U.S. patent number 3,816,157 [Application Number 05/168,378] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-11 for toner reclaiming method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Xerox Corporation. Invention is credited to James M. Donohue, Dennis P. Gerbasi.
United States Patent |
3,816,157 |
Donohue , et al. |
June 11, 1974 |
TONER RECLAIMING METHOD
Abstract
A toner reclaiming method includes the steps of directing
removed toner particles into the vicinity of a surface and
electrically charging the particles to a potential that will
attract them to the surface, and then removing the toner particles
from the surface and combining them with a flow of carrier beads so
that a developing mixture is collected for reuse.
Inventors: |
Donohue; James M. (Rochester,
NY), Gerbasi; Dennis P. (West Webster, NY) |
Assignee: |
Xerox Corporation (Rochester,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
26864065 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/168,378 |
Filed: |
August 2, 1971 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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847866 |
Aug 6, 1969 |
3654901 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
430/137.1;
427/180; 427/345; 427/469; 427/474; 399/359; 430/137.22 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03G
21/105 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G03G
21/10 (20060101); G03g 013/08 (); G03g 013/22 ();
B44d 001/094 () |
Field of
Search: |
;118/637 ;355/15
;117/17.5,12A,19 ;317/3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Martin; William D.
Assistant Examiner: Sofocleous; M.
Parent Case Text
This is a division of application Ser. No. 847,866, filed Aug. 6,
1969, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,901.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for reclaiming residual toner particles from a
photosensitive material in a reproduction machine of the type
utilizing a developing system, and a developing mixture comprising
carrier beads and toner particles comprising:
a. removing the residual toner particles from said photosensitive
material,
b. directing the removed particles to a space adjacent a surface
and electrically charging the removed toner particles to a
potential whereby the toner particles will be attracted to said
surface when reaching said space, and
c. contacting said surface with carrier beads to remove toner
particles from said surface and form a mixture of toner particles
and carrier beads.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1, and including the further step
of removing any toner particles not removed by the step of
contacting said surface with said carrier beads.
Description
This invention relates to particle reclaiming systems, and
particularly to a toner reclaiming system that is particularly
adapted for use with automatic copiers/reproducers capable of high
speed operation.
As is well known in recent years, the steadily increasing size of
various industries has required an enormous increase in the amount
of paper work that must be accomplished, maintained and made
available for wide interplant circulation. Present day commercial
automatic copiers/reproduction machines for this purpose are
adapted to produce copies of between 10 and 60 sheets of copy per
minute and are capable of effecting solid area development.
Enormous amounts of developing material are consumed during long
run productions and to a large extent a relatively large amount of
some of this material is lost or diverted, requiring frequent
additions of the material to the development system for the
machines. Heretofore, there has been no effective way in which to
recover residual toner collected or otherwise made available from a
developing system and which will insure the opportunity to recover
the toner particles for latter use.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to improve
electrostatic reproduction machines by returning most of the
residual developing material cleaned from an electrostatic
insulating plate to the developing system for reuse upon the
plate.
Another object of this invention is to reclaim toner particles
previously removed from an insulating plate automatically and to
convey the toner particles with supporting carrier particles back
into the developing system.
These and other objects of this invention are obtained by means of
an electrically biased rotating drum arranged in the path of
movement of an air flow containing toner previously cleaned from a
photoconductor plate and directing carrier beads upon the drum to
clean off and permit the return of the toner particles back into a
developing system.
For a better understanding of the invention as well as other
objects and further features thereof, reference is had to the
following detailed description of the invention to be read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a reproduction machine
incorporating the present invention therein with the processing
components in section to better illustrate the environment for the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a toner cleaning mechanism for the reproduction machine;
and
FIG. 3 is a schematic view, partly broken away, of a reclaiming
system used in conjunction with the cleaning mechanism for the
reproduction machine.
For a general understanding of the illustrated copier/reproduction
machine, in which the invention may be incorporated, reference is
had to FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the various system components for the
machine are schematically illustrated. As in all electrostatic
systems such as xerographic machine of the type illustrated, a
light image of a document to be reproduced is projected onto the
sensitized surface of a xerographic plate to form an electrostatic
latent image thereon. Thereafter, the latent image is developed at
a working zone with an oppositely charged developing material
comprising carrier beads and smaller toner particles
triboelectrically adhering thereto to form a xerographic powder
image, corresponding to the latent image on the plate surface. The
powder image is then electrostatically transferred to a support
surface to which it may be fixed by a fusing device whereby the
powder image is caused permanently to adhere to the support
surface.
The electrostatically attractable developing material commonly used
in dry electrostatic printing comprises a pigmented resinous powder
referred to here as "toner" and a "carrier" of larger granular
beads formed with glass, sand, polymer material or steel cores
coated with a material removed in the triboelectric series from the
toner so that a triboelectric charge is generated between the toner
powder and the granular carrier. The carrier also provides
mechanical control so that the toner can be readily handled and
brought into contact with the exposed xerographic surface. The
toner is then attracted to the electrostatic latent image from the
carrier to produce a visable powder image on an insulating surface
while the partially toner-depleted carrier beads are brought back
into the developing system for the machine wherein it is mixed with
developing material and a new supply of toner prior to reuse.
In the illustrated machine, an original D to be copied is placed
upon a transparent support platen P fixedly arranged in an
illumination assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral
10, arranged at the left end of the machine. While upon the platen,
an illumination system flashes light rays upon the original thereby
producing image rays corresponding to the informational areas on
the original.
The image rays are projected by means of an optical system to an
exposure station A for exposing the photosensitive surface of a
moving xerographic plate in the form of a flexible photoconductive
belt 12.
The exposure of the belt surface to the light image discharges the
photoconductive layer in the areas struck by light, whereby there
remains on the belt a latent electrostatic image in image
configuration corresponding to the light image projected from the
original on the supporting platen. As the belt surface continues
its movement, the electrostatic image passes through a working zone
or developing station B in which there is positioned a developer
assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 14 and where
the belt is maintained in a flat condition. The developer assembly
14 comprises horizontally and vertically conveying mechanisms which
carry developing material to the upper part of the belt assembly
whereat the material is dispensed and directed to cascade down over
the upwardly moving inclined selenium belt 12 in order to provide
development of the electrostatic image.
As the developing material is cascaded over the xerographic plate,
toner particles in the development material are deposited on the
belt surface to form powder images. As toner powder images are
formed additional toner particles are supplied to the developing
material in proportion to the amount of toner deposited on the belt
during xerographic processing. For this purpose, a toner dispenser
generally indicated by reference numeral 15 is used to accurately
meter toner to the developer material in the developer assembly
14.
The developed electrostatic image is transported by the belt 12 to
a transfer station C whereat a sheet of copy paper is moved at a
speed in synchronism with the moving belt in order to accomplish
transfer of the developed image. There is provided at this station
a suitable sheet transport mechanism adapted to transport sheets of
paper from a paper handling mechanism generally indicated by the
reference numeral 18 to the developed image on the belt at the
station B.
After the sheet is stripped from the belt 12, it is conveyed into a
fuser assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 21
wherein the developed and transferred xerographic powder image on
the sheet material is permanently affixed thereto. After fusing,
the finished copy is discharged from the apparatus at a suitable
point for collection externally of the apparatus.
The next and final station in the device is a belt cleaning station
having positioned therein a corona precleaning device 24 similar to
a corona charging device to impose an electrostatic charge on the
selenium belt and residual toner particles adherent thereto to aid
in effecting the removal of the particles and a belt cleaning
assembly 25 including a rotating brush device adapted to remove any
powder remaining on the xerographic belt after transfer.
It is believed that the foregoing description is sufficient for the
purposes of this application to show the general operation of an
electrostatic copier using an illumination system constructed in
accordance with the invention. For further details concerning the
specific construction of the electrostatic copier, reference is
made to copending application Ser. No. 731,934, filed May 24, 1968
in the name of Hewes et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,452.
The belt cleaning assembly 25 shown in FIG. 2 comprises an
elongated rotatable brush 30 of such construction as to apply
extremely light pressure to the photoconductive surface of the
selenium belt 12 and to dislodge any powder particles that may
adhere thereto. The brush is preferably formed of synthetic fur
secured to a rigid cylinder 31 which in turn is secured to a shaft
32 of a motor (not shown) mounted in frame 33 of the machine. The
brush is rotatably supported in an elongated housing 34 secured by
nuts to a discharge nozzle adaptor 35 which in turn is supported on
the machine frame 33.
For containing toner powder particles removed from the belt 12 by
the belt cleaning device, the housing 34 encompasses approximately
the entire brush area and when applied to the belt 12 the open end
of the housing is nearly rendered closed by the adjacent surface of
the belt. In order to insure as close as possible an air tight
relationship between the selenium belt 12 and the interior of the
brush housing 34, the upper edge portion of the housing is provided
with an adjustable seal plate 36 which may be moved
circumferentially relative to the housing wall in order to permit
close positioning of the leading edge of the seal plate to the
selenium belt during movement thereof. Similarly the lower wall
section of the housing 35 is provided with an adjustable seal plate
37 which has a leading edge that may be moved toward and away from
the belt 12 in order to minimize the spacing therebetween.
At the other end remote from the side thereof which faces the
selenium belt, the housing 34 is formed with an exhaust opening 38
in the form of an elongated slot having its longitudinal axis
parallel to the axis of the brush cylinder 31 and a length
generally equal to the length of the cylinder.
The adaptor 35, which is in communication with the interior of the
housing 34, serves to connect the housing to an inlet duct of a
toner reclaiming system generally indicated by the reference
numeral 40.
The toner reclaiming system comprises a generally cylindrical
housing 41 having mounted therein for rotation by suitable bearings
a drum 42 arranged with its circumferential wall concentric with
the outer wall of the housing 41. The interior of the housing 41 is
connected to the interior of the brush housing 34 by a duct 43 by
way of the adaptor 35. The interior of the housing 41 is also
connected by way of a duct 44 to an exhaust blower 45 having its
outlet arranged to direct exhaust air out of the machine and into
the surrounding atmosphere. A filter 46 is in the path of movement
of this exhaust air in order to insure that only filtered air
reaches the atmosphere. In conventional brush cleaning exhaust
systems for electrostatic machines, the brush cleaner 25, the ducts
43, 44 and the exhaust blower 45 with the filter 46 comprise the
usual electrostatic plate cleaning system.
Some of these conventional machines may replace the plane filter 46
with a filter bag adapted to not only insure the atmospheric
exhaust of clean air, but also to accumulate toner particles which
then can be removed from the filter bag and repackaged for toner
supply purposes. In the present invention, however, the toner
reclaiming system 40 is interposed between a brush cleaner and its
conventional exhaust system.
The duct 43 serves as the input for the reclaiming system housing
41 and because of the blower 45, directs a flow of air therein from
the interior of the brush housing 34. This flow of air conveys and
directs toner particles just previously removed from the
photoconductive belt 12 upon the circumferential surface of the
reclaiming drum 42 at an acute angle relative to a tangent at the
point of contact therewith. The air is then directed through an
arcuate space 47 defined by the surface of the rotating drum and
the adjacent section of the housing 41. Within this space is
insulatingly mounted corona emitting wires 48 electrically
connected to a source of electric potential.
The potential induced upon the wires 48 is relatively high and the
toner particles passing through the space 47 become electrically
charged due to the high ionizing field produced by the corona
emitting wires. The charged toner particles, now ionized, seek the
nearest surface of different potential which will be at the surface
of the drum 42, preferably held at ground potential. Air
effectively free of toner leaves the space 47 and enters the duct
44 to be exhausted by the blower 45. As the drum 42 continues
rotation, it collects and carries the toner adhering to its surface
past a baffle structure 50 held close to the peripheral surface of
the drum 42 and which separates the exhaust duct 44 from a return
duct 51. The return duct 51 is in communication with an arcuate
space 52 separating another portion of the peripheral surface of
the drum 42 and the interior surface of the adjacent section of
housing 41. This space 52 is also in communication with a duct 53
which is connected to a source of carrier beads for the development
material being utilized by the electrostatic machine. These carrier
particles are somewhat depleted of toner particles and, therefore,
are in condition for accepting additional toner particles when
brought in contact therewith.
As previously stated, the carrier particles are made of material
or, are coated with material occupying a position on the
triboelectric scale different than the position of the toner
particles so that when the carrier beads and toner particles are
brought into contact, the toner will adhere to the carrier beads.
The source of carrier beads is preferably a part of the developing
system itself which for the present illustration will originate
from a point wherein the carrier beads are in their most depleted
stage.
As shown in FIG. 1, the developing material M is shown as being
directed from an upper horizontal conveyor dispenser tube 60 and
into position to cascade over the upwardly moving run of the
photoconductive belt 12. As the carrier beads cascade down the
inclined slope at the development station B, toner is removed from
the beads during the developing process. As the remaining
development material is directed away from the belt 12 by means of
a chute 61, it is returned back into the developing system of the
machine by being conveyed into a lower horizontal conveyor tube 62.
A vertical conveying means (not shown) will carry the remaining
developing material along with newly added toner particles upperly
from the conveyor tube 62 and into the conveyor tube 60 in order to
present a continuous flow of development material during operation
of the machine.
For the developing system shown in FIG. 1, the point where carrier
beads which are in the most depleted condition will be while they
are being removed from the vicinity of the belt 12 and sliding down
the chute 61. The input tube 53 for the carrier beads is connected
to an opening formed in the chute in order to receive some of the
depleted carrier beads and to direct the same into the toner
reclaiming system 40 by force of gravity. With the drum 42 moving
in a direction indicated by the arrow, and with the carrier beads
being driven against the surface at an acute angle relative to the
tangent at the point of engagement with the periphery of the drum,
the carrier beads will strike the drum surface thereby dislodging
the adhering toner particles therefrom. With the carrier beads in
the space 52 and the ducts 51, 53 moving in the direction indicated
by the arrows, the dislodged toner particles are removed from the
space 52. From the space 52, the carrier beads - toner particle
mixture, is directed by the duct 51 and conveyed to the interior of
the lower conveyor tube 62 for the developing system 14. In this
manner, the carrier beads with their toner particles adhering
thereto to form usable developing material are returned to the
developing system to be utilized therein for continued development
by the system. A blade 65 is secured to the housing 41 and contacts
the surface of drum 42 at an angle relative to the tangent of the
drum at that point. The blade cleans off the remaining toner
particles still adhering to the drum and is arranged so that the
scraped off toner is in the flow of carrier beads that contact
toner particles in the space 52.
While the invention has been described with reference to the
structure disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set
forth; but is intended to cover such modifications, or changes as
may come within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *