US3526457A - Cleaning apparatus for electrostatic copying machines - Google Patents

Cleaning apparatus for electrostatic copying machines Download PDF

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Publication number
US3526457A
US3526457A US647411A US3526457DA US3526457A US 3526457 A US3526457 A US 3526457A US 647411 A US647411 A US 647411A US 3526457D A US3526457D A US 3526457DA US 3526457 A US3526457 A US 3526457A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
web
roll
cleaning
xerographic
electrostatic copying
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US647411A
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English (en)
Inventor
John A Dimond
Armistead Wharton
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Xerox Corp
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Xerox Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Xerox Corp filed Critical Xerox Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3526457A publication Critical patent/US3526457A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G21/00—Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
    • G03G21/0005—Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge for removing solid developer or debris from the electrographic recording medium
    • G03G21/0041—Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge for removing solid developer or debris from the electrographic recording medium using a band; Details of cleaning bands, e.g. band winding

Definitions

  • the improved cleaning apparatus for the plate and pressure rolls comprises a frame, a first roll rotatably supported in the frame supporting a web of fibrous material which is fed in a path with at least one surface to be cleaned and a first pressure roll for urging the web against the first surface to be cleaned.
  • a second roll positioned in the web path to form a loop directing the opposite side of the web toward a second surface to be cleaned.
  • a second pressure roll urges the web against the second surface.
  • An oscillating drive operatively associated with the second roll imparts intermittent rotary movement there to advance the web material along its path.
  • This invention relates to electrostatic copying and, more particularly, to apparatus for cleaning surfaces contacted by an electrostatic powder image during the production of copy.
  • a plate comprising a layer of photoconductive insulating material on a conductive backing is given a uniform electric charge over its surface and is then exposed to a document to be reproduced, usually by conventional projection techniques. This exposure discharges the plate areas in accordance with the radiation intensity that reaches them and thereby creates an electrostatic latent image on or in the photoconductive layer.
  • Development of the latent image is effected with an electrostatically charged, finely .divided material that is brought into surface contact with the photoconductive layer and is held thereon electrostatically in a pattern corresponding to the electrostatic la tent image. Thereafter, the developed xerographic powder image is usually transferred to a support surface to which it may be fixed by any suitable means, such as, by heat and/or pressure.
  • plate cleaning in electrostatic copiers was 3,526,457 Patented Sept. 1, 1970 normally accomplished by one or more rotating brushes which brushed residual powder from the plate.
  • Typical brush cleaning apparatus is disclosed in US. Pat. 2,832,- 977 to Walkup.
  • a cleaning brush material must be sufficiently soft so that it does not abrade the plate surface and at the same time be sufiiciently firm to remove the residual powder image without becoming matted or clogged after repeated use.
  • Other factors, such as the triboelectric characteristics of the material also enter into the desirability of its selection for brush cleaning.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide method and apparatus to increase the efficiency of cleaning one or more surfaces while decreasing the cost of the cleaning apparatus.
  • Another object of the invention is to clean simultaneously a photoconductive insulating member on which a powder image is formed and a pressure roll fuser on which residue from the image has been offset.
  • Still another object of the invention is to ensure a constant incremental linear advance for a cleaning web transported past one or more cleaning stations in an automatic electrostatic copying machine.
  • Yet still another object of the invention is to construct a unique cleaning module for use in an automatic electrostatic copying machine.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a xerographic reproducing apparatus employing a preferred embodiment of the Web cleaner apparatus according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a left-hand perspective view of the webcleaner apparatus removed from the machine apparatus
  • FIG. 3 is a right-hand perspective view of the web cleaner apparatus removed from the machine apparatus
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the supply roll with the web removed.
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the take-up roll with the web removed.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a xerographic system adapted for continuous and automatic operation employing a cleaning web assembly generally designated according to the present invention.
  • a xerographic member 20 having a photoconductive layer or light receiving surface on a conductive backing is formed in the shape of a drum and mounted on a shaft 24 for movement past several xerographic processing stations in a direction indicated by the arrow.
  • a uniform electrostatic charge is deposited on the xerographic surface of the drum by means of a corotron 26.
  • an exposure station at which a light or radiation pattern of an original to be reproduced is projected onto the drum surface by an optical projector 28 to dissipate the drum charge in the exposed areas to leave an electrostatic latent image in the unexposed areas.
  • Adjacent the exposure station is a developing station at which a xerographic developing material, which includes toner particles having an electrostatic charge opposite to that of the latent image, is moved into contact with the drum surface by a developer apparatus 30 whereby the toner particles adhere to the latent image to form a powder image.
  • a xerographic developing material which includes toner particles having an electrostatic charge opposite to that of the latent image
  • a transfer station Positioned adjacent the developing station is a transfer station at which the powder image is electrostatically transferred by means of a corotron 32 from the drum surface to a web of support material 34.
  • Support material 34 is taken from a supply roll 35 and urged into contact with the drum surface by a pair of pressure rollers 37 and 38 before being received onto a take-up roll 40.
  • Take-up roll 40 is driven by a suitable drive and clutch arrangement (not shown). After the image has been transferred support material 34 is passed through the nip of pressure rolls 46, 47 to permanently fix the image on the support material.
  • next and final station is a cleaning station which serves a dual function of cleaning powder remaining on drum 20 and offset onto pressure roll 47 as will be described more fully hereinafter.
  • a corona precleaning device 54 that is similar to the corona discharge device employed at the charging and transfer stations. Any residual electrical charge remaining on the xerographic drum is dissipated by a light from a fluorescent lamp 57.
  • web assembly 10 comprises a frame having a base 112 and a support plate memher 114 extending perpendicular to the base.
  • a supply roll 116 is made up of a cleaning web 118 wound on a cylinder which may be of cardboard or other suitable material, rotatably supported from support plate member 114.
