Lubricant applicator
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsYasuyuki ISHII, Katsushi HIGASHIDA, Koichiro TAKASHIMA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lubricant application device includes an application roller with application bristles radially arranged about an outer circumferential surface thereof for receiving a lubricant from a lubricant supply source and applying the lubricant to a photosensitive body A minimum distance between the outer circumferential surface of the application roller and the photosensitive body is shorter than a length of the application bristles. The lubricant application device has a drive unit for rotating the application roller and a controller for controlling the drive unit. The controller is adapted to control the drive unit to counteract a bristle-bending tendency of the application bristles.
Claims15
A lubricant application device comprising:
- an application roller having an outer circumferential surface and application bristles radially arranged about the outer circumferential surface to receive lubricant from a lubricant supply source and to apply the lubricant to a photosensitive body in an imaging apparatus, wherein the application roller is positioned relative to the photosensitive body such that a minimum distance between the outer circumferential surface of the application roller and the photosensitive body is shorter than a length of the application bristles;
- a drive unit to rotate the application roller;
- and
- a controller to control the drive unit, in order to rotate the application roller to counteract a bristle-bending tendency of the application bristles of the application roller caused by an abutment between the application bristles and the photosensitive body.
A lubricant application device comprising:
- an application roller located adjacent a photosensitive body of an imaging apparatus, the application roller having an outer circumferential surface and application bristles radially arranged about the outer circumferential surface, the application bristles to transfer lubricant from a lubricant supply source to the photosensitive body, wherein a minimum distance between the outer circumferential surface of the application roller and the photosensitive body is shorter than a length of the application bristles, causing the application bristles between the circumferential surface of the application roller and the photosensitive body to bend;
- a drive unit to rotate the application roller;
- and
- a controller to control the drive unit, to rotate the application roller in a rotational direction that counteracts a bristle-bending tendency of the application bristles having been bent.
A method comprising:
- rotating an application roller having application bristles to apply lubricant to a photosensitive body in an imaging apparatus, wherein an abutment of the application bristles against the photosensitive body bends the application bristles;
- and
- controlling a rotation of the application roller to counteract a bristle-bending tendency of the application bristles having been bent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.