Patent Grant
7945182
The present subject matter relates to systems and methods for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus, and more particularly for cleaning devices, which remove residual toner, additives and debris from a charge retentive surface, that include a secondary cleaning system, such a spots blade, for release and removal of agglomerations that are not removed from the charge retentive surface by a primary cleaning system, such as a brush system.
In a typical toner image reproduction machine, for example an electrostatic image forming apparatus, an imaging region of a toner image bearing member, such as a photoconductive member, is charged to a substantially uniform potential so as to sensitize the surface thereof. The charged portion of the photoconductive member is irradiated or exposed to a light image of an original document being reproduced. Exposure of the charged photoconductive member selectively dissipates the charges thereon in the irradiated areas. This records an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive member corresponding to the informational areas contained within the original document.
After the electrostatic latent image is recorded on the photoconductive member, the latent image is developed by bringing a developer material into contact therewith. Generally, the developer material comprises toner particles adhering to carrier granules. The toner particles are attracted from the carrier granules to the latent image, forming a toner powder image on the photoconductive member. The toner powder image is then transferred from the photoconductive member to a copy sheet. The toner particles are heated to permanently affix the powder image to the copy sheet. Residual toner particles, additives and/or debris remaining on the photoconductive surface following image transfer as above are then removed by a cleaning apparatus in order to prepare the surface for forming another toner image.
Primary cleaning systems were developed to remove residual toner from the photoconductive member prior to the next image development procedure. Such primary cleaning systems may include one or more rotating electrostatic brushes, cleaning blades, electrostatic air cleaners, vacuum systems, and other similar systems used singly or in combination. For example, a rotatable brush is mounted in interference contact to the photoreceptor surface to be cleaned, and the brush is rotated so that the brush fibers continually wipe across the photoreceptor. Electrical bias applied to conductive brush fibers aids in removing and transporting cleaned material away from the photoreceptor surface. In order to reduce the dirt level within the brush, a vacuum system is provided which removes residual toner and toner agents from the brush fibers and exhausts the toner and toner agents from the cleaner.
However, experience has shown that certain agglomerations of toner particles and other materials can stick to photoreceptors or other charge retentive surfaces sufficiently to resist removal by primary cleaning systems.
In response, secondary cleaning systems were implemented in some systems. Such secondary cleaning systems may include a relatively hard cleaning “spots blade” located downstream from the primary cleaning system for the purpose of shearing agglomerations that resist initial cleaning away from the imaging surface. The spots blade may be engaged and disengaged with the imaging surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,498 issued Jun. 19, 1979 and entitled “Blade Cleaning System for a Reproducing Apparatus” discloses a reproducing apparatus that includes a blade cleaning system for removing residual material from an imaging surface. The blade is arranged for movement between a first position wherein an edge thereof engages the imaging surface to remove the residual material, and a second position wherein the edge is spaced from the imaging surface.
Contact cleaning devices, for example, spots blades for cleaning the photoconductive member, may scratch and abrade the surface where there is insufficient lubrication at the interface between the blade and the surface. Thus, it is known to lubricate the image forming surface because lack of sufficient lubrication to the edges of such blades may result in scratching and abrasion of the image forming surface. Lubrication may be provided in the form of residual, or specifically placed, toner substances and/or additives.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,455 issued Oct. 31, 1995 and entitled “Method and Apparatus for Adaptive Cleaner Blade Lubrication” discloses an adaptive cleaner blade lubricating system for electrostatic printing machines. The amount of residual toner available to lubricate a cleaner blade is calculated based on the density of the transferred image. A band of toner is deposited in an inter-document gap, or zone (“IDZ”), in selective widths so as to provide an adequate amount of toner to lubricate the cleaner blade across the full width of the photoreceptor. The lubricating band may be variable or may be a constant width with the frequency of placement of the band determined based on average image density for a group of documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,362,996 issued Apr. 22, 2008 and entitled “Cleaning and Spots Blade Lubricating Method and Apparatus” discloses a system using a toner patch in the IDZ in combination with switching a cleaner brush bias from a nominal high voltage to near zero voltage to reduce cleaning efficiency.
Sending a toner patch in the inter-document zone to the spots blade reduces spots blade abrasion. Spots blade abrasion is a function of the mass of toner (Residual Mass “RM”). Without modifying the toner charge, little RM gets by electrostatic cleaning brushes in primary systems such as those discussed above. Switching to a low brush voltage, as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,362,996, will reduce brush cleaning efficiency, but may still requires a high Developed Mass (“DM”). For example, systems in which brush cleaning efficiency is reduced by less than 50% may require more toner to be applied to the lubricating stripe in order to ensure that sufficient toner reaches the spots blade. This results in high toner costs and requires management of increased toner waste.
