What Specific Modifications To The Corona Charging System Were Made By Chester Carlson And Otto Kornei In Their 1947 Patent Application For The First Xerographic Copier, And How Did These Modifications Impact The Overall Resolution And Image Quality Of The Earliest Xerographic Prints?
Chester Carlson and Otto Kornei's 1947 patent for the first xerographic copier introduced two key modifications to the corona charging system that significantly enhanced image quality:
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Grid-Controlled Charging System: They incorporated a grid or screen in the corona charging system. This allowed for more precise control over the electrostatic charge applied to the photoconductive material, ensuring a uniform charge distribution. This modification addressed issues of non-uniform charging and overcharging, which had previously led to blurry or distorted images.
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Pre-Charging Step: They introduced a pre-charging step before exposing the photoconductive surface. This step established a uniform base charge, which improved the consistency and stability of the electrostatic image. By reducing charge decay and ensuring the charge remained effective long enough for toner adhesion, this step contributed to sharper and more detailed images.
These innovations led to higher resolution and better image quality in early xerographic prints by ensuring precise charge control, reducing decay, and preventing overcharging, thereby producing clearer and more detailed outputs.