Apparatus and method for determining toner age in a printing apparatus
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsBruce Earl Thayer, Aaron Michael Burry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method that determines toner age in a printing apparatus. The method can include placing an imaging surface cleaner in contact with an imaging surface. The method can include placing a toner patch on the imaging surface. The method can include rotating the imaging surface in a process direction. The method can include measuring a frictional interaction between the imaging surface cleaner and the imaging surface as the toner patch passes the imaging surface cleaner. The method can include determining whether toner should be purged based on the measured frictional interaction. The method can include purging the toner if the toner should be purged.
Claims18
A method in a printing apparatus including an imaging surface on which toner is placed for subsequent transfer to another surface and including an imaging surface cleaner, the method comprising:
- placing the imaging surface cleaner in contact with the imaging surface;
- placing a toner patch on the imaging surface;
- rotating the imaging surface in a process direction;
- measuring a frictional interaction between the imaging surface cleaner and the imaging surface as the toner patch passes the imaging surface cleaner;
- determining whether toner should be purged based on the measured frictional interaction;
- and
- purging the toner if the toner should be purged,
- wherein the printing apparatus includes a photoreceptor and the imaging surface is a photoreceptor surface associated with the photoreceptor.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- an imaging surface, where the imaging surface is configured to rotate in a process direction;
- an imaging surface cleaner in contact with the imaging surface;
- a developer configured to develop a toner patch for placement on the imaging surface;
- a sensor configured to sense a frictional interaction between the imaging surface cleaner and the imaging surface as the toner patch passes the imaging surface cleaner,
- a controller configured to determine whether toner should be purged based on the sensed frictional interaction and configured to control the printing apparatus to purge the toner if the toner should be purged;
- and
- a photoreceptor, where the imaging surface is a photoreceptor surface associated with the photoreceptor.
A method in a printing apparatus including at least one developer, a photoreceptor cleaning blade, a photoreceptor having a photoreceptor surface, and a sensor, the method comprising:
- placing the photoreceptor cleaning blade in contact with the photoreceptor surface;
- developing a toner patch on the photoreceptor surface using the at least one developer;
- rotating the photoreceptor in a process direction;
- measuring a frictional interaction between the photoreceptor cleaning blade and the photoreceptor surface using the sensor as the toner patch passes the photoreceptor cleaning blade;
- determining whether the toner should be purged based on the measured frictional interaction;
- and
- purging the toner if the toner should be purged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.