Printing – Antismut device – Cleaners
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-22
2001-02-13
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Antismut device
Cleaners
C101S425000, C399S101000, C399S297000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186066
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for cleaning a roller for a liquid printer. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus for removing foreign materials adhering on the surface of a roller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transfer rollers transferring a transferrable image of a filmed toner to a paper have been widely used in a liquid printer. Typically, several rollers are used in a liquid printer for transferring the image to the paper. A predetermined electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor belt moving around guide rollers. A developer, a mixture of toners and a liquid carrier, is developed on the area of the electrostatic latent image of the photoreceptor belt. After a filmed toner is formed, the remaining liquid carrier is removed by a dry roller, and the filmed toner on the photoreceptor belt is transferred to a paper through the transfer roller.
However, the drying roller and the transfer roller may be getting contaminated by foreign materials such as dirt and debris after several hours of printing cycles. Also the transfer roller and drying roller are contaminated by contacting the photoreceptor belt. Thus the filmed toner on the photoreceptor belt can be damaged by the contaminated drying roller and transfer roller. Moreover, a ghost effect may be generated, and a clear image cannot be printed on the paper. Therefore I have found that the transfer roller and the drying roller should be kept clean and that the liquid printers require a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a drying roller or a transfer roller in order to transfer a clear image to the paper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved printer for printing a clear image.
It is another object to provide an improved printer preventing a printing image from deteriorating.
It is yet another object to provide an cleaning apparatus preventing a transfer roller or a drying roller from being damaged.
It is still another object to provide an cleaning apparatus removing foreign materials from a transfer roller and a drying roller.
It is still yet another object to provide an cleaning apparatus preventing a transfer and drying rollers from being contaminated.
It is further object to provide a cleaning apparatus for keeping a transfer and drying rollers clean after several hours of repeated printing cycles.
It is also object to provide a cleaning apparatus for allowing a transfer roller to transfer a clear transferrable image of a filmed toner to a paper.
These and other objects may be achieved by attaching a cleaning apparatus to a transfer roller or a drying roller. The cleaning apparatus for cleaning the transfer roller includes a first cleaning unit having a cleaning roller contacting the transfer roller, being rotated by the rotation of the transfer roller, disposing between an outlet of a printed paper and a photoreceptor belt, contacting a surface of transfer roller of which the other surface bears a transferable image, and removing foreign materials by using a different surface energy between the surfaces of the transfer roller and the cleaning roller. Also the cleaning apparatus includes a second cleaning unit having a cleaning web removing the transferred foreign materials adhered to the surface of the cleaning roller from the surface of the cleaning roller. The cleaning web is withdrawn from a supply reel and is wound on a take up reel. A support roller pushes the cleaning web against the cleaning roller and is contacting and disengaging the cleaning roller through the cleaning web. The cleaning roller may be contacting and disengaging the transfer roller. The cleaning apparatus can be attached to a drying roller unit. The cleaning roller is contacting the drying roller and a heater is provided into the inside of the cleaning roller.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3861860 (1975-01-01), Thettu et al.
patent: 3921573 (1975-11-01), Thettu
patent: 4579802 (1986-04-01), Kishi et al.
patent: 4607947 (1986-08-01), Ensing et al.
patent: 5619314 (1997-04-01), Kubo
patent: 5768672 (1998-06-01), Van Herpen et al.
patent: 5805963 (1998-09-01), Teschendorf et al.
patent: 5850588 (1998-06-01), Yoshikawa
patent: 5930574 (1999-07-01), Segawa
patent: 5953573 (1999-09-01), Eum
patent: 5970281 (1999-10-01), Park
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Hilten John S.
Nguyen Anthony H.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
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