Double line electrode unit for electro-coagulation printer and method of making it

Abstract

A double line electrode unit for use in an electro-coagulation printer contains a pair of electrode plates, negative electrodes and a prepreg (or an insulating layer). The negative electrodes are linearly arranged with prescribed intervals of distance therebetween on surfaces of the electrode plates respectively and are embedded in insulating resin materials being solidified. The insulating resin materials contain fillers that are selected from among prescribed materials of boron nitride, aluminum nitride, alumina and silica. In addition, connectors are arranged on other surfaces of the electrode plates in connection with the negative electrodes respectively. The electrode plates are consolidated under heating and pressurized conditions by way of the prepreg such that the negative electrodes respectively arranged on the surfaces of the electrode plates face with each other by intervention of the prepreg, which has a prescribed thickness and is made by fabric material such as glass fibers impregnated with unhardened resin. After filling and solidifying the insulating resin materials on the negative electrodes of the electrode plates, inspection is performed such that electrification is made with respect to each of basic units of negative electrodes to locate an electrification failure area. Then, the complete electrode plate is made by jointing together a prescribed number of the basic units of negative electrodes excluding a basic unit of negative electrodes corresponding to the electrification failure area, which is cut and removed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A double line electrode unit comprising: 
 a pair of electrode plates;    a plurality of electrodes, which are linearly arranged with prescribed intervals of distance therebetween on surfaces of the electrode plates respectively and which are enclosed in insulating resin materials being solidified; and    an insulating layer that is sandwiched between the electrode plates, which are arranged opposite to each other such that the electrodes respectively arranged on the surfaces of the electrode plates face with each other by way of the insulating layer.    
     
     
         2 . A double line electrode unit according to  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of connectors which are arranged on other surfaces of the electrode plates in connection with the plurality of electrodes respectively.  
     
     
         3 . A double line electrode unit according to  claim 1  wherein the insulating resin materials contain fillers, which are selected from among prescribed materials of boron nitride, aluminum nitride, alumina and silica.  
     
     
         4 . A double line electrode unit according to  claim 1  wherein the insulating layer is made of FRP.  
     
     
         5 . A double line electrode unit according to  claim 1  wherein each of the electrodes that are aligned on one surface of the electrode plate is formed in approximately a square shape whose side is approximately 30 μm, so that the prescribed interval of distance by which two adjacent electrodes are arranged apart from each other is set to 60 μm.  
     
     
         6 . An electro-coagulation printer comprising: 
 a rotation drum;    a coating device for continuously coating a circumferential surface of the rotation drum with olefin materials containing metallic oxide;    a print head having a double line electrode unit that are arranged slightly above the circumferential surface of the rotation drum with a gap and contains double lines of negative electrodes which are arranged by way of an insulating layer having a prescribed thickness therebetween, wherein the negative electrodes are enclosed within insulating resin materials and are aligned with prescribed intervals of distance therebetween;    an ink spray device for spraying liquid ink into the gap between the double line electrode unit and the circumferential surface of the rotation drum;    an electrolytic solution supply device for supplying electrolytic solution toward the circumferential surface of the rotation drum so that the electrolytic solution prevent the negative electrodes from being in direct contact with the liquid ink;    a removal device for removing non-coagulated ink from the circumferential surface of the rotation drum on which the liquid ink is coagulated by selective and alternate electrification of the double lines of the negative electrodes in response to print data; and    a transfer device for transferring coagulated ink remained on the circumferential surface of the rotation drum onto a print material.    
     
     
         7 . An electro-coagulation printer according to  claim 6  wherein the insulating resin materials enclosing the negative electrodes contain fillers, which are selected from among prescribed materials of boron nitride, aluminum nitride, alumina and silica.  
     
     
         8 . An electro-coagulation printer according to  claim 6  wherein the insulating layer by which the double lines of the negative electrodes are arranged opposite to each other is made of FRP.  
     
     
         9 . A manufacturing method for manufacturing a double line electrode unit for use in an electro-coagulation printer, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a plurality of electrodes on one surfaces of a pair of electrode plates respectively, wherein the electrodes are aligned with prescribed intervals of distance therebetween;    filling and solidifying insulating resin materials into at least spaces between the electrodes, so that the electrodes are substantially embedded within the insulating resin materials being solidified; and    jointing together and consolidating the pair of the electrode plates by way of a prepreg therebetween under heating and pressurizing conditions so that the electrodes arranged on one surfaces of the electrode plates are arranged opposite to each other by way of the prepreg, which is made by base material impregnated with unhardened resin.    
     
     
         10 . A manufacturing method of the double line electrode unit according to  claim 9  further comprising the steps of: 
 after filling and solidifying the insulation resin materials on the electrodes, performing inspection such that electrification is made with respect to each of basic units of the electrodes to locate an electrification failure area on each of the electrode plates;  
 cutting and removing the basic unit of the electrodes corresponding to the electrification failure area from the electrode plate; and  
 unifying together a prescribed number of the basic units of the electrodes excluding the basic unit of the electrodes corresponding to the electrification failure area in the electrode plate.  
 
     
     
         11 . A manufacturing method of the double line electrode unit according to  claim 9  wherein the insulating resin materials embedding the negative electrodes contain fillers, which are selected from among prescribed materials of boron nitride, aluminum nitride, alumina and silica.  
     
     
         12 . A manufacturing method of the double line electrode unit according to  claim 9  wherein the prepreg by which the double lines of the negative electrodes are arranged opposite to each other is made by fabric material such as glass fibers that is impregnated with unhardened resin.