Abstract: This disclosure provides cleaning implement comprising a holder and a removable cleaning head. The cleaning head may be of various types, including brushes, sponges, dusters, and loofahs. The holder has two arms connected at a junction. Opposite the junction, the holder includes a locking mechanism. In one embodiment, the locking mechanism includes a hingedly connected locking member on the first arm, which includes a latch portion which engages a catch disposed on the second arm. In another embodiment, the locking mechanism includes a hingedly connected locking member on each arm, which interlock when moved to a locking position. The arms may be flexible so that they can be pushed toward each other to facilitate the coupling and decoupling of the locking mechanism.

Abstract: A rotary brush for processing the surface of a vehicle includes a rotary brush main part and a plurality of fill material holders that are arranged on an outer lateral surface of the rotary brush main part spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction thereof. Each fill material holder can be secured to the rotary brush main part in a plurality of stop positions spaced apart in the radial direction of the rotary brush main part.

Abstract: A waveguide assembly for use in a radar. The waveguide assembly being fabricated from a di-electric material and comprising a beamsplitter which comprises a right circular cylinder having a quarter wave air gap substantially along a centreline of the right circular cylinder. The waveguide assembly further comprises a waveguide on a port of the beamsplitter. In at least one construction, the waveguide assembly comprises four ports: a transmit input arranged to receive a signal from a source, a receive output arranged to direct a return signal to a receiver, and output port, and a load port.

Abstract: An over-the-hand cleaning device is described herein that comprises at least one finger portion, a cleaning surface and a rotatable member including at least one cleaning tool.

Abstract: A head (1) for a strip mop comprises a hollow dome-shaped body (3) which is attachable at its top to one end of an elongate mop handle (4). Web material is secured within the body (3) so that a portion hangs down from the base of the dome-shaped body to provide the cleaning substrate (2) of the mop. To facilitate access to confined areas of a surface that is being cleaned, such as corners, the base of the dome-shaped body (3) of the mop head has the general form of an equilateral triangle. A spacer (17, FIG. 4) is provided between two adjacent layers of the web material within the dome-shaped body, to enhance the volume of the cleaning substrate (2); and a peripheral skirt (8) of a more resilient material is provided at the base of the wall of the dome-shaped body (3) to reduce the risk of damage to surfaces that might be impacted by the mop head (1) when in use.

Abstract: A mop fixture for receiving and holding a mop head has a hood of resilient polymeric material which is attachable to a mop handle. A mop retaining bar has opposite ends terminating in down turned hook portions and snaps into spaced end walls of the hood. A mop head with depending opposite strand bunches is centered by the mop retaining bar so that the center of the mop head is retained within the hood.

Abstract: A new animal brush having a head to be refillable with cardboard paper sticky therein extending a curve handle. The inventive device includes a cover, and snap closure. The slots all surrounded with bristles having bridges in the center of the brush head.

Abstract: A system for cleaning, storing and maintaining x-ray cassettes. The system is used within the environment of an x-ray exposure room for shooting x-ray images of x-ray subjects, and an x-ray dark room for developing x-ray images. The system may include a portable transport, cleaning and storage unit for storing, cleaning and transporting x-ray cassettes. The unit includes a work surface, at least one x-ray cassette receptacle for storing x-ray cassettes, and a vacuum apparatus for vacuuming dust particles from the x-ray cassettes and the unit.

Abstract: A transfer roll cover has an inner surface made of conductive and elastic material to fit snugly around and make conductive contact with a transfer roll, and an outer surface made of looped yarns which are attached to the inner surface and have outer looped ends which make light rolling contact with a sheet transported over the transfer roll. The looped yarns are a composite of a cleaning yarn for cleaning particulate contaminants and an antistatic yarn for removing static charges from the transported sheet. In a preferred embodiment, the transfer roll cover has an inner surface made of nylon knitted yarn as a base yarn that holds the cover together and a LYCRA.TM. inlayed yarn which has an elasticity that allows the cover to stretch over and fit snugly onto the transfer roll. As an alternative, a heat-shrinkable polyvinyl acetate (PVA) yarn may be used as the elastic material. The preferred outer surface includes rayon knitted yarn with looped outer ends as the cleaning yarn, and BEKINTEX.TM.

