Eastman-kodak Company

Other

Nexpress Solutions, Inc.

Theodore H Morse

Thomas K Hilbert

James C Maher

David L Thompson

Donald Saul Rimai

John R Locke

Jiann H Chen

William Yurich Fowlkes

Francisco Luiz Ziegelmuller

Robert A Guistina

Kenneth Joseph Brown

Martin Potucek

Richard A Weitzel

James F Paxon

Robert C Storey

Sven Sonnenberg

Susan P Westbrook

Douglas C Anderson

Raymond Charles Bowen

Gregory L Miller

A photoreceptor cleaning brush for an electrostatographic imaging apparatus contains individual fibers provided with a finishing agent that is a water-miscible aliphatic organic compound containing a plurality of alcoholic hydroxy substituents. The finishing agent is selected from the group of compounds having a molecular weight of up to about 250 and polyethylene glycols having a number-average molecular weight of about 1000 to about 200,000. In an electrostatographic imaging apparatus, the photoconductive imaging element includes the described photoreceptor cleaning brush and a photoconductive surface portion that contains a polycarbonate binder resin. The cleaning brush removes toner from the photoconductive surface portion of the element without damaging it.

Cleaning brush for electrostatographic imaging apparatus and apparatus containing same

A method and apparatus of forming a cleaning system for an electrostatographic reproduction system having a photoconductive drum partially within a cleaning system housing and a cleaning brush having conductive core fibers within the cleaning system housing contacting the photoconductive drum with a detoner roller also within the cleaning system housing contacting the cleaning brush. The cleaning system housing is provided with ports that allow for air in enter of leave the cleaning system housing. A curved deflector plate is positioned such that it is spaced about &frac18;&Prime; from the cleaning brush. The deflector plate is attached to the enclosure on a side where the brush fibers are moving towards the detoner roller. A skive is made to contact the detoner roller, a baffle is formed contacting the skive and a side of the cleaning housing. The cleaning system is preferably designed such that the ratio of engagements of the detoner roller to the cleaning brush compared to that of the toner bearing surface to the cleaning brush, is essentially three to one.

Dust control in conductive-core fiber brush cleaning systems using self-generated air flow

An electrostatographic imaging apparatus and method for cleaning remnant toner. An intermediate transfer member (ITM) is in transfer relation to a primary image-forming member to transfer the toner image from the primary image-forming member to the ITM. The ITM then transfers the image to a receiver sheet. A cleaning brush including plural individual brush fibers in engagement with the ITM removes residual toner from the ITM. The fibers each include an electrically conductive core and a surrounding substantially nonconductive annular portion. An electrically conductive backing secures the fibers and is adapted to electrically induce a potential from the backing to the cores of the fibers. The backing is substantially electrically insulated from the electrically conductive cores of the fibers. An electrical potential is established on the backing which is induced upon the cores of the fibers to attract remnant toner from the ITM to the brush. A detoning member includes an electrically conductive surface that contacts the brush fibers.

Cleaning brush having insulated fibers with conductive cores and a

A method and apparatus for cleaning toner and/or other contaminant particles from a moving surface to be cleaned in an electrostatographic apparatus includes a cleaning blade, such as a wiper blade or a scraper blade, that engages the surface to be cleaned at a first location to remove the particles from the surface. A dust seal blade is provided that extends toward the surface in a second direction generally opposite to the first direction, which corresponds to the direction of motion of the surface to be cleaned, and is of a length and supported so as to be able to contact the surface to be cleaned at a second location upstream of the first location. The cleaning blade, the dust seal blade and the surface to be cleaned form a cavity for containing contaminant particles to assist in operation of the cleaning blade apparatus.

Blade cleaning apparatus with associated dust seal and method of cleaning

An electrostatographic reproduction apparatus and method for cleaning remnant toner and carrier particles. An intermediate transfer member (ITM) is in transfer relation to a primary image-forming member to transfer the toner image from the primary image-forming member to the ITM. The ITM then transfers the image to a receiver sheet . A fiber cleaning brush includes plural individual conductive brush fibers in engagement with the ITM to remove residual toner and carrier particles from the ITM. A detoning member includes an electrically conductive surface that contacts the brush fibers and is electrically biased to electrostatically remove toner particles from the fiber brush. The detoning member includes magnets for attracting remnant carrier to the detoning roller and for attracting a skive blade of magnetic material into engagement with the detoning roller.

Method and apparatus for cleaning remnant toner and carrier particles

An electrostatographic reproduction apparatus and method for cleaning remnant toner and carrier particles. A fiber cleaning brush includes plural individual conductive brush fibers in engagement with a toner bearing member to remove residual toner and magnetic carrier particles from the member. A detoning roller includes an electrically conductive surface that contacts the brush fibers and is electrically biased to electrostatically remove toner particles from the fiber brush. The detoning roller includes one or more permanent magnets for attracting remnant carrier to the detoning roller. A skive blade of non-magnetic material engages the detoning roller. In some embodiments, the permanent magnet is stationary and provides substantially no magnetic field where the skive blade engages the detoning roller to avoid congregation of magnetic carrier particles adjacent the edge of the blade. In another embodiment, the magnet rotates to cause carrier particles to move along the blade. In all embodiments, most of the carrier particles never reaches the blade to reduce the wear on the blade edge.

Method and apparatus for the removal of toner and magnetic carrier

Photoconductor scumming in an electrophotographic copying machine is substantially eliminated by using a synthetic fiber cleaning brush that is substantially free from low yield strength, low surface energy materials.

Photoconductor cleaning brush for elimination of photoconductor scum

An image forming apparatus has a magnetic brush toning station for applying toner to an electrostatic image. The brush includes a rotatable magnetic core positioned inside a non-magnetic sleeve. To facilitate the removal of developer from the sleeve after it has toned an electrostatic image, a skive located against the sleeve downstream of the toning position has a roughened surface upon which the developer rolls or tumbles to move away from the sleeve and ultimately fall into a mixing sump.

Method of toning an electrostatic image using a rotatable magnetic core

A piezoelectric toner mass sensor to be positioned adjacent to a toner applicator in an electrostatographic recording apparatus. The piezoelectric sensor has a circular central crystal having its front and rear surfaces metallized, the two metallized surfaces being concentric with one another. The front surface of the sensor directed toward the toner applicator is smaller than the rear surface. Reducing the area of metallization on the piezoelectric toner mass sensor greatly increases sensitivity of the device. In addition, limiting the development area on the sensor facilitates the cleaning of the piezoelectric element and facilitates the mounting of the sensor in a suitable holder.

Reduction in metallization of a piezoelectric sensor for a xerographic

Apparatus for applying toner to an electrostatic image includes a sump for holding developer, which developer preferably includes a component having high coercivity and permanent magnetism. An applicator for moving the developer through a development zone includes a rotatable magnetic core and a sleeve around the core, which sleeve includes roughened portions leading to and away from the development zone and a smooth portion directly facing the development zone. The sleeve may also have smooth portions on its lateral crosstrack edges.

Apparatus for applying toner to an electrostatic image having improved

A toning station particularly usable in a multicolor image-forming apparatus includes an applicator and a developer mixing mechanism. A transport roller with a fluted surface transports developer from the mixing device to the applicator. A magnetic gate is positioned inside the transport roller and has a first position in which it attracts developer from the mixing device to the transport roller to facilitate delivery of developer to the applicator. The magnetic gate is movable to a position opposite the applicator where it inhibits passage of developer to the applicator to stop the development action of the station.

Toning station for selectively applying toner to an electrostatic image

Image forming apparatus having a magnetic brush toning station

Roller transfer apparatus of simplified construction which has an extended transfer nip exhibiting low pressure for effecting efficient transfer of marking particle images from a dielectric support with a substantial reduction in image transfer defects. In such transfer apparatus, the dielectric support in the form of a web is supported by a mechanisnm offset relative to the transfer roller in an upstream and/or downstream direction to position the web relative to the transfer roller to establish an extended contact nip zone with a low nip pressure. As an example, the support mechanism includes a pair of spaced rollers respectively offset relative to the transfer roller in an upstream and downstream direction to provide a nip zone with a dimension of at least 0.01 m measured in the direction of roller rotation and a nip pressure in such zone of less than 2.times.10.sup.4 Pa.

Roller transfer apparatus having an extended nip exhibiting low pressure

Method and apparatus for transferring non-insulative toner, having charge of a first polarity, from an electrically-insulative image member to a transfer member of high relative-conductivity, features feeding successive portions of such members into opposing relation at a transfer zone, contacting the non-opposing surface of such transfer member portions with a compliant, conductive surface biased to a polarity opposite said first polarity and controlling contact between such member portions to extend for a predetermined period not exceeding 0.030 seconds.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Theodore H Morse