Patent ID: 6257709
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus at least comprising:supply means having a toner carrier for carrying toner;a counter electrode arranged to face the toner carrier; andcontrol means including:a control electrode composed of an insulating substrate disposed between the toner carrier and the counter electrode, a plurality of gates provided in the insulating substrate as toner passages, and two-layer electrode groups composed of a plurality of electrodes individually provided on peripheries of the plurality of gates, andcontrol circuit means capable of applying at least a predetermined potential corresponding to image data to individual electrodes of the control electrode,the image forming apparatus controlling the passage of toner through the plurality of gates by applying the predetermined potential to the electrodes of each electrode group by the control means to form an image on a surface of a recording medium fed between the control electrode and the counter electrode,wherein in order to project the toner at a certain angle from a direction vertical to the toner carrier and the counter electrode, two half-electrode pieces are formed by dividing each electrode of each electrode group on the counter electrode side out of the electrode groups vertically to a paper feed direction, and times for applying a potential to the half-electrode pieces are different.