Dynamic end seal for image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic printing assembly, comprising:

• a photoconductive drum having a longitudinal axis and respective end portions and rotating in a first direction;
• a cleaning blade disposed generally parallel to said photoconductive drum and adapted to remove toner from said photoconductive drum;
• said cleaning blade comprising a back surface, a front surface opposite said back surface, an upstream surface, and a downstream surface;
• said cleaning blade further comprising a cleaning edge where said front surface and said upstream surface intersect and a trailing edge where said back surface and said upstream surface intersect;
• a first end seal disposed proximate one of said end portions of said photoconductive drum and biased to contact said photoconductive drum and said cleaning blade, said first end seal having:
• a first portion in contact with said photoconductive drum and disposed upstream of said cleaning blade;
• an array of at least three small angled ridges formed on said first portion and running at an inward acute angle with respect a plane that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said array substantially covering said first portion;
• said ridges co-operating with said photoconductive drum to capture toner therebetween and direct said toner away from the respective end portion;
• a second portion disposed upstream of said first portion;
• a blade pocket downstream of said first portion, said blade pocket adapted to accept said cleaning blade to form a toner seal therebetween;
• said blade pocket contacting said cleaning blade:
• along at least a portion of said back surface;
• along at least a portion of said downstream surface;
• along at least a portion of said trailing edge;
• a flexible strip disposed generally parallel to said longitudinal axis and contacting said photoconductive drum upstream of said first portion, said second portion separated from said photoconductive drum by said flexible strip and sealing a backside portion of said flexible strip against toner escape.

A seal for an electrophotographic printing apparatus having a photoconductive drum and a cleaning blade adapted to remove toner from said photoconductive drum, said cleaning blade comprising a back surface, a front surface opposite said back surface, an upstream surface, and a downstream surface, said seal comprising:

• first and second elements made from different materials;
• said first element comprising:
• proximal and distal portions and a central axis running therebetween;
• inboard and outboard sides disposed on opposing sides of said central axis;
• said distal portion having an array of at least three small angled ridges formed thereon and running at an acute angle with respect to said central axis towards said inboard side, said ridges adapted to co-operate with the photoconductive drum to capture toner therebetween and direct said toner towards said inboard side;
• said proximal portion having a blade pocket recess adapted to accept the cleaning blade, said blade pocket recess having a generally U-shaped cross section, wherein said blade pocket recess contacts the cleaning blade along at least a portion of the back surface and the downstream surface to form a toner seal therebetween;
• said second element being more compliant than said first element and comprising:
• a first stress relief channel extending partially therethrough proximate with a boundary between said distal and proximal portions of said first element.

A method of minimizing toner escape in an electrophotographic printing assembly, comprising:

• rotating a photoconductive drum having a longitudinal axis and respective end portions in a first direction;
• removing toner from said photoconductive drum with a cleaning blade disposed generally parallel to said photoconductive drum;
• placing a first end seal disposed proximate one of said end portions of said photoconductive drum into contact said photoconductive drum and said cleaning blade, said first end seal having:
• a first portion in contact with said photoconductive drum and disposed upstream of said cleaning blade;
• an array of at least three small angled ridges formed on said first portion and running at an inward acute angle with respect a plane that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;
• a blade pocket disposed downstream of said first portion and adapted to accept said cleaning blade therein;
• and
• directing toner, by said ridges, inward away from said first end seal and generally parallel to said longitudinal axis.

An electrophotographic printing assembly, comprising:

• an intermediate transfer medium having a longitudinal axis and respective end portions and rotating in a first direction;
• a cleaning blade disposed generally parallel to said intermediate transfer medium and adapted to remove toner from said intermediate transfer medium;
• a first end seal disposed proximate one of said end portions of said intermediate transfer medium and biased to contact said intermediate transfer medium and said cleaning blade, said first end seal having:
• a first portion in contact with said intermediate transfer medium and disposed upstream of said cleaning blade;
• an array of at least three small angled ridges formed on said first portion and running at an inward acute angle with respect a plane that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said array substantially covering said first portion;
• and
• said ridges co-operating with said intermediate transfer medium to capture toner therebetween and direct said toner away from the respective end portion.

An electrophotographic printing assembly, comprising:

• an intermediate transfer medium having a longitudinal axis and respective end portions and rotating in a first direction;
• a cleaning blade disposed generally parallel to said intermediate transfer medium and adapted to remove toner from said intermediate transfer medium;
• said cleaning blade comprising a back surface, a front surface opposite said back surface, an upstream surface, a downstream surface, and an side-end face adjacent said back and front surfaces of said cleaning blade, said cleaning blade further comprising a cleaning edge where said front surface and said upstream surface intersect and a trailing edge where said back surface and said upstream surface intersect;
• an first end seal disposed proximate one of said end portions of said intermediate transfer medium and biased to contact said intermediate transfer medium and said cleaning blade, said first end seal having:
• a first portion in contact with said intermediate transfer medium and disposed upstream of said cleaning blade;
• an array of at least three small angled ridges formed on said first portion and running at an inward acute angle with respect a plane that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said array substantially covering said first portion;
• said ridges co-operating with said intermediate transfer medium to capture toner therebetween and direct said toner away from the respective end portion;
• a blade pocket downstream of said first portion, said blade pocket adapted to accept said cleaning blade to form a toner seal therebetween;
• said blade pocket contacting said cleaning blade:
• along at least a portion of said back surface;
• along at least a portion of said downstream surface;
• along at least a portion of said trailing edge;
• along at least a portion of said side-end face.

A seal for an electrophotographic printing apparatus having a intermediate transfer medium and a cleaning blade adapted to remove toner from said intermediate transfer medium, said cleaning blade comprising a back surface, a front surface opposite said back surface, an upstream surface, a downstream surface, and respective side-end faces adjacent the back and front surfaces, said seal comprising:

• first and second elements made from different materials;
• said first element comprising:
• proximal and distal portions and a central axis running therebetween;
• inboard and outboard sides disposed on opposing sides of said central axis;
• said distal portion having an array of at least three small angled ridges formed thereon and running at an acute angle with respect to said central axis towards said inboard side, said ridges adapted to co-operate with the intermediate transfer medium to capture toner therebetween and direct said toner towards said inboard side;
• said proximal portion having a blade pocket adapted to accept the cleaning blade, wherein said blade pocket contacts the cleaning blade along at least a portion of the back surface and the downstream surface, and along one of the side-end faces, to form a toner seal therebetween;
• said second element being more compliant than said first element.

A method of minimizing toner escape in an electrophotographic printing assembly, comprising:

• rotating a intermediate transfer medium having a longitudinal axis and respective end portions in a first direction;
• removing toner from said intermediate transfer medium with a cleaning blade disposed generally parallel to said photoconductive drum;
• placing a first end seal disposed proximate one of said end portions of said intermediate transfer medium into contact said intermediate transfer medium and said cleaning blade, said first end seal having:
• a first portion in contact with said intermediate transfer medium and disposed upstream of said cleaning blade;
• an array of at least three small angled ridges formed on said first portion and running at an inward acute angle with respect a plane that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;
• a blade pocket disposed downstream of said first portion and adapted to accept said cleaning blade therein;
• and
• directing toner, by said ridges, inward away from said first end seal and generally parallel to said longitudinal axis.