EP0736822A1 - Vorrichtung zum direkten elektrostatischen Drucken - Google Patents

Vorrichtung zum direkten elektrostatischen Drucken Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0736822A1
EP0736822A1 EP96200845A EP96200845A EP0736822A1 EP 0736822 A1 EP0736822 A1 EP 0736822A1 EP 96200845 A EP96200845 A EP 96200845A EP 96200845 A EP96200845 A EP 96200845A EP 0736822 A1 EP0736822 A1 EP 0736822A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
dep
sub
speed
magnetic brush
toner
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP96200845A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0736822B1 (de
Inventor
Guido Desie
Herman Debie
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Agfa Gevaert NV
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Agfa Gevaert NV
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Publication date
Application filed by Agfa Gevaert NV filed Critical Agfa Gevaert NV
Priority to EP19960200845 priority Critical patent/EP0736822B1/de
Publication of EP0736822A1 publication Critical patent/EP0736822A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0736822B1 publication Critical patent/EP0736822B1/de
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G15/22—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern involving the combination of more than one step according to groups G03G13/02 - G03G13/20
    • G03G15/34—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern involving the combination of more than one step according to groups G03G13/02 - G03G13/20 in which the powder image is formed directly on the recording material, e.g. by using a liquid toner
    • G03G15/344—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern involving the combination of more than one step according to groups G03G13/02 - G03G13/20 in which the powder image is formed directly on the recording material, e.g. by using a liquid toner by selectively transferring the powder to the recording medium, e.g. by using a LED array
    • G03G15/346—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern involving the combination of more than one step according to groups G03G13/02 - G03G13/20 in which the powder image is formed directly on the recording material, e.g. by using a liquid toner by selectively transferring the powder to the recording medium, e.g. by using a LED array by modulating the powder through holes or a slit
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G2217/00—Details of electrographic processes using patterns other than charge patterns
    • G03G2217/0008—Process where toner image is produced by controlling which part of the toner should move to the image- carrying member
    • G03G2217/0025—Process where toner image is produced by controlling which part of the toner should move to the image- carrying member where the toner starts moving from behind the electrode array, e.g. a mask of holes

