US 5,669,041 A · Retracting cleaner with defined pivot points and/or sliding seals

Abstract

An apparatus and method for retracting the cleaner from an imaging surface and preventing toner leakage. An apparatus and method that describes a DESB (i.e. dual electrostatic brush) cleaner in a multi-pass operation that not only has to clean the toner from the photoreceptor, but has to retract from the photoreceptor. The two brushes pivot about two defined pivot points in the cleaner housing during the retraction cycle to disengage from the photoreceptor during multi-pass operations. The first brush is pivoted up and the second brush is pivoted down. A further disclosure is the apparatus and method of using thin sliding and flexible plastic seals for a dual ESB that has moving (e.g. camming in and out) housings. The seals prevent leakage of the toner particles from the cleaner housing.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An apparatus having a cleaner subsystem for removing articles from an imaging surface, comprising:

means for cleaning particles from the surface said cleaning means movement between at least two positions including a first position and a second position;
means for detoning particles from said cleaning means;
an internal cavity in the cleaner subsystem for collecting the particles being removed from the surface;
means for containing the particles in the internal cavity to prevent the particles from escaping therefrom, said containing means comprises means for pivoting said cleaning means between the first position and the second position the first position having said cleaning means in contact with the surface and the second position having said cleaning means out of contact with the surface said cleaning means comprising a first brush and a second brush capable of between the first position and the second position about said pivoting means, said first brush being located upstream, from said second brush, in a direction of motion of the surface said pivoting means comprises:
a first pivot point enabling movement of the first brush between the first position and the second position;
and a second pivot point enabling movement of the second brush between a first position and a second position, opposite the direction of movement of first brush;
and
means for transporting the articles collected in said internal cavity to a waste container.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Retracting cleaner with defined pivot points and/or sliding seals

Life of this patent

Retracting cleaner with defined pivot points and/or sliding seals

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18