Abstract: A cleaning device for removing residual toner on a surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a cleaning blade for scraping residual toner off the surface of the photosensitive member, and a toner supply portion, disposed in an upper stream side of the cleaning blade as viewed in a moving direction of the surface of the photosensitive member, for causing toner to stick to the surface of the photosensitive member, the toner supply portion being switchable between a first mode of causing toner to stick to the surface of the photosensitive member to supply toner to the nip between the surface of the photosensitive member and the cleaning blade and a second mode of not causing toner to stick to the surface of the photosensitive member or of decreasing an amount of toner to be stuck to the surface of the photosensitive member, the second mode being selectable when a main switch of an image forming apparatus having the cleaning device mounted therein has become turned on.

Abstract: A cleaning device comprising a housing disposed above a photoconductor drum and having an opening portion open downward toward the circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum, a cleaning blade disposed in the housing so as to be located in the opening portion downstream in the direction of rotation of the photoconductor drum, and a cleaning roller disposed in the housing so as to be located in the opening portion upstream from the cleaning blade in the direction of rotation of the photoconductor drum; and an image forming apparatus equipped with the cleaning device. In the housing of the cleaning device, a spiral roller for letting out a toner recovered into the housing is disposed above the cleaning blade. A partition wall is disposed between the cleaning blade and the spiral roller, and a toner movement space for moving the toner recovered into the housing is formed between the front end of the partition wall and the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller.

Abstract: In a toner image forming method, toner contains toner particles having a shape coefficient falling within a range of 1.0 to 1.6 in an amount of 65% by number or more and the toner particles has a variation coefficient of the shape coefficient of 16% or less. In a step of cleaning residual toner remaining on the image carrying member after the step of transferring; the cleaning step includes a step of removing electrostatically residual toner by brining a cleaning roller in contact with a surface of the image carrying member and by applying a bias voltage between the cleaning roller and the image carrying member, and a step of removing mechanically residual toner by bringing a tip end of a cleaning blade in contact with a surface of the image carrying member at a position downstream of the cleaning roller in terms of the rotating direction of the image carrying member.

Abstract: In order to remove a coating of toner, abrasion and paper dust adhering to a surface of an intermediate carrier, for example a photoconductor drum, an elastomer-coated drum is provided that rolls off on the intermediate carrier under contact pressure. A contact pressure region having at least one sub-region with slippage between the drum and the intermediate carrier forms in the contact pressure region.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a cleaning apparatus to clean an image bearing member used in electrophotographic process and an image forming system equipped with the cleaning system. The cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning roller being either conductive or semi-conductive and in contact with an image bearing member carrying charged toner; a constant current source to apply a bias voltage, having a polarity opposite to that of toner utilized for a developing operation performed on the image bearing member, onto the cleaning roller and a cleaning blade contacting the image bearing member and located at a downstream side of the cleaning roller in a moving direction of the image bearing member.

Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic image forming method, an electro-photographic image forming apparatus, and a processing cartridge and an electrophotographic photoreceptor to be used therein, by which an electrophotographic image with a high image quality can be stably obtained in a condition of high temperature and high humidity. In an electrophotographic image forming method including cleaning a toner remained on a photoreceptor by a brush roller and an elastic rubber blade after transferring a toner image formed on the photoreceptor to an image receiving material, wherein the photoreceptor has a resin layer comprising a siloxane resin having an electric charge transportable structural unit and a cross-linked structure, the thickness of the single filament and the density of the filament of the brush roller are each from 3 denier to 30 denier and from 4.5×102 to 15.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a cleaning unit having a cleaning roller which is disposed so as to come into contact with the surface of said photoreceptor, a bias voltage applying means which applies to a bias voltage to said cleaning roller, and a flat board-shaped cleaning blade comprised of an elastic body which is disposed so that the leading edge of said cleaning blade comes into contact with the surface of said latent image holding member downstream from said cleaning roller with respect to the movement direction of said photoreceptor.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a cleaning apparatus to clean an image bearing member used in electrophotographic process and an image forming system equipped with the cleaning system.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprises an amorphous silicon photosensitive drum showing a rotation starting torque held lower than a predetermined value (e.g., 0.39 N.m) in order to make the produced images free from unevenness and no molten developer would adhere to the photosensitive drum after long use so that the drum can be prevented from being scraped. The surface of the amorphous silicon photosensitive drum 1 is electrically uniformly charged and a laser beam LB is emitted from image exposure unit 3 to irradiate the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and draw an electrostatic latent image there, which electrostatic latent image is then developed by developing unit 5, using toner. The image developed by toner is then transferred onto a receiving material 11 by transfer charger 6.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming sections each having an electrostatic latent image bearing member to form a latent image on its surface, a charging device to uniformly charge the electrostatic latent image bearing member, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrostatic latent image bearing member into a visible image and a cleaning device to remove developer adhered to the electrostatic latent image bearing member. The image forming sections are disposed in series in close proximity to or contacting a transfer sheet conveying belt spanned rotatively and are configured to differentiate an amount of a lubricant to be supplied to the surface of each electrostatic latent image bearing member such that at least one image forming section is differentiated from other image forming sections.

Abstract: A cleaning device removes residual toner on the outer surface of a photosensitive element by bringing a brush into contact with the outer surface of the photosensitive element after an electrostatic latent image on the outer surface of the photosensitive element is developed into a toner image by the reversed development method. The electric resistance value between the brush and photosensitive is in the range of 103 to 108 &OHgr;cm, and the density thereof is in the range of 30000 to 100000 bristles/(inch)2. A DC voltage having a polarity opposite from the charging polarity of the toner and being in the range of 100 to 300 V in absolute value is applied to the brush after an AC voltage having a frequency of 100 to 2000 Hz and an interpeak voltage of 400 to 700 V is superimposed thereon. Further, the brush is rotated in a direction opposite from the rotating direction of the photosensitive element in its portion held in contact with the photosensitive element.

Abstract: In a first paper-dust removing device, a brush is supported by a support member that is attached to the interior of a casing. The first paper-dust removing device mainly removes pulp fibers of the paper dust, and is located downstream from a transfer position in the photosensitive drum rotating direction. A second paper-dust removing device is additionally provided. The second paper-dust removing device includes a support member that is attached to a casing of a developing cartridge. The support member supports a non-woven fabric that is lined by a sponge. The second paper-dust removing device mainly removes talc in the paper dust. The second paper-dust removing device is located downstream from the first removing device in the photosensitive drum rotating direction. In the second device, the non-woven fabric is contacted with the photosensitive drum at substantially zero contact pressure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of effectively removing a residual toner on a surface of an intermediate transfer roller by a cleaning roller and a predetermined plate form blade without injuring the surface of the intermediate transfer roller. In the electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the cleaning roller rotates in an opposite direction to the rotating direction of the intermediate transfer roller and is provided in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer roller. Also, a plate form blade contacting with the cleaning roller is provided. Also, at least the cleaning roller is movable toward and away from the intermediate roller.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus having a spots cleaning blade to remove residual agglomerations of particles from the imaging surface. The spots cleaning blade is made from a material that has a low coefficient of friction, low resilience and higher hardness than a standard spots blade. These properties enable the spots cleaning blade to provide a continuous slidable contact with the imaging surface to remove residual particles therefrom. Additionally, an electrically conductive surface can be added to the front or back surface of the blade to cause toner particles to be repelled from and cloud near the blade where they can be removed by a vacuum device or the like. The conductive surface may be direct negative, direct positive or A-C potential to provide the necessary repelling force.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable recording medium bearing member, an image forming device for forming an image on the image bearing member with a developer having an additive and a cleaning device having a cleaning member which makes a contact with the image bearing member for cleaning thereof at a cleaning station. The apparatus further includes a transferring device for transferring the image from the image bearing member to a recording medium. A processing device is mounted between the transfer station and the cleaning station for processing the additive that has not been transferred but still remains on the image bearing member such that one component of the additive remains on the image bearing member and another component of the additive is removed.

Abstract: A developing device, of a wet type printer, provided with a reservoir for holding developer liquid. A developing roller is installed at an upper region of the reservoir, and contacts a photosensitive belt. A cleaning device for cleaning the developing roller, is in contact with the developing roller. An auxiliary reservoir is installed below the developing roller, and within the reservoir, to hold a predetermined amount of the developer liquid in which the lower portion of the developing roller is immersed to a predetermined depth. The cleaning device is installed within the auxiliary reservoir to be immersed in the developer liquid and is provided with a rotating shaft and a brush installed around the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft. The developing roller is effectively cleaned, by the cleaning device, and particles adhering to the developing roller are easily removed. The removed particles are then recovered and used again in subsequent printing operations.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrying member for carrying an image; a recording material carrying member for carrying a recording material; a transfer device for transferring the image from the image carrying member to the recording material carried by the recording material carrying member; and a cleaning device for cleaning the recording material carrying member, wherein, when images are formed successively on a plurality of recording materials, the cleaning capacity of this cleaning device is made larger as a distance between the rear end of a recording material and the forward end of the next recording material becomes larger.

Abstract: A photoreceptor belt cleaning apparatus of a liquid electrophotographic printer includes a photoreceptor belt circulating and supported by a plurality of rollers, a housing installed to be adjacent to the photoreceptor belt, a brush supported on the housing to be brought into contact with the photosensitive surface of the photoreceptor belt, a cleaning blade installed on the downstream side of the brush in a traveling direction of the photoreceptor belt so that its leading edge contacts the photoreceptor belt, a nozzle installed in the housing so that a suction inlet is disposed around the leading edge of the cleaning blade, and a pump connected to the nozzle so as to provide vacuum suction through the suction inlet.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus for efficient cleaning of the imaging surface. The primary cleaner is a rotating collection roll located directly opposite from and on the other side of the imaging surface from the ultrasonic cleaning assist device. The ultrasonic energy is used to remove the toner from the imaging surface enabling attraction toward the biased collection roll. The ultrasonic energy decreases the amount of residual toner remaining after transfer. The residual toner that is not cleaned from the surface by the collection roll is removed from the surface by the rotating biased conductive brush, which is the secondary cleaner. The collection roll is contactless in that it does not come into contact with the photoreceptor. In another embodiment of the invention, the primary cleaner and the secondary cleaner are collection rolls with ultrasonic cleaning assist devices directly under each collection roll. The entire cleaning system is contactless.

Abstract: A printing machine and apparatus are disclosed that include an ultrasonically assisted cleaning blade to remove toner particles from an imaging surface. An ultrasonic transducer is attached to the cleaning blade to provide vibrational energy to the cleaning blade. The ultrasonic transducer concentrates vibrational energy at the blade tip for enhanced cleaning. A further element of the present invention is the addition of bias to create a strong electrostatic repulsion between the toner particles and the blade tip causing the toner to explode away from the cleaning edge, and to therefore enhance cleaning.

Abstract: An image forming substance removing apparatus for removing an image forming substance from an image holding member has a separating device for separating the image forming substance from the image holding member by separating a separating member having adhesive force stronger than adhesive force between the image holding member and the image forming substance attached onto this image holding member from the image forming substance on the image holding member after this separating member comes in contact with the image forming substance on the image holding member; and a cleaner for cleaning the separating member by removing the image forming substance attached onto the separating member therefrom.

Abstract: A printer or copier has a photoconductive drum which is to be cleaned of residual toner after printing by a brush as a principal cleaner and by a stripper element of an abrasive-resistant film as an auxiliary cleaner. The stripper element of plastic film presses against the photoconductive drum at an angle to remove substances adhering to the drum. A pivot mounting may be provided for the stripper and a transverse moving device for moving the stripper may also be provided.

Abstract: A detoning roll having a ceramic outer coating for removing residual toner particles from a cleaning reproduction machine. The ceramic outer coating consists essentially of a suitable mixture of alumina and titania by weight giving the detoning roll a desired resistivity within a range of 2.8.times.10.sup.7 -2.10.times.10.sup.9 (Ohm-cm), a discharge time constant of greater than 600 microseconds, and a dielectric constant within a range of 12-24 at 100 KHz.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image-bearing member, latent image-forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the first image-bearing member, developer for developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a toner image, an intermediate transfer member for receiving the toner image by primary transfer and transferring the toner image onto a second image-bearing member by secondary transfer, a charging member for charging a residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the secondary transfer, and a recovery member for recovering the charged residual toner at a recovery position by voltage application. The intermediate transfer member exhibits a charging characteristic such that it has a surface potential of at most 500 volts as an absolute value at the recovery position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning charged triboelectric negative toner residual particles from the photoreceptor surface. A positive bias is applied to two electrostatic brushes in the dual cleaning system or to a single electrostatic brush. The rotational speed of the single positive brush is increased, over that of the individual brushes in a dual brush cleaner, to clean charged triboelectric negative toner particles.

Abstract: In an electrophotographic image forming machine, an alternating current (AC) voltage is applied by an AC electric source with a constant frequency to a conductive wire and an electrode plate so that an electric field whose direction is inverted in synchronization with the frequency occurs. Consequently, the residual developer remaining on the front face of a photosensitive element vibrates and floats off the photosensitive element. A developer collecting roller is charged to the polarity electrically opposite to the polarity of the residual developer by application of a bias voltage from a direct current (DC) electric source. The residual developer separated from the front face of the photosensitive element is sucked and collected by the developer collecting roller with an electrostatic power developed between the developer collecting roller and the residual developer.

Abstract: So as to realize an image forming apparatus capable of withstanding a long period of practical use and which does not waste toners, an image forming apparatus is provided having a cleaning roller and a reverse charge promoting member which applies a bias having a reverse polarity to residual toners which have remained on a photoconductor, a charger unit for establishing the charge polarity of the toners to the same polarity as the surface of the photoconductor, and a developer roller to which is applied a bias voltage to enable the rollers to recover the toners on the photoconductor. In the image forming apparatus, there is a cleaner unit having a simplified construction in which there is a minimum of the waste of toners, and further, since in the image forming process the toners are efficiently discharged from the cleaner unit, the lowering of the cleaning performance hardly occurs.

Abstract: An endless belt is passed between a visible image forming unit and a thermal transfer unit. A cleaning device for removing residual toner on the endless belt is provided on the downstream side of the thermal transfer unit. The cleaning device comprises a cleaning roller having a rigid surface member of a metal coated with an elastic member, a contacting/separating mechanism for contacting/separating the cleaning roller with/from the endless belt, and a refresh blade for removing the toner staying on the cleaning roller. Separated from the endless belt, the cleaning roller is contacted with the refresh blade.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus which does not adversely affect its surrounding environment when in use, which has excellent durability, and which is safe to use is provided. A photosensitive layer is disposed on the outer surface of a rotatable closed-loop substrate drum. A charger, an exposure portion, a developing portion, a transfer portion, a fixing portion, and a cleaner are provided around the substrate drum. The charger includes an X-ray generator, which electrolytically dissociates the air on the surface of the photosensitive layer upon X-ray irradiation, and electric-field generator which guides a gaseous ion formed by electrolytic dissociation to the surface of the photosensitive layer. The cleaner is constituted by erasure X-ray generation means which ionizes the air on the photosensitive layer, in which a coloring fine particle remains, upon irradiation with an X-ray irradiation, while generating a carrier within the photosensitive layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for eliminating the accumulation of triboelectric negative toner that occurs between the cleaning edge of the cleaning blade and the photoreceptor surface. After image transfer, the residual toner particles on the photoreceptor surface are then charged to a uniform polarity using either a preclean corotron or a biased conductive blade. A UCA is used to dislodge the residual toner particles away from the photoreceptor surface. The polarity of the particles is opposite to that of the collection roll positioned to attract the toner particles levitated by the UCA onto the collection roll.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning particles from the imaging surface of the photoreceptor is by having a DC biased electrostatic brush remove the majority of the residual particles on the imaging surface with an AC biased brush as a follow-up for removal of residual particles. These particles have a predominant electrical polarity of right or wrong sign charge. The degree to which this AC biased brush removes each sign toner is controlled by the duty cycle. The responsibility of the first brush, in the direction of motion of the photoreceptor, is reduced by reducing the brush biases, the speed or the photoreceptor interference (BPI) of the first brush, in the direction of motion of the photoreceptor and allowing the second brush to take on higher percentage of the cleaning load. This enables longer brush life and reduces detoning stress. Alternatively, the second brush may increase in latitude, leaving the first brush parameters unchanged, enabling superior cleaning performance or reduced brush costs.

Abstract: An apparatus for recycling a recording medium having an image forming substance deposited on both sides of the recording medium. A first image removing unit removes the image forming substance from a first side of the recording medium and a second image removing unit removes the image forming substance from a second side of the recording medium. A driving portion feeds the recording medium sequentially through the first image removing unit and then through the second image removing unit. Each image removing unit includes an image separating material which is constructed of a substance to which the image forming substance tends to adhere to and a backpressing material, which is formed opposite to the image separating material, and which presses the recording medium against the image forming substance. A surface of the backpressing material is formed of a material to which the image forming substance tends not to adhere.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus and color printing machine having an ultrasonic cleaner and a cleaning blade is disclosed for removing residual toner, toner additive films, spots and comets off the imaging surface. The toner additives used during development leave more than one layer of toner additive films on the surface. An ultrasonic cleaner that has a tip velocity ranging from about 1500 mm/sec to about 3000 mm/sec is used in combination with a blade that has sufficient hardness to remove the thick toner additive films without damaging the surface. The build up of toner additive films cause copy defects. The vibrational motion of the ultrasonic cleaner reduces friction between the blade and the surface and enables the dislodgment of toner additive films, spots, comets and residual toner off the surface.

Abstract: There is provided a cleaning unit for removing residual toner present on the periphery of a photoconductive drum after toner image transfer, which includes: a main blade for scraping the toner from the surface of the photoconductive drum; and a cleaning roller disposed below the main blade and abutting against the periphery of the photoconductive drum. The inner space of the cleaning housing is divided into a cleaning chamber and a toner storage by a separator plate. A spacing between the lower end of the separator plate and the periphery of the cleaning roller is adjusted to preferably 1 mm to 2 mm, more preferably 1.3 mm to 1.5 mm. By thus adjusting the spacing, the toner is compressed when passing through the spacing and, hence, the toner transportation pressure is increased.