  • Cleaning web 118 is led from supply roll 116 first around a pressure roll 124 with which it makes a first loop and then around a take-up roll 125. After being looped around take-up roll 125, the web is passed around a second pressure roll 127 before being secured onto take-up roll 125 by an adhesive or other suitable means.
  • the vari ous loops in the web path are indicated by a series of arrow heads designated as A, B, C, and D, respectively, in
  • Web 118 may be made from any suitable fibrous material, such as, paper toweling, cheese cloth, flannel, or cotton fibers, any of which may be impregnated with suitable chemical materials.
  • both sides of the cleaning web are utilized to clean different surfaces.
  • the path of the cleaning Web is so arranged that one side is presented at a first surface to be cleaned While the opposite side is presented to a second surface.
  • the xerographic drum and pressure roll 47 in the pressure fixing assembly are cleaning simultaneously.
  • Pressure rolls 124 and 127 urge opposite sides of the cleaning web onto their respective surfaces to be cleaned.
  • Each of the pressure rolls is made from a soft rubber material in the form of a cylinder mounted for rotation.
  • a rod 130 received through slots 132 formed in plates 134 and 136 serves to support pressure roll 124.
  • pressure roll 127 is supported on a rod 138 received through another pair of slots 139 in plates 134, 136.
  • Torsion spring 140 is coiled about a support post 144 While spring 142 is coiled around an extension of post 144 in the form of shoulder screw 146.
  • the end portions of each torsion spring extend in opposite directions to engage annular grooves formed on the ends of rods 130 and 138.
  • Supply roll 116 is mounted on a core member (FIG. 4) which is rotatably supported on a rod 152 secured to support plate 114 by screw member 153.
  • a plate member 154 and a screw 155 serve to hold core member 150 on rod 152.
  • take-up roll 125 is mounted on a core (FIG. 5) rotatably supported on rod 162 secured to frame 114 by a screw member. It should be noted that rolls 116 and 125 are engaged by leaf springs 170, 172, respectively, extending outwardly from a longitudinally extending undercut portion on their respective cores 150 and 160.
  • a driving member 250 in the form of an eccentric member carried on shaft 24 drives a cam follower 252 to oscillate a rocking arm 255 connected to take-up roll 125.
  • Rocking arm 255 is connected to the frame by a spring 258 to maintain cam follower 252 in surface contact wiflt eccentric member 250.
  • Unidirectional movement is imparted to the take-up roll via a one-way clutch 253 (FIG. 5).
  • One-way clutch 253 comprises a coil spring 262 wrapped around a collar portion 260 of rocking arm 255 and core 160. As rocking arm moves in the driving direction, spring 262 tightens to impart a rotary force on core 160. However, on the return stroke of cam follower 252, spring 262 becomes loose freeing core 160 to provide the one-way clutch action desired.
  • a spring 271 is coiled around collar member 273 and hub member 275 which is secured to one end of rod 162 by a set screw 277.
  • spring 271 remains loose permitting collar member 273 to move relative to hub member 275.
  • a clamp 278 fastened 'by a screw 279 serves to hold clutch 266 firmly against core 160.
  • the amount of web advanced intermittently on the take-up roll is determined by the angle of oscillation through which the cam follower is moved. This angle can be regulated at the start of the cleaning operation by adjusting the position of screws 282 iii elongated slots 285 formed in rocking arm 255 (FIG.
  • a web control assembly 290 is provided by which the web is advanced in equal linear increments onto the take-up roll.
  • Control assembly 290 regulates the oscillating angle of the cam follower 252 at a rate which varies with the amount of material wound on the take-up roll.
  • the control assembly comprises a stop finger 291 which engages a cam surface 292 formed in rocking arm 255 so as to limit the follow of cam follower 252 on eccentric member 250. Stop finger 291 is held by a spring 293 in a directionwhich affords a maximum oscillating angle for the cam follower at the beginning of a cleaning cycle.
  • sensing arm 297 Secured to stop finger 291 at the end of an elongated member 294 by a screw 295 and nut 29!? is a sensing arm 297 which bears against the web material on the take-up roll. It can now be appreciated that as the web material on the take-up roll builds up changing the diameter, sensing arm 297 is displaced, repositioning stop finger 291 along cam surface 292 on rocking arm 255 to thereby limit the rest position of cam follower 252. In this manner the angular travel of the cam follower is reduced proportionately as the web material builds up to effect a contant linear incremental advance of the cleaning Web for each oscillation of the cam follower.
  • a brake assembly 310 comprising an annular member 311 with a high friction surface is mounted on one end of the roll for engagement with a leaf spring 314 secured to the frame.
  • Annular member 311 may be any suitable friction surface as is known to those skilled in the art.
  • Described above is a new and unique cleaning assembly in which the cleaning web is moved in increments at a constant linear advance along its path. More than this the web simultaneously cleans two different surfaces by utilizing both sides of the web.
  • cleaning assemblies for cleaning highly sensitive surfaces such as, a xerographic plate were either elaborate and expensive brush assemblies which required continuous and frequent replacement or complicated mechanism for continuously driving a fibrous material in synchronism with the plate.
  • the cleaning assembly is constructed as a module so as to facilitate removal of the web from the machine. It can bereadily appreciated that the cleaning assembly of the invention provides a simple and efficient cleaning operation highly desirable for producing high quality copies in an automatic copying machine.
  • an improved cleaning apparatus for the plate and pressure rolls comprising a frame, first roll means rotatably supported in said frame containing a web of fibrous material adapted to be fed in a path including at least one surface to be cleaned,
  • first pressure roll means for urging said web against a first surface to be cleaned
  • second roll means positioned in the web path to form a loop directing the opposite seide of said web toward a second surface to be cleaned
  • second pressure roll means for urging said web against said second surface, said second pressure roll means forming another loop in the web path for directing the web back onto said second roll means
  • said second roll means being rotatably journaled in said frame and adapted to be driven to pull the web therearound, and
  • oscillating drive means operatively associated with said second roll means for imparting intermittent rotary movement thereto to advance the web material along the aforementioned path.
  • said drive means includes sensor means operatively associated with said second roll means to determine the diameter of web material wound thereon, and control means operatively associated with said drive means and said sensor means to control the rotary movement of said second roll means at a rate inversely proportional to the diameter of web material thereon to achieve a constant linear advance of the web along its path.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Cleaning In Electrography (AREA)
  • Fixing For Electrophotography (AREA)
US647411A 1967-06-20 1967-06-20 Cleaning apparatus for electrostatic copying machines Expired - Lifetime US3526457A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US64741167A 1967-06-20 1967-06-20

