Patent ID: 6033056
Filing Date: 2000-03-07
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
A direct electrostatic printing device for printing images onto a receiving substrate, comprising:a toner source for providing a cloud of particles of toner; anda printhead structure located proximate to said toner source, said printhead structure having a first side and a second side located so that said first side of said printhead structure is located between said toner source and said second side of said printhead structure, said printhead structure having an array of printing apertures therethrough, each said printing aperture being surrounded by a separately addressable shield electrode on said first side of said printhead structure and being surrounded by a separately addressable control electrode on said second side of said printhead structure, each said separately addressable shield electrode being electrically isolated from every other said separately addressable shield electrode and from each said separately addressable control electrode, each said separately addressable control electrode being electrically isolated from every other said separately addressable control electrode and from each said separately addressable shield electrode, and each said separately addressable shield electrode and each said separately addressable control electrode being capable of having a different voltage applied thereto, said separately addressable shield electrodes and said separately addressable control electrodes being capable of electrically modulating a flow of said particles of toner through said apertures in a direction away from said toner source, so that said printhead structure causes said particles of toner to be deposited onto the receiving substrate to form an image.