Appeal No. 96-3146
Application 07/986,489
the examiner's supplemental answer. See also pages 3 and 4 of
the supplemental answer for further explanation.
The disclosed invention is related to an erase unit for
an ion deposition web-fed print engine. Specifically, the
invention concerns the erase unit having two electrodes
separated by a dielectric. One of the electrodes is located
in a plenum chamber formed by the dielectric, the side walls
and a back wall. The plenum chamber is located in opposition
to the cylindrical surface of the image cylinder. An inert
gas is introduced into the plenum chamber and a varying
voltage is applied to the electrodes by applying a high-
frequency and high-voltage signal from an AC source. Thusly
produced ions in the plenum chamber are attracted by the
residual image voltage on the image cylinder. Eventually, the
residual potential on the image cylinder surface and the
potential on the electrode in the plenum chamber equalize
whereby the residual electrostatic potential of the image
remaining on the cylinder surface is erased.
Representative Claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. In an electrostatic ion deposition printer including
-2-
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