Cleaning blade assembly for electrophotography apparatus

Abstract

A cleaning device for an electrophotographic copying device wherein an electrophotographic latent image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member is moved past a series of processing stations including a developing station at which the latent image is developed with a toner to form a toner image and a transfer station at which the toner image is transferred to a copying material. The cleaning device includes a housing having a reservoir therein and an aperture extending longitudinally along the housing in communication with the reservoir to direct spent toner particles therein. A wiper blade is secured to the housing and extends therefrom. The blade is provided with a cleaning edge disposed for contact with the surface of the photosensitive member and for application of a predetermined pressure to the photosensitive surface responsive to contact of the blade with the photosensitive surface for cleaning the toner from the photosensitive surface. Biasing means is provided for biasing the blade against the surface of the photosensitive member for maintaining a predetermined pressure between the blade and the photosensitive surface. The blade may be provided with electrically conductive members or with light directing paths which respectively conduct an electric charge away from the photosensitive surface or directs light to the photosensitive surface to discharge any electrostatic charge therefrom.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.