Fuser web cleaning assembly for an electrophotographic machine

An electrophotographic apparatus having a fuser section, said fuser section comprising:

• a housing;
• a fuser roller mounted in said housing;
• at least one heater roller mounted in said housing and in contact with said fuser roller for transferring heat thereto;
• and
• a web cleaning assembly in said housing for cleaning contaminants off of said at least one heater roller, said web cleaning assembly comprising:
• a frame having a front and a back
• a base element connecting said front to said back;
• a supply roller adapted to have a web of cleaning material wound thereon;
• said supply roller having a first end and a second end;
• a first supply roller journal box mounted on said back of said frame, said first journal box adapted to slidably receive said first end of said supply roller;
• a second supply roller journal box slidably mounted in said front of said frame and movable between an operable position and a retracted position, said second journal box adapted to slidably receive said second end of said supply roller when in said operable position;
• a take-up roller adapted to receive said web of said cleaning material as said material is fed off of said supply roller;
• a first take-up roller journal box mounted on said back of said frame, said first journal box adapted to slidably receive said first end of said take-up roller;
• a second take-up roller journal box slidably mounted in said front of said frame and movable between an operable position and a retracted position, said second journal box adapted to slidably receive said second end of said take-up roller when in said operable position;
• a tension roller rotatably mounted between said front and said back of said frame, said tension roller being positioned intermediate of said supply roller and said take-up roller and adapted to have said web of cleaning material pass thereover as said web of said cleaning material moves between said supply roller and said take-up roller, said tension roller being positioned to engage said at least one heater roller when said web cleaning assembly is in an operable position within said fuser section whereby said web of cleaning material will contact said at least one heater roller;
• a slide mounted in said housing;
• and
• a pivot connection for pivotably connecting said frame of said web cleaning assembly to said slide whereby said web cleaning assembly can be slid out of said housing on said slide and then rotated with respect to said slide to move said web cleaning assembly from an operable position to a service position.

A method for servicing a supply roller and a take-up roller within a web cleaning which is positioned within the housing a fuser section of an electrophotographic apparatus, said method comprising:

• sliding said web cleaning assembly out of said housing and supporting said assembly on a slide mounted in said housing;
• rotating said web cleaning assembly with respect to said slide to rotate said web cleaning assembly from an operable position to a service position;
• removing said supply roller and said take-up roller from said web cleaning assembly;
• installing a new supply roller and a new take-up roller in said web cleaning assembly;
• rotating said web cleaning assembly back to said operable position;
• and
• sliding said web cleaning assembly back into said housing.