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US647411A Expired - Lifetime US3526457A (en) 1967-06-20 1967-06-20 Cleaning apparatus for electrostatic copying machines

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US (1) US3526457A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1225287A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3625605A (en) * 1970-12-10 1971-12-07 Gunther Schnall Electrostatic copying apparatus
US3649992A (en) * 1969-12-30 1972-03-21 Xerox Corp Cleaning apparatus for fusing system
US3712734A (en) * 1971-03-23 1973-01-23 D Jovanovic Device for cleaning xerographic cylinders
US3766592A (en) * 1971-12-02 1973-10-23 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd Drum cleaning device for an electrophotographic duplicator
US3776632A (en) * 1972-02-24 1973-12-04 Savin Business Machines Corp Cleaning mechanism for photoconductive surfaces
US3871081A (en) * 1969-07-14 1975-03-18 Canon Kk Cleaning equipment for electrophotography
US3879124A (en) * 1972-09-16 1975-04-22 Rudolf Eppe Apparatus for removing remnants of powder images in electrophotographic copying machines
US3950168A (en) * 1973-02-26 1976-04-13 Xerox Corporation Fixing powder images
JPS52167045U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1977-06-09 1977-12-17
US4145137A (en) * 1976-10-08 1979-03-20 Rank Xerox Limited Electrophotographic reproducing machine blade cleaning apparatus
US4279501A (en) * 1976-12-29 1981-07-21 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Cleaning device for photoelectrostatic copying apparatus
US4341455A (en) * 1979-11-13 1982-07-27 Burroughs Corporation Conducting toner transfer apparatus
US4557588A (en) * 1982-05-21 1985-12-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image forming apparatus having a cleaning member
US4702591A (en) * 1984-11-09 1987-10-27 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Cleaning device for an image forming apparatus
US4785324A (en) * 1986-03-26 1988-11-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Electrophotographic apparatus and method for preventing the lowering of a charging voltage at a photoreceptor
DE3831789A1 (de) * 1987-09-19 1989-03-30 Minolta Camera Kk Bilderzeugungsgeraet
US5045890A (en) * 1989-04-07 1991-09-03 Xerox Corporation Fuser apparatus with release agent delivery system
US5049944A (en) * 1989-04-07 1991-09-17 Xerox Corporation Method and apparatus for controlling the application of a fuser release agent
US5147751A (en) * 1989-01-13 1992-09-15 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Electrophotographic photoconductor and electrophotographic copying process and apparatus using the photoconductor
US5198243A (en) * 1990-07-02 1993-03-30 Sony Corporation Calendering roll cleaning apparatus
CN106842873A (zh) * 2017-04-21 2017-06-13 仁怀市云侠网络科技有限公司 打印机废粉回收装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3186838A (en) * 1960-12-27 1965-06-01 Xerox Corp Xerographic plate cleaning method utilizing the relative movement of a cleaning web
US3190198A (en) * 1960-12-23 1965-06-22 Xerox Corp Xerographic cleaning apparatus
US3196766A (en) * 1963-09-03 1965-07-27 Xerox Corp Xerographic apparatus
US3405682A (en) * 1964-06-08 1968-10-15 Xerox Corp Xerographic development apparatus with web loading means to remove residual developer

