U.S. patent number 3,875,407 [Application Number 05/433,979] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-01 for corona generator cleaning apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Xerox Corporation. Invention is credited to Thomas F. Hayne.
United States Patent |
3,875,407 |
Hayne |
April 1, 1975 |
Corona generator cleaning apparatus
Abstract
A corona generating apparatus in which the electrode and grid
are cleaned to remove particle contamination therefrom. The
cleaning device flexes and scrapes the grid while substantially
simultaneously therewith wiping the electrode to remove
contaminants adhering to either of the foregoing. This maintains
the electrical characteristics of the corona generating apparatus
substantially constant eliminating any variations introduced by the
accumulation of contaminating particles on the grid or electrode.
The foregoing abstract is neither intended to define the invention
disclosed in the specification, nor is it intended to be limiting
as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Inventors: |
Hayne; Thomas F. (Fairport,
NY) |
Assignee: |
Xerox Corporation (Stamford,
CT)
|
Family
ID: |
23722334 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/433,979 |
Filed: |
January 16, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
399/100;
361/230 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03G
15/0291 (20130101); G03G 15/0258 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G03G
15/02 (20060101); H01j 037/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;250/324,325,326
;317/4,262R,262A ;314/23,24 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lieberman; Eli
Assistant Examiner: Nelms; D. C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fleischer; H. Ralabate; J. J.
Green; C. A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A corona generating apparatus, including:
a shield defining an elongated open ended chamber;
grid means disposed in the open end of said shield extending
substantially in a longitudinal direction along the length of said
shield;
electrode means interposed between said shield and said grid means;
and
means for cleaning said electrode means and said grid means, said
cleaning means having a first portion engaging said grid means to
flex said grid means loosening particles adhering thereto and
scraping the loosened particles therefrom, said cleaning means
having a second portion engaging said electrode means to wipe
particles therefrom.
2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including:
means for energizing said electrode means to generate a corona
discharge therefrom; and
means for applying a field regulating potential to said grid means
for controlling the corona discharge generated by said electrode
means.
3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein:
said electrode means includes at least a pair of spaced
substantially parallel conductive coronode wires extending
substantially in a longitudinal direction along the length of said
shield; and
said grid means includes a plurality of spaced substantially
parallel longitudinally extending grid wires mounted in said shield
partially enclosing the open end thereof with one of said coronode
wires being disposed therebeneath and the other of said coronode
wires being disposed in the unenclosed portion of the chamber of
said shield.
4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the first portion of
said cleaning means includes a scraping member having a first
member with a plurality of open ended slots therein adapted to
support said grid wires and a second member having a beveled edge
arranged to engage the interior surface of said grid wires opposed
from said pair of coronode wires.
5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, further including means for
moving said cleaning means along said pair of coronode wires and
said grid wires to remove particles therefrom.
6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said moving means
includes:
guide means affixed to at least one end portion of said shield;
and
a rod member secured to said cleaning means, said rod member being
disposed in said guide means to reciprocate said cleaning means
along the length of said pair of coronode wires and said grid
wires.
7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said shield includes
a substantially U-shaped conductive housing.
8. An electrophotographic printing machine of the type having a
photoconductive member adapted to be charged to a substantially
uniform potential by a corona generating device, wherein the
improvement in said corona generating device includes:
a shield defining an elongated open ended chamber;
grid means disposed in the open end of said chamber extending
substantially in a longitudinal direction along the length of said
shield;
electrode means interposed between said shield and said grid means;
and
means for cleaning said electrode means and said grid means, said
cleaning means having a first portion engaging said grid means to
flex said grid means loosening particles adhering thereto and
scraping the loosened particles therefrom, said cleaning means
having a second portion engaging said electrode means to wipe
particles therefrom.
9. A printing machine as recited in claim 8, further including:
means for energizing said electrode means to generate a corona
discharge therefrom; and
means for applying a field regulating potential to said grid means
for controlling the corona discharge generated by said electrode
means.
10. A printing machine as recited in claim 9, wherein:
said electrode means includes at least a pair of spaced
substantially parallel conductive coronode wires extending
substantially in a longitudinal direction along the length of said
shield; and
said grid means includes a plurality of spaced substantially
parallel longitudinally extending grid wires mounted in said shield
partially enclosing the open end thereof with one of said coronode
wires being disposed therebeneath and the other of said coronode
wires being disposed in the unenclosed portion of the chamber of
said shield.
