US3898674A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High resolution non-impact printer
Assignee: Carters Ink Co
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Filing: 1973-08-10
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Granted: 1975-08-05
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Expires: 1993-08-10
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for high resolution non-impact printing. A pulsed electric field is applied between a shaping and base electrode through a donor sheet and a closely adjacent recipient sheet to transfer electrically conductive printing material particles from the donor sheet to the recipient sheet. The shape of the resultant deposit of printing material particles on the recipient sheet is related to the spatial distribution of the pulsed electric field components passing through the donor and recipient sheets. The distribution of those components is primarily controlled by the shape of the printing face of the shaping electrode. A shield electrode is disposed about the outer contour of the printing face of the shaping electrode and extends along the side surfaces of that electrode for cancelling the effect of fringe components of the pulsed electric field emanating from points on the surface of the shaping electrode outside the printing face.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul L Koch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 05:42
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/22; G03G15/34; G03G15/344; G03G15/348; G03G17/00; G03G17/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
243 words
In the method of printing an image on a recipient sheet which method includes the step of applying a pulsed electric field through said recipient sheet and an adjacent donor sheet, said donor sheet having mobile electrically conductive printing particles dispersed in a high resistance medium on the surface of said donor sheet which is adjacent to said recipient sheet, said field being applied between a shaping electrode and a base electrode, said shaping electrode including A printing surface and a side surface extending therefrom, said printing surface having a shape corresponding to the image to be printed, wherein the improvement comprises the further step of: limiting the spatial distribution of said applied electric field with a shield electrode by maintaining said shield electrode at a predetermined electric potential, insulating said shield electrode from and disposing it about the side surface of said shaping electrode with a portion of said shield electrode surrounding the outer contour of said printing surface, said portion being separated therefrom by a shielding gap, maintaining said shielding gap to be uniform such that all points on said portion are substantially equidistant from said outer contour, and establishing said shielding gap to have a magnitude related to the magnitude of the gap between said shaping and base electrodes and to said electric potential of said shield electrode so that substantially all the electric field components emanating from the side surfaces of said shaping electrode terminate on said shield electrode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
243 words
In the method of printing an image on a recipient sheet which method includes the step of applying a pulsed electric field through said recipient sheet and an adjacent donor sheet, said donor sheet having mobile electrically conductive printing particles dispersed in a high resistance medium on the surface of said donor sheet which is adjacent to said recipient sheet, said field being applied between a shaping electrode and a base electrode, said shaping electrode including A printing surface and a side surface extending therefrom, said printing surface having a shape corresponding to the image to be printed, wherein the improvement comprises the further step of: limiting the spatial distribution of said applied electric field with a shield electrode by maintaining said shield electrode at a predetermined electric potential, insulating said shield electrode from and disposing it about the side surface of said shaping electrode with a portion of said shield electrode surrounding the outer contour of said printing surface, said portion being separated therefrom by a shielding gap, maintaining said shielding gap to be uniform such that all points on said portion are substantially equidistant from said outer contour, and establishing said shielding gap to have a magnitude related to the magnitude of the gap between said shaping and base electrodes and to said electric potential of said shield electrode so that substantially all the electric field components emanating from the side surfaces of said shaping electrode terminate on said shield electrode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a printing means employing an electric field to deposit mobile printing particles from a donor sheet to a recipient sheet, said printing means having a field shaping electrode with a printing surface and a side surface extending therefrom, and having a base electrode disposed parallel to and separated by a printing gap from said printing surface of said shaping electrode, wherein the improvement comprises: a shield electrode electrically insulated from and disposed about said side surface of said shaping electrode and having a portion surrounding the outer contour of said printing surface, said portion being separated from said printing surface by a uniform shielding gap such that all points on said portion are substantially equidistant from said outer contour, the magnitude of said shielding gap being related to the magnitude of said printing gap so that substantially all the electric field components emanating from said side surfaces of said shaping electrode terminate on said shield electrode when said shield electrode is maintained at a predetermined electric potential relative to said base electrode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a printing means employing an electric field to deposit mobile printing particles from a donor sheet to a recipient sheet, said printing means having a field shaping electrode with a printing surface and a side surface extending therefrom, and having a base electrode disposed parallel to and separated by a printing gap from said printing surface of said shaping electrode, wherein the improvement comprises: a shield electrode electrically insulated from and disposed about said side surface of said shaping electrode and having a portion surrounding the outer contour of said printing surface, said portion being separated from said printing surface by a uniform shielding gap such that all points on said portion are substantially equidistant from said outer contour, the magnitude of said shielding gap being related to the magnitude of said printing gap so that substantially all the electric field components emanating from said side surfaces of said shaping electrode terminate on said shield electrode when said shield electrode is maintained at a predetermined electric potential relative to said base electrode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 2, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportional to the ratio 3/2.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A printing means according to claim 2 having a support for said shaping and shield electrodes, comprising a tube-like structure surrounding the shaping electrode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 2, including a means for applying a first pulsed electric field between said shaping electrode and said base electrode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 5, including a means for maintaining said shield electrode at an electric potential to prevent electric field components emanating from said side surface of said shaping electrode from being applied through said donor and recipient sheet, and to allow electric field components from said printing surface to pass therethrough.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 6, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportional to the ratio 3/2.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