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3190198A (en) * 1960-12-23 1965-06-22 Xerox Corp Xerographic cleaning apparatus
US3186838A (en) * 1960-12-27 1965-06-01 Xerox Corp Xerographic plate cleaning method utilizing the relative movement of a cleaning web
US3196766A (en) * 1963-09-03 1965-07-27 Xerox Corp Xerographic apparatus
US3405682A (en) * 1964-06-08 1968-10-15 Xerox Corp Xerographic development apparatus with web loading means to remove residual developer

Cited By (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3871081A (en) * 1969-07-14 1975-03-18 Canon Kk Cleaning equipment for electrophotography
US3649992A (en) * 1969-12-30 1972-03-21 Xerox Corp Cleaning apparatus for fusing system
US3625605A (en) * 1970-12-10 1971-12-07 Gunther Schnall Electrostatic copying apparatus
US3712734A (en) * 1971-03-23 1973-01-23 D Jovanovic Device for cleaning xerographic cylinders
US3766592A (en) * 1971-12-02 1973-10-23 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd Drum cleaning device for an electrophotographic duplicator
US3776632A (en) * 1972-02-24 1973-12-04 Savin Business Machines Corp Cleaning mechanism for photoconductive surfaces
US3879124A (en) * 1972-09-16 1975-04-22 Rudolf Eppe Apparatus for removing remnants of powder images in electrophotographic copying machines
US3950168A (en) * 1973-02-26 1976-04-13 Xerox Corporation Fixing powder images
US4145137A (en) * 1976-10-08 1979-03-20 Rank Xerox Limited Electrophotographic reproducing machine blade cleaning apparatus
US4279501A (en) * 1976-12-29 1981-07-21 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Cleaning device for photoelectrostatic copying apparatus
JPS52167045U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1977-06-09 1977-12-17
US4341455A (en) * 1979-11-13 1982-07-27 Burroughs Corporation Conducting toner transfer apparatus
US4557588A (en) * 1982-05-21 1985-12-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image forming apparatus having a cleaning member
US4702591A (en) * 1984-11-09 1987-10-27 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Cleaning device for an image forming apparatus
US4785324A (en) * 1986-03-26 1988-11-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Electrophotographic apparatus and method for preventing the lowering of a charging voltage at a photoreceptor
DE3831789A1 (de) * 1987-09-19 1989-03-30 Minolta Camera Kk Bilderzeugungsgeraet
US4926218A (en) * 1987-09-19 1990-05-15 Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha Image forming apparatus
US5147751A (en) * 1989-01-13 1992-09-15 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Electrophotographic photoconductor and electrophotographic copying process and apparatus using the photoconductor
US5045890A (en) * 1989-04-07 1991-09-03 Xerox Corporation Fuser apparatus with release agent delivery system
US5049944A (en) * 1989-04-07 1991-09-17 Xerox Corporation Method and apparatus for controlling the application of a fuser release agent
US5198243A (en) * 1990-07-02 1993-03-30 Sony Corporation Calendering roll cleaning apparatus
CN106842873A (zh) * 2017-04-21 2017-06-13 仁怀市云侠网络科技有限公司 打印机废粉回收装置

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Publication number Publication date
GB1225287A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-03-17

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