11. A printing machine as recited in claim 10, wherein the first
portion of said cleaning means includes a scraping member having a
first member with a plurality of open ended slots therein adapted
to support said grid wires and a second member having a beveled
edge arranged to engage the interior surface of said grid wires
opposed from said pair of coronode wires.
12. A printing machine as recited in claim 11, further including
means for moving said cleaning means along said pair of coronode
wires and said grid wires to remove particles therefrom.
13. A printing machine as recited in claim 12, wherein said moving
means includes:
guide means affixed to at least one end portion of said shield;
and
a rod member secured to said scraping member, said rod member being
disposed in said guide means to reciprocate said cleaning means
along the length of said pair of coronode wires and said grid
wires.
14. A printing machine as recited in claim 13, wherein said shield
includes a substantially U-shaped conductive housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an electrophotographic printing
machine, and more particularly concerns a corona generating
apparatus adapted to be cleaned prior to charging a photoconductive
surface to a substantially uniform potential.
Typical electrophotographic printing machines include a
photosensitive surface which is electrostatically charged
substantially uniformly thereover. The surface is then irradiated
with a light pattern of an image to be reproduced. This light image
discharges the electrostatic charge in the irradiated areas of the
photoconductive surface. As a consequence thereof, the remaining
charge on the photoconductive surface forms an electrostatic charge
pattern in image configuration, i.e., an electrostatic latent
image. The electrostatic latent image is then developed by
contacting it with finely divided electrostatically attractable
material, i.e. toner particles. The toner particles adhere
electrostatically to the photoconductive surface in a pattern
corresponding to the latent image recorded thereon. Thereafter, the
developed image is transferred to a sheet of support material, e.g.
paper or any other suitable material, such as a thermoplastic
sheet. The powder image transferred to the sheet of support
material is subsequently suitably affixed thereto forming a
permanent print thereon. This process is more fully disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,691 issued to Carlson in 1947.
Multi-color electrophotographic printing is similar to the
heretofore discussed black and white process, however, each image
represents a particular color contained in the original document.
Thus, multi-color electrophotographic printing employs a plurality
of single color images each adapted to be reproduced with its
correspondingly colored toner particles. Color reproduction
requires a plurality of differently colored toner powder images
which are superimposed onto the sheet of support material to create
a color copy therefrom. The formation of the color copy from a
colored original requires substantially more toner particles than
has heretofore been employed in the creation of black and white
copies. Therefore, it is evident that there is an increased risk of
contamination from dust and toner particles.
A uniform potential is applied to the photoconductive surface by a
corona generating device. A typical corona device is described in
U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,725 issued by Vyverberg in 1958. Corona
generating devices generally include a corona discharge electrode
surrounded by a conductive shield. The corona discharge electrode
is a coronode wire adapted to be supplied with a DC voltage of
sufficient magnitude to create a corona current flow from the
electrode to the photoconductive surface closely spaced thereto.
Another type of corona generating apparatus particularly suitable
for use in multi-color electrophotographic printing is disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,946 issued to Mayo in 1957. An apparatus of
this type includes a corona discharge electrode such as a coronode
wire, surrounded by a conductive shield with a grid interposed
between the coronode wire and the photoconductive surface. The
shield is normally at ground potential and the grid is operated at
some preselected intermediate potential between the discharge
electrode voltage and the ground voltage. This enables the grid to
control the charge applied to the photoconductive surface.
Although the corona generating devices heretofore described may be
advantageously utilized to substantially uniformly charge a
photoconductive surface, these devices are also suitably adapted
for various other applications. For example, they can
electrostatically transfer a powder image from a photoconductive
surface to a sheet of support material as well as remove
background. Furthermore, corona generating devices can neutralize
the charge on toner particles adhering to the photoconductive
surface, after the transfer of the powder image to the support
material, facilitating the removal thereof. However, a disadvantage
of the foregoing type of device is its sensitivity to the
accumulation of dust and toner particles. Dust or toner particles
adhering to the coronode wires will decrease the corona current
generated therefrom as the density of particle accumulation
increases. Contrawise, dust or toner particles adhering to the grid
wires will increase the corona current generated therefrom as the
density of particle accumulation increases. It should be noted,
however, that the increase in current produced by particle
accumulation on the grid wires is not inversely proportional to the
decrease in current produced by particle accumulation on the
coronode wires. Thus, the performance of the corona generating
device is sensitive to dust and toner particles and the corona
current produced thereby is a variable dependent upon the dust and
toner particle accumulation.
