Array Printers Ab

Kyocera Corporation

Array Printers Publ. Ab

Array Printers Ab Publ.

Ove Larson

Bengt Bern

Keiji Itsukushima

Takasumi Wada

Hidemasa Aiba

Masayuki Tone

Per Klockar

Jens G&ouml;ran Lind&ouml;

Lars Stravik

Lars Grosta Henrik Fries

Mattias Ulf Bystr&ouml;m

A thermosensitive display device including a thermosensitive material applied in a thin layer, and an array of resistors arranged on a thin flexible film. Each one of said resistors has a thin planar configuration and extends in the plane of said flexible film and essentially covers a square-shaped area. The resistors are arranged to emit host energy all over said square-shaped area when fed with electricity. The thin layer with thermosensitive material is applied directly in thermal contact with the thin flexible film. The device further including means for controlling the temperature in each of said areas.

Thermosensitive display device

A display for digital/analogous visualization of computer stored and bitmapped, in the form of still or moving patterns, (e.g., text or images) or the like, on or by way of at least one visualization medium. The display consists of one matrix including at least two sets of electrodes, wherein the electrodes cross each other. The electrodes are distanced from each other by at least one resistive and/or inductive spacer, and are connected to at least one control device for multiplexing, scanning or pulsating the control signals. The electrodes are individually addressable in accordance to electric signals from a control unit and are provided so that when selected electrodes in both sets of the electrodes are energized, a temperature change (heat) is conducted towards the medium. The medium includes a thermosensistive indicator (e.g.) a layer, or a body. The surface/surfaces in the display are provided to transform the temperature change to visible dots.

Display device and method for visualizing computer generated image information

A movable printhead having a screen or lattice-shaped control electrode matrix prints each page as a series of narrow bands across the width of the page. An information carrier such as paper is placed between a back electrode and the control electrode matrix, both of which are connected to voltage sources. Voltage sources connected to the control electrode matrix at least partially open and close passages through the control electrode matrix. Charged pigment particles attracted from a particle carrier through open passages are deposited on the information carrier to form visible images. In one embodiment, a particle carrier is rotated in opposite directions in response to the direction of movement of the printhead. In another embodiment, a cleaning assembly having a magnetic roll and located outside the printing area removes unwanted pigment particles from the control electrode matrix. In another embodiment, two stationary belts, a tooth wheel, a mechanical angle link, a rotary belt, and two single-direction wheels are arranged to rotate a particle carrier in a same direction regardless of the direction the printhead is moved.

Serial printing system with direct deposition of powder particles

Method and device for feeding toner particles in a printer unit

A printer unit of a printer device having at least one printer unit which includes at least one toner container for toner particles and an electrode unit, including electrodes and apertures surrounded at least partly by the electrodes. The electrode unit is arranged to control the transportation of the toner particles by means of attraction fields from a toner carrier member arranged in the toner container or in a space communicating with it towards a back electrode and an information carrier insertable between the toner carrier member and the back electrode. The toner carrier member, the electrode unit, and/or the back electrode are arranged to form a transportation zone between two most remote transversal electrodes and generate the attraction fields, which through the apertures attract the toner particles towards the back electrode. The transportation zone consists of at least two smaller zones including, in the toner container or in a space communicating with it, a number of toner carrier members corresponding to the number of the zones and groups of electrode units consisting of apertures and electrodes having reduced numbers and/or sizes.

Method and apparatus for using dual print zones to enhance print quality

An information display device including, as main components, a thermosensitive material layer which can be gradually converted between a completely opaque state and a completely transparent state under the influence of temperature, an electrode matrix, a control device for multiplexing, scanning or pulsating control signals to the individually addressable electrodes, possibly together with a colored backing layer. The electrodes in the matrix are connected via heating means at the electrode crossing points. At each crossing point there is further positioned a current valve means (diode) or a separate driver circuit for each heating means.

Display device and method for visualizing computer generated image

The present invention relates to a method for improving the print quality of an image recording apparatus in which charged particles are transported from a particle source and deposited in an image configuration on an information carrier. Variable control voltages are supplied to control electrodes to permit or restrict the transport of charged particles from the particle source during a predetermined print time. The control voltage levels, the print time length or the voltage levels and the print time length are dimensioned in relation to the specific distance between each control electrode and the particle source. The present invention relates also to a device for accomplishing the method.

