Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-27
2001-07-17
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing device such as a printer or copier and, more particularly, to an apparatus for cleaning a transfer roller and an optical photoreceptor of a printing device, which is intended to clean the transfer roller for transferring a toner image formed on the optical photoreceptor to a recording paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a printing device such as a printer or copier is an apparatus which forms a latent electrostatic image on an optical photoreceptor such as a photosensitive drum, or photosensitive belt, develops the latent electrostatic image with toners of predetermined different colors and then forms a desired image by transferring the developed image to a recording paper. Such printing devices are classified into dry type and wet type devices according to the type of toner used. In the case of the dry type device, toner in a powder state is used, and in the case of the wet type device, liquid ink in which volatile liquid carrier is mixed with a toner is used. Since the wet type device exhibits a higher quality print than the dry type device, and, in addition, inhaling harmful toner dust can be prevented in the wet type device, the wet type device is being used increasingly.
FIG. 1
shows a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a conventional printing device.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional printing device comprises a photosensitive belt
10
installed along a continuous loop track, a driving roller
11
for circulating the photosensitive belt
10
along the given track, a backup roller
12
, and a tension roller
13
.
A main charger
20
is provided over one side of the photosensitive belt
10
for charging one surface of the photosensitive belt
10
to a predetermined voltage. In addition, laser scanning units
30
each for irradiating a laser beam on the photosensitive belt
10
to form a latent electrostatic image, and developing units
40
each for developing the latent electrostatic image to form a toner image by applying an ink of a toner of a predetermined color and a liquid carrier to the region where the latent electrostatic image is formed are installed under the photosensitive belt
10
. The plurality of laser scanning units
30
and the plurality of developing units
40
are installed for color printing so that latent electrostatic images corresponding to the respective colors can be developed as shown in FIG.
1
.
The ink thus applied to the photosensitive belt
10
by the developing units
40
is dried by a drying roller
51
and heating rollers
52
, and accordingly the liquid carrier contained in the toner image is removed. The toner image is transferred to a recording paper P by a transfer roller
61
installed parallel to the backup roller
12
with the photosensitive belt
10
therebetween. The recording paper P is supplied between the transfer roller
61
and a fixing roller
62
installed with a predetermined space from the transfer roller
61
to be parallel to the transfer roller
61
, and the toner image, which is transferred to the recording paper, is heated and pressed by the fixing roller
62
and is fixed to the recording paper P to form a desired image.
On the other hand, the toner image transferred to the transfer roller
61
is not completely transferred to the recording paper P in the transfer step, and the transfer roller
61
on which a minute quantity of toner particle remains may perform the following transfer job. In addition, micro-dirts, dust particles, or the like may adhere to the surface of the transfer roller
61
in a paper P transferring step. Since such remaining toner particles, i.e., waste ink, microscopic dirt, or dust particles stain the surface of the transfer roller
61
, there is a problem in which as printing operations are repeated, it is difficult to form a clear and crisp image on the recording paper. In addition, when a paper jam in which a recording paper P is abnormally inserted between rollers or a similar problem occurs, the operation of the printing device is stopped, and accordingly the toner image on the surface of the transfer roller
61
is not completely transferred to the recording paper P and remains on the transfer roller
61
. Since the toner image thus remaining on the surface of the transfer roller
61
stains the next recording paper, there is a problem in which recording papers are unnecessarily consumed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cleaning a transfer roller and an optical photoreceptor of a printing device, which is capable of removing waste ink or the like remaining on the transfer roller so as to enhance the quality of an image.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided an apparatus for cleaning a transfer roller and an optical photoreceptor of a printing device, which is operative to clean the transfer roller for transferring a toner image formed on the optical photoreceptor to a recording paper, comprising: a cleaning roller installed to closely contact an outer circumferential surface of the transfer roller and to be rotatable; a heat source installed in the cleaning roller for heating an outer circumferential surface of the cleaning roller; and a cleaning roller moving mechanism which causes the cleaning roller either to contact or be separated from the outer circumferential surface of the transfer roller.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning roller moving mechanism includes: an inner frame for rotatably supporting both side portions of the rotating shaft of the cleaning roller; an outer frame installed outside the inner frame so that the position of the outer frame is fixed with respect to the transfer roller, and provided with slots so that both side portions of the rotating shaft of the cleaning roller can be inserted through the slots and move in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the cleaning roller within a predetermined distance; elastic members installed between the inner and outer frames for applying elastic forces to the inner frame so as to cause the inner frame to move toward the transfer roller and to cause the cleaning roller to contact the outer circumferential surface of the transfer roller; a first driving gear joined to a first driving motor installed at a side of the outer frame; and a cam gear installed at the outer frame so as to mesh with the first driving gear and be rotated, and, according to the rotation thereof, causing the rotating shaft of the cleaning roller to be separated from the transfer roller at a predetermined distance.
In addition, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a waste ink removing mechanism which removes waste ink on the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning roller.
The waste ink removing mechanism includes: a cutter member which contacts the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning roller and removes waste ink on the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning roller; a cleaning roller driving mechanism which rotates the cleaning roller in one direction; a cutter member traversing mechanism which supports the cutter member and traverses the cutter member in a lengthwise direction of the cleaning roller; and a discharge mechanism provided below the cutter member which collects and discharges the waste ink which is removed by the cutter member from the surface of the cleaning roller.
In addition, it is preferable that the waste ink removing mechanism further includes a cutter member moving mechanism which the cutter member to contact or be separated from the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning roller.
The cutter member traversing mechanism comprises: a first bracket supporting one end of the cutter member; a lead screw which is installed to be parallel to the cleaning roller with a predetermined space and on which the first bracket is installed, and which is
An Hyung-jin
Shin Kyu-cheol
Royer William J.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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