It would be desirable to have a cleaning system that would (1) successfully remove a majority of residual toner, additives and debris from a charge retentive surface during normal operation by a primary cleaning device, (2) successfully remove remaining residual elements by a secondary cleaning device, and (3) be adaptable for making the primary cleaning process less efficient under certain circumstances, with, or without, modifying the operation of the primary cleaning device itself. Such an improved cleaning system could, for instance, decrease the cost of ownership of printing systems containing such cleaning systems by extending the service life of a typical photoreceptor or other imaging surface, simplify operation and maintenance of such systems, and/or reduce toner waste, costs and management. Such an improved cleaning system could also compensate for certain system limitations that are not addressed by known methods.
Aspects of the present subject matter may include an electrostatic image forming apparatus, comprising: a charge receptor, movable in a process direction, defining a main surface; a toner application device for applying toner to the charge receptor, and configured to place a lubrication stripe including the toner on a portion of the main surface of the charge receptor at a selected time; a primary cleaning device for cleaning the main surface of the charge receptor, the primary cleaning device including at least one pre-clean corotron influencing the main surface of the charge receptor; a secondary cleaning device configured to engage the main surface of the charge receptor downstream of the primary cleaning device; and a control system configured to reduce an influence of the at least one pre-clean corotron on the charge receptor, during selected rotations of the charge receptor, while the portion of the main surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed is passing the at least one pre-clean corotron.
Other aspects of the present subject matter may include a method of controlling a cleaning device in an electrostatic image forming device, the method comprising: forming a lubrication stripe on a portion of a photoreceptor surface, during a designated rotation of the photoreceptor surface, upstream of a primary cleaning device comprising at least one pre-clean corotron; reducing an influence of the at least one pre-clean corotron on the charge receptor, during the designated rotation of the charge receptor, while the portion of the main surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed is passing the at least one pre-clean corotron; and delivering the toner stripe to a secondary cleaning device comprising a blade engaging with the photoreceptor surface to lubricate the blade.
Embodiments may include wherein: the primary cleaning device further comprises a biased member having an effective area associated with the main surface relative to motion of the charge receptor; the control system modifies a bias on the biased member substantially during a time when the lubrication stripe is in the effective area of the biased member.
Embodiments may include wherein: the biased member has a nominal voltage and a minimum power supply voltage; and the control system modifies the bias on the biased member by switching the nominal voltage to the minimum power supply voltage when the lubrication stripe is in the effective area of the biased member.
Embodiments may include wherein the minimum power supply voltage is approximately +200V.
Embodiments may include at least one second corotron at a position along the process direction that is downstream of the secondary cleaning device and upstream of the at least one pre-clean corotron, wherein the control system modifies an influence of the at least one second corotron on the charge receptor, during selected rotations of the charge receptor, while the portion of the main surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed, or will be formed, is passing the at least one second corotron.
Embodiments may include wherein the at least one second corotron comprises a de-tack corotron and/or a pre-transfer corotron.
Embodiments may include wherein the secondary cleaning device is configured to disengage a blade from the main surface of the charge receptor when the secondary cleaning device is not in use, which may be during certain of the rotations of the charge receptor.
Embodiments may include wherein the lubrication stripe is applied to an inter-document zone of the main surface of the charge receptor.
Embodiments may include wherein the reduction of the influence of the at least one pre-clean corotron on the charge receptor reduces a cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device on the lubrication stripe by approximately 3%.
Embodiments may include wherein the at least one second corotron includes a plurality of corotrons, each of the plurality of corotrons being controlled to modify their respective influences on the charge receptor, and the sum of the modifications of the respective influences reduces a cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device on the lubrication stripe by a range of 2-50%.
Since most toners used today are negatively charged, the embodiments throughout this disclosure and claims will be described relating to the use of a negative toner, however, when a positive toner is used, the proper opposite adjustments can easily be made.
It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the systems and methods according to this disclosure are described and, or apparent from, the following description of exemplary embodiments.
The following description of various exemplary systems and methods for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus may refer to and/or illustrate a specific type of electrostatic image forming device, a xerographic imaging system, for the sake of clarity, familiarity, and ease of depiction and description. However, it should be appreciated that the principles disclosed herein, as outlined and/or discussed below, can be equally applied to any known, or later-developed, system in which cleaning devices are used to remove residual toner or other marking substances, additives and debris from an image transfer surface.
Generally, the process of electrostatic reproduction is initiated by substantially uniformly charging a photoreceptive member, followed by exposing a light image of an original document thereon. Exposing the charged photoreceptive member to a light image discharges a photoconductive surface layer in areas corresponding to non-image areas in the original document, while maintaining the charge on image areas for creating an electrostatic latent image of the original document on the photoreceptive member. This latent image is subsequently developed into a visible image by a process in which a charged developing material is deposited onto the photoconductive surface layer, such that the developing material is attracted to the charged image areas on the photoreceptive member. A pre-transfer corotron treatment may be used to enhance transfer of developed material. Thereafter, the developing material is transferred from the photoreceptive member to a copy sheet or some other image support substrate to which the image may be permanently affixed for producing a reproduction of the original document. In a final step in the process, the photoconductive surface layer of the photoreceptive member is cleaned to remove any residual developing material therefrom, in preparation for successive imaging cycles.
As also shown, the photoreceptor unit may include a controller or electronic control subsystem (ESS) 90 that is preferably a self-contained, dedicated minicomputer having a central processor unit (CPU), electronic storage, and a display or user interface (UI). The ESS 90, with the help of sensors and connections, can read, capture, prepare and process image data and machine status information. The ESS 90 may be operatively connected to the corotron 2, imaging source 3, pre-transfer corotron 4, de-tack corotron 10, pre-clean corotron 16, primary cleaning device 20, bias control 22, 24, and secondary cleaning device 26. Although depicted and described as a single unit for purposes of clarity, the ESS 90 may be configured as separate devices, communicating in various ways with the relevant architecture.
Aspects of the present subject matter may include modifying the influence of a pre-transfer corotron 4 to make the toner more positive or less negative, on the photoreceptor 1, in order to reduce a cleaning efficiency of a cleaning device, such as primary cleaning device 20. Exemplary modifications may include altering a power supplied to the corotron, or otherwise modifying an output of the pre-transfer corotron 4 via ESS 90.
By modifying the influence of a specified corotron on the photoreceptor 1, toner particles 6 may be made to adhere more strongly, and thus respond less fully, or less effectively, to the normal function of the primary cleaning device 20. As described herein, aspects of an exemplary primary cleaning device 20 may employ biased brushes that attract negatively charged toner particles. Therefore, by altering the charge of the particles or the photoreceptor 1, specifically in the area in which the lubricating stripe is formed, cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device may be reduced with respect to the lubricating stripe, allowing more toner to survive and be delivered to the secondary cleaning device 26.
The above function may be accomplished, for example, by switching the power supply current to the pre-transfer corotron 4 from a nominal set point to an increased positive set point when the portion of the photoreceptor 1 upon which the lubricating stripe will be formed passes the pre-transfer corotron 4.
The charged photoreceptor surface is exposed to light from an imaging source 3, such as an LED bar array, to produce a latent image of an original image on the surface of the moving photoreceptor. The imaging source 3 receives the image signals representing the desired output image and converts the signals to a modulated output that discharges the photoconductive surface in areas corresponding to non-image areas in the original image, while maintaining the charge on image areas for creating an electrostatic latent image of the original image on the photoreceptor 1. For example, imaging source 3 may employ an LED bar array arranged to illuminate the charged portion of photoconductive belt 10 on a raster-by-raster basis. The imaging source 3 may also be controlled in order to place a lubricating stripe of toner, or other particles, in an IDZ on the photoreceptor 1.
The photoreceptor surface passes toner source(s) 7 wherein toner particles 5, charged opposite of the photoreceptor surface, are attracted to the photoreceptor surface to form an image with toner particles 6 on the photoreceptor surface. The toner particles may be appropriately attracted electrostatically to the latent image at each developer unit using commonly known techniques. Toner source(s) 7 may include multiple developer units as shown, containing CMYK color toners, in the form of dry particles, or a single toner source, such as black toner for grayscale imaging. If the charges on a portion of the photoreceptor 1 have been adjusted, or not adjusted as the case may be, to receive a lubricating stripe, toner may be attracted to this portion of the photoreceptor 1.
With continued reference to
Similar to the operation discussed with respect to the pre-transfer corotron 4, aspects of the present subject matter may include modifying the influence of the de-tack corotron 10 on the photoreceptor 1, in order to reduce a cleaning efficiency of a cleaning device, such as primary cleaning device 20. Exemplary modifications include changing a power supplied to the de-tack corotron 10, or otherwise changing an output of the de-tack corotron 10 via ESS 90.
By modifying the influence of a de-tack corotron on the photoreceptor 1, toner particles 6 may be made more positive (less negative), and thus respond less fully, or less effectively, to the normal function of the primary cleaning device 20. As described herein, aspects of an exemplary primary cleaning device 20 may employ biased brushes that attract negatively charged toner particles. Therefore, by altering the charge of the toner particles, specifically those in the lubricating stripe, cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device may be reduced with respect to the lubricating stripe, allowing more toner to survive and be delivered to the secondary cleaning device 26.
The above function may be accomplished, for example, by switching the power supply current to the de-tack corotron from a high negative set point to a low negative set point when the lubricating stripe passes the de-tack corotron. This may be used in conjunction with modifying a bias of the cleaning brush, such as switching the brush bias from a nominal voltage to a minimum supply voltage. In exemplary embodiments the minimum supply voltage may be about one-half of the nominal voltage used for normal cleaning function. For example, systems are known in which a nominal voltage used for normal cleaning function may be between +400V to +500V, and a minimum supply voltage may be approximately +200V.
After transfer, the print sheet continues to move in the direction of arrow 32 where it is picked up by a pre-fuser transport assembly and forwarded to a fusing station.
After the print sheet is separated from photoreceptor 1, the residual toner/developer particles still on photoreceptor 1 are carried by the photoreceptor 1 to a cleaning station including a pre-clean corotron 16, primary cleaning device 20 and secondary cleaning device 26 in accordance with the present disclosure.
Further details of the cleaning station are shown in
Aspects of the present subject matter may include modifying the influence of a pre-clean corotron 16 on the photoreceptor 1, in order to reduce a cleaning efficiency of a cleaning device, such as primary cleaning device 20. Exemplary modifications could include reducing a power supplied to the corotron 16, or otherwise reducing an output of the corotron 16 via ESS 90.
By modifying the influence of a pre-clean corotron on the photoreceptor 1, toner particles 6 may be made more positive (less negative), and thus respond less filly, or less effectively, to the normal function of the primary cleaning device 20. By altering the charge of the toner particles, specifically those in the lubricating stripe, by the pre-clean corotron cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device may be reduced with respect to the lubricating stripe, allowing more toner to survive and be delivered to the secondary cleaning device 26. Additionally, altering the influence of a pre-clean corotron may be advantageous in minimizing disruption of other system functions, such as toner application and de-tack processes.
The above function may be accomplished, for example, by switching a pre-clean power supply voltage from a high negative set point to a low negative set point when the lubricating stripe passes the de-tack corotron. This may be used in conjunction with modifying a bias of the cleaning brush, such as switching the brush bias from a nominal voltage to a minimum supply voltage. In exemplary embodiments the minimum supply voltage may be approximately +200V.
The primary cleaning system 20 shown in
Aspects of the present subject matter provide for substantially reversing a bias on the biased member, such as at least one of the cleaning brushes 23, 25 substantially during a time when a lubrication stripe is in the effective area of the biased member, such as the effective area of the cleaning brushes 23, 25. Reversing the bias of an otherwise effective cleaning brush may significantly reduce the cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device such that substantial amounts of the toner comprising the lubricating stripe survives on the photoreceptor 1 downstream of the primary cleaning device, thus coming into contact with and lubricating the contact of the photoreceptor 1 with secondary cleaning device 26, such as at spots blade 40.
Other aspects of the present subject matter include modifying a bias of the cleaning brush, such as switching the brush bias from a nominal voltage to a minimum supply voltage. In exemplary embodiments the minimum supply voltage may be approximately +200V whereas a nominal voltage may be in a range of +400V to +500V.
These method may be particularly effective in systems in which it is difficult, or impossible due to design constraints, to reduce the bias of the biasing member in the primary cleaning device below certain levels. In such systems, the biased member may be biased to approximately +200V in a first state, and biased to approximately −200V when the lubrication stripe is in the effective area of the biased member, as depicted in
For example, reversing bias has been found to reduce a cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device to levels below 50%, which allows a higher percentage of the applied toner to reach the secondary cleaning device, thus allowing for lubricating stripes of reduced density and/or size. Additionally, combining modifications of the variously described corotrons 2, 10 and 16, in conjunction with switching the brush bias from a nominal voltage to a minimum supply voltage may reduce cleaning efficiency of the primary cleaning device to unexpectedly low levels based on the combined effects of these operations. Using various combinations of the features described above, cleaning efficiency may be reduced by 10% to over 90%.
