Cleaning device for wire electrode of corona discharger
AssigneeMinolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTadafumi Shimizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning device for wire electrode of corona discharger, for example, for use in electrophotographic image forming apparatus, which automatically cleans the wire electrode by relative movement of the wire electrode and cleaning member adapted to contact the wire electrode. Driving of a motor for the relative movement is temporarily stopped at a predetermined time or in response to occurrence of trouble of the relative movement, and started again, whereby the relative movement starts certainly.
Claims31
A cleaning device for wire electrode which extends linearly under tension for corona discharger comprising:
- cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode through contact therewith;
- drive means for moving the wire electrode and the cleaning member relative to each other;
- and
- control means for controlling the drive means in such a manner that after activating the drive means in a direction for the cleaning operation that the drive means is momentarily deactivated and then activated in said direction again.
A corona discharger comprising:
- wire electrode extending straight for effecting corona discharge;
- cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode;
- drive means for moving the wire electrode and the cleaning member relative to each other;
- and
- driving force changing means for changing driving force of the drive means during operation of the drive means.
A corona discharger comprising:
- wire electrode extending straight for effecting corona discharge;
- cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode is contact with the wire electrode;
- drive means for moving the wire electrode and the cleaning member relative to each other, the driving means includes an electric motor and power supply means for applying voltage to the motor;
- rotation detecting means for detecting whether the motor is rotating or not;
- and
- control means for enabling the power supply means to apply voltage of first level to the motor at a beginning of the applying voltage, and to temporarily apply voltage of second level which is higher than the first level when the rotation detecting means detects that the motor is not rotating after predetermined time has passed since the beginning of the applying voltage.
A corona discharger comprising:
- wire electrode extending straight for effecting corona discharge;
- cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode in contact with the wire electrode;
- drive means for moving the wire electrode and the cleaning member relative to each other;
- slip detecting means for detecting slippage in transmission of driving force generated by the driving means to the cleaning member or to the wire electrode;
- locked state detecting means for detecting locked state of said drive means;
- and
- control means for controlling said drive means to temporarily stop the drive means and start it again when the slip detecting means detects the slippage, and to temporarily increase driving force of the drive means when the locked state detecting means detects the locked state of the drive means.
A corona discharger comprising:
- wire electrode extending straight for effecting corona discharge;
- cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode in contact with the wire electrode;
- drive means for moving the wire electrode and the cleaning member relative to each other;
- locked state detecting means for detecting locked state of said drive means;
- and
- control means for, when the locked state detecting means detects the locked state of the drive means after first predetermined time has passed from a beginning of the working of the drive means, controlling said drive means to temporarily increase driving force of the drive means, and said control means controlling the drive means to temporarily stop working of the drive means and start it again when second predetermined time which is longer than the first predetermined time has passed since the beginning of the working of the drive means without detection of the locked state of the drive means by the locked state detecting means.
A method for cleaning wire electrode of corona discharger which has wire electrode extending straight for effecting corona discharge, cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode in contact with the wire electrode, and drive means for moving the wire electrode and the cleaning member relative to each other, comprising the steps of:
- A. starting the drive means in one direction for the cleaning operation;
- B. deactivating the drive means temporarily when predetermined time has passed from the starting of the drive means;
- and
- C. activating the drive means in said direction again.
A method for cleaning wire electrode of corona discharger which has wire electrode extending straight for effecting corona discharge, cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode in contact with the wire electrode, and drive means for moving the wire electrode and the cleaning member relative to each other, comprising the steps of:
- A. enabling the drive means to begin to work in first driving force;
- and
- B. changing the driving force of the drive motor to second driving force lower than the first driving force when predetermined time has passed since the beginning of the working of the drive means.
A cleaning device for wire electrode of corona discharger comprising:
- a main casing for supporting a wire electrode extending straight for effecting corona discharge;
- a pair of pulleys provided on the main casing,
- a drive rope reeved around the pair of pulleys;
- traveling member connected to the drive rope;
- drive means for driving the one of the pulleys so as to move the traveling member along the wire electrode;
- support member connected to the traveling member and pivotally movable about a pivot;
- first cleaning member attached to the support member and movable into pressing contact with the wire electrode by the pivotal movement of the support member;
- and
- second cleaning member secured to the traveling member and opposed to the first cleaning member with the wire electrode positioned between the first and second cleaning members;
- the support member being pivotally movable by the tension on the drive rope, whereby the first cleaning member is pressed into contact with the wire electrode for the first and second cleaning members to hold the wire electrode therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.