Hereinbefore, various prior art devices have been developed for
cleaning corona generating devices. By way of example, IBM
Technical Disclosure Bulletin Volume 11, No. 8 of January 1969
describes cleaning pads engaging the coronode wire of a corona
generating device. The cleaning pads are reciprocated along the
length of the coronode wire to remove dust and toner particles
accumulated thereon. Similarly, copending application Ser. No.
235,306, filed in 1972, now abandoned, describes cleaning pads
surrounding the coronode wire and contacting the interior surface
of the shield surrounding the coronode wire. Once again, the
cleaning pads are reciprocated along the length of the coronode
wire and shield to remove dust and toner particles accumulated
thereon. In addition, co-pending application Ser. No. 307,250 filed
in 1972 describes cleaning pads adapted to be reciprocated along
the coronode wire and grid wires so as to remove particle
accumulation thereon. Moreover, co-pending application Ser. No.
380,302 filed in 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,273, describes
scraping the coronode wire and/or shield to remove particle
accumulations therefrom. Various other techniques have been devised
to reduce or remove particle contamination. These techniques are
exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,324,291, 3,339,069, 3,382,360,
3,471,965, 3,483,372, 3,496,352 and 3,499,143. However, none of the
foregoing prior art devices describe flexing and scraping of the
grid wires while wiping the coronode wires remove particles
adhering thereto.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to
improve cleaning of a corona generating apparatus to remove
particle accumulation therefrom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon
reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view depicting a color
electrophotographic printing machine employing the corona
generating apparatus of the present invention therein;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the corona generating apparatus
used in the FIG. 1 printing machine;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partially in
section, showing scraping of the grid wires; and
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partially in
section, showing scraping of the grid wires and wiping the coronode
wires.
While the present invention will be described in connection with a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is not
intended to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the
contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications
and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of
the invention as defined by the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, and in accordance with the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for cleaning a corona generator employed
in an electrophotographic printing machine.
This is achieved in the present instance by a corona generating
apparatus having a shield, grid means, electrode means and cleaning
means. The shield defines an elongated open ended chamber adapted
to house the grid means in the open end thereof. The grid means
extends in a substantially longitudinal direction along the length
of the shield with the electrode interposed therebetween. As the
grid means is flexed, contaminating particles are scraped therefrom
by the cleaning means. In addition, the cleaning means wipes the
electrode means to remove particles therefrom. This enables the
corona generating apparatus to be maintained substantially free
from contaminating particles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
For a general understanding of the disclosed electrophotographic
printing machine in which the present invention may be
incorporated, continued reference is had to the drawings wherein
the like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate
like elements. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the various
components of a color electrophotographic printing machine arranged
to produce copies in color. Although the corona generating
apparatus of the present invention is particularly well adapted for
use in an electrophotographic printing machine, it should become
evident from the following discussion that it is equally well
suited for use in a wide variety of electrostatographic printing
machines and is not necessarily limited to the particular
embodiment shown herein.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a printing machine
embodying a photoconductive member having a drum 10 mounted
rotatably on a shaft (not shown) of the printing machine.
Photoconductive surface 12 is entrained about and secured to drum
10. As drum 10 rotates in the direction of arrow 14,
photoconductive surface 12 passes sequentially through a series of
processing stations. A timing disc (not shown) is positioned in the
region of one end of the shaft supporting drum 10. The timing disc
rotates with drum 10 and triggers the machine logic to coordinate
the sequence of events at the various processing stations through
which photoconductive surface 12 passes.
Drum 10 initially rotates photoconductive surface 12 through
charging station A. The corona generating apparatus of the present
invention, indicated generally at 16, is positioned at charging
station A. Corona generating apparatus 16 extends in a generally
transverse direction across photoconductive surface 12. This
enables corona generating apparatus 16 to charge photoconductive
surface 12 to a relatively high substantially uniform potential.
Corona generating apparatus 16 will be described in greater detail
hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2 through 4, inclusive.
Continuing now with the description of the various processing
stations through which photoconductive surface 12 rotates, drum 10
rotates charged photoconductive surface 12 to exposure station B.
At exposure station B, a color filtered light image of the original
document is projected onto charged photoconductive surface 12.
Preferably, exposure station B includes a moving lens system,
generally designated by the reference numeral 18 and a color filter
mechanism shown generally at 20. A suitable moving lens system is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,108 issued to Mayo in 1962. As
shown in FIG. 1, an original document 22, such as a paper, book or
the like is disposed face down on transparent viewing platen 24.
Lamp assembly 26, lens system 18 and filter mechanism 20 move in
timed relation with drum 10 to scan successive incremental areas of
original document 22 disposed upon platen 24. This enables a
flowing light image of original document 22 to be projected onto
charged photoconductive surface 12. During exposure, filter
mechanism 20 interposes selected color filters into the path of the
flowing light image created by lens 18. The color filter operates
on the light ray to produce a single color light image which
records an electrostatic latent image on photoconductive surface 12
corresponding to a preselected spectral region of the
electromagnetic wave spectrum, hereinafter referred to as a single
color electrostatic latent image.
The single color electrostatic latent image recorded on
photoconductive surface 12 is next rotated to development station
C. Development station C includes three individual developer units,
generally designated by the reference numerals 28, 30 and 32,
respectively. A suitable development station utilizing a plurality
of such developer units is described in co-pending application Ser.
No. 255,259 filed in 1972. Preferably, the developer units are all
of a magnetic brush type. A typical magnetic brush system employs a
magnetizable developer mix of carrier granules and toner particles.
The developer mix is continually brought through a directional flux
field to form a brush thereof. As drum 10 rotates, photoconductive
surface 12 passes through the brush of developer mix, and the
electrostatic latent image recorded thereon contacts the developer
mix. Each of the respective developer units 28, 30 and 32, contain
discretely colored toner particles corresponding to the complement
of the spectral region of the wave length of light transmitted
through filter 20. For example, a green filtered electrostatic
latent image is rendered visible by depositing green absorbing
magenta toner particles thereon, blue and red latent images are
developed with yellow and cyan toner particles, respectively.
After the electrostatic latent image recorded on photoconductive
surface 12 is developed, drum 10 rotates to transfer station D. At
transfer station D, the toner powder image adhering
electrostatically to photoconductive surface 12 is transferred to a
sheet of final support material 34. Final support material 34 may
be, amongst others, plain paper or a sheet of thermoplastic
material. Sheet 34 is secured releasably to a transfer roll, shown
generally at 36. As indicated in FIG. 1, transfer roll 36 rotates
in the direction of arrow 38 to move support material 34 therewith
in a recirculating path. An electrical bias is applied to transfer
roll 36 having sufficient magnitude and the proper polarity to
attract electrostatically toner particles from the electrostatic
latent image recorded on photoconductive surface 12 to support
material 34. A suitable electrically biased transfer roll is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,677 issued to Langdon et al. in
1971. Transfer roll 36 rotates in synchronism with drum 10 (in this
case at substantially the same angular velocity.) Inasmuch as
support material 34 is secured releasably thereon for movement in a
recirculating path therewith, successive toner powder images may be
transferred from photoconductive surface 12 to support material 34
in superimposed registration with one another.
Prior to proceeding with the remaining processing stations through
which photoconductive surface 12 passes as drum 10 rotates in the
direction of arrow 14, a brief description will be given of the
sheet feeding arrangement.
Support material 34 is advanced from stack 40 thereof. Stack 40 is
disposed upon tray 42. Feed roll 44 in operative communication with
retard roll 46 advances and separates the uppermost sheet from
stack 40. The advancing sheet moves into chute 48 which directs the
sheet between the nip of register rolls 50. Thereafter, gripper
fingers 52 mounted on transfer roll 36 secure releasably thereto
support material 34 for movement therewith in a recirculating
path.
Returning now to the printing sequence, with continued reference to
FIG. 1, gripper fingers 52 release sheet 34 and stripper bar 54
separates sheet 34 from transfer roll 36. Sheet 34 is, thereafter,
advanced on endless belt conveyor 56 to fixing station E.
At fixing station E, a suitable fuser, indicated generally at 58,
applies sufficient heat to the toner powder images transferred to
sheet 34 so as to permanently affix them thereto. A suitable fuser
is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,592 issued to Moser et al. in
1970. After the fixing process, sheet 34 is advanced by endless
belt conveyors 60 and 62 to catch tray 64 for subsequent removal by
the machine operator.
Although a preponderance of the toner particles are transferred to
support material 34, invariably some residual toner particles
remain on photoconductive surface 12 after the transfer of the
powder image to support material 34. The residual toner particles
are removed from photoconductive surface 12 of drum 10 as it passes
through cleaning station F. Here, the residual toner particles are
first brought under the influence of a cleaning corona generating
device (not shown) adapted to neutralize the electrostatic charge
remaining on the residual toner particles and photoconductive
surface 12. The neutralized toner particles are then removed from
photoconductive surface 12 by a rotatably mounted fibrous brush 65
in contact therewith. A suitable brush cleaning device is described
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,412 issued to Gerbasi in 1971.
