Electrophotography – Cleaning of imaging surface – Web
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2001-02-27
Grainger, Quana M. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Cleaning of imaging surface
Web
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195527
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to web cleaning devices for cleaning contaminants from a moving surface in a printing apparatus such as an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus. It is particularly suitable for cleaning contaminants off a moving surface in the form of a drum or a belt.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,733, it is well known since the introduction of plain paper desk-top copiers to use a disposable cleaning web for light-duty cleaning of image or other moving members. Typically, a cleaning web of cloth or paper is supplied on a supply spool or bobbin, trained about a pressure roller and taken up on a take-up spool or bobbin. The pressure roller is urged by a spring into contact with the image member to clean the image member according to the surface characteristics of the web and the amount of pressure applied by the pressure roller. The take-up roller is indexed periodically by its own separate motor, or by a substantially reduced drive between it and the main drive on the image forming device, for example, the drive for a photoconductive drum. Still other web cleaning devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,110,035 and 4,568,174. The devices disclosed in these latter patents include a path for the web cleaner between supply and take-up that involves the additional use of rollers which add an expense to the web cleaning device.
In order to reduce the costs of web cleaning devices it is known to use a web cleaning device I
0
such as shown in
FIG. 1
wherein there is schematically shown a fabric cleaning web supply spool or bobbin
12
that is supported within a U-shaped structure
14
so that the supply spool or bobbin
12
does not have its core
13
rotatively mounted and is thus free to move within the U-shaped structure. As shown, the cleaning web material
15
is wound about the supply spool or bobbin in a clockwise direction and then payed out through an opening
11
in the U-shaped structure so that the cleaning web material web is caused to bend about a lip
11
a
of the opening and then about the bottom
14
a
of the U-shaped structure and is in tension between the bottom of the U-shaped structure and the take-up spool or bobbin
16
. The cleaning web material is then wound in a counterclockwise direction about the take-up spool or bobbin, which is motor driven through a suitable gear reduction. The cleaning web
15
is pressed by the bottom of the U-shaped structure against a moving surface
17
being cleaned to remove contaminants
18
, such as toner dust or paper dust therefrom (shown greatly enlarged). The contaminants remain with the fabric and are sealed off by being wrapped in the successive plies of the web as the web is wound on the take-up spool or bobbin. A problem with the web cleaning device shown in
FIG. 1
is that, as the supply of the web cleaning material exits through the opening, there is a tendency of the core
13
to be moved into the opening in the U-shaped structure, causing more than one wrap or ply of the fabric to exit at the same time, which eventually leads to binding. This binding leads to a failure of further indexing of the web cleaning material from the supply spool or bobbin and a bowing on the take-up spool that can be permanently damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object to the invention to overcome the problems associated with the prior art to provide a more reliable and inexpensive web cleaning device. These and other objects of the invention, as will become more apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, are realized, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, by a web cleaning device for cleaning contaminants from a moving surface in a printer apparatus, the cleaning device comprising a nesting structure having a longitudinally extending internal surface for supporting a coil of a web fabric extending in a longitudinal direction and an external surface located opposite to the internal surface; a lip member forming a part of the nesting structure and located adjacent a pay out end of the coil; a web fabric having a supply formed as the coil and located in the nesting structure, the web fabric having a portion forming a pay out end of the coil that is wrapped about the lip member and further wrapped about the external surface of the nesting structure, the web fabric being also wound about the take-up spindle that is spaced from the coil, a portion of the web fabric from the pay out end of the coil to the external surface of the nesting structure providing a hairpin type curvature to the path of the web fabric to reduce tendency of the web fabric to bind during pay out of the web fabric from the pay out end of the coil.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of employing a web cleaning fabric for cleaning contaminants from a moving surface in a printer apparatus, the method comprising supporting a supply spool or bobbin that includes a coil of the web cleaning fabric in a nesting structure; paying out the web cleaning fabric from the coil in the nesting structure by advancing the web cleaning fabric through a hairpin turn upon exiting of the web cleaning fabric from the nesting structure; guiding the web cleaning fabric directly after the hairpin turn about an external surface of the nesting structure wherein the web cleaning fabric engages the moving surface; and advancing the web cleaning fabric to a take-up spool or bobbin.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided a customer replaceable component comprising a supply spool or bobbin of web cleaning fabric having a coil of web cleaning fabric wrapped about a core in a first direction; a take-up spool or bobbin to which the web cleaning fabric is attached; a spring biased plunger member forming a part of the take-up spool or bobbin and located on one end thereof; and a cap located on a second end of the take up spool or bobbin, the cap including a notch for receiving a driving member.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for cleaning contaminants from a moving surface in a printer, the apparatus comprising a nesting structure for supporting a supply spool or bobbin that includes a coil of web cleaning fabric; a lip structure located adjacent a pay out end of the coil, whereby the pay out end of the web cleaning fabric is advanced through a hairpin turn upon exiting of the web cleaning fabric from the nesting structure; a surface for guiding the web cleaning fabric directly after the hairpin turn about an external surface of the nesting structure, wherein the web cleaning fabric engages the moving surface; and a take-up spool or bobbin upon which the web cleaning fabric is collected after use in cleaning contaminants from the moving surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4110035 (1978-08-01), Kamata
patent: 4568174 (1986-02-01), Stange
patent: 5075733 (1991-12-01), Weissberger et al.
Carrone Maria B.
Dunn Carol Kathleen
Gross George David
Taylor Randall J.
Ziegelmuller Francisco Luiz
Grainger Quana M.
Leimbach James D.
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