Web Patents (Class 399/352)
  • Patent number: 9405238
    Abstract: An urging roller for urging a cleaning web to a rotatable member of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a shaft; an elastic layer provided on a peripheral surface of the shaft; a wire wound on a peripheral surface of the elastic layer; and a toner parting layer coating a peripheral surface of the elastic layer with the wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazunari Hatazaki
  • Patent number: 9207601
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary fuser member, a rotary pressure member, and a cleaning system. The rotary fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotary pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The fuser member and the pressure member are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip therebetween. The cleaning system is disposed adjacent to the pressure member to clean the pressure member, and includes a cleaning web, a web supply mechanism, and a controller. The cleaning web is disposed in contact with the pressure member to wipe the pressure member. The web supply mechanism is operatively connected to the cleaning web to supply a new, unused portion of the cleaning web to the pressure member. The controller is operatively connected to the web supply mechanism to control a web supply amount by which the cleaning web is supplied to the pressure member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Kubota
  • Patent number: 8953992
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing unit, a cleaning unit, and a controller. The fixing unit includes a pair of nipping members and a heat source that heats at least one of the pair of nipping members. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning web wound on a supply core to be supplied from the supply core and taken up on a take-up core, and a pressing roller that is pressed against one of the pair of nipping members. The controller causes the take-up core to rotate in such a manner that, when a leading portion of the cleaning web extending up to 2% of an overall length of the cleaning web from a leading end of the cleaning web is fed, a length of the cleaning web to be fed in one feeding is 10-30% larger than when a subsequent portion of the cleaning web is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ayako Mito, Ryuichi Kikegawa
  • Publication number: 20140363213
    Abstract: An image forming device includes: first and second photosensitive drums; first and second drum cleaners for removing waste developer on the first and second photosensitive drums respectively; first developer cartridge having a first waste developer chamber; a second developer cartridge having a second waste developer chamber; a belt in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums; a belt cleaner for removing waste developer on the belt; a belt waste developer conveyer for conveying the waste developer removed by the belt cleaner; a first conveyer for conveying the waste developer removed by the first drum cleaner; a second conveyer for conveying the waste developer removed by the second drum cleaner to the second waste developer chamber; and a third conveyer for conveying the waste developer conveyed by the first conveyer and the waste developer conveyed by the belt waste developer conveyer to the first waste developer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 8811870
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image formed on a recording material includes a fixing roller; a cleaning unit for cleaning the fixing roller, the cleaning unit including a first shaft, a second shaft, and cleaning fabric extended between the first shaft and the second shaft and wound on the first shaft and the second shaft to be fed out from the first shaft and wound up on the second shaft, wherein at the time of cleaning the fixing roller, an outer surface of the cleaning fabric wound on the first shaft contacts the fixing roller, and wherein an outer diameter of the cleaning fabric wound on the first shaft is larger than that wound on the second shaft irrespective of amount of the cleaning fabric on the first shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Mitsuhashi, Hideo Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20140119800
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for cleaning an imaging surface of a printing system by way of a cleaning member having a nanowire mesh portion configured to contact the imaging surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erwin Ruiz, Jeffrey Nyyssonen Swing, David S. Derleth, Charles T. Facchini, II, Steven Russel, Jorge M. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 8606156
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fixing unit including a fixing member; a pressure member brought into press-contact with a front surface of the fixing member; a pressure mechanism that changes a position at which the pressure member is brought into press-contact with the fixing member, the pressure mechanism being capable of controlling a presence or absence and a width of the nip part; and a cleaning web unit having a contact roller brought into contact with at least the pressure member via a web, a supply roller that supplies a new web, and a winding roller that winds and collects the web having wiped off an attachment on the pressure roller. The contact roller is caused to move following a movement of the pressure mechanism to maintain a constant contact position, a constant contact direction, and a constant contact force thereof with respect to the pressure member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8417175
    Abstract: A toner image formed on an image bearing member is transferred onto a recording material so as to overflow from an edge portion of the recording material, thereby enabling the toner image to be formed so as to extend to the edge portion of the recording material. To suppress the deposition of the toner in the edge portion of the recording material, a cleaning member for cleaning the edge portion of the recording material obtained after the fixing is provided. In order to make a trailing edge of the recording material come into contact with the cleaning member, the recording material which has passed through a fixing apparatus is temporarily switched back, thereby allowing the trailing edge portion of the recording material to collide with the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Yamashita, Hisayuki Tomura, Kiyoharu Yoshioka, Michio Uchida, Tomonori Shida, Keisuke Mitsuhashi, Takuma Abe, Takao Nada
  • Publication number: 20130064590
    Abstract: An image-forming device includes a plurality of developing units, an endless belt, and a cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning member and a conveying unit. The cleaning member contacts the endless belt to clean toner remaining on the endless belt. The conveying unit includes a first conveying unit, a second conveying unit, and a first relaying member. The first relaying member relays the remaining toner conveyed by the first conveying unit to the second conveying unit, and has a relay-axis. The cleaning member pivots about the relay axis to move between a contacting position for contacting the endless belt and a separating position for separating from the endless belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Susumu Sakuma
  • Patent number: 8320809
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus using a web sheet includes: a send-out roller that is wound with the web sheet; a take-up roller that is connected to an end of the web sheet; and a rotation-regulating and canceling portion that regulates rotation of the send-out roller and cancels the regulation according to tension of the web sheet between the send-out roller and the take-up roller; wherein the web sheet is sent out from the send-out roller and taken up by the take-up roller, the web sheet is brought into contact with another roller during the sending out and taking up operation, and extraneous matters that have adhered to the other roller are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yamanaka, Yasunori Minakuchi, Kimihide Tsukamoto, Shinichi Azumi
  • Publication number: 20120003020
    Abstract: Provided is a cleaning web produced without use of a binder that is superior in smoothness, release efficiency and orientation, resistant to fluffing, having a high heat-resistance temperature, superior in low water-absorption and compatible with oils, and having particular cleaning characteristics. A cleaning web for cleaning the surface of articles to be cleaned, produced by impregnating a web for cleaning the surface of articles to be cleaned with an oil, wherein the web is a nonwoven fabric containing a melt-liquid-crystal-forming wholly aromatic polyester having a melt viscosity of 20 Pa·s or less at 310° C. as the principal component that is produced by melt-blown method and has an average fiber diameter of 3 ?m or more and 15 ?m or less, a thickness of 20 ?m or more and 80 ?m or less, an average basis weight of 9 g/m2 or more and 30 g/m2 or less, a density of 0.25 g/cm3 or more and 1.4 g/cm3 or less, a maximum tensile stress in the machine and crosswise directions of 1.0(N/1.5 cm) or more and 4.0(N/1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicants: Tachibana Shoten Co., Ltd, MC Yamasan Polymers Co., Ltd., Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Furuya, Yuu Miyaguchi, Yasuhiro Shirotani, Kouji Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8055172
    Abstract: To provide a fusing unit including a fusing roller for fixing an unfixed toner image to a sheet and a fusing roller cleaning unit including a web sheet delivering roller for supplying a web sheet and a winding roller for taking up the web sheet for cleaning the fusing roller, the fusing roller cleaning unit includes a web detecting terminal for detecting the presence of the web sheet and a tension roller for guiding the web sheet, on the upstream side of a pressure roller with respect to the web sheet's direction of conveyance and first and second guide rollers, the second guide roller being disposed upstream of the web detecting terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadasu Taniguchi, Masahiko Fujita, Masaya Asakawa, Yasuaki Fukada
  • Patent number: 7894759
    Abstract: When residual toner on the surface of an image carrier belt is removed with an elastic cleaning blade, a blade wear piece which is adhered to a blade edge is removed. When a blade edge of a cleaning blade is brought into sliding contact with a surface of an intermediate transfer belt which runs in a determined direction to remove residual toner on the belt surface, a step section having a predetermined height is provided on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt. The step section is able to pass from a rear face side to a front face side of the blade edge while allowing the blade edge to run thereon, when the belt runs in a reverse direction such that the blade edge is in sliding contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc
    Inventor: Masataka Yagi
  • Patent number: 7835662
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying an electrical charge to a charge retentive surface, wherein a bias charge roll member is situated proximately to a surface to be charged such as, a photoreceptor having a cleaning system which includes a web material in contact with the bias charge roll to remove containments thereform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael F Zona
  • Patent number: 7815302
    Abstract: Various embodiments and methods relating to a printhead cleaning web assembly drive train are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kevin T. Kersey, Timothy J. Carlin
  • Patent number: 7813667
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying an electrical charge to a charge retentive surface, wherein a bias charge roll member is situated proximately to a surface to be charged such as, a photoreceptor having a cleaning system which includes a web material in contact with the bias charge roll to remove containments thereform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael F Zona
  • Patent number: 7764899
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming section that forms an image with a recording material on a recording medium to an edge thereof, and a cleaning section that cleans off the recording material adhering to an edge surface of the recording medium after the image forming section forms the image thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Shigetaka Kurosu
  • Patent number: 7711297
    Abstract: The invention provides a belt including a belt base having elasticity and a projection member having elasticity which is provided along at least one edge of the belt base so as to project from the belt base, and an adhesive layer which bonds the belt base and the projection member, wherein the ten-point average roughness Rz in the region of the belt base to be bonded with the projection member is about 4 ?m or more and the ten-point average roughness Rz in the region of the projection member to be bonded with the belt base is about 6 ?m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kawatani, Yukio Hara
  • Publication number: 20100008704
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus using a web sheet includes: a send-out roller that is wound with the web sheet; a take-up roller that is connected to an end of the web sheet; and a rotation-regulating and canceling portion that regulates rotation of the send-out roller and cancels the regulation according to tension of the web sheet between the send-out roller and the take-up roller; wherein the web sheet is sent out from the send-out roller and taken up by the take-up roller, the web sheet is brought into contact with another roller during the sending out and taking up operation, and extraneous matters that have adhered to the other roller are removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Takashi Yamanaka, Yasunori Minakuchi, Kimihide Tsukamoto, Shinichi Azumi
  • Patent number: 6998218
    Abstract: An improved thermal development apparatus is used to remove uncured photopolymer from the imaged surface of a flexographic printing element. The apparatus typically comprises one or more heatable rolls that are contactable with an imaged surface of a flexographic printing element; and means for maintaining contact between the one or more heatable rolls and the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element. The one or more heatable rolls are heated and is moved over at least a portion of the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element, and non-crosslinked polymer on the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element is melted and removed by the one or more heatable rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Inventor: Gary T. Markhart
  • Patent number: 6876832
    Abstract: A fuser for an electrophotographic printer or copier has a fuser roll and pressure roll that form a nip through which a recording paper having a toner image is passed to fuse the toner image thereon. The fuser includes a cleaning web system to clean the fuser roll having a web supply roll, a tension roll to press the web against the fuser roll, and a web take up roll. To prevent spooling of the web from the supply roll during a paper jam clearance while the pressure roll is in contact with the fuser roll, a torsion spring is mounted on the tension roll shaft. The torsion spring provides enough torsional force on the tension roll to prevent rotation thereof during a jam clearance, thus preventing web spooling. During normal operation, the take up roll intermittently overcomes the torsion spring to step the web thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert G. Pirwitz, Robert S. Pawlik, Robert R. Tuchrelo, Thomas C. Fowler
  • Patent number: 6853822
    Abstract: A device included in an image forming apparatus for removing a substance that disfigures an image. The device includes an adsorbent support that supports an adsorbent. The absorbent has a molecular structure including voids that have a diameter great enough to pass molecules of the disfiguring substance which is deposited on the surface of an image carrier and contain water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Yano, Aino Noguchi, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Kiyoshi Tanikawa, Chiaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6839528
    Abstract: A cleaning device of this invention has a first cleaning member that is provided opposing to a developer image carrier for the scraping of the surface of the developer image carrier and a second cleaning member that is put over the first cleaning member and runs between the surface of the developer image carrier and the first cleaning member for the wiping of the surface of the developer image carrier simultaneously with the scraping of the surface of the developer image carrier by the first cleaning member. This cleaning device is used for cleaning of the developer image carrier of an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuka Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6725008
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for taking up the slack in the web material between the supply roller and the take-up roller in the web cleaning assembly of an electrophotographic apparatus. A clutch mechanism is positioned between the drive gear on the take-up roller and the hub of the motor that drives the drive gear. A spring-biased pawl on the hub engages a tooth of an inner gear on the drive gear to provide a driving connection between the hub and the take-up gear when the motor drives the hub in a first direction but effectively releases the driving connection when the take-up gear is manually rotated while the motor is idle. This allows the take-up roller to be rotated to take up the slack in the web without having to rotate the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Terry N. Morganti, James V. Orchard, II
  • Patent number: 6661983
    Abstract: A cleaning device of this invention has a first cleaning member that is provided opposing to a developer image carrier for the scraping of the surface of the developer image carrier and a second cleaning member that is put over the first cleaning member and runs between the surface of the developer image carrier and the first cleaning member for the wiping of the surface of the developer image carrier simultaneously with the scraping of the surface of the developer image carrier by the first cleaning member. This cleaning device is used for cleaning of the developer image carrier of an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuka Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6555192
    Abstract: A pressure-sensitive cleaning sheet is disclosed which comprises a substrate, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on one or both sides of the substrate, and a porous screen disposed on the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The cleaning sheet is substantially non-tacky when the cleaning sheet surface is kept in a non-pressed state, and exhibits tackiness when the cleaning sheet surface is kept in a pressed state. Also disclosed are a method of using the cleaning sheet, an image-forming material having a cleaning part, and a method of cleaning an image-forming apparatus. These are useful for the cleaning of, e.g., the magnetic reading parts and magnetic-card transport parts of apparatuses accepting various magnetic cards and the thermal heads and/or transport rollers of various recording apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Naomitu Tanaka, Tatsuo Koyama, Masanori Sano
  • Patent number: 6546591
    Abstract: There is disclosed a pressure pad used in an apparatus for cleaning the outer surface of a cylinder with a cleaning fabric. The cleaning fabric is directed between the pressure pad and the cylinder, the pressure pad having opposite side edges which are fixed in the apparatus to extend parallel to the cylinder. The pressure pad is made of elastomer and curved between the opposite side edges thereof to be convex toward the outer surface of the cylinder. The pressure pad cooperates with the cleaning fabric so that the cleaning fabric can be pressed against the outer surface of the cylinder by the pressure pad to clean the outer surface of the cylinder. The pressure pad comprises an engaged portion engaged with the cleaning fabric so that the cleaning fabric is sandwiched between the engaged portion and the cylinder to be pressed against the outer surface of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Baldwin-Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiraku Onuma, Tomokatsu Mukae, Takayuku Goto
  • Patent number: 6546224
    Abstract: A printing apparatus for printing an image onto a print medium with use of a liquid developer which contains a liquid carrier and a toner being dispersed in the liquid carrier. The printing apparatus has: an image holding member having an imaging surface on which a latent image corresponding to the image to be printed is generated; a development unit which provides the liquid developer to the imaging surface to form a toner image corresponding to the latent image; a transfer member which transfers the toner image from the imaging surface to the print medium; and a fibrous wipe member having a cleaning face contacting with the imaging surface for wiping a residual toner failing to be transferred from the imaging surface by moving relatively to the imaging surface in a first direction. A cleaning liquid is impregnated at a ratio of 2 grams per square meter to 200 grams per square meter in the fibrous wipe member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Mitsunaga Saito
  • Patent number: 6459865
    Abstract: A transfer roller cleaning mechanism 12 is brought into contact with a transfer roller 11 so as to remove a harmful substance contained in a developer remaining on the transfer roller 11 after a transfer step. Upon completion of printing of a predetermined number of pages, a fixation roller 13 is moved apart from the transfer roller 11 and a developed image for cleaning is formed over the entire printing area on a photosensitive body 1. This developed image is made into a film shape, which is transferred onto the transfer roller 11. The film-shaped developed image for cleaning is cleaned by the transfer roller cleaning mechanism 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiya Kusayanagi
  • Patent number: 6418285
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling velocity variations in a belt wrapped about at least a first driven roller and a support structure, including a drive for driving the first driven roller so as to provide torque to the belt; and a dampener, in contact with the belt, for minimizing variations of the velocity of the belt, the dampener including a power supply for applying an electrical bias to generate a drag force on the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Casella, Nero R. Lindblad, James C. Diehl, Rene Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20010037535
    Abstract: There is disclosed a pressure pad used in an apparatus for cleaning the outer surface of a cylinder with a cleaning fabric. The cleaning fabric is directed between the pressure pad and the cylinder, the pressure pad having opposite side edges which are fixed in the apparatus to extend parallel to the cylinder. The pressure pad is made of elastomer and curved between the opposite side edges thereof to be convex toward the outer surface of the cylinder. The pressure pad cooperates with the cleaning fabric so that the cleaning fabric can be pressed against the outer surface of the cylinder by the pressure pad to clean the outer surface of the cylinder. The pressure pad comprises an engaged portion engaged with the cleaning fabric so that the cleaning fabric is sandwiched between the engaged portion and the cylinder to be pressed against the outer surface of the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Inventors: Hiraku Onuma, Tomokatsu Mukae, Takayuku Goto
  • Patent number: 6259882
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing electrostatically charged particles from a surface such as the backside of an image bearing belt of the type found in an electrostatographic printing apparatus or a drive roller supporting an image bearing belt. The apparatus includes an electrically biased brush having a substrate and a multiplicity of conductive fibers extending outwardly to contact the surface to be cleaned, a supporting device, and a cleaning device for removing collected particles from the brush. The supporting device for the brush rotates, thereby moving the brush and causing clean fibers to contact the surface to be cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Nero R. Lindblad, James M. Casella, James C. Diehl
  • Patent number: 6253413
    Abstract: There is disclosed a pressure pad used in an apparatus for cleaning the outer surface of a cylinder with a cleaning fabric. The cleaning fabric is directed between the pressure pad and the cylinder, the pressure pad having opposite side edges which are fixed in the apparatus to extend parallel to the cylinder. The pressure pad is made of elastomer and curved between the opposite side edges thereof to be convex toward the outer surface of the cylinder. The pressure pad cooperates with the cleaning fabric so that the cleaning fabric can be pressed against the outer surface of the cylinder by the pressure pad to clean the outer surface of the cylinder. The pressure pad comprises an engaged portion engaged with the cleaning fabric so that the cleaning fabric is sandwiched between the engaged portion and the cylinder to be pressed against the outer surface of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Baldwin-Japan Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiraku Onuma, Tomokatsu Mukae, Takayuku Goto
  • Patent number: 6253056
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing electrostatically charged particles from a surface such as the backside of an image bearing belt of the type found in an electrostatographic printing apparatus or a drive roller supporting an image bearing belt. The apparatus includes an electrically biased foam pad having a conductive substrate and conductive foam material extending outwardly therefrom to contact the surface to be cleaned, a supporting device, and a cleaning device for removing collected particles from the foam pad. The supporting device for the foam pad rotates, thereby causing clean foam material to contact the surface to be cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Nero R. Lindblad, James M. Casella, James C. Diehl, Richard L. Carlston, James F. Smith
  • Patent number: 6219512
    Abstract: A toner image dryer is constituted to include a drying belt 11 having a functional material coated on a film surface of a base material, a pressure-contact roller rotated following rotation of an opposing drive roller for rotating and moving a drive belt having a photosensitive body on a surface of the belt by friction torque, with the drying belt 11 and the drive belt interposed between the pressure-contact roller and the opposing drive roller, a heat roller for heating the drying belt and a TS roller for applying predetermined tension to the drying belt, and to rotate and move the drying belt to thereby heat the belt to a predetermined temperature by the heat roller and to allow the drying belt to absorb and vaporize solvent from the photosensitive body closely attached between the opposing drive roller and the pressure-contact roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Saitoh
  • Patent number: 6195527
    Abstract: A web cleaning device for cleaning contaminants from a moving surface in a printer apparatus. The cleaning device includes a nesting structure having a longitudinally extending internal surface for supporting a coil of a web fabric extending in a longitudinal direction and an external surface located opposite to the internal surface. A lip member forms a part of the nesting structure and is located adjacent a pay out end of the coil. The pay out end of the coil is wrapped about the lip member and further wrapped about the external surface of the nesting structure. The web fabric is also wound about a take-up spindle that is spaced from the coil. A portion of the web fabric from the pay out end of the coil to the external surface of the nesting structure provides a hairpin type curvature to the path of the web fabric to reduce tendency of the web fabric to bind during pay out of the web fabric from the pay out end of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Inventors: Francisco Luiz Ziegelmuller, Randall J. Taylor, Carol Kathleen Dunn, George David Gross, Maria B. Carrone
  • Patent number: 6144834
    Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning particles from a surface including a conductive flexible brush belt having a piezoelectric exterior layer to which is attached conductive brush fibers which contact the surface to be cleaned. A support member, about which the belt is entrained, provides sufficient deformation to the belt to cause a voltage to be developed on the surface of the piezoelectric exterior layer in response to being deformed. The voltage causes particles to adhere to the conductive brush fibers. The particles are removed from the brush fibers at a detoning station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce E. Thayer
  • Patent number: 6097500
    Abstract: A scheduling system determines the order of specific operations in a printing apparatus which is capable of outputting simplex or duplex prints. If the actuation of a module associated with the apparatus, such as stapling or switching paper supplies, requires a delay in the operation of the apparatus, this delay is entered as at least one deliberately blank pitch in the schedule. The scheduling system creates a special finite state machine which can take into account delays of arbitrary length caused by the actuation of one or more modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Markus P. J. Fromherz
  • Patent number: 6041211
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved cleaning material for critical imaging surfaces for use in a variety of printers, including laser printer, plain paper copiers and facsimile machines, etc. Moreover, the present invention utilizes the unique properties of expanded PTFE and sintered PTFE as the cleaning medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex R. Hobson, F. Michael J. McCollam, Beth P. Powell
  • Patent number: 5983050
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rie Takekoshi, Nobuhiko Takekoshi
  • Patent number: 5970281
    Abstract: A transfer roller cleaning apparatus of an electrographic imaging system. A driving roller and a driven roller are rotatably installed in a main body of the electrographic imaging system. A cleaning belt has one end and another end thereof wound around the driving roller and the driven roller, respectively. A guide roller is rotatably installed in the main body of the system to support the cleaning belt between the driving roller and the driven roller. An actuator reciprocates the guide roller with respect to a transfer roller to allow the cleaning belt supported by the guide roller to selectively contact the surface of the transfer roller. Therefore, left-over toner or foreign material stuck to the surface of the transfer roller can be easily and rapidly removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gyeong-ho Park
  • Patent number: 5964007
    Abstract: A method and cleaning system to clean ink and coating from contact cleaner rolls. The contact cleaning rolls are located on a turret and as one contact cleaning roll is indexed sequentially out of contact with the imaging surface and into contact with a porous material another contact cleaning roll is indexed into contact with the imaging surface simultaneously. The porous material has a non-alcoholic solvent applied to clean the contact cleaning roll surface upon contact. The components found to create an efficient cleaning solvent for the CCRs include aliphatic ketones and alkylene halides. The aliphatic ketones are alkyl ketones containing from about 1 to 25 carbon atoms (with a preferred range of about 1 to about 10 carbon atoms). The aliphatic ketones contain solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone (i.e. the preferred solvent), methyl ketone, ethyl ketone, propyl ketone and butyl ketone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Carl A. Wisniewski, Gary W. Smallman, Francis J. Wieloch
  • Patent number: 5918544
    Abstract: Web displacing apparatus selectively displaces a web between a first position engaging a fluid source and a second position spaced from the fluid source. A web drive is constructed and arranged to move the web in a direction from the fluid source toward a surface for engagement with the web for receiving fluid carried by the web from the fluid source. Web moving structure is constructed and arranged to selectively move the web between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: MPM Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis G. Doyle
  • Patent number: 5911101
    Abstract: A photoreceptor belt cleaning apparatus of a liquid electrophotographic printer for removing a residual developer liquid and foreign matter remaining on a photoreceptor belt used as a photoreceptor medium. The apparatus includes a housing elevatably installed by a reciprocating means provided in a printer body for moving the housing towards or away from the photoreceptor belt, and a traveling cleaning belt supported by a plurality of rollers rotatably installed in the housing. While the cleaning belt travels selectively in contact with the surface of the photoreceptor belt, the surface of the photoreceptor belt can be cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gyeong-ho Park
  • Patent number: 5855734
    Abstract: In a device for removing toner or similar substance deposited on a recording sheet or similar sheet, projections are formed on a back-up member and located at portions on which the rear of a separating member slide. While a sheet is passed through a pressing portion in contact with the separating member, the projections raise the rear of the separating member toward the surface of the sheet carrying the toner. Hence, even solitary particles of the substance adjoining relatively thick and large masses of the substance can contact the front of the separating member. Hence, the solitary particles are prevented from remaining on the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Saito, Tooru Maruyama, Hisao Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5848341
    Abstract: A cleaning device is disclosed having a web pressed against a fixing roller for cleaning, a wind-up roller taking up the web by its rotation, a motor rotating the wind-up roller, a counter accumulating the number of treatments by the fixing roller, and a control unit actuating the motor to rotate the wind-up roller by a prescribed angle whenever the number of the treatments reaches a prescribed value, and changing the value in accordance with the number of treatments accumulated by the counter. This device actuates the motor to rotate the wind-up roller taking up the web so that the prescribed value as the web feeding timing corresponding to one actuation of the motor may be increased in accordance with the cumulative number of treatments by the fixing roller. Owing to this control, the web can be fed out in a fixed amount by a simple construction even when the outside diameter of the wind-up roller with the web continues to increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5802976
    Abstract: A device for cleaning cylinder surfaces in printing presses uses a cleaning cloth. The cleaning cloth extends over the length of the cylinder surface. The cleaning cloth is guided by an application element and is placed in contact with the cylinder surface to be cleaned by the application element. A drive mechanism moves the cleaning cloth through a washing device to remove the adhering dirt particles from the cleaning cloth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschien AG
    Inventor: Jens Friedrichs
  • Patent number: 5797063
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning device using a webbing is capable of surely removing stains firmly adhered to a desired surface to be cleaned. Even when the degree and the kind of contamination on the above surface is irregular due to the varying operating condition of the apparatus, the cleaning device is operable in a desirable manner. The cleaning device includes a webbing pressed against the surface to be cleaned and a pressing member having a plurality of projections with edge portions at the ends of the projections and wherein at least two of the projections are in the cleaning range at any one time. In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning device is provided in an image forming apparatus and cleans a conveyor belt for conveying a recording medium to which a toner image is to be transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Umezawa, Harumitsu Mashiko
  • Patent number: 5784962
    Abstract: A device for cleaning the outer cylindrical surfaces of cylinders in a rotary printing machine includes a cleaning cloth extending over the length of a respective cylinder and cooperating with a pressing-on element. The cleaning cloth is pressable against a respective outer cylindrical surface by the pressing-on element. The pressing-on element includes an elastically deformable body having an internal cavity. As internal pressure is applied to the hollow body, the hollow body expands to apply the cleaning cloth to the outer cylindrical surface of the cylinder. Suction is applied to the hollow body to return the cleaning cloth to a disengaged position a substantial distance from the outer cylindrical surface of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andre Geis, Thomas Kraft
  • Patent number: 5685043
    Abstract: A system in which a contact cleaning cylinder is brought into moving synchronous contact with the surface of a cylindrical member to be cleaned to clean the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Gina M. LaManna, Gary W. Smallman, David J. Kilmer, Richard C. Petralia, Patrick R. Shane