It is believed that the foregoing description is sufficient for
purposes of the present application to show the general operation
of a multi-color electrophotographic printing machine embodying the
teachings of the present invention therein.
Referring now to the specific subject matter of the present
invention, FIG. 2 depicts corona generating apparatus 16 in detail.
Corona generating apparatus 16 includes an elongated conductive
shield 66 defining an open ended chamber opposed from and closely
spaced to photoconductive surface 12. Shield 66 is a U-shaped
conductive housing which is preferably made from an aluminum
extrusion. Grid means or a plurality of substantially parallel
spaced, fine conductive wires 68 (in this case 10) extend in a
longitudinal direction from one end of shield 66 to the other end
thereof and across about threequarters of the open end of the
chamber therein. An insulating plate 74 is affixed permanently to
either end of shield 66 by suitable means (not shown) e.g.
fasteners or adhesive. Grid wires 68 are preferably formed from a
single wire attached to fasteners 70 and entrained about uprights
72 on insulating plate 74. Interposed between grid wires 68 and
back wall 76 of shield 66 is corona discharge electrode or a pair
of coronode wires 78 and 80, respectively. Coronode wires 78 and 80
are suitably secured to insulating plate 74, preferably by
fasteners (not shown). Both grid wires 68 and coronode wires 78 and
80, respectively, are preferably made from a conductive material,
for example, platinum. Insulating plate 74 is, preferably made from
a dielectric material such as a glass alkyd, Lucite Plexiglass,
Lexan or the like. As depicted in FIG. 2, coronode wire 78 is
positioned in the portion of the chamber of shield 66 that is not
covered by grid wires 68, i.e. grid wires 68 do not extend over
this portion of the open end of shield 66. As previously mentioned,
grid wires 68 extend only across about three-quarters of the open
end of shield 66. This permits rapid and roughly controlled
charging of photoconductive surface 12 in the lead section or the
portion of shield 66 not covered by grid wires 68. Slow and well
controlled charging is obtained over the trailing section or the
portion of shield 66 covered by grid wires 68. Energizing means or
a suitable high voltage source (not shown) excites coronode wires
78 and 80 to a voltage preferably ranging from about 6000 volts to
about 8000 volts, the coronode wire current ranging from about 200
to about 500 micro amperes. Field regulating means or a low voltage
source excites grid wires 68 to, preferably, about 925 volts. In
operation, drum 10 rotates in the direction of arrow 14 permitting
coronode wire 78, i.e., the coronode wire positioned in the
one-quarter of shield 66 not covered by grid wires 68, to roughly
charge photoconductive surface 12 to a substantially uniform
potential. Thereafter, slow and well-controlled charging of
photoconductive surface 12 is obtained from coronode wire 80 and
grid wires 68. Grid wires 68 have the bias voltage thereof set at
about the desired final voltage of photoconductive surface 12. In
this manner, the final charging is field sensitive. For example, as
photoconductive surface 12 moves under grid wires 68, it acquires a
charge which increases up to about the voltage of grid wire 68.
Further charging thereof is suppressed by grid wires 68. That is,
when photoconductive surface 12 is charged to a voltage
substantially the same as that of grid wire 68, most of the corona
current under grid wire 68 is conducted thereto rather than to
photoconductive surface 12.
In order to reduce the sensitivity of corona generating apparatus
16 to dirt, cleaning means 82 is provided therein. Deposits of
toner particles and dust collected on coronode wires 78 and 80,
respectively, and grid wires 68 are removed by cleaning means 82.
Cleaning means 82 includes a scraping member depicted generally by
the reference numeral 84 and a wiping member depicted generally by
reference numeral 85. Scraping member 84 and wiping member 85 will
be described hereinafter in greater detail with reference to FIGS.
