US3919605A

US3919605A - Corona discharge apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3919605A
Application number: US469489A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ko Honda
Original assignee: Rank Xerox Ltd
Current assignee: Xerox Ltd
Priority date: 1973-05-18
Filing date: 1974-05-13
Publication date: 1975-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-11
Also published as: JPS507039U

Abstract

A corona discharge device has an arrangement for easily varying the distance between the device and a photoreceptor surface, the arrangement including a plate spring for biasing the device in one direction, and a screw for moving the device against the bias of the plate spring. A supporting rail on which the corona discharge device is slidably mounted is held between flanges on the plate spring.

Description

United States Patent Honda CORONA DISCHARGE APPARATUS 75] Inventor: Ko Honda, Ebina, Japan 22] Filed: May 13, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 469,489

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 11, 1975 Primary E.\aminerL. T. Hix Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lames J. Ralabate; Bernard A. Chiama; Earl T. Reichert [5 7 ABSTRACT A corona discharge device has an arrangement for easily varying the distance between the device and a photoreceptor surface, the arrangement including a plate spring for biasing the device in one direction. and a screw for moving the device against the bias of the plate spring. A supporting rail on which the corona discharge device is slidably mounted is held between flanges on the plate spring.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures May 18, 1973 Japan 48-057832 [U] [52] US. Cl 317/262 A [51] Int. CI.' G03G 15/02; HOlT 19/00 [58] Field of Search 317/4, 262 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,8l 1,048 5/1974 Matsumoto et al 317/262 A U.S. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 CORONA DISCHARGE APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION electrostatic charge, and thereafter the latent image is developed by the employment of a developing agent containing electrostatically suctioned corpuscles, then the image thus developed is either fixed as it is or transcribed on other image supporting substand and properly fixed.

It is required of a corona discharge apparatus that proper discharge be conducted in a uniform manner and free from excess or deficiency, since irregularity, excess or deficiency in discharge affects the quality of a duplicate a great deal. As a matter of fact, the irregularity, excess or deficiency in discharge has been given birth thus far by irregularity in the distance between a photosensitive substance and a discharger proper, which constitutes a reasonable and valid reason therefor. Now, here will be given a description ofthe outline of the construction of a corona discharge apparatus. The principal section of a corona discharge apparatus is a discharger proper that is assigned a function of conducting proper discharge by arranging insulation blocks at the both ends in a slender metal shield of a concave section, by bridging a fine electrode wire made of metal over the blocks, and by supplying the said fine electrode wire with high voltage, thus effectuating proper discharge.

In the case of setting the said discharger proper regularly in place in the interior of a duplicator, the conventional method generally followed used to be such that j a rail for supporting the discharger proper was arranged on a supporting base, for instance, on the frame of a duplicator or on brackets, and the discharge proper used to be caused to slide on the said rail by means of a groove formed on the bottom thereof as a guide therefor. The reasons why the siad supporting rail was thus used lied in that the discharger proper needed be dislocated off position frequently for the purpose of cleaning the said fine wire of the electrode or of repairing such when cut, and the same is applied to the present invention; however, in the conventional case, the

rail was arranged on the supporting base in a direct man er, and adjustment of the distance between a photosensitive substance and a discharger proper used to be effectuated by proper adjustment of the connection between the rail and the supporting base. This was a quite troublesome work, and especially in case the adjustment was conducted in the course of assembly and some irregularity was located by an inspection after the completion of a duplicator as a whole, many an hour used to be required for the readjustment thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, to put it in details, relates to a mechanism for adjusting the distance between a corona discharge apparatus employed for the electrification, the discharge, and the transcription of a photosensitive substance of the above-mentioned duplicator of the electronic photography system and the photosensitive substance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A discharger proper 1, with insulation blocks 3 (of which only one end is shown in the drawing) properly arranged at the both ends of an oblong metal shield 2 of a concave section, with a fine wire electrode 4-made of a metal properly set in place to bridge over between the said blocks, and with a groove 5 formed on the bottom thereof, is so designed as to slide along a supporting rail 6 of the said discharger proper 1 and the said groove 5 selected as the guides, andis so positioned as to be confronted with a drum 7 constituting a photosensitive substance over a certain distance a properly maintained therefor. Though not shown in the drawing, such a method that a tup is formed'through the bottom of the supporting rail 6 and a set screw is inserted therein from the side of the supporting base 9 may well be followed for the purpose of effectuating peoper adjustment. To add up thereto, it is desirable that an adjusting mechanism comprising the plate spring 10, the set screw 11 and the supporting base 9 set forth above be arranged near the both ends of the supporting rail 6, i.e., at two spots, whereby the distance between the drum 7 and the discharger proper 1 can be properly adjusted so as to be constant at any point in the longitudinal direction. As can be seen, supporting rail 6 is held between flanges 12.

As elucidated above, the present invention aims to provide such a discharge apparatus as is capable of conducting discharge in a uniform manner and in the most suitable manner; therefore, it proves to be quite effective for obtaining a duplicate of a superb quality.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a corona discharge device having an elongated shield and. a corona wire mounted within and extending along the shield, with an improved apparatus for adjustably supporting the device adjacent to a photosensitive surface, the. improvement comprising:

a supporting base, means forming a channel along the shield, 21 supporting rail confined within the channel for supporting the device on the base adjacent to the photosensitive surface, a plate spring disposed at each end of the rail, each plate spring being interposed between the base and the rail and adapted to bias the rail in a first direction, each of the plate springs having flange means thereon for confining the rail therebetween, and screw means for adjustably moving the rail to a desired position against the bias of each of the plate springs and retaining the rail in the desired position.

Claims

1. The combination of a corona discharge device having an elongated shield and a corona wire mounted within and extending along the shield, with an improved apparatus for adjustably supporting the device adjacent to a photosensitive surface, the improvement comprising: a supporting base, means forming a channel along the shield, a supporting rail confined within the channel for supporting the device on the base adjacent to the photosensitive surface, a plate spring disposed at each end of the rail, each plate spring being interposed between the base and the rail and adapted to bias the rail in a first direction, each of the plate springs having flange means thereon for confining the rail therebetween, and screw means for adjustably moving the rail to a desired position against the bias of each of the plate springs and retaining the rail in the desired position.