply roller 12 is configured to rotate in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 5 in order to supply the toner 14 to the surface of the toner carrying roller 11 and charge the toner 14 by friction.
Further, the toner layer thickness regulating blade 13 is
Supplied to the surface of the toner carrying roller 11 from the
So that the toner carrying roller 1 is formed in a thin layer.
Pressed to 1.

The toner carrying roller 11 carrying a thin layer of the toner 14 is disposed so as to come into contact with the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 of the aperture electrode 1 via the thin layer of the toner 14. A back electrode 8 is arranged above the aperture electrode body 1, and a recording medium P can pass between the back electrode 8 and the aperture electrode body 1, for example,
A space of about 1 mm is provided. A voltage of, for example, plus 1 kilovolt is applied to the back electrode 8 by a power supply 9. The recording medium P is moved from the insertion hole 21 to the back electrode 8 by a pair of guide rollers 23.
After passing through the back electrode 8, the heat roller 24 and the press roller 25 each having a heat source therein.
, And the toner 14 on the recording medium P is thermally fixed.

Next, the operation of the recording apparatus configured as described above will be described. In the toner charging supply device 10, the toner 14 stored in the toner case 15 is supplied to the toner carrying roller 11 by rotating the supply roller 12 in the direction of the arrow. At this time, the toner 14 is negatively charged due to friction between the toner carrying roller 11 and the supply roller 12. When the toner carrying roller 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the negatively charged toner 14 passes through the toner layer thickness regulating blade 13 to be thinned, and is directed toward the aperture electrode body 1 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. It is conveyed and comes into contact with the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 of the aperture electrode body 1 in the vicinity of the opening 5.

The toner 14 on the toner carrying roller 11 thinned by the toner layer regulating blade 13 is conveyed while adhering to the surface of the toner carrying roller 11 by an adhesive force consisting of a mirror image force and a Van der Waals force. ,
As shown by the arrows in the opposite directions shown in FIG. 6, the toner 1 carried on the toner carrying roller 11 at the contact portion.
The upper layer portion of 4 receives a force in a direction opposite to the toner conveying direction due to a frictional force of a portion of the aperture electrode body 1 that comes into contact with the antistatic sliding coat layer 4. On the other hand, the toner 14 in the lower layer of the toner 14 carried on the toner
Is attached to the toner carrying roller 11 by a mirror image force or a Van der Waals force, and tends to move in the same direction as the toner conveying direction. Therefore, the layer of the toner 14 carried on the toner carrying roller 11 And the lower layer receive an opposing force, that is, a shearing force.

By the above-described shearing force, the upper layer and the lower layer of the toner 14 are first released from the position where they are carried on the toner carrying roller 11, so that they are released from the adhesive force. The reason is that the image force constituting the adhesive force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, and the van der Waals force is inversely proportional to the seventh power of the distance. By changing from a state of close contact with each other to a state of flow, each toner 14
It is evident from the fact that both of these forces are drastically reduced because of the gaps around the periphery.

The toner 14 released from the adhesive force with the toner carrying roller 11 is conveyed to the opening 5 of the aperture electrode body 1. Here, the control voltage application circuit 7
Receives the power supply voltage for the toner passing voltage and the toner shielding voltage, and the image data for determining the position of the control electrode 6 to which the toner passing voltage or the toner shielding voltage is to be applied. 6, a toner passing voltage or a toner shielding voltage is applied based on the image data, and an opening 5 provided corresponding to the control electrode 6 is provided.
Controls whether the passage of toner is permitted or the passage of toner is blocked.

At this time, the toner 1 conveyed to the opening 5
4 is released from the adhesive force with the toner carrying roller 11, the threshold value of the electric field required to overcome the adhesive force and allow the toner 14 to pass through the opening 5 is reduced, and the control electrode 6 The ratio of the change in the amount of passage of the toner 14 through the opening 5 to the change in the control electric field formed increases. Therefore, selection between the large passage of the toner 14 and the complete shielding in the opening 5 can be achieved with a small change in the control electric field. As a result, the recording density increases and the control voltage application time can be shortened, so that the recording speed can be improved.