Secondary cleaning system 26 is shown downstream from primary cleaning system 20 and is comprised, in this embodiment, of spots blade 40, pivot hinge 42, biasing means 43, and a forcing device (not shown), and is operatively connected to ESS 90 (shown in
One aspect of the embodiment shown in
Experience indicates that few agglomerations adhere stubbornly to an imaging surface when first deposited. Adherence increases as the agglomeration is cycled through the imaging process. Since agglomerations often commence as micro-spots with no or very minor impact upon image quality, it is not necessary for blade 40 to be continually engaged with photoreceptor 1. Although continual engagement is not necessary, sufficient engagement within a sufficient number of imaging cycles is important since agglomerations begin to grow in size and adhere more stubbornly to photoreceptor 1 as imaging cycles are repeated. It is desirable to optimize the time of engagement with the need to clean agglomerations before they adhere too stubbornly. It is found that engagement between about 15 and about 30 percent of the duty cycle period during which photoreceptor 1 is performing imaging is sufficient to remove agglomerations before subsequent removal becomes more difficult. An optimal period of engagement seems to be about 20 percent of the imaging duty cycle period. Another measurement of the period of engagement is that blade 40 should be engaged for less than about 2 of every 6 revolutions of the imaging surface and, preferably, for about one revolution in every 5 revolutions. When an imaging system is being run for diagnostic, machine set-up, maintenance or at other periods in which no ink or toner is being deposited or no copy substrate is being cycled through the machine, blade 40 can safely remain in its retracted position. Such retraction during non-imaging cycles also serves to preserve the imaging surface.
The method of lubricating a spots blade with residual toner particles in accordance with the present disclosure may include forming a lubrication stripe on a portion of photoreceptor 1, during a designated rotation of the photoreceptor surface. This function occurs upstream of the primary cleaning device 20, which comprises a biased member, such as cleaning brush 23. A bias on the biased member may be switched from a nominal voltage to a minimum supply voltage, or substantially reversed, during a time when the lubrication stripe is under the influence of the biased member. An influence of at least one pre-clean corotron on the charge receptor may be reduced during the designated rotation of the charge receptor, while the portion of the main surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed is passing the at least one pre-clean corotron. This combination may allow for increased amounts, or substantially all oft the toner comprising the lubrication stripe to survive on the photoreceptor surface downstream of the primary cleaning device, thus delivering the toner stripe to a secondary cleaning device. The surviving lubricating stripe interacts with a blade of the secondary cleaning device engaging with the photoreceptor surface to lubricate the blade, thereby intermittently enhancing lubrication of the blade and preventing the blade from abrading and scratching the moving photoreceptor surface. It should also be noted that the residual lubrication stripe interacts with residual debris that is not removed from the primary cleaning brush to prevent photoreceptor abrasion caused by the debris. Thus, a “lubrication stripe” as described herein, may be designed to perform more than lubrication between the spots blade and the photoreceptor only.
It should be noted that, in a dual electrostatic cleaning brush environment, because the bias on the second brush 25 may already be of the same polarity as that of the toner particles T1, only the cleaning bias of the first cleaning brush 23 may need to be modified. When the bias of the first brush 23 is modified, for example from a value of +500V to a value of +200V as illustrated in
In accordance with exemplary embodiments, a computer program product may be provided for enabling a computer to control described functions of an electrostatic image forming device. The product may comprise software instructions that enables the computer to perform predetermined operations, and a computer readable medium bearing the software instructions. The predetermined operations may include: forming a lubrication stripe on a portion of a photoreceptor surface, during a designated rotation of the photoreceptor surface, upstream of a primary cleaning device comprising at least one pre-clean corotron; reducing an influence of the at least one pre-clean corotron on the charge receptor, during the designated rotation of the charge receptor, while the portion of the main surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed is passing the at least one pre-clean corotron; and delivering the lubrication stripe to a secondary cleaning device comprising a blade engaging with the photoreceptor surface to lubricate the blade. The predetermined operations may also include such other functions as are described herein.
It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
Aspects of the disclosure may encompass embodiments in hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
The word “printer” as used herein encompasses any apparatus, such as a digital copier, book making machine, facsimile machine, multi-function machine, etc. which performs a printout putting function for any purpose. Although it might occur in printing apparatus has been described in the specification. The claims can encompass embodiments that print in color or handle color image data.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4158498 | Ohmori | Jun 1979 | A |
| 5463455 | Pozniakas et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
| 7362966 | Uchiyama | Apr 2008 | B2 |
| 20070014605 | Facci et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20080013978 | Facci et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100046974 A1 | Feb 2010 | US |