Abstract: A plastic film or sheet, wherein upon immersing a test piece of the plastic film or sheet in ultrapure water, extracting pure water from near the surface of the test piece and evaluating the cleanliness of a resulting bag based on the concentration (number) of fine particles 0.3 .mu.m or greater in size dispersed in the extracted ultrapure water, the measured concentration is no greater than 5 per ml. The process comprises steps of immersing and running a plastic film or sheet (1) in ultrapure water (4) in a clean room (16), and further spraying and washing the film or sheet (1) with ultrapure water after the film or sheet (1) is drawn out, followed by drying, destaticization, cutting and heat sealing.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing residual charged particles from a charge retentive surface characterized by a self-biasing electrostatic cleaner brush and a flicker bar. The brush includes fibers made of a bi-layer of PVDF films; one of which is PVDF covered over a conductive core. Upon bending in one direction, the fiber will generate an electrical potential which will attract and hold oppositely charged toner, which will then be released when the fiber is flexed by the flicker bar in the opposite direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning surfaces of dust by the use of an alternating electrical field with a low power consumption. The amplitude of the electrical field is between 1,000 and 30,000 V/cm and its frequency is from 10 to 1000 Hz.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing residual charged toner particles from a charge retentive surface characterized by a self-biasing pyroelectric cleaner brush and a detoning member for removing the charged particles from the self-biasing pyroelectric cleaner brush. The brush includes a pyroelectric polymer supported by a conductive roll with resistive fibers attached to one surface of the pyroelectric polymer. Heating and cooling of a pyroelectric polymer induces thermal expansion or contraction which create surface charge density charges that are used to supply charge to the resistive fibers. The oppositely charged resistive fibers contact the toner particles on the charge retentive surface to thereby remove them from the charge retentive surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a cassette-type cleaner for removing contaminants sticking to the surface of a photosensitive medium or a transfer roller including a photoreceptor belt circulating along an endless track by a plurality of rollers, a laser scanning unit for forming a latent electrostatic image on the photoreceptor belt, a development unit for developing the latent electrostatic image formed on the photoreceptor belt into a toner image; a drying unit for drying the photoreceptor belt; a transfer unit for transferring the toner image of the photoreceptor belt onto a sheet of paper, and a cassette-type cleaner having a case having a cavity at its one side, a cleaning belt partially exposed by the cavity and installed within the case so as to contact the contaminated portion of the image forming apparatus, and first and second guiding rollers rotatably installed within the case and spaced a predetermined distance spaced apart, for guiding the cleaning belt.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a surface including the steps of providing a cationic sponge material containing cationic radicals. Exposing particles and charges carried by the surface to be cleaned to the cationic radicals. Attracting and retaining particles and charges on the surface to be cleaned to the cationic radicals.

Abstract: A convenient button-locking mop holder is essentially comprised of a cloth bits frame, a locking bar and a locking device, said locking bar can more parallelly relative to the transverse bar of the cloth bits frame. When in use, first release the locking device to put the cloth bits between the transverse bar and the locking bar, and then push the locking bar toward the transverse bar to grip the cloth bits before fixing the locking bar with the locking device. The mop holder of the invention is of simple structure and convenient to use, and it is easy to replace the cloth bits of the mop.

Abstract: A continuous web cleaner having two elongated manifolds, each having an elongated row of brushes attached to either side of the manifold with both manifolds being physically oriented such that they face each other. The manifolds are offset from one another so that a continuous paper web can pass in between and through the two elongated manifolds. Each manifold is coupled to an exhauster outside or inside the room which creates a vacuum to remove paper dust, chad and other contaminants from the paper web itself and any contaminants collected by the elongated rows of brushes. Static electrical charges are removed from both sides of the continuous paper web by elongated static eliminator bars mounted at the input and output of the apparatus, both below and above the paper web.

Abstract: In a moving documents imaging system in which documents are separated and sequentially fed from a stack thereof to an imaging platen surface by a separator-feeder system comprising an elastomeric document feeding roller and a frictionally engaging retard member producing elastomeric wear particles optically contaminating the imaging platen surface, an electrostatically attractive shield member is closely spaced from and closely partially surrounding the elastomeric document feeding roller surface to attract and retain these elastomeric wear particles to the interior surface of the shield member so that these particles are not transported by documents to the imaging surface and may be removed by removal of the shield or the entire separator-feeder system. The same shield member may extend to be additionally closely spaced around an elastomeric nudger wheel upstream of the sheet feeding roller. The system may further include a simple triboelectric charging member engaging the document feeding roller surface.

Abstract: Discloses is an apparatus and method for cleaning the edges of semiconductor wafers by using a particle withdrawing means having pre-formed, low-tack adhesive material that removes the particles from the edges of the wafers and retains the particles thus removed.

Abstract: A dust remover for removing dirts or dusts comprises a cushioning material (1) made of a plurality of elastomeric filaments comprising a mixture of synthetic resinous material and a powdered electrical conductive material, said filaments are entangled each other to provide a plurality of through holes or voids extending vertically therethrough, a collector sheet (2) of electret laying under the cushioning material to provide a mat, a base (3) of insulating material for supporting the mat thereon, and a grounding cable (4) connected to the cushioning material.

Abstract: A mat for removing dirts or dusts comprises a cushioning material made of a plurality of curled elastomeric filaments and a collector sheet of electret laying under the cushioning material. The filaments are formed of a compound of synthetic resinous material and a powdered electrical conductive material, and entangled with each other to provide a plurality of through holes or voids extending vertically through the cushioning material.

Abstract: An apparatus and printing machine that contain a cleaner brush with long sweeper fibers orientated along the overall width of the brush, and having a greater length than the majority of fibers of the brush to remove the particles that adhere to the cleaner housing and thus, prevent toner droppings.

Abstract: A dual-purpose mop head assembly comprising a housing having a threaded recess for threadably engaging a handle on one end thereof, mopping yarns secured within and extending from the opposite end of the housing, and an array of closely packed, brush bristles fused to and projecting laterally from a side of the housing.

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: A conductive fiber having at least one fiber forming material and conductive materials and coated with a polymer which reduces the surface energy of the fiber below an initial surface energy of the fiber is disclosed. The fibers are preferably used in an electrostatic cleaning device which removes residual toner from the surface of an imaging member. The coated conductive fibers significantly improve the detoning efficiency of cleaning devices incorporating the fibers.

Abstract: An image-forming machine including a photosensitive drum which is rotatably disposed and successively passes through a charging zone, a developing zone and a transfer zone; a charger for charging the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum into a predetermined polarity; a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum into a toner image; a transfer means for transferring the toner image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum onto a transfer paper; and a foreign matter-recovering means which is disposed between the transfer zone and the charging zone and comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum, and removes foreign matter adhered onto the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum, the foreign matter-recovering means having a foreign matter-recovering brush brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum, an elastic holding member made of an elas

Abstract: An environmentally compliant triboelectric applicator and process for coating or ablating a substrate and for retrieving excess or ejected material from the substrate. The applicator comprises an inner supersonic nozzle for accelerating triboelectrically charged projectile particles entrained in a supersonic gas to speeds sufficiently high to coat or ablate a substrate and an outer evacuator nozzle coaxially surrounding the inner supersonic nozzle for retrieving excess projectile particles, ablated substrate powders, or other environmentally hazardous materials. A fluid dynamic coupling uses the efficacy of the Mach turning angle associated with a supersonic boundary layer of carrier gas to aspirate the central core of the supersonic two-phase jet.

Abstract: A disk cartridge assembly includes an enclosure, a recording disk mounted for rotation in the enclosure, and an electrostatic cleaning element positioned on an interior surface of the enclosure. The cleaning element engages one side of the disk at least when the disk is at rest and when the disk is rotated at a low speed, and the cleaning element is charged to a high voltage.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system for removing excess carrier liquid from an electrostatic image developed with liquid developing material made up of toner particles immersed in a liquid carrier medium on an image bearing member. The system includes an absorbent contact roller for absorbing at least a portion of the liquid carrier off of the liquid image, a vacuum source coupled to the contact roller for generating negative pressure at the surface of the roller to draw the absorbed liquid through the contact roller, and a nonpermeable vacuum sealing membrane member partially surrounding the contact member in an area not adjacent to the image bearing surface for reducing the surface area of the contact roller which is exposed to the ambient atmosphere to create a vacuum sealing arrangement adapted to deliver negative pressure airflow to a selected area adjacent the image bearing surface.

Abstract: A teller member for telling a paper money incomming from outside or outgoing from inside and a safe member for storing therein and/or supplying therefrom the paper money are connected to each other by a conveyor route which is composed of a money conveyor for conveying the paper money therebetween and a route member for enclosing the money conveyor and provided with a check sheet member conveyable by the money conveyor for checking the conveyor route for a jam, the check sheet member being chargeable with polarity-controlled electricities so that dust such as paper dust in the conveyor route is adorbed by the check sheet member, as it is charged with electricities of a certain polarity and conveyed by the money conveyor, before the check sheet member is unloaded from the money conveyor into an accommodation chamber, where it is charged with electricities of an opposite polarity, thereby releasing the dust to be blown into a dust collector.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning particles from a surface using a floating backer and cleaning or spots blade mounted to allow freedom to follow the location of the imaging surface. The cleaning or spots blade controls tolerances when the blade and the floating backer are mounted to a frame pivoted from a fixed photoreceptor backer. This freedom allows a minimization of the tolerances in blade load against the surface or photoreceptor, the blade angle to the photoreceptor and in the location of the blade relative to the backer. This floating backer and blade mount also minimizes the wrap required on the photoreceptor backers adjacent to the blade.

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: An apparatus for cleaning exposed film includes a dry cleaning unit including at least a first dry cleaning station comprising an ionization unit having an electrostatic discharge device and means for removing discharged dust particles from the film. A roller driven by a drive motor draws the film from an unwinding reel through the dry cleaning unit. A film take-up reel driven by a controlled drive motor is disposed downstream of the driven roller. The controlled drive motor is controlled so that a tensile force acting on the film remains uniform as a diameter of the film winding on the film take-up reel varies. A satisfactory cleaning of the film is thus achieved, even when cleaning old and heavily-soiled films, together with a reliable take-up of the cleaned film without a danger of film breakage in the film cleaning apparatus.

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 apparatus and associated method for removing microscopic particle contaminants from an object such as a photomask or a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus utilizes an inspection device to identify the position of any particle contaminants on the target object. Once the positions of the various particle contaminants has been identified, a probe is dispatched to the position of one of the particle contaminants. The probe removes the particle contaminant from the target object and moves to a cleaning compartment, wherein the particle contaminant is removed from the probe. The probe is then moved to the next subsequent particle contaminant until all the contaminants are removed from the target object. By removing particle contaminants one-by-one from the target object, the manufacturing yield of zero defect products is greatly increased.

Abstract: An apparatus for exposing a substrate chucked on a substrate holder includes a substrate stocking device for stocking a plurality of substrates, a substrate conveying system for picking up the substrate from the substrate stocking device and conveying the substrate to the substrate, holder while chucking a portion of a rear surface of the substrate and a cleaning system for cleaning the rear surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A sheet and web cleaner comprises a pair of substantially identical units in facing relation, providing a path for transporting a sheet or web between them. Each unit includes a suction hood with a rectangular inlet slot, and a pair of channels adjacent and parallel to the slot, each containing a pressurized air ionizing bar which discharges ionized air at high velocity onto the moving sheet or web. A plate of hard smooth plastic is over the channels and the inlet slot and has in one side a central elongate inlet opening of tapering width which extends partly through the thickness of the plate and overlies the rectangular inlet slot. Elongate air discharge openings extending partly through the thickness of the plate and overlying each of the channels are adjacent the inlet opening.

Abstract: An electrostatic decontamination method and decontamination device (10) is disclosed for decontaminating the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The decontamination device (10) includes particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles. Decontamination device (10) also includes substrate biasing device (12) for creating a charge accumulation layer (14) at the top of semiconductor substrate (16) so that the charge accumulation layer (14) has the same charge sign as the ionized particles. In addition, the invention analytically characterizes particles using contaminating particle isolator (44) which contains a particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles.

Abstract: A program controllable structure for providing program defined orientations of a nozzle for discharging ionized air onto the surfaces of a workpiece prior to a painting operation. The support structure comprises pivotal cantilevered support arms extending from the cross arm structure of a support arch and a second degree of freedom for the nozzle by means of a pivotal connection between the support arms and the nozzle at the free end of the support arms. Programmable means are provided for determining the orientation of the nozzle relative to the cantilevered arms at each of a plurality of program points.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning the imaging surface of an electrophotographic machine that includes a biased conductive foam roll. The biased conductive foam roll removes toner from the photoreceptor. The biased foam roll provides the electrostatic cleaning advantages of an electrostatic brush cleaner without the problem of toner accumulation in the brush. The cell structure of the foam roll limits toner accumulation to close to the cleaning surface to enable simple detoning of the foam roll cleaner by a biased detoning roll or air flow.

Abstract: A method of removing particles from the surface of an integrated circuit is achieved by means of a cleaning device and method to remove particles from the surface of a semiconductor wafer. The cleaning device comprises a clean chamber wherein the semiconductor wafer is irradiated by electron flux whereby an electric repulsive force between the wafer surface and the particles will remove the particles from the wafer surface. The device further comprises a neutralization chamber wherein the semiconductor wafer is neutralized to prevent new particles from being attracted to the cleaned surface of the semiconductor wafer. A vacuum system is connected to the clean chamber and the neutralization chamber wherein the vacuum system will carry away the particles removed from the semiconductor wafer surface within the clean chamber.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a flexible member to be cleaned, a cleaning unit for cleaning a surface of the member to be cleaned, the cleaning unit including a cleaning web in contact with the member to be cleaned, and a potential applying member, provided on an opposite side of the member to be cleaned from the cleaning web, for applying a predetermined potential to the member to be cleaned. The potential applying member is provided at substantially the same position as the cleaning web in a direction of movement of the member to be cleaned.

Abstract: A dual polarity commutated roll attracts toner and debris particles loosened into a particle cloud from the photoreceptor surface by an acoustical horn. The particles are attracted to and adhere to the commutated roll, whether right or wrong sign (i.e. positive or negative), and are removed from the roll, as the roll rotates, by a scraper blade. The particles are collected in a waste container as the particles are removed from the roll surface by the scraper blade. Residual particles that are not attracted to the commutated roll, are removed from the photoreceptor surface by a spots blade. The cleaning system does not contact the photoreceptor, thus, increasing cleaner and photoreceptor life.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting the preclean corona current used in a printer or digital copier such that the preclean corona current is optimized for the dominant color entering the cleaner.

Abstract: An air amplifier utilizing the coanda effect is disposed adjacent to a web of material to be cleaned. A relatively small volume of compressed air is driven from a slot onto a curved wall surface. The "coanda effect" causes that compressed air to adhere to the wall, and causes a suction creating a relatively high-volume air flow upstream from the slot to be drawn along with the small volume of air adhering to the wall. The high-volume amplified flow of air is drawn along the surface of a web of material to be cleaned to entrain impurities from the web of material to be cleaned. A vacuum source is mounted adjacent to the end of the wall such that impurities are drawn into the vacuum source and removed from the area. In addition, ionized particles are directed into the relatively high-volume air flow to increase the cleaning efficiency of the system. The present invention provides a high efficiency web cleaning system that need not be mounted as close to the web as prior systems.

Abstract: A container cleaner apparatus is provided, wherein containers are conveyed to stations for cleaning consisting of a first assembly for supplying ionized air to the interior of the containers at the stations to neutralize static electricity therein. A second assembly is for vacuuming the interior of the containers at the stations, wherein dust, dirt, carton lint and other foreign matter is removed from the interior of the containers.

Abstract: A mop head for releasably securing absorbent mop material to a handle comprises a mount for the absorbent material having a reaction surface thereon shaped and arranged for receiving the absorbent material thereacross and a clamp member attached to the mop head for movement between a clamp position in which the clamp member is located relatively close to the reaction surface and is adapted to engage the absorbent material to clamp it against the reaction surface and a release position in which the clamp member is located relatively farther away from the reaction surface and is adapted to release the absorbent material for removal of the absorbent material from the mop head. The mop head further includes a mechanism for urging the clamp member toward the reaction surface. The urging mechanism is selected to have sufficient strength to hold the absorbent material on the mop head when used for mopping.

Abstract: Cleaning of a product in strip or sheet form.The device is characterised in that:the electrode is enclosed in an insulating housing (20) connected to the said channel by an antihalo duct (30),the housing is swept by a weak flow of air, so as to carry away the ions on the moving strip.Application to unexposed photosensitive products.

Abstract: An arrangement for pressing flat workpieces that includes first and second heatable pressure plates forming a continuous channel therebetween and movable toward each other. First and second transport and pressure belts are associated with the first and second pressure plates, respectively. Each belt is endless and movable through the continuous channel. At least one electrically conductive abrading device is disposed in the exit region of the first transport and pressure belt from the first pressure plate with the abrading device in contact with the first transport and pressure belt.