JP3070149B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for recording an image by directly controlling the flow of colored powder particles such as toner (hereinafter referred to as toner).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, after uniformly charging toner, an electric field is controlled by an aperture electrode having an aperture (opening) and a back electrode (counter electrode) disposed behind a recording medium. 2. Description of the Related Art There has been proposed a toner jet type image recording apparatus which guides a toner flow and outputs an image. An apparatus of this type is described, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,689,935. In this image recording apparatus, the aperture electrode is provided below the recording medium, the toner flow is guided toward the lower surface of the recording medium, and an image is formed on the lower surface of the recording medium. The recording medium on which the image is thus formed is conveyed to the rear heat fixing device, where it is heat-fixed and output.

[0003]

However, when an image is recorded by using the above-described image recording apparatus, there is a problem that the aperture of the aperture electrode is clogged by toner. For example, when trying to obtain an image density of 240 DPI, the diameter of one dot is 100 μ at the maximum.
m, the inner diameter of the aperture of the aperture electrode is 5
It must be around 0 μm. On the other hand, the average particle size of the toner is generally about 10 μm. Therefore, when dust or dirt adheres around the aperture of the aperture electrode, or when there is an environmental change such as high humidity, the aperture of the aperture electrode is changed. It can get clogged.

Therefore, as a countermeasure, a method has been proposed in which a vibration mechanism such as a piezoelectric element is attached to the aperture electrode to vibrate the aperture electrode, thereby preventing the aperture electrode from being clogged by toner. However, even when this method is adopted, once toner is clogged in the aperture, it is difficult to shake off the toner from the aperture even if the aperture electrode is vibrated by the vibrating mechanism. It had to be removed and replaced or cleaned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and when the aperture of the aperture electrode is clogged, the aperture electrode can be easily taken out, replaced or cleaned, and the printing operation can be immediately resumed. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image recording apparatus capable of performing regular maintenance easily.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a carrier for supporting colored powder particles such as charged toner, and a carrier provided in close proximity to the carrier. In addition to an aperture electrode having a large number of apertures, and an image forming unit including an opposite electrode that faces the aperture electrode with a recording medium serving as an image receiver therebetween,
An image recording apparatus having a heat fixing means for fixing the image formed on the recording medium by the image forming means, before
The counter electrode is open to the main body of the image recording apparatus.
Capable Installing provided on the counter electrode portions attached, the aperture electrode, when the opposing electrode section is opened, dew
To be removable from the main body of the image recording device.
It is composed .

[0007]

According to the image recording apparatus of the present invention having the above configuration, the counter electrode portion is opened when the aperture of the aperture electrode is clogged or during maintenance .
Thus, the aperture electrode is exposed. Therefore, the aperture electrode can be easily taken out from the main body of the apparatus and replaced or cleaned, and can be easily stored in the apparatus after the replacement or cleaning.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, an image recording apparatus 19 is a recording apparatus of a toner jet system, and its main part is a recording apparatus.
The image forming apparatus includes a unit 1 ( image forming unit) 1 and a heat fixing unit 2 ( heat fixing unit). An insertion port 17 is provided on one side of the image recording apparatus 19, and an extraction port 18 is provided on the other side.

An image is formed in the recording unit 1 on a recording medium P such as plain paper which is inserted into the apparatus 19 from the insertion port 17 and conveyed through the guide 15. Then, in the heat fixing unit 2, the image on the recording medium P is fixed. Further, the recording medium P is sent from the heat fixing unit 2 to a take-out port 18 via another guide 15.

The recording unit 1 includes a rotatable brush roller 3
, An aperture electrode 9 and a counter electrode 12. Around the brush roller 3, a supply roller 4, a layer thickness regulating member 11,
A scraping member 10 is provided in contact with the brush roller 3 in this order. Also, the brush roller 3
Grounded. The supply roller 4 is provided in the toner case K, and the toner T is stored in the toner case K.

An aperture electrode 9 is provided above the brush roller 3. Here, the aperture electrode 9 will be described with reference to FIG. The aperture electrode 9
A number of apertures 5, an insulating layer 6, a reference electrode layer 7,
And a large number of control electrode layers 8. The apertures 5 are opened at regular intervals in the insulating layer 6 and are arranged in a line. Further, the reference electrode layer 7 is provided on the brush roller 3 side (lower surface side) of the insulating layer 6. Further, the control electrode layer 8 is provided around the aperture 5 on the upper surface of the insulating layer 6.
Each is provided independently.

The aperture electrode 9 is provided on the reference electrode layer 7.
And connecting terminals 7a and 8a are extended from the control electrode layer 8,
Connector M on board M provided in toner case K
7, M8 so that it can be connected and fixed detachably. As shown in FIG. 1, the reference electrode layer 7 is connected to a negative (-) DC power source E2, and the control electrode layers 8 are connected to signal sources S.

Further, a counter electrode 12 is provided on the opposite side of the brush roller 3 across the aperture electrode 9 with a certain space (gap) from the aperture electrode 9. Then, the recording medium P inserted from the insertion port 17 and sent through the guide 15 and the pair of auxiliary rollers 16 passes through this space.

The counter electrode 12 has a negative (-) power source E.
2 are connected. By this voltage application, the toner T that has passed through the aperture 5 of the aperture electrode 9 moves to and is absorbed by the recording medium P.

