Electrostatic charging apparatus and method
US5592357A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 10, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jan 7, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 10, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB29K2105/0854
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A pair of electrodes are biased to produce an electrostatic discharge while placing a thin non electron absorbing gas layer near one or both of the electrodes which are used to develop the electric field. As a result, atmospheric oxygen, water vapor and other contaminants are removed from the regions surrounding the electrodes, allowing ionization to occur more easily. This is accomplished with an electrode structure including a hollow tube for receiving a gas, a plurality of apertures extending through the hollow tube for delivering the gas to the surface of the hollow tube, and the application of a biasing voltage for producing an electrostatic discharge in the presence of the gas. The tube can take the form of a longitudinally extending structure, or a hollow shell, depending upon the configuration of the electrostatic charging apparatus with which the electrode structure is used.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.