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an apparatus used in the process of electrostatic printing and more particularly in Direct Electrostatic Printing (DEP).
  • DEP Direct Electrostatic Printing
  • electrostatic printing is performed directly from a toner delivery means on a receiving member substrate by means of an electronically addressable printhead structure.
  • the toner or developing material is deposited directly in an imagewise way on a receiving substrate, the latter not bearing any imagewise latent electrostatic image.
  • the substrate can be an intermediate endless flexible belt (e.g. aluminium, polyimide etc.).
  • the imagewise deposited toner must be transferred onto another final substrate.
  • the toner is deposited directly on the final receiving substrate, thus offering a possibility to create directly the image on the final receiving substrate, e.g. plain paper, transparency, etc.
  • This deposition step is followed by a final fusing step.
  • DEP is also markedly different from electrophotography in which an additional step and additional member is introduced to create the latent electrostatic image. More specifically, a photoconductor is used and a charging/exposure cycle is necessary.
  • a DEP device is disclosed in e.g. US-P-3,689,935.
  • This document discloses an electrostatic line printer having a multi-layered particle modulator or printhead structure comprising :
  • Selected potentials are applied to each of the control electrodes while a fixed potential is applied to the shield electrode.
  • An overall applied propulsion field between a toner delivery means and a receiving member support projects charged toner particles through a row of apertures of the printhead structure.
  • the intensity of the particle stream is modulated according to the pattern of potentials applied to the control electrodes.
  • the modulated stream of charged particles impinges upon a receiving member substrate, interposed in the modulated particle stream.
  • the receiving member substrate is transported in a direction orthogonal to the printhead structure, to provide a line-by-line scan printing.
  • the shield electrode may face the toner delivery means and the control electrode may face the receiving member substrate.
  • a DC field is applied between the printhead structure and a single back electrode on the receiving member support. This propulsion field is responsible for the attraction of toner to the receiving member substrate that is placed between the printhead structure and the back electrode.
  • a DEP device is well suited to print half-tone images.
  • the densities variations present in a half-tone image can be obtained by modulation of the voltage applied to the individual control electrodes.
  • the human eye is extremely sensitive to small density fluctuations, it is not an easy task to print at a certain grey scale density with a high degree of homogeneity.
  • a kind of "banding" i.e. stripes of slightly different densities can be seen in a density pattern that is intended to be totally homogeneous and even.
  • DEP Direct Electrostatic Printing
  • said sleeve of said magnetic brush assembly is rotated at a speed V rot and said substrate is moved at a speed V sub so that V rot / V sub ⁇ 2.
  • said receiving substrate (109) moves at a speed V sub ⁇ 28 cm/min and said sleeve of said magnetic brush assembly is rotated at a speed V rot so that V rot / V sub ⁇ 5.
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a possible embodiment of a DEP device according to the present invention.
  • V sub ⁇ 10 cm/min and the ratio between V rot and V sub fulfils preferably the equation V rot /V sub > 5.
  • V sub ⁇ 28 cm/min and the ratio between V rot and V sub fulfils preferably the equation V rot /V sub ⁇ 5.
  • V sub ⁇ 28 cm/min and V rot /V sub 10.
  • the dimensions of V rot /V sub are a number of rotation over cm.
  • the printhead structure used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is made in such a way that reproducible printing is possible without clogging and with accurate control of printing density.
  • Such a printhead structure has been described in European patent application 94203764.9 filed on December 1994, which is incorporated by reference and is preferentially stretched over a 2-bar or 4-bar frame as described in European patent application 94203255.8 filed on November 8, 1994.
  • a non limitative example of a device for implementing a DEP method using toner particles according to the present invention comprises (fig 1):
  • the printhead structure (106) comprises one continuous electrode surface, hereinafter called “shield electrode” (106b) facing in the shown embodiment the toner delivering means and a complex addressable electrode structure, hereinafter called “control electrode” (106a) around printing apertures (107), facing, in the shown embodiment, the receiving substrate (109) in said DEP device.
  • Said printing apertures are arranged in an array structure for which the total number of rows can be chosen according to the field of application. In a preferred embodiment as described later on e.g. an array of printing apertures consisting of 2 individual rows of apertures can be used.
  • the location and/or form of the shield electrode (106b) and the control electrode (106a) can, in other embodiments of a device for a DEP method using toner particles according to the present invention, be different from the location shown in fig. 1.
  • a DEP method using toner particles according to the present invention using devices with different constructions of the printhead (106). It is, e.g. possible to implement a DEP method with a device having a printhead comprising only one electrode structure as well as with a device having a printhead comprising more than two electrode structures. It is also possible to implement a DEP device according to the present invention using a mesh isolated wires as printhead structure, as disclosed in e.g., US 5,036,341.
  • the apertures in these printhead structures can have a constant diameter, or can have a broader entrance or exit diameter.
  • the back electrode (105) of this DEP device can also be made to cooperate with the printhead structure, said back electrode being constructed from different styli or wires that are galvanically isolated and connected to a voltage source as disclosed in e.g. US-P 4,568,955 and US-P 4,733,256.
  • the back electrode, cooperating with the printhead structure can also comprise one or more flexible PCB's (Printed Circuit Board).
  • V3 is selected, according to the modulation of the image forming signals, between the values V3 0 and V3 n , on a timebasis or grey-level basis.
  • Voltage V4 is applied to the back electrode behind the toner receiving member. In other embodiments of the present invention multiple voltages V2 0 to V2 n and/or V4 0 to V4 n can be used.
  • the magnetic brush assembly 103 used in a DEP device according to the present invention can be either of the type with stationary core and rotating sleeve or of the type with rotating core and rotating or stationary sleeve.
  • a magnetic brush of the rotating sleeve/stationary core is preferred in a DEP device according to the present invention.
  • a magnetic brush with rotating sleeve and stationary core said magnetic brush having a curvature in the development zone fulfilling the equation I : R > C 2 4.25B + 0.25 wherein the curvature R of said magnetic brush in the development zone is expressed as the radius (in mm) of a circle that best fits to said curvature of said magnetic brush in the development zone, B is the distance between the surface of said sleeve of said magnetic brush to the surface of said printhead structure, facing said magnetic brush and C is the extension (in mm) of the array of printing apertures (107) in the direction of the movement of said receiving substrate (109) measured from the middle of the apertures in the first row to the middle of the apertures in the last row.