82 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 5, including a means for applying a second pulsed electric field between said shield electrode and said base electrode, said second pulsed electric field being of opposite polarity to said first pulsed electric field and having a magnitude to prevent electric field components emanating from said side surface of said shaping electrode from being applied through said donor and recipient sheets, and to allow electric field components emanating from said printing surface to pass therethrough.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 8, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportional to the ratio 3/2.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
230 words
In a printing means employing an electric field to deposit mobile printing particles from a donor sheet to a recipient sheet, said printing means having a plurality of field shaping electrodes arranged in a matrix, each of said shaping electrodes having a printing surface and a side surface extending therefrom, and said printing means having a base electrode disposed parallel to and separated by a printing gap from said printing surfaces of each of said plurality of shaping electrodes, wherein the improvement comprises: a plurality of shield electrodes, each of said shield electrodes being associated with one of said shaping electrodes and being electrically insulated from and disposed about the side surface of its associated shaping electrode and having a portion surrounding the outer contour of its associated printing surface, each of said portions being separated from the printing surface of its associated shaping electrode by a uniform shielding gap such that all points on said portions are substantially equidistant from the outer contour of the printing surface of its associated shaping electrode, the magnitude of said shielding gap being related to the magnitude of said printing gap so that substantially all the electric field components emanating from the side surfaces of each of said shaping electrodes terminate on the associated shield electrode when said associated shield electrode is maintained at a predetermined electric potential relative to said base electrode.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
230 words
In a printing means employing an electric field to deposit mobile printing particles from a donor sheet to a recipient sheet, said printing means having a plurality of field shaping electrodes arranged in a matrix, each of said shaping electrodes having a printing surface and a side surface extending therefrom, and said printing means having a base electrode disposed parallel to and separated by a printing gap from said printing surfaces of each of said plurality of shaping electrodes, wherein the improvement comprises: a plurality of shield electrodes, each of said shield electrodes being associated with one of said shaping electrodes and being electrically insulated from and disposed about the side surface of its associated shaping electrode and having a portion surrounding the outer contour of its associated printing surface, each of said portions being separated from the printing surface of its associated shaping electrode by a uniform shielding gap such that all points on said portions are substantially equidistant from the outer contour of the printing surface of its associated shaping electrode, the magnitude of said shielding gap being related to the magnitude of said printing gap so that substantially all the electric field components emanating from the side surfaces of each of said shaping electrodes terminate on the associated shield electrode when said associated shield electrode is maintained at a predetermined electric potential relative to said base electrode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 10, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportional to the ratio 3/2.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 10, including a mean for selectively applying a first pulsed electric field between at least one of said shaping electrodes and said base electrode.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
69 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 12, including a means for maintaining said shield electrodes associated with said selected shaping electrodes having said electric field applied thereto at an electric potential to prevent electric field components emanating from said side surface of said selected shaping electrodes from being applied through said donor and recipient sheets, and to allow electric field components from said printing surfaces to pass therethrough.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 13, including a means for maintaining each of said shielding electrodes at the same electric potential.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 14, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportional to the ratio 3/2.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 13, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportional to the ratio 3/2.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
A printing means according to claim 13 wherein said each shaping electrode is coaxially disposed within an associated insulating capillary tube having an outer radial dimension equal to said shielding gap.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
A printing means according to claim 17 wherein said capillary tubes are supported in said matrix arrangement by a conductive medium.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printing means according to claim 17 wherein the shield electrode associated with each field shaping electrode is disposed on the outer surface of the associated capillary tube.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
100 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 12, including a means for selectively applying a second pulsed electric field between said base electrode and the ones of said shield electrodes associated with said selected shaping electrode having said first electric field applied thereto, said second pulsed electric field being of opposite polarity to said first pulsed electric field and having a magnitude to prevent electric field components emanating from said side surfaces of said selected shaping electrodes from being applied through said donor and recipient sheets, and to allow electric field components emanating from said printing surfaces to pass therethrough.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 20, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportIonal to the ratio 3/2.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 20, including a means for maintaining each of said shielding electrodes at the same electric potential.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
A printing means in accordance with claim 22, wherein the ratio of said printing gap to said shielding gap is proportional to the ratio 3/2.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-04 | 1979-02-03 | 1979-08-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-04 | 1983-02-03 | 1983-08-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-04 | 1987-02-03 | 1987-08-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |