GB2282105A

GB2282105A - Cleaning sheet

Info

Publication number: GB2282105A
Application number: GB9418711A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Melanie Mckenney; Robert Reetz; Stephen W Kuehne
Original assignee: National Computer Systems Inc
Current assignee: National Computer Systems Inc
Priority date: 1993-09-23
Filing date: 1994-09-16
Publication date: 1995-03-29
Also published as: CA2132151A1; GB9418711D0; DE4433707A1

Description

r, -.1 2282105 CLEANING SHEET

Technical Field

The present invention - relates to cleaning devices for cleaning the document or paper processing portions of document production, reproduction and reading machines such as optical scanners, photocopiers, facsimile machines and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cleaning sheet for use in optical scanners comprising a charged, laminated sheet or web with an adhesive region, wherein the sheet or web is designed for standard operational movement, or movement in a normal selectable mode (e.g., the diagnostic mode) of such machines, along the paper path of the scanner to remove particulate debris and other dirt from the paper path and read head.

Backgjound -of the Invention It is well known that paper particles, dust, ink, toner and other particulate debris and dirt collect in the paper transport path, on the glass platens or on optical read heads in paper handling office machines such as photocopiers, facsimile machines, optical scanners and others. The accumulation of such contaminating material creates marred or inferior documents and interferes with transmission, reading or scanning processes.

Periodically cleaning the type of machines referred to above is an obvious solution. Generally, an operator or a service technician must turn the machine off, disassemble at least portions of the machine, individually clean the feed rollers 1 along the paper path, disengage optical read heads or glass platens and clean them by hand, reseat disassembled portions of the machine and turn it back on. This is an expensive, time consuming process requiring specialized knowledge of the machine being cleaned.

Even when cleaning is undertaken by a specially trained person, the results may be less than optimal because cleaning agents or solvents may leave a film on glass and other surfaces. Even worse, solvents or solutions might damage plastic or rubber components such as shrouds, fittings, seals or drive and transport rollers and belts. The need for specialists, the inconvenience and difficulty, and the expense of the cleaning process contributes to irregular cleaning.

U.S. Patent 5,153,964 (to Gilardi, et al.) attempts to address the aboveoutlined problems by providing a machine optics and paper path cleaner comprising a stiff backing sheet and a cleaning sheet attached to the backing sheet. The cleaning sheet is provided with surface variations to trap dirt and debris, and wet cleaners are held in absorbent materials and in frangible or openable reservoirs to wet the cleaner as it is drawn into the machine through the paper path and across the optics. Somewhat similarly, U.S. Patents 4,611,361 (to Shinkai) and 4,891,265 (to Samagalski) disclose sheet materials for cleaning facsimile machines, including the conveying rolls and 'guides thereof, wherein the sheet material is impregnated with a cleaning fluid.

While the cleaning devices disclosed in the preceding three patents represent improvements in the cleaning of optical machines, such solvent or liquid impregnated sheets have some associated problems. For example, as mentioned 2 0 p above, the cleaning solvent with which the sheets are impregnated may damage the surface of rollers or rubber belts of the machine. The solvents must be selected carefully depending upon the type of machine used, and the amount of cleaning solvent carried on the sheet has to be controlled within strict tolerances so that as little as possible is left on the rollers, belts or glass platens after passage through the machine. Finally, the amount of cleaning solvent must be controlled so that the sheet is not too damp. If it is, it may jam the machine or, in the case of optical scanners, become too transparent and fail to pass the read heads.

Ways to avoid using sheet materials impregnated with cleaning solutions to.clean optical type office machinery, particularly copying machines, are to contact portions of the machine such as the rotational members or photoreceptor drum with a cleaning blade (U.S. Patent 5,115,280) or with a "tacky" sheet (U.S. Patent 5,138,390). Sticky or tacky sheet devices have been used to clean the type characters of printing machines such as printers or typewriting machines. Typically, a type cleaner is applied to a backing sheet of paper. This layered cleaning sheet is placed in a machine as usual and cleans the type characters when they strike the cleaning material (U.S. Patent 2,796,367). This type of contact device and method may work well for its intended purpose in machines such as photocopiers or typewriters wherein toner or ink is used, but contact devices may deposit the sticky cleaning material on dear optical components (e.g., glass platens, read heads, etc.) and, therefore, are not optimally effective for use in machines with optical components such as scanners.

3 U.S. Patents 3,523,319 (to Stoever) and 4,764,790 (to Watashi) disclose a method of cleaning optical machines, particularly electrostatic copying machines, wherein a charge is placed on a particular portion of the machine so that particles are attracted to it. More particularly, in the Watashi patent, a charged area of the photoreceptor absorbs or captures residual toner and carries it to a cleaning blade area. In the Stoever patent, a cleaning belt is charged to attract residual toner particles from a photoconductive surface. Both the Stoever and Watashi patents are directed to providing photocopiers modified to include the disclosed devices enabling the methods. Substantial, expensive redesign would be required to include the disclosed devices and methods in optical scanners.

It is clear that current document handling machine cleaning methods and devices do not optimize effectiveness. There is need for an inexpensive, convenient and effective device and method for cleaning such machines, particularly machines with optical or document reading features.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the present invention, a multiple ply cleaning sheet device is provided for cleaning optical scanners, photocopiers, telefax machines, printers and the like. The cleaning sheet carries an electrical charge and comprises at least two layers, at least one of which has an inherent electrostatic charge, a layer of adhesive connecting the two layers, and a strip region of adhesive, covered by a removable release layer, on one or both sides of the device.

4 An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device for paper or document handling machines, wherein the device may be used by persons without special technical training to clean the paper path, including any optical features, of such machines.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device for an optical scanning machine having an optical processing station including optical means such as glass platens, optical reader heads or the like and paper or document transporting means for transporting paper or documents along a paper path to and through the optical processing station, wherein the cleaning device comprises a substantially dry sheet material for being fed into and transported through the scanning machine in a normal operational mode to clean the optical means, the transporting means and paper path.

An advantage of the cleaning sheet device of the present invention is that it combines two cleaning features, a sticky region for cleaning paper path transport rollers or belts and an electrical charge for cleaning optical components and the paper path generally, in a single step cleaning device. Another advantage is that the cleaning sheet device of the present invention requires no liquid cleaning solvents.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device for cleaning optical scanning machines, wherein the machines are grounded to zero or neutral, and wherein the device comprises a laminated sheet for being loaded into and transported through a scanning machine under normal operating conditions to 1, 1 clean the paper feeding mechanism (e.g., rollers, belts, etc.) and the scanner read heads of paper dust and other debris.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and understood with reference to the following specification and to the appended drawings and claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the electrostatically charged cleaning sheet device of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a representative scanner transport mechanism of a machine in which the cleaning sheet of the present invention may be used.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Figs. I and 2 depict an electrostatically charged sheet-like, multiplelayer scanner cleaning device 10 in accordance with the present invention. In particular, Fig. I shows one side of the generally rectangular cleaning sheet 10, and that the sheet 10 includes two generally parallel side edges 12,14, a first leading end edge 16 and a second, trailing end edge 18. The end edges 16, 18 are generally parallel with respect to each other and orthogonal ivith respect to the side edges 12, 14. It should be appreciated easily that the designation of leading and trailing with respect to the 6 01 1 end edges 16,18 may be reversed, being dependent on which end edge 16,18 is introduced initially into a machine to be cleaned.

As shown in Figure 2, the cleaning device 10 comprises multiple layers, a first layer 22, a second layer 24, a third layer 26, a fourth layer 28 and a fifth layer 30.

The first layer 22 carries an inherent electrostatic charge and, in the preferred embodiment, is formed from biaxially oriented polypropylene. The first polypropylene layer 22 is, again in the preferred embodiment, approximately.003 of an inch thick, having a first side 32 and a second side 34.

The second layer 24 has a periphery substantially corresponding to the peripheral edges of the first layer 22 and has a first side 36 and a second side 38. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second layer 24 is formed from polystyrene, and also has an inherent electrostatic charge. The polystyrene second layer 24 may be thought of as a backing support material for the present invention 10 and, in the preferred embodiment, is approximately.0026 of an inch thick.

The third layer 26 of the present invention 10 comprises a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive approximately.0007 of an inch thick. The adhesive for the adhesive layer 26 may be selected from among suitable, commercially available adhesives, and may be coated or placed on one side of either the first or second layers 22, 24. The layer of adhesive 26 is depicted as a continuous layer, i.e., coextensive with the surface areas of the first and second layers 22, 24, but it could be applied in other suitable ways, for example, around the edges of the adhered first 7 and second sheets 22, 24, as a plurality of parallel adhesive regions, or in spot applications, as long as the first and second layers 22, 24 are well secured to each other.

With continued reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the cleaning sheet device 10 in accordance with the present invention carries an adhesive strip region 20 along one side edge 12. The adhesive strip region 20 is comprised of a strip of general purpose, perTnanent, pressure sensitive adhesive 28, having low initial tack and high ultimate tack. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive strip 28 is.75 inch x 9 inches .03 inch, and has an average thickness of approximately.001 of an inch. In the preferred embodiment, the strip 28 will be placed or located 2 inches .03 inch from one end edge and.125 inch .03 inch from the opposite end edge of the cleaning device 10. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the strip 28 will be located approximately.125 inch .03 inch from the side edge 12 of the cleaning sheet device 10, and 7.625 inch .03 inch from the opposite edge 14 of the device 10. Adhesive 28 may be applied by a pattern adhesive roller or rollers designed to place the region 20 at the location shown.

The adhesive strip 28 is covered by a removable release liner strip 30. The release liner 30 covers the strip 28 entirely so that no part of the strip 28 is exposed prior to removing the release layer 30. The size of the release layer 30 is approximately 1 inch x 11 inches .03 inch, and it has a thickness of approximately.0025 inch.

8 i, 7 In total, the thickness of the scanner cleaning device 10 in accordance with the present invention, as depicted in Fig. 2, ranges between.0063 inch and.01 inch and thus, ideally, the device 10 is a thin, planar piece of sheet material approximately 81/2 by 11 inches, or approximately the size of a standard piece of copier or typing paper.

It should be appreciated that the multiple layers of the present invention 10 are not described as upper or lower or top or bottom layers because, as will be explained herein below, the orientation of the device 10 of the present invention may be selected depending upon the type of machine being cleaned.

Fig. 3 depicts a portion of a representative document handling machine 40 with which the cleaning device 10 of the present invention may be used. The machine 40 typically is grounded to zero charge or neutral and includes a processing station 42, a guide and retard assembly 44, and a transport mechanism assembly 46. The transport assembly 46 is provided to transport or carry a sheet of paper being processed by the machine 40 by means of driven wheels 48a, 48b and 50a and 50b above the paper path, with corresponding idler wheels 52a, 52b and 54a, 54b below the travel path of the paper being processed. This type of apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,195,738 (owned by the assignee of the present invention), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Of course, the cleaning device 10 of the present invention may be used with other office-type paper processing or optical scanning machines.

9 In use, the scanner cleaning device 10 of the present invention is introduced into and fed or carried through the machine 40 (or the like) in the normal diagnostic mode of the machine 40. The tear strip 30 is removed from the device 10 before placing the device 10 in the machine 40. Depending on whether the driven wheels 48a, 48b and 50a, 50b above the paper path or the idler wheels 52a, 52b and 54a, 54b located under the paper path are to be cleaned, the adhesive strip 28 should be aligned with and face the wheels to be cleaned. That is, the device 10 of the present invention may be run through the machine 40 with the adhesive strip 28 facing upwardly, toward the upper rollers 48a, 48b and 50a, 50b in Fig. 3, or downwardly in the opposite direction. For example, if the idler wheels 52a, 52b and 54a, 54b are to be cleaned, then the side of the polypropylene layer 22 having the adhesive strip 28 carried thereon would face the idler wheels 52a, 52b and 54a, 54b. The device 10 may be repositioned by being turned over and rotated 180" depending upon the machine 40 to be cleaned. Thus, the sheet device 10 of the present invention may be used to clean a variety of transport rollers in various locations in a single machine, as well as a variety of machines.

Regardless of how the scanner cleaning device 10 of the present invention is placed on the machine 40, dust, paper, particles or other debris will be attracted to the device 10 and removed effectively from the transport path and from optical portions of such machines. The first and second layers of 22, 24 of the present invention 10 carry an inherent charge, which charge is reinforced because both layers are charged. The inherent electrostatic charge acts as a magnet for particulate 1 debris, attracting the debris and removing it from the machine 40. The charge associated with the device 10 may be either positive or negative (positive is preferred). Any one or more of the layers comprising the invention may be charged, as long as, if more than one layer is charged, the charges of the layers are not opposite. The shelf life of the present invention, Le, the duration of the charge, is intended to be at least two years, but may be longer.

It will be seen by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, rather than using two sheets of inherently charged material, one sheet of charged material laminated to a backing support of different, uncharged sheet material could be used. While preferred thicknesses are stated, a range of thicknesses could be used as long as the device 10 of the present invention can be transported easily and efficiently through the paper travel path of a variety of office machines. Rather than choosing a material having an inherent electrostatically charged property, a charge could be imparted to or imposed on the sheet material of choice for use in the present invention. The present invention could be made available in various sizes such as standard document sizes (8-1/2 x 11 inches, 8-1/2 x 14 inches), and the adhesive strip region 20 could be placed in various locations on either side of the device. Multiple regions 20 may be provided on one or both sides.

The particular embodiment of the multi-ply cleaning sheet device 10 described hereinabove is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not 11 restrictive. The scope of the present invention is as set forth in the appended claims rather than being limited to the examples in the foregoing description.

12

Claims

1. A multiple layer cleaning sheet comprising:

first layer of charged material; second layer of material secured to said first layer; and an adhesive region on one of said first and second layers.

2. The cleaning sheet according to claim 1, wherein said first layer comprises a statically charged material.

I The cleaning sheet according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive region has a surface area less than the surface area of said first layer.

4. The cleaning sheet according to claim 1, wherein said second layer comprises a statically charged material.

5. The cleaning sheet according to claim 4, wherein said adhesive region comprises a strip of adhesive applied on an exposed side of one of the first and second layers in a predetermined location.

6. A cleaning device for machines having optical components such as glass platens, read heads, photoreceptors or the like, and a transport path including means for transporting sheet material along the path, said cleaning device comprising:

a first charged sheet having two surfaces, a leading edge, a trailing edge generally parallel to the leading edge, and two generally parallel side edges generally perpendicular to the leading and trailing edges; 13 a second charged sheet generally corresponding to the first sheet in size and shape, one surface of the second sheet being affixed to one surface of the first sheet, the second surface of both the first and second sheets being exposed; and an adhesive region on at least one of the exposed surfaces for being aligned with and contacting the means for transporting.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein said first and second charged sheets comprise statically charged materials.

8. The cleaning device according'to claim 7, wherein said cleaning device is dry.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein said cleaning device is eight and one-half inches wide and eleven inches long.

10. The cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein said cleaning device ranges from.006 to.01 of an inch in thickness.

11. A method for cleaning an optical scanning machine having an optical processing station including optical components, such as glass platens, optical reader heads or the like, and a paper or document transporting mechanism for transporting paper or documents along a paper path to and through the optical processing station in a normal operational mode, wherein the method comprises: providing a two-sided, sheet-like cleaning device comprising: at least one charged layer having two sides, a leading edge, a trailing edge generally parallel to the leading edge, and two generally parallel side edges generally perpendicular to the leading and trailing edges and 14 1; an adhesive region associated with at least one side of the sheet-like cleaning device; introducing said cleaning device into the optical scanning machine; and operating the optical scanning machine in a normal operational mode.

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