US 4,393,390 AGranted

Electrostatic printer

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Suwa Seikosha

InventorsKenji Aoki, Mitsuhiro Goto, Teiji Miura

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Abstract

An electrostatic printer for printing images on an electrostatic recording medium. The electrostatic printer includes an elongated electrode and a back electrode. The back electrode is spaced from the elongated electrode to define a gap therebetween. The gap, defined by the elongated electrode and the back electrode, is adapted to permit the passage of the electrostatic recording medium in a predetermined direction and is effectively reduced at a given point on the elongated electrode. The elongated electrode is displaceable relative to the back electrode so that the point on the elongated electrode which then defines the effectively reduced gap is displaced laterally of the direction of passage of the electrostatic recording medium in response to the displacement of the elongated electrode. A voltage is selectively applied between the elongated electrode and the back electrode for effecting printing on the electrostatic recording medium in registration with the point on the elongated electrode then defining the effectively reduced gap.

Claims35

Dependent claims

An electrostatic printer for printing on an electrostatic recording medium comprising an elongated electrode and a back electrode spaced from said elongated electrode to define a gap therebetween and adapted to permit the passage of said electrostatic recording medium in said gap in a predetermined direction, a gap-reducing member disposed in said gap and extending essentially transverse to the predetermined direction of passage of said recording medium, said gap-reducing member being spaced from said back electrode to permit the passage of said recording medium therebetween, said recording medium and said gap-reducing member being out of contact with said elongated electrode, said gap-reducing member effectively reducing said gap at a point on said elongated electrode, means for displacing said elongated electrode relative to said back electrode so that said point on said elongated electrode then defining said effectively reduced gap is displaced laterally of said direction of passage of said electrostatic recording medium in response to the displacement of said elongated electrode, and means for selectively applying a voltage between said elongated electrode and said back electrode for effecting printing on said electrostatic recording medium in registration with the point on said elongated electrode then defining said effectively reduced gap.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.