Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing the customer replaceable cleaner subsystem from the electrostatographic machine without spillage of toner and other debris particles. The cleaning subsystem is a hybrid of a disturber brush and a retractable cleaning blade. The cleaning unit is slidably inserted or removed from the machine. The cleaning unit is removed from the machine when a cleaning failure occurs and replaced by a readily available spare cleaning unit. When the cleaning unit is inserted into the machine, adjacent to the photoreceptor, the door panel is slidably opened as the cleaning unit is moved into the appropriate space. The blade is moved into an engaged position with the photoreceptor for cleaning. When the cleaning unit is removed from the printer machine, the blade is retracted and the door panel is slidably closed as the cleaning unit is being removed, providing self-sealing of the cleaner unit and preventing toner and other debris spillage.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting cleaning system failure having a trapping enclosure for particles cleaned from the imaging surface. The failure detector signals a failure in the cleaning apparatus when the level of trapped particles exceeds a preselected quantity.