  • a magnetic brush fulfilling the equation above has been described in European Application 95200556.9 filed on march 7, 1995, which in incorporated herein by reference.
  • any type of known carrier particles and toner particles can successfully be used. It is however preferred to use "soft" magnetic carrier particles.
  • Soft magnetic carrier particles useful in a DEP device according to the present invention are soft ferrite carrier particles. Such soft ferrite particles exhibit only a small amount of remanent behaviour, characterised in coercivity values ranging from about 50 up to 250 Oe.
  • Further very useful soft magnetic carrier particles, for use in a DEP device according to the present invention are composite carrier particles, comprising a resin binder and a mixture of two magnetites having a different particle size as described in EP-B 289 663. The particle size of both magnetites will vary between 0.05 and 3 ⁇ m.
  • the carrier particles have preferably an average volume diameter (d v50 ) between 10 and 300 ⁇ m, preferably between 20 and 100 ⁇ m. More detailed descriptions of carrier particles, as mentioned above, can be found in EP-A 675 417, titled “A method and device for direct electrostatic printing (DEP)", that is incorporated herein by reference.
  • toner particles with an absolute average charge corresponding to 1 fC ⁇
  • the charge distribution is narrow, i.e. shows a distribution wherein the coefficient of variability (V), i.e. the ratio of the standard deviation to the average value, is equal to or lower than 0.33.
  • V coefficient of variability
  • the toner particles used in a device according to the present invention have an average volume diameter (d v50 ) between 1 and 20 ⁇ m, more preferably between 3 and 15 ⁇ m. More detailed descriptions of toner particles, as mentioned above, can be found in EP-A 675 417, titled “A method and device for direct electrostatic printing (DEP)", that is incorporated herein by reference.
  • a DEP device making use of the above mentioned marking toner particles can be addressed in a way that enables it to give black and white. It can thus be operated in a "binary way", useful for black and white text and graphics and useful for classical bilevel halftoning to render continuous tone images.
  • a DEP device according to the present invention is especially suited for rendering an image with a plurality of grey levels. Grey level printing can be controlled by either an amplitude modulation of the voltage V3 applied on the control electrode 106a or by a time modulation of V3. By changing the duty cycle of the time modulation at a specific frequency, it is possible to print accurately fine differences in grey levels.
  • a printhead structure 106 was made from a polyimide film of 50 ⁇ m thickness, double sided coated with a 17 ⁇ m thick copper film.
  • the printhead structure 106 had two rows of printing apertures (107), said apertures having a square shape of 200 by 200 micron.
  • each aperture had a square copper electrode of 50 micron around each aperture, said 2 rows of apertures isolated from each other by a 100 micron broad isolation zone.
  • This printhead structure had a resolution of 127 dpi (50 dots per cm) and was fabricated using the technique of plasma etching.
  • Each of said control electrodes was individually addressable from a high voltage power supply.
  • a common shield electrode was present on the front side of the printhead structure, facing the toner delivery means.
  • the toner delivery means 101 was a stationary core/rotating sleeve type magnetic brush (103) comprising two mixing rods and one metering roller. One rod was used to transport the developer through the unit, the other one to mix toner with developer.
  • the magnetic brush assembly 103 was constituted of the so called magnetic roller, which in this case contained inside the roller assembly a stationary magnetic core, showing nine magnetic poles with an open position to enable used developer to fall off from the magnetic roller.
  • the magnetic roller contained also a sleeve, fitting around said stationary magnetic core, and giving to the magnetic brush assembly an overall diameter of 20 mm.
  • a scraper blade was used to force developer to leave the magnetic roller.
  • a doctoring blade was used to meter a small amount of developer onto the surface of said magnetic brush assembly.
  • the sleeve was rotating at a speed as tabulated in table 1, the internal elements rotating at such a speed as to conform to a good internal transport within the development unit.
  • the magnetic brush assembly 103 was connected to an AC power supply with a square wave oscillating field of 600 V at a frequency of 3.0 kHz with 0 V DC-offset.
  • a macroscopic "soft" ferrite carrier consisting of a MgZn-ferrite with average particle size 50 ⁇ m, a magnetisation at saturation of 29 emu/g was provided with a 1 ⁇ m thick acrylic coating. The material showed virtually no remanence.
  • the toner used for the experiment had the following composition : 97 parts of a co-polyester resin of fumaric acid and propoxylated bisphenol A, having an acid value of 18 and volume resistivity of 5.1 x 10 16 ohm.cm was melt-blended for 30 minutes at 110° C in a laboratory kneader with 3 parts of Cu-phthalocyanine pigment (Colour Index PB 15:3).
  • a resistivity decreasing substance having the following structural formula : (CH 3 ) 3 N + C 16 H 33 Br - was added in a quantity of 0.5 % with respect to the binder. It was found that - by mixing with 5 % of said ammonium salt - the volume resistivity of the applied binder resin was lowered to 5x10 14 ⁇ .cm. This proves a high resistivity decreasing capacity (reduction factor : 100).
  • the solidified mass was pulverized and milled using an ALPINE Fliessbettarnastrahlmühle type 100AFG (tradename) and further classified using an ALPINE multiplex zig-zag classifier type 100MZR (tradename).
  • the resulting particle size distribution of the separated toner measured by Coulter Counter model Multisizer (tradename), was found to be 6.3 ⁇ m average by number and 8.2 ⁇ m average by volume.
  • the toner particles were mixed with 0.5 % of hydrophobic colloidal silica particles (BET-value 130 m 2 /g).
  • An electrostatographic developer was prepared by mixing said mixture of toner particles and colloidal silica in a 4 % ratio (w/w) with carrier particles.
  • the tribo-electric charging of the toner-carrier mixture was performed by mixing said mixture in a standard tumbling set-up for 10 min.
  • the distance between the back electrode 105 and the back side of the printhead structure 106 (i.e. control electrodes 106a) was set to 150 ⁇ m.
  • the receiving substrate (109) was paper and moved at various speeds (V sub in cm/min) as indicated in table 1.
  • To the individual control electrodes an (imagewise) voltage V3 between 0 V and -300 V was applied.
  • the backelectrode 105 was connected to a high voltage power supply of +400 V.
  • To the sleeve of the magnetic brush an AC voltage of 600 V at 3.0 kHz was applied, without DC offset.
  • the printing was done on paper and the density patches were measured in reflection mode.
  • the homogeneity of a patch of even densities was expressed with respect to the visibility of density differences, i.e. to the way a human observer would perceive these differences. Therefore, the measured values of density variations (in fact a well known ⁇ D ) were recalculated to density variations as perceived by a human observer.
  • a sample of even density patches printed on paper was scanned in the direction of the movement of the receiving substrate with a slit of 2 mm by 27 ⁇ m and a spatial resolution of 10 ⁇ m. The sampling distance was 1 cm and 1024 data points were sampled. The sampling proceeded in reflection mode and the reflectances where measured.
  • Said obtained scan of the reflectances was converted to a "perceived" image by means of a perception model.
  • This conversion comprises the following steps :

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Printers Or Recording Devices Using Electromagnetic And Radiation Means (AREA)
EP19960200845 1995-04-03 1996-03-28 Vorrichtung zum direkten elektrostatischen Drucken Expired - Lifetime EP0736822B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

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EP19960200845 EP0736822B1 (de) 1995-04-03 1996-03-28 Vorrichtung zum direkten elektrostatischen Drucken

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP95200834 1995-04-03
EP95200834 1995-04-03
EP19960200845 EP0736822B1 (de) 1995-04-03 1996-03-28 Vorrichtung zum direkten elektrostatischen Drucken

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EP0736822A1 true EP0736822A1 (de) 1996-10-09
EP0736822B1 EP0736822B1 (de) 2001-08-22

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0810493A2 (de) * 1996-05-28 1997-12-03 SHARP Corporation Bilderzeugungsgerät
EP0965455A1 (de) * 1998-06-15 1999-12-22 Array Printers Ab Verfahren und Gerät für direktes elektrostatisches Drucken
US6074112A (en) * 1996-12-19 2000-06-13 Agfa-Gevaert Printer for large format printing
US6102523A (en) * 1996-12-19 2000-08-15 Agfa-Gevaert Printer for large format printing using a direct electrostatic printing (DEP) engine

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE506484C2 (sv) 1996-03-12 1997-12-22 Ito Engineering Ab Tryckverk av toner-jet-typ med elektriskt skärmad matris

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4491855A (en) * 1981-09-11 1985-01-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image recording method and apparatus
EP0463743A2 (de) * 1990-05-30 1992-01-02 Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. Bilderzeugungsgerät
US5327169A (en) * 1992-08-05 1994-07-05 Xerox Corporation Masked magnetic brush direct writing for high speed and color printing
EP0617335A2 (de) * 1993-03-24 1994-09-28 Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Direktes Aufzeichnungsverfahren

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4491855A (en) * 1981-09-11 1985-01-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image recording method and apparatus
EP0463743A2 (de) * 1990-05-30 1992-01-02 Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. Bilderzeugungsgerät
US5327169A (en) * 1992-08-05 1994-07-05 Xerox Corporation Masked magnetic brush direct writing for high speed and color printing
EP0617335A2 (de) * 1993-03-24 1994-09-28 Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Direktes Aufzeichnungsverfahren

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0810493A2 (de) * 1996-05-28 1997-12-03 SHARP Corporation Bilderzeugungsgerät
EP0810493A3 (de) * 1996-05-28 1997-12-17 SHARP Corporation Bilderzeugungsgerät
US6056390A (en) * 1996-05-28 2000-05-02 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Image forming apparatus wherein the velocity of the toner supporting medium is higher than recording medium transport velocity
US6074112A (en) * 1996-12-19 2000-06-13 Agfa-Gevaert Printer for large format printing
US6102523A (en) * 1996-12-19 2000-08-15 Agfa-Gevaert Printer for large format printing using a direct electrostatic printing (DEP) engine
EP0965455A1 (de) * 1998-06-15 1999-12-22 Array Printers Ab Verfahren und Gerät für direktes elektrostatisches Drucken
US6361147B1 (en) 1998-06-15 2002-03-26 Array Printers Ab Direct electrostatic printing method and apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0736822B1 (de) 2001-08-22

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