Development of electrostatic paper separation and feed mechanism

A new paper separation and feed mechanism is proposed to realize a highly reliable paper handling system for printers and copiers. The paper-separation system consisted of a pair of parallel electrodes and a paper pile between the electrodes. Electrostatic separation of a piece of paper was possible from the top of the pile when the applied voltage exceeded the threshold needed to generate an electrostatic force larger than the weight of the paper. The threshold voltage was on the order of several kilovolts, and it agreed with the numerical value calculated using the finite element method (FEM) for the electrostatic field. Based on these basic investigations, a prototype mechanism for paper separation and feeding was constructed. It consisted of a roller-type separation electrode coated with an insulating film, a biased charger roller in contact with the separation roller to charge the insulating film on the separation roller, a ground electrode, and a paper pile situated between the electrodes. When an electrostatic field was applied between the biased charger roller and the ground electrode on which the paper pile was mounted, only the top sheet of paper separated, adhering electrostatically to the roller. The sheet was then fed rotating the separation roller. Using this system, reliable paper separation and feed was realized and a feed speed over 600 mm/s was demonstrated.