Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-31
2001-01-30
Moses, Richard (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S348000, C399S351000, C015S256500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181903
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing roller cleaning apparatus for a liquid printer, and more particularly, to a developing roller cleaning apparatus for a liquid printer adopting a blade thus increasing the efficiency of cleaning.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid electrophotographic printer such as a liquid laser printer is known as a liquid printer. The liquid electrophotographic printer forms an electrostatic latent image by scanning a laser beam onto a photoreceptor medium, develops the image with developer including toner of a predetermined color using a development unit, and transfers the developed image to a print paper to print the image.
The liquid electrophotographic printer, as shown in
FIG. 1
, includes a laser scanning unit (LSU) for forming an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor web
10
and a developing unit
20
for developing an image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image.
The developing unit
20
includes a development reservoir
21
, a developing roller
23
disposed to maintain a predetermined development gap G between itself and the photoreceptor web
10
, a developing roller cleaning unit
30
for removing developer adhering to the developing roller
23
. An injection unit
25
for injecting the developer including toner and carrier toward the development gap G, a squeegee roller
27
for separating the toner from the carrier by pressing the photoreceptor web
10
, and a blade
29
for cleaning the developer adhering to the squeegee roller
27
where a drip line (DL) is removed.
The developing roller cleaning apparatus
30
includes a pipe
31
having a hole formed therein and an injection hole
31
a and a cleaning roller
33
inserted around the pipe
31
for contacting and cleaning the developing roller
23
. The cleaning roller
33
contacting the developing roller
23
cleans the developing roller
23
by means of developer injected through the injection hole
31
a of the pipe
31
.
However, as the conventional developing roller cleaning apparatus having the above structure is not provided with a means to remove foreign materials adhering to the developing roller
23
after cleaning, the efficiency of cleaning is lowered so that the quality of printing is deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems considering the above conditions, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a developing roller cleaning apparatus for a liquid printer capable of improving the efficiency of cleaning and preventing fixation and damage to the developing roller by adopting a blade and setting the position and installation angle of the blade.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a developing roller cleaning apparatus for a liquid printer which comprises a cleaning brush rotating in contact with a developing roller so that developer adhering to an outer circumferential surface of the developing roller can be cleaned; a blade holder, and a blade installed to be bent as the blade contacts the developing roller for removing foreign material back-plated on the developing roller after being cleaned by the cleaning brush, one end of the blade being coupled to the blade holder and the other end thereof contacting the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller. The blade has a blade interference &dgr;=(R—r), a blade leading edge pressure P, and a cleaning angle &thgr;
2
satisfying the below conditions of 1.0 mm≲&dgr;≲1.5 mm, 10 g/cm≲P≲20 g/cm, and 5°≲&thgr;
2
20°. Here, R denotes the radius of the developing roller and r denotes the distance between the center of the developing roller and a leading edge of the blade assuming that an elastic bias applied to the blade installed to be bent is removed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5708937 (1998-01-01), Lestrange et al.
patent: 5937247 (1999-08-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 5999778 (1999-12-01), Chang et al.
Moses Richard
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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