In the field of printing, liquid electrophotography (LEP) technology may be implemented. LEP printing involves the transfer of electrically-charged print agent via a series of rollers to a substrate.
Examples will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In a liquid electrophotography (LEP) printing system, print agent, such as printing fluid (e.g. ink), is used in a print agent application assembly, which may be referred to as a binary ink developer (BID). In some examples, each print agent application assembly uses print agent of a particular colour, so an LEP printing system may include, for example, seven print agent application assemblies. Print agent from a print agent application assembly is selectively transferred, for example from a roller of the print agent application assembly (referred to herein as a developer roller) in a layer of substantially uniform thickness to a photoconductive surface, which may comprise a photo imaging plate (PIP). The selective transfer of print agent is achieved through the use of electrically-charged print agent. In some examples, substantially the entire photoconductive surface is charged, then areas representing an image to be printed are discharged. Print agent is transferred to those portions of the photoconductive surface that have been discharged. The photoconductive surface transfers the print agent to a printing blanket, which subsequently transfers the print agent onto a printable substrate, such as paper. The discharged portions of the photoconductive surface represent the portion or portions of a pattern or image in which print agent from the print agent application assembly is to be applied to the substrate. Print agent that is not transferred from the developer roller to the photoconductive surface (i.e. in those areas where the photoconductive surface remains charged) remains on the developer roller, and is removed from the developer roller by components within the print agent application assembly, as discussed below.
The print agent application assembly 100 includes a housing 102 within which other components are at least substantially disposed. A print agent tray 104 is formed near to the bottom of the housing 102 to catch unused print agent, as discussed below. The print agent tray 104 may be referred to as an ink capture tray. The assembly 100 includes a first electrode 106 and a second electrode 108. Print agent may travel from a print agent reservoir (not shown), which may be located outside the print agent application assembly 100, between the first and second electrodes 106, 108, towards a developer roller 110. The developer roller 110 rotates in a direction shown in
The assembly 100 further includes a squeegee roller 112, which rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the developer roller 110, as shown in
Print agent that is not transferred from the developer roller 110 to the photo imaging plate is referred to as unused print agent. A cleaner roller 114 is disposed within the assembly 100 adjacent to the developer roller 110, and rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the developer roller 110, as shown in
The assembly 110 also includes a sponge roller 116, which includes an absorbent material 118, such as a sponge, mounted around a core 120. The sponge roller 116 rotates in the same direction as the cleaner roller, as shown in
A wiper assembly 120 is also mounted within the assembly 100. The wiper assembly 120 (or components thereof) may serve to wipe, or clean, portions of at least one of the rollers in the assembly 100. As such, the wiper assembly 120 may be referred to as a roller cleaning assembly.
The assembly 100 may further comprise a cleaning tool 130 comprising a handle 132 and a flexible blade 134. The flexible blade 134 may be inserted into a gap 107 between the electrodes 106, 108, e.g. to clean between the electrodes. As depicted, the blade 134 may have a width that varies to define a curved profile.
The blade 320 may have a width W that varies in the lengthwise direction of the blade to define a curved profile 322. The blade width W may reduce and subsequently increase along a length of the blade 320 so as to define a first recess 324a, e.g. indentation, in a first lengthwise edge 326a of the blade and a second recess 324b, e.g. indentation, in a second lengthwise edge 326b of the blade. In an alternative example, one of the edges 326a, 326b may be straight, while another may comprise a recess. The minimum width Wmin of the blade 320 may occur closer to a distal end 320a of the blade than the distal end 310a of the handle 310.
The width W of the blade 320 may vary in a gradual manner, e.g. without sharp corners. For example, the curved profile may have a radius of curvature (e.g. in a plane in which the blade resides) at points along the edges 326a, 326b and distal end 320a that may be greater than or equal to approximately 0.5 mm. In a particular example, the radius of curvature of points along the edges 326a, 326b and distal end 320a may be approximately 2 mm or more.
As shown in
Referring still to
A tag 313 may be affixed to the handle 310. A tag 313 may be provided on both sides of the handle 310 so that a tag is visible regardless of which side of the handle is attached to a surface.
The blade 320 may be made from a plastics material, such as Polyoxymethylene, which may also be referred to as Acetal or Delrin®. The blade may have a thickness TB of approximately 0.5 mm. At least one of the blade thickness and blade material may be selected so that the blade may be flexible enough to follow the gap 107 between the electrodes 106, 108.
Referring now to
The method 900 may comprise, at block 902, inserting a flexible blade of the cleaning tool into a gap between a pair of electrodes of a print agent application assembly. At block 904, the method may further comprise moving the blade along the gap. At block 906, the method may comprise collecting unwanted matter, e.g. print agent particles, in a curved recess formed in an edge of the blade. At block 908, the method may comprise extracting the blade from the gap.
The method may further comprise removing the print agent application assembly from a print apparatus. The print agent application assembly may be placed on a stand. A developer roller, such as developer roller 110 described above, may be removed from the print agent application assembly to expose the pair of electrodes. Unwanted matter may then be removed from between the electrodes.
Once the electrodes have been cleaned, the developer roller may be returned to the print agent application assembly. The print agent application assembly may then be returned to the print apparatus. Whilst not in use, the cleaning tool may be attached to a surface by virtue of at least one magnet.
The present disclosure is described with reference to flow charts and/or block diagrams of the method, devices and systems according to examples of the present disclosure. Although the flow diagrams described above show a specific order of execution, the order of execution may differ from that which is depicted. Blocks described in relation to one flow chart may be combined with those of another flow chart.
While the method, apparatus and related aspects have been described with reference to certain examples, various modifications, changes, omissions, and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. It is intended, therefore, that the method, apparatus and related aspects be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. It should be noted that the above-mentioned examples illustrate rather than limit what is described herein, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Features described in relation to one example may be combined with features of another example.
The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements other than those listed in a claim, “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality, and a single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several units recited in the claims.
The features of any dependent claim may be combined with the features of any of the independent claims or other dependent claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2017/026426 | 4/6/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/186871 | 10/11/2018 | WO | A |
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