Xerox Corporation

Jerry W Bryant

Ajay Kumar

Dhirendra C Damji

Daniel A Chiesa

Karl Edwin Kurz

Douglas W Shaffer

Richard J Milton

A charging apparatus for applying a uniform electrostatic charge to a charge retentive surface is provided. The charging apparatus is operably electrically connectable to a power supply for supplying an electrical bias to the charging apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing and an electrode mounted to the housing and positioned adjacent the surface in a non-contact relationship therewith. The apparatus also includes a shield connected to the housing and at least partially surrounding the electrode. The apparatus also includes an electrical connector, electrically connected to the shield and electrically connectable to the power supply for providing an electrical bias to the shield. The electrical connector extends from the shield and is integral therewith.

Charging device having a shield with integral electrical connector

A charging apparatus for applying a uniform electrostatic charge to a charge retentive surface is provided. The charging apparatus is operably electrically connectable to a power supply for supplying an electrical bias to the charging apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing and an electrode mounted to the housing and positioned adjacent the surface in a non-contact relationship therewith. The apparatus also includes an electrical connector, electrically connected to the electrode and electrically connectable to the power supply. The electrical connector provides an electrical bias to said electrode. The electrical connector extends from the electrode and is integral therewith.

Charging device having an electrode with integral electrical connector

A charging module for applying a uniform electrostatic charge to a charge retentive surface is provided. The charging module is operably electrically connectable to a power supply for supplying an electrical bias to the charging apparatus. The charging module is mountable into a process cartridge. The process cartridge includes a cartridge mounting surface for cooperation with the charging apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing including a housing mounting feature and an electrode. The electrode is mounted to the housing and is positioned adjacent the surface in a non-contact relationship therewith. The housing mounting feature is adapted to be cooperable with the cartridge mounting surface to secure the placement of the charging module into the cartridge without the need for any installation tools.

Charging device module for use with print cartridge

A charging apparatus for applying a uniform electrostatic charge to a charge retentive surface is provided. The apparatus includes a housing and an array of pin electrodes supported by the housing and positioned adjacent the surface in a non-contact relationship. The apparatus also includes a generally U shaped shield connected to the housing and at least partially surrounding the array of pin electrodes. The apparatus also includes a grid positioned across distal ends of the shield. The grid defines an effective charge length and an effective grid width. The apparatus also includes a power supply operatively coupled to the pin electrodes for supplying a predetermined current to each of the pin electrode. The power supply provides a predetermined voltage to the grid. At least one of the magnitude of the current, the magnitude of the voltage, the effective charge length, and the effective grid width being selected so as to optimize the charge uniformity, to minimize the sensitivity to photoreceptor grid sensitivity, and to minimize the ozone generated within the charging apparatus.

Pin charge coroton with optimum dimensions for minimum ozone production

An electrostatographic process cartridge detachably mountable into a cavity defined by mated machine modules forming parts of an electrostatographic reproduction machine. The process cartridge includes a housing having walls defining a process chamber and a rotatable cylindrical photoreceptor mounted to the walls and horizontally within the process chamber. The cylindrical photoreceptor has a fixed rotational closed loop path within the process chamber. The process cartridge also includes plural process components including a toner image transferring component, a cleaning component, a charge erase light component, a charging component, an imagewise exposure component, and a development component, each acting along the closed loop path for consistently producing high quality toner images. The plural components each have a critical acting position spaced circumferentially along the closed loop path, and the critical acting positions include a 234.degree. position for the toner image transferring component so as to have reliable, precise sheet feeding to an image transfer point, and a short near vertical sheet path; a 0.degree. position for the cleaning component so as to prevent any leaking toner particles from falling backwardly and down, thus contaminating image carrying sheets moving from the transfer point to a fusing module; a 96.degree. position for a ROS beam imagewise exposure component so as to form a latent image effectively with the ROS beam without undesirable curvature effects from a cylindrical profile of the photoreceptor; and a 163.degree. position for the development component in order to minimize dark decay in the formed latent image prior to its development.

Process cartridge including process components having critical image

A process cartridge including a housing having walls defining a process chamber and a photoreceptor mounted to the walls within the process chamber and having a closed loop path and an imaging area having a given length. The process cartridge also includes plural process components acting along the closed loop path for producing imaging affects on the photoreceptor for forming on, and for transferring from, the photoreceptor, a toner image. The process components include a charging component that includes a pin-array charge emitting device having an acting region precisely only as long as the length of the imaging area, in order to avoid occurrence of 'dark bands' towards edges of a formed and transferred toner image. The process components also include a developer roll for applying charged toner particles to the imaging area. The developer roll has an acting region centered relative to, and extending slightly beyond, each end of the length of the imaging area. Importantly, the process components include a cleaning component that includes a cleaning blade for removing waste toner from the imaging area and an auger for transporting the waste toner in a waste toner flow direction. The cleaning blade has an acting region slightly longer than the length of the imaging area, and that is offset relative to the imaging area in the direction of waste toner flow, thereby enabling the process cartridge to reliably and effectively produce and transfer high quality toner images.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Jerry W Bryant