Photoreceptor cleaning apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning a charge retentive surface of a photoreceptor which includes a cleaning blade for removing debris from the charge retentive surface of a photoreceptor. In the environment of a xerographic copier and/or printer, corona effluents are emitted by the high voltage charging devices. These effluents, which are strong oxidizing agents, may be adsorbed by or otherwise attach a cleaning blade polymer matrix. Thereafter, such corona species outgassing from a blade may chemically and/or otherwise attack the photoreceptor during prolonged blade/photoreceptor contact, resulting in print/copy defects, as well as permanent damage to the photoreceptor and/or cleaning blade. The present invention relates to impregnating or otherwise treating the cleaning blade with an antioxidant such that its presence in the blade polymer matrix can prevent corona species penetration or accumulation by chemically neutralizing and destroying the species upon exposure. In one example, the cleaning blade is impregnated with an antioxidant such as 1,3-Diphenylisobenzofuran. Such preventive measures to hinder or eliminate the corona species absorption and accumulation in the cleaning blade polymer matrix can, in principle, be employed to resolve the corona species outgassing problem.