# US 5,349,426 A · Toner guide roller for image-forming process and apparatus applied therewith > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,349,426 A - Document ID: US5349426A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/148,624 - Filed: 1993-11-08 - Granted: 1994-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 1992-11-09 - Assignees: Konica Corporation - Inventors: Koichi Kudoh; Eiichi Sakai; Yoshiaki Takei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5349426A ## CPC - G03G 21/0058: {using a roller or a polygonal rotating cleaning member; Details thereof, e.g. surface structure (G03G21/0064 takes precedence)} - G03G 21/105: {Arrangements for conveying toner waste} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus, such as a copier and a printer, for forming a toner image on a recording sheet. The apparatus includes: a photoreceptor for holding the toner image; an image exposure driver for forming a latent image on the photoreceptor; a developer for developing the latent image with a toner so that the toner image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor; a transferrer for transferring the toner image from the surface of the photoreceptor to the recording sheet; a scraping blade for scraping off a residual toner on the surface of the photoreceptor after the toner image is transferred from the surface to the recording sheet; a toner collection chanber for collecting the residual toner; a toner guide roller for conveying the residual toner from the scraping blade to the toner collecting chanber; in which the toner guide roller is urged onto the surface of the photoreceptor, and the toner guide roller has a surface made of an open-cell cellular material having a pore size between 1 .mu.m and 50 .mu.m. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording sheet, comprising: a photoreceptor for holding the toner image; means for forming a latent image on said photoreceptor; means for developing said latent image with a toner so that said toner image is formed on a surface of said photoreceptor; means for transferring said toner image from said surface of said photoreceptor to the recording sheet; means for scraping off a residual toner on said surface of said photoreceptor after said toner image is transferred from said surface to said recording sheet; means for collecting said residual toner; a toner guide roller means for conveying said residual toner from said scraping means to said collecting means; wherein said toner guide roller means is urged onto said surface of said photoreceptor, and said toner guide roller means has a surface made of an open-cell cellular material having a pore size between 1 .mu.m and 50 .mu.m. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a porosity of said open-cell cellular material is between 50% and 90%, and a specific gravity of said open-cell cellular material is between 0.1 and 0.4. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a hardness of said open-cell cellular material is between 15.degree. and 50.degree. in Asuka C hardness. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scraping means and said toner guide roller means are uniformly integrated into a casing member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said open-cell cellular material is conductive. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a porosity of said open-cell cellular material is between 50% and 90%, and a specific gravity of said open-cell cellular material is between 0.1 and 0.4. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a hardness of said open-cell cellular material is between 15.degree. and 50.degree. in Asuka C hardness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a conductivity of said open-cell cellular material is not lower than 10.sup.-19 .OMEGA..sup.-1 cm.sup.-1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said scraping means and said toner guide roller means are uniformly integrated into a casing member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said photoreceptor is an organic photoreceptor which has at least a surface layer of a binder resin including a polycarbonate or a copolymer containing a component unit of said polycarbonate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said polycarbonate or a copolymer containing a component unit of said polycarbonate is represented by following formula (B.sub.1) or (B.sub.2). ##STR7## ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a porosity of said open-cell cellular material is between 50% and 90%, and a specific gravity of said open-cell cellular material is between 0.1 and 0.4. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a hardness of said open-cell cellular material is between 15.degree. and 50.degree. in Asuka C hardness. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said scraping means and said toner guide roller means are uniformly integrated into a casing member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said open-cell cellular material is conductive. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a porosity of said open-cell cellular material is between 50% and 90%, and a specific gravity of said open-cell cellular material is between 0.1 and 0.4. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a hardness of said open-cell cellular material is between 15.degree. and 50.degree. in Asuka C hardness. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a conductivity of said open-cell cellular material is not lower than 10.sup.-19 .OMEGA..sup.-1 cm.sup.1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said scraping means and said toner guide roller means are uniformly integrated into a casing member.