The opposing electrode section 24 including the opposing electrode 12 and the power source E2 is formed as a kind of lid,
It has to be opened upward by the fulcrum 25 to the rotational center with respect to the main body. The aperture electrode 9 is exposed by opening the opposing electrode portion 24.

The heat fixing section 2 includes a heat roller 13 having a halogen lamp 22 as a heat source, and a press roller 1 for efficiently applying heat of the heat roller 13 to the recording medium P.
And 4. And this heat roller 1
The press roller 3 and the press roller 14 are arranged such that the image forming (printing) surface of the recording medium P is on the heat roller 13 side, and the recording medium P can pass between the rollers 13 and 14.

The operation of the thus configured toner jet type image recording apparatus 19 will be described below.

The recording medium P inserted from the insertion port 17
It is transported to the position of the aperture electrode 9 by the auxiliary roller 16. Below the aperture electrode 9, the toner case K
The toner T in the brush roller 3
Supplied to At this time, the toner T comes into contact with the supply roller 4 and the brush roller 3 and is rubbed, and in this embodiment, is charged positively (+). The toner T charged positively (+) in this manner is carried on the brush roller 3. Then, excess toner T supplied to Burashiro La 3 is dropped can the take by the layer thickness regulating member 11. As a result, a uniform toner layer is formed on the brush roller 3.

Then, in the vicinity of the aperture electrode 9,
The brush roller 3 is scraped by the scraping member 10. Then, when the brush of the rotating brush roller 3 returns to its original state due to its elastic restoring force, the toner T carried by the brush in an appropriate amount jumps up. As a result, the toner T is supplied to the aperture electrode 9 in the form of a cloud.

The cloud-shaped toner T charged to plus (+) is drawn to the reference electrode layer 7 connected to the minus (-) power supply E1. Then, the flow of the toner T is modulated by the voltage applied from the signal source S to the control electrode layer 8 of the aperture electrode 9 based on the image information, and the toner T is constantly transferred from the aperture electrode 9 to the recording medium P. Supplied. The toner flow is modulated by the aperture electrode 9 by the signal source S, and a toner latent image is recorded on the lower surface of the recording medium P. That is, the positively (+) charged toner T modulated by the negative (−) power supply E2 connected to the counter electrode flies toward the counter electrode 12. Then, the toner T is sucked by the recording medium P conveyed by the auxiliary roller 16, and the image (latent image)
Is formed.

In the heat fixing unit 2, the image on the recording medium P is
Pressing by heat roller 13 and press roller 14,
By being heated, it is thermally fixed. Since this fixing method is a general method, a detailed description is omitted. Then, the recording medium P on which the image has been formed is taken out from the take-out port 18 via the guide 15.

Next, an example of a processing method when the toner 5 is clogged in the aperture 5 of the aperture electrode 9 will be described. In the toner jet recording device 19, the counter electrode 2 of the recording unit 1 is pressed by pressing a lever (not shown).
4 opens upward with the fulcrum 25 as the center of rotation. As a result, the aperture electrode 9 is exposed in the device 19, so that the aperture electrode 9 is pulled out upward to connect the connection terminal 7a.
By extracting 8a from connectors M7 and M8 of substrate M, aperture electrode 9 can be easily removed. Then, instead of the aperture electrode 9 filled with the toner T removed from the substrate M, a new aperture electrode 9 is used.
Into the connectors M7 and M8 of the board M,
The replacement of the aperture electrode 9 is completed. Thereafter, if the opposing electrode portion 24 is pushed down and closed, the printable state is restored.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified without departing from the spirit thereof.

[0024]

As is apparent from the above description, the image recording apparatus of the present invention has a structure in which the opposing electrode portion is opened.
The aperture electrode is exposed so that the aperture electrode can be easily removed.When toner is clogged in the aperture of the aperture electrode, the aperture electrode can be easily replaced with a new aperture electrode or removed from the device and cleaned. Can be returned to a printable state immediately, and maintenance is very easy.

[0025]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an image recording apparatus embodying the present invention.

[0026]

FIG. 2 is a partially omitted perspective view showing an outline of an aperture electrode provided in the image recording apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0027]

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording part 2 Heat fixing part 5 Aperture 6 Insulating layer 7 Reference electrode layer 8 Control electrode layer 9 Aperture electrode 10 Scratching member 11 Layer thickness regulating member 12 Counter electrode 13 Heat roller 19 Image recording device 24 Counter electrode part T Toner P Medium K Toner case

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/385

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A carrier for supporting colored powder particles such as charged toner, an aperture electrode provided in close proximity to the carrier and having a large number of apertures, and an image receiving member for the aperture electrode as an image receiving member. An image recording apparatus comprising , in addition to an image forming unit including an opposing electrode opposed to a recording medium therebetween, and a heat fixing unit for fixing an image formed on the recording medium by the image forming unit, The electrodes are open to the body side of the image recording apparatus.
The aperture electrode is provided in a releasably mounted counter electrode portion, and the aperture electrode is configured to open the counter electrode portion.
Exposed from the main body of the image recording apparatus.
An image recording apparatus characterized in that the image recording apparatus is configured to be able to operate.