Apparatus and method using variable control signals to improve the print

The present invention relates to a method and means to control one or several electrodes in a print unit, comprising: at least one toner carrier, electrode means, having apertures at least partly surrounded by said electrodes, at least one back electrode. The electrodes are connected to driving means to apply different levels of energy, an on-potential, to at least partly open passages through the apertures to allow passage of toner particles or, an off-potential to prevent the passage of toner particles provided on the toner carrier through the apertures towards the back electrode. The driving means of each electrode intended to permit passage of said toner particles is brought in a high resistive state, and the electrode means of the electrodes intended to block the passage of said toner particles are brought in a low resistive state. Then all electrodes are applied a dynamic potential.

Method and apparatus to control electrodes in a print unit

An apparatus for printing directly on plain paper, utilizing an arrayed control grid having a plurality of toner slots disposed in a space between a toner carrier and a backing electrode on which a paper travels. The backing electrode formed in a flat plate facing paralleledly to the control grid assures a uniform electrostatic field in an interspace therebetween. A unit body associated with the toner carrier and the control grid makes the interspace open when the unit body is removed from the apparatus body which offers an easy access to the interspace and the members as well. A resiliently suspended backing electrode with a spacer, a restriction member etc., assures the interspace constant. Other unit bodies including the control grid associated with the backing electrode and others are also disclosed.

Image forming apparatus with improved assemblies for tore carrier, toner

Method to improve the printing quality at reproduction of half-tone originals by means of printers of the type, in which a number of dots are brought together in a cell (pixel). A minimum of two dots form a cell where each dot in the cell is controlled individually with respect to the size and/or the color value. The dots form a pattern in each cell, which is variable with respect to the number of dots, the dot size and/or the dot color value.

Method and device to improve print quality of gray scales and color for

An apparatus and method provide direct electrostatic printing onto an information carrier. Computer-generated electronic signals define an image and are converted to a pattern of electrostatic fields to selectively control the deposition of charged toner particles in an image configuration directly onto the information carrier. The electrostatic fields are applied via a set of print electrodes which selectively permit or restrict the transport of the charged toner particles from a particle source toward the information carrier. Periodically variable deflection potentials are applied to a set of deflection electrodes to modify the trajectories of the toner particles as they are transported toward the information carrier to direct the toner particles in a direction transverse to the direction of the movement of the information carrier.

Direct printing method utilizing continuous deflection and a device for

A method and device to enhance the printing quality of direct electrostatic printers which utilize an electrode array and electrical signals to generate an electrical field to cause toner particles to be deposited directly onto plain paper to form visible images. The invention relates to an improvement to dynamically position and maintain a desired distance between the electrode array and the surface of the charged particles on the particle carrier.

Method for dynamically positioning a control electrode array in a direct

A method and apparatus for improving printing quality in electrographic printers includes an electrode device for generating a latent electrostatic charge pattern from electric signals. The electrode device is arranged within a gap area between a particle carrier and a back electrode. During a portion of the operating cycle, preferably when no development is performed, a duel airflow that is charged with positive and/or negative ions is directed into the gap area to neutralize the electrostatic attraction forces between the toner particles, and the electrode device and for achieving a homogeneous charge level on the surface layer of the electrode device. A magnet can be positioned opposite the electrode device so as to attract toner particles.

Method and apparatus for improving transcription quality in

Method and device for high quality printing with substantially reduced cross-coupling while reducing the manufacturing cost of printers that use a matrix of individual control electrode units by connecting individual control electrode segments in series to reduce the number of electronic drive circuits. An information carrier such as paper is placed between a back electrode and an electrode matrix both of which are connected to voltage sources. Voltage sources connected to the control electrode unit matrix at least partially open and close passages through the electrode matrix; charged pigment particles attracted from a particle carrier through the open passages are deposited on the information carrier to form visible images.

Method for non-impact printing utilizing a multiplexed matrix of

Device for generating multicolor images which employs a latent electric charge pattern and development of this on an information carrier (21) using toner particles (16) of different colors. Separate developers (10-13) are used for each color. Each developer (10-13) is individually provided with a toner carrier, preferably a conductive developer roll (14) and a back electrode (23) which cooperates with the developer roll by attraction forces. An electrode unit (29) is arranged between the conductive developer roll and the back electrode 23. The electrode unit (29) includes at least one electrode layer/direction (22), essentially including relative parallel electrodes, which are common for all developers (10-13), and a plurality of apertures (27). The apertures (27) are opened and closed respectively by signals from at least one driving device (25). The toner carriers (14) and/or the back electrode/electrodes (23) is/are arranged to have applied a potential difference with respect to the colour selection, which results in attraction forces between the toner carrier (14) and the back electrode (23). A possible second electrode layer/direction (33), which includes electrodes (33) which are essentially parallel and formed at an angle to the first electrode layer (22), is provided to be controlled individually by at least a second driving device (31).

Growing community of inventors

Vastra Frolunda, Sweden

Ove Larson