Abstract Method and apparatus for uniformly and efficiently charging the surface of an insulating member. A plurality of charging needles in substantially perpendicular positions with respect to the surface to be charged are provided. The charging needles are further positioned on a plane parallel to the surface corresponding to the lattice points of a two-dimensional lattice. A low bias potential is applied to at least one of the charging needles corresponding to a lattice point of the basic lattice. A relatively high bias potential is applied to the tips of the remaining charging needles, the tips being maintained at a substantially fixed distance from the surface to be charged. The surface to be charged and the charging needles are displaced relative to each other along a direction which is not parallel or perpendicular to the basic translation vectors of the twodimensional lattice formed by the closest and next-closest high bias potential charging needles.
Inventors
👤 Masamichi Sato
👤 Isoji Takahashi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-06 05:38
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G13/00; G03G13/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
Apparatus for uniformly charging the surface of an insulating member comprising: a plurality of charging needles positioned substantially perpendicular to the surface of said insulating member and in the positions in a plane parallel to said surface corresponding to the lattice points of a two-dimensional lattice, means for applying a first bias potential to at least one charging needle corresponding to a lattice point of said lattice, means for applying a second bias potential to the remaining charging needles corresponding to the remaining lattice points of said lattice, the tips of said remaining charging needles to which said second bias potential is applied being maintained at a substantially fixed distance from said surface, the absolute magnitude of said second bias potential being greater than the absolute magnitude of said first bias potential, and means for causing relative motion between said surface and said charging needles along a direction which is not perpendicular or parallel to the basic translation vectors from an arbitrary lattice point at said first bias potential to the closest and the next-closest lattice points at said second bias potential.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
Apparatus for uniformly charging the surface of an insulating member comprising: a plurality of charging needles positioned substantially perpendicular to the surface of said insulating member and in the positions in a plane parallel to said surface corresponding to the lattice points of a two-dimensional lattice, means for applying a first bias potential to at least one charging needle corresponding to a lattice point of said lattice, means for applying a second bias potential to the remaining charging needles corresponding to the remaining lattice points of said lattice, the tips of said remaining charging needles to which said second bias potential is applied being maintained at a substantially fixed distance from said surface, the absolute magnitude of said second bias potential being greater than the absolute magnitude of said first bias potential, and means for causing relative motion between said surface and said charging needles along a direction which is not perpendicular or parallel to the basic translation vectors from an arbitrary lattice point at said first bias potential to the closest and the next-closest lattice points at said second bias potential.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the distance between said surface and the tips of said remaining charging needles is not greater than the distance between a charging needle having said first bias potential applied thereto and a charge needle having said second potential applied thereto.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for uniformly charging the surface of an insulating member comprising: positioning a plurality of charging needles substantially perpendicular to the surface of said insulating member and in the positions in a plane parallel to said surface corresponding to the lattice points of a two-dimensional lattice, applying a bias potential to at least one charging needle corresponding to a lattice point of said lattice, applying a second bias potential to the remaining charging needles corresponding to the remaining lattice points of said lattice, the tips of said remaining charging needles to which second bias potential is applied being maintained at a substantially fixed distance from said surface, the absolute magnitude of said second-bias potential being greater than the absolute magnitude of said first bias potential, and producing relative motion between said surface and said charging needles along a direction which is not perpendicular or parallel to the basic translation vectors from an arbitrary lattice point at said first bias potential to the closest and the next-closest lattice points at said second bias potential.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for uniformly charging the surface of an insulating member comprising: positioning a plurality of charging needles substantially perpendicular to the surface of said insulating member and in the positions in a plane parallel to said surface corresponding to the lattice points of a two-dimensional lattice, applying a bias potential to at least one charging needle corresponding to a lattice point of said lattice, applying a second bias potential to the remaining charging needles corresponding to the remaining lattice points of said lattice, the tips of said remaining charging needles to which second bias potential is applied being maintained at a substantially fixed distance from said surface, the absolute magnitude of said second-bias potential being greater than the absolute magnitude of said first bias potential, and producing relative motion between said surface and said charging needles along a direction which is not perpendicular or parallel to the basic translation vectors from an arbitrary lattice point at said first bias potential to the closest and the next-closest lattice points at said second bias potential.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the distance between said surface and the tips of said remainIng charging needles is not greater than the distance between a charging needle having said first bias potential applied thereto and a charging needle having said second bias potential applied thereto.