3 and 4. Moving means, indicated generally by the reference numeral
86, is associated with cleaning means 82. Moving means 86 comprises
an elongated rod 88 attached to cleaning means 82. Rod 88 extends
through insulating plate 74 affixed to the end portions of shield
66. Preferably, rod 88 extends longitudinally through the center of
shield 66. Handle 90 is attached to rod 88 and is external to one
end portion of shield 66 in the region of insulating plate 74
permitting an operator to grasp handle 90 to reciprocate rod 88
and, in turn, move cleaning means 82. Guide means or block 92 is,
preferably, integral with insulating plate 74 and affixed to one
end portion of shield 66 with a channel 94 therein adapted to
receive elongated rod 88. Channel 94 is arranged to guide rod 88 in
the longitudinal movement thereof. In this manner, cleaning means
82 is reciprocated in the direction of arrow 96 along grid wires 68
and coronode wires 78 and 80, respectively, so as to remove
contaminating particles adhering thereto.
Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown the detailed structural
configuration of scraping member 84. As shown therein, grid wires
68 pass through slots 98 in upper housing 100 which, in turn, is
secured to lower housing 102. Upper housing 100 is U-shaped and
slidably mounted on lower housing 102. Slots 98 in upper housing
100 are arranged to provide a simple support for grid wires 68 at
either end of housing 100. Upper surface 104 of lower housing 102
is positioned to engage grid wires 68 in substantially the
mid-region of upper housing 100. Upper surface 104 deflects grid
wires 68 in an upwardly direction as it moves therealong. Thus, as
scraping member 84 traverses grid wires 68, grid wires 68 are
repeatedly flexed. This tends to brake the surface of the
contaminating particles baked onto grid wires 68 so as to loosen
them therefrom. This aids the cleaning action in that the loosened
contaminating particles are more readily scraped therefrom. Upper
surface 104 of lower housing 102 is beveled forming a knife edge
which engages the interior surface of grid wires 68 opposed from
coronode wires 78 and 80. As scraper member 84 traverses grid wires
68, contaminating particles adhering thereto are loosened and
scraped therefrom.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown once again cleaning means
82 in detail. As shown therein, upper housing 100 includes a
plurality of slots 98 therein. The slots encompass grid wires 68 to
provide a support therefore as upper surface 104 traverses grid
wire 68 scraping particle contamination therefrom. Wiper 106 is
located in the lower region of upper housing and arranged to engage
coronode wires 78 and 80. Similarly, lower wiping member 85 has
wiper 108 located in the upper region thereof engaging coronode
wires 78 and 80. Thus, coronode wires 78 and 80 are interposed
between wipers 106 and 108 which remove contaminating particles
therefrom as cleaning means 82 traverses coronode wires 78 and 80.
Preferably, wipers 106 and 108 are made from suitable felt pads.
Lower wiping member 85 is preferably molded from a suitable
plastic. Similarly, lower and upper housing 102 and 104,
respectively, of scraping member 84 are molded from a suitably
rigid plastic material.
Corona generating apparatus 16 is received by a supporting arm (not
shown) of the electrophotographic printing machine depicted in FIG.
1. Shield 66 is affixed to the frame of the printing machine such
that it extends in a longitudinal direction transversely across
photoconductive surface 12. To clean coronode wires 78 and 80, and
grid wires 68, the operator grasps handle 90 and moves it coaxially
in the direction of arrow 96. This advances scraper member 84 along
the length of grid wires 68. As scraping member 84 traverses grid
wires 68 grid wires 68 flex loosening the baked particles adhering
thereto. This facilitates the scraping action of scraping member
84. Substantially simultaneously therewith, wipers 106 and 108 are
contacting coronode wires 78 and 80 to wipe particles therefrom.
Cleaning means 82 is then returned to its normal position adjacent
the other end of shield 66 where it remains until the next
subsequent cleaning operation. This relative movement of cleaning
means 82 within shield 66 causes scraping member 84 to traverse the
inner surface of grid wires 68 opposed from coronode wires 78 and
80, thereby scraping solid materials, e.g. dust and toner
particles, from the contacted surfaces. Moreover, particles
adhering to coronode wires 78 and 80 are wiped therefrom by wipers
106 and 108.
In recapitulation, it is evident that there has been provided a
corona generating apparatus adapted to have toner particles and
dust cleaned therefrom in order to maintain the charging voltage
produced on the photoconductive surface substantially constant.
This is achieved in the present invention by advancing a scraping
member along the interior surface of the grid wires opposed from
the coronode wires and wipers along the coronode wires to remove
particles therefrom. As the scraping member and wipers advance,
they contact the foregoing wires and remove toner particles and
dust therefrom.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided in accordance
with the present invention, a corona generating apparatus that
fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above.
While this invention has been described in connection with specific
embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in
the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is
intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and
variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *