Patent · US Expired

Electro-photographic printer

US4386836A · kind A · utility

67Cited by
8References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 29, 1980
Grant dateJun 7, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 29, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF02B2075/027
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An electro-photographic printer utilizing a liquid crystal material which operates as a light valve. The liquid crystal material is sandwiched between two base plates which include electrodes which define a plurality of micro-shutters. A light source illuminates one side of the liquid crystal material. A driving circuit selectively applies driving signals to the electrodes for selectively opening and closing the micro-shutters to allow light from the light source to pass therethrough. A photo-sensitive drum on the other side of the liquid crystal receives the light transmitted through the liquid crystal to form characters. The characters are transmitted to a recording paper. The liquid crystal material, which has an inverted dielectric anisotropy on opposite sides of the critical frequency, is selectively driven by selectively applying two different frequency signals to the liquid crystal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.