For example, when a voltage of plus 30 volts is applied to the control electrode 6 as a toner passing voltage based on image data, the voltage between the grounded toner carrying roller 11 and the control electrode 6, ie, the control electrode Opening 5 corresponding to 6
An electric field that allows the negatively charged toner 14 to pass through the opening 5 is generated in the inside, and a large amount of toner 14 passes through the opening 5. When a voltage of −10 volts is applied to the control electrode 6 as a toner shielding voltage from the control voltage application circuit 7, the negatively charged toner 14 is prevented from passing through the opening 5 inside the corresponding opening 5. An electric field is generated, and the toner 14 does not pass through the opening 5.

As described above, the toner 14 that has passed through the opening 5 of the aperture electrode body 1 according to the image data is applied between the back electrode 8 to which a voltage of plus 1 kilovolt is applied by the power supply 9 and the aperture electrode body 1. The electrostatic field is applied to the back electrode 8 by the electric field formed on the recording medium P and adheres to the recording medium P. Then, by sequentially transporting the recording medium P, an image using the toner 14 is formed on the recording medium P. Thereafter, the recording medium P is removed from the take-out hole 22.
The toner 14 on the recording medium P is melted by heat while being sandwiched between the heat roller 24 and the press roller 25 on the way, and the image is fixed on the recording medium P.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in order to improve the adhesion between the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 and the insulating substrate 2, the surface may be roughened by sandblasting or the like before the antistatic sliding coat layer 4 is formed. . Further, as an example of the mounting method of the drive element 35, a wire bonding method has been described. However, a flip chip method of bonding to a substrate via bumps without using wires may be applied.

[0034]

As described above, according to the electrode substrate according to the first or second aspect, a groove is formed near the opening at a position corresponding to the electrode pattern via the insulating substrate. Therefore, the contact pressure at the contact portion between the electrode substrate and the toner carrying roller is reduced, and a gap is formed by the groove, so that the fluidity of the toner is increased and the toner can be prevented from being fixed at the contact portion. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the electrode substrate itself cannot be used due to damage due to adhesion of the toner, and when the electrode substrate is mounted on a recording apparatus, the durability thereof is significantly improved.

Further, in the electrode substrate according to the third aspect, the groove is disposed at the contact portion with the charge carrying roller, so that the contact pressure between the electrode substrate and the toner carrying roller in this groove portion is reduced. And a gap is created by the groove,
The same effect as the first aspect is obtained.

In the electrode substrate according to the fourth aspect, the depth of the groove is formed so as to be shallower as approaching the opening, so that the distance between the electrode substrate and the toner carrying roller near each opening is reduced. The contact pressure becomes uniform and clogging due to uneven flow of toner can be prevented. As a result, the electric field control characteristics of the toner near the opening are stabilized, so that the printing characteristics and durability of the recording apparatus are significantly improved.

In the electrode substrate according to the fifth aspect, since grooves are formed by excimer laser processing, grooves of various shapes and depths can be processed with high precision down to the order of microns.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a surface on which an electrode pattern of an aperture electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a surface of the aperture electrode on which an electrode pattern is not formed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing details of an opening and a groove on the back surface side of the aperture electrode.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which an aperture electrode is mounted in the recording apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a recording apparatus on which the aperture electrode is mounted.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of a recording mechanism in the recording apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a surface on which an electrode pattern of a conventional aperture electrode is formed.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a surface of the conventional aperture electrode where no electrode pattern is formed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Aperture electrode body (electrode substrate) 2 Insulating substrate 3 Resist layer 4 Antistatic sliding coat layer 5 Opening 6 Control electrode 34 Electrode pattern 41 Groove

Claims (5)

[Claims] An insulating substrate; a plurality of openings provided in a row at a predetermined interval in the insulating substrate; and an opening provided on one surface of the insulating substrate corresponding to the openings; An electrode substrate having an electrode pattern including a plurality of control electrodes for controlling passage of a charged body in the opening, wherein the back surface of the insulating substrate surface provided with the electrode pattern is in the vicinity of the opening. Wherein a groove is formed at a position corresponding to the electrode pattern. 2. A surface of the insulating substrate opposite to the surface on which the electrode pattern is provided is provided with a predetermined tension while being in contact with a part of a charged material carrying roller for supplying the charged material. 2. The electrode substrate according to claim 1, wherein the groove is provided at a position facing the charged member carrying roller. 3. The groove is provided between adjacent ones of the openings.
The electrode substrate according to claim 1, wherein the electrode substrate is formed to extend in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the openings are arranged in a line. 4. The electrode substrate according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove is formed to be shallower as approaching the opening. 5. The electrode substrate according to claim 1, wherein the groove is formed by excimer laser processing.