Publishing Venue
The IP.com Prior Art Database
Related People
Inventors:
Alberto Rodriguez
•
John S. Facci
•
Heiko Rommelmann
Abstract
By building coronode redundancy on the SSC device it is possible to minimize equipment down-time and enable the machine controls to recover automatically from an error code generated when the charging device fails. In this way it may be possible for the machine to self-correct temporarily while a call for service is placed. In this way the machine will still be fully functional and service can be scheduled to minimize impact on the customer.
Background:
Charging devices based upon the fundamental teachings of
U.S. 4,155,093 extract charges (ions and/or electrons) from a high density
plasma source created by electrical gas breakdown in a high frequency A.C.
field between two conducting electrodes separated by an insulator. D.C.
polarity and potential of the electrode directly facing the photoreceptor
determines the polarity and magnitude of charging current.�
Invention:
Normal failure mode of a SSC is by
punch-through or dielectric breakdown.� This
is a very localized defect that in general effects only a single aperture of
the device.� With the current embodiment
this would render the device non-functional since, as depicted in figure 1, the
top electrode of the device consists of a single plane that causes all
apertures to be energized at the same time.�
The top electrode is effectively a single coronode consisting of 3
columns of apertures.� If, on the other
hand, the aperture electrode is segmented as shown in figure 2 the end result
is 3 individual coronodes consisting of 1 column of apertures each.
Figure 1. Exploded view of a Solid
State Charger.
These
coronodes can now be addressed individually by the process controls of the
machine.� By adding a redundant coronode
in this fashion a 4-coronode device would result (assuming 3 are necessary to
support the charging requirements of the machine) in which the 4th
coronode function would be to idle until one of the “main” coronodes fail.� At this point the m...