Electrostatic modulator for controlling flow of charged particles

Abstract

Abstract A SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF CHARGED PARTICLES AND FOR MODULATED APERTURE ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING. AN APERTURED SCREEN HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE SURFACES FORMED OF A DIELECTRIC MATERIAL IS CHARGED WITH LIKE CHARGES OVER SUBSTANTIALLY ALL ITS SURFACES TO DEVELOP FRINGING FIELDS IN THE APERTURES. THE CHARGE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS ONE SIDE OF THE SCREEN IS SELECTIVELY DISSIPATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PATTERN TO BE REPRODUCED THEREBY ESTABLISHING A BIPOLAR ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE AS A MODIFICATION OF THE FRINGING FIELDS FOR DENSITY CONTROL OF A FLOW OF CHARGED PARTICLES DIRECTED THROUGH THE SCREEN. THE SCREEN MAY BE FORMED WITH DIELECTRIC THICKER ON ONE FACE THAN THE OTHER TO INITIALLY CARRY A HIGHER POTENTIAL AND PROVIDE A UNIFORM CHARGE INEQUALITY OR POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE THROUGH THE SCREEN APERTURES, ORIENTED, TO ENHANCE THE FLOW OF CHARGED PARTICLES THROUGH THE SCREEN. FULL MODULATION CONTROL OF PARTICLE FLOW IS THEREFORE POSSIBLE WITH A SINGLE SELECTIVE CHARGE DISSIPATION. FOR ELECTROSTATIC REPRODUCTION A PRINT-RECEIVING MEDIUM IS INTERPOSED IN THE MODULATED PARTICLE FLOW PASSING THROUGH THE SCREEN.

Inventors

• 👤 Gerald L Pressman

Bibliographic Details