| 摘要 |
<p>Apparatus and method for reducing toner contamination in an electrostatographic reproducing machine are described wherein at at least one housing which performs an operation on an imaging surface bearing an electrostatic latent image involving charged toner particles has at least one electrode extending across the width of and spaced from the imaging surface at at least one exit portion through which air normally flows from the housing to other portions of the machine, the electrode being electrically biased to a polarity and magnitude selected relative to the charge on the imaging surface to create an electric field barrier in the exit portion sufficient to repel the charged particles in the exiting air back into the principal portion of the housing substantially without restricting the air flow from the exit portion. In a preferred embodiment the electrode is positioned substantially parallel to the imaging surface. This electrostatic seal arrangement may be used in development or cleaning housings and a preferred mode is used in a magnetic brush development housing at the imaging surface entrance portion where the magnetic brush moves in a direction counter to the direction of the imaging surface.</p> |
