Side shifting cleaning apparatus and method
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorLisbeth S. Quesnel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for increasing the useful life of cleaning members within an image forming apparatus by side shifting a cleaning member laterally in relation to a photoreceptor. In various exemplary embodiments, the cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member mounted on a shaft, and side shifting member that moves the shaft along its axis to move the cleaning member laterally. In various exemplary embodiments, the cleaning apparatus moves the cleaning member laterally in a continuous sweeping motion. In various exemplary embodiments, the cleaning apparatus moves the cleaning member laterally in incremental steps.
Claims27
A cleaning apparatus for use with an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a cleaning member;
- and
- a side shifting member linked to the cleaning member, wherein the side shifting member comprises:
- a rack sleeve mounted on a rack shaft;
- a pinion gear engaging the rack sleeve, wherein rotation of the pinion gear moves the rack sleeve and the rack shaft along a longitudinal axis of the rack shaft;
- and
- wherein the rack shaft is coupled to the cleaning member to move the cleaning member along the longitudinal axis.
A cleaning apparatus for use with an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a cleaning member;
- and
- a side shifting member linked to the cleaning member, wherein the side shifting member comprises:
- a crank;
- a cam movable within a cam track;
- an arm rotatably connected to the crank and rotatably connected to the cam, wherein rotation of the crank is translated into movement of the cam;
- a cam follower fixed to an output shaft and linked to the cam, wherein the movement of the cam is translated into movement of the cam follower and the output shaft along an axis;
- and
- wherein the output shaft is coupled to the cleaning member to move the cleaning member along a longitudinal axis.
A cleaning apparatus for use with an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a cleaning member;
- and
- a side shifting member, wherein the side shifting member comprises:
- a barrel cam having slots, the barrel cam being mounted on a barrel cam shaft having an axis;
- and
- a cam follower engaging the slots, wherein rotation of the barrel cam shaft moves the barrel cam and the barrel cam shaft along the axis of the barrel cam shaft relative to the cam follower,
- wherein the barrel cam shaft is coupled to the cleaning member to move the cleaning member along a longitudinal axis.
A method for increasing cleaning member efficiency in an image forming apparatus, having a photoreceptor surface to be cleaned, comprising:
- providing the cleaning member adjacent the photoreceptor surface;
- and
- moving the cleaning member laterally along an axis of the cleaning member relative to the photoreceptor surface after the cleaning member experiences a threshold number of rotations about the axis of the cleaning member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.