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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8086120 | Method and apparatus for predicting blade life in an image production device A method and apparatus for predicting blade life in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include retrieving a number of print starts, a number of print cycles, a wear rate for print starts, and a wear rate for print cycles from a memory, calculati... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8081889 | Image forming apparatus and control method thereof An image forming apparatus includes: an image receptor; a developing member which develops a latent image on the image receptor with a toner; an anti-spattering member collecting free toner particles, a driver which drives the developing member and the anti-spatteri... | 12/20/2011 |
| 7929874 | Transfer device and image forming apparatus using the same A transfer device includes a transfer device controller for controlling the whole transfer device, a storage for storing various kinds of data etc. necessary for control, an intermediate transfer unit including a primary transfer power supply and its driver, a secon... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7869722 | Blade maintenance process and system for maintaining adequate toner dam A toner dam maintenance process and system model the amount of toner mass at a toner cleaner blade, and apply a corrective procedure, such as insertion of a paperless copy into the print job mid-job or immediately prior to cycle out, to replenish the toner mass at t... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7783210 | Long life cleaning system with replacement blades Systems and methods are described that facilitate replacing cleaning blades employed to chisel excess toner from a photoreceptor surface. For example, a cleaning unit can comprise a blade holder with a plurality of cleaning blades attached thereto, which is rotated ... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7720398 | Image forming apparatus If, upon an occurrence of a jam, a sheet is detected by a sensor disposed downstream of a fixing portion or the leading end thereof has not reached this sensor and a coverage rate is high, the jam is judged to have occurred in the fixing portion. A number (x) of bla... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7634205 | Sheet feeder with electrostatic dust-collecting function A sheet feeder with electrostatic dust-collecting function includes a paper path, a feeding roller, a dust-collecting passageway, an electrostatic charge generator and a dust-collecting box. The feeding roller located on the paper path feeds a sheet through the pape... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7609986 | Image forming apparatus and control method for the same An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member to carry a toner image, a drive device to drive the image carrying member, a cleaning member to slide in contact with the image carrying member so as to remove toner remaining on the image carrying member ... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7447449 | Cleaner subsystem fault detection A method for detecting a stress condition in a cleaning system of an imaging device is provided. The method comprises receiving a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal. The PWM signal has a duty cycle for driving a PWM servo motor of a cleaning system. A determination ... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7395009 | Sheet carrier apparatus, image forming apparatus, image reader, and post-processing apparatus A sheet carrier apparatus includes a sheet carrier guide to guide a sheet in a first direction and includes an opening; and a paper-dust removal member that is arranged substantially above the opening and so as to make a contact with the sheet carried on the sheet c... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7391992 | Sheet conveying unit, and image reading unit, post-processing unit, and image forming apparatus employing the sheet conveying unit A sheet conveying unit that guides and conveys a sheet material by a lower conveying guide includes an opening in the lower conveying guide, a brush-like member on a downstream side of the opening to scrap off paper dust adhered on a surface of a sheet material. A s... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7280776 | Method and apparatus to control waste toner collection in an image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a waste toner system that collects waste toner in a waste toner container. An amount of waste toner collected in the container is increased by using a driven toner distributing member that distributes accumulated toner within the ... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7251430 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus has: an image bearing member that bears a toner image and moves; a transfer means that transfers the toner image on the image bearing member to a transfer medium; a first eliminating member that comes in contact with the image bearing memb... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7233755 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus which reduces abrasion of a photosensitive drum caused by a rotary brush such as an charging brush for electrically charging the surface of a photosensitive drum or a cleaning brush for cleaning the surface of a photosensitive drum. The ro... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7231163 | Apparatus and method of reducing charge roller contamination The present invention relates generally to image forming equipment, e.g. a laser printer of the type which includes a photoconductive (PC) drum and an associated charge roller. The invention is disclosed in exemplary embodiment as a laser printer incorporating a cle... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7212755 | Image forming apparatus A drum idle rotation is executed by the timing before printing on the basis of the number of drum idle rotating times selected by the operator, or the number of drum idle rotating times is set in accordance with a print image kind or a drum count value and the drum ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7184674 | Detecting device for an image forming apparatus The present invention provides a detector that brings a cleaning blade made from elastomer in contact with a photoconductor to observe vibrations of the cleaning blade or a supporting member for the cleaning blade and calculates an index value based upon a normal co... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7162187 | Image forming apparatus and image forming method In an image forming apparatus, a toner image is formed on a photosensitive element and a transfer roller, which carries a transfer medium, is pressed against a photosensitive element at a pressure of from 20.4 N/cm2 to 200 N/cm2. ... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7065316 | Cleaning unit, process cartridge, image forming apparatus, and toner A cleaning unit is equipped with a cleaning blade that is in contact with a surface of a photosensitive drum and cleans the surface. A peak temperature of a loss tangent (tan δ) is in a range of 2° C. to −30° C. when a sine-wave vibration of 10 Hz is applied to... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7043187 | Conductive fiber brush cleaner having brush speed control A method and structure for an image processing apparatus that includes an image bearing surface adapted to receive electrostatically charged toner, a cleaning brush adapted to remove waste particles from the image bearing surface, a detone roller adapted to remove t... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6944408 | Control device and method for monitoring wear parts for printers and copiers A control device and a method for monitoring wear parts for printers and copiers is provided. The control device includes a counter device with which the replacement intervals or, respectively, the maintenance intervals for individual wear parts are monitored. The r... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6885473 | Image forming apparatus having cleaner devices for performing improved cleaning operations The present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which each of the plurality of image forming station includes an image bearing body, a developer for developing latent image on the image bearing body by toner, and a cleaner for effecting cleaning of... | 04/26/2005 |
| 6789554 | Removing toner from printed material Toner xerographically adhered to a material, such as a sheet of paper, may be removed using a solvent-based or solventless approach. The application of ultrasonic tamping, scraping and brushing may aid in removing toner particles. In a solvent-based approach, a solv... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6788902 | Service support system and method for image forming apparatus With a push of a maintenance button disposed on a printer, printer information mail is created based on information previously stored in a memory, and sent to a mail server. The sent mail is read by a support server, the support server extracts maintenance informati... | 09/07/2004 |
| 6678483 | Serial drive sensing fault cleaning device detector A method and structure for a detone cleaner assembly for an image processing apparatus includes a drive motor, a plurality of rotating components, and a current sensor for sensing a current being drawn by the drive motor. The rotating components form a se... | 01/13/2004 |
| 6377761 | Method to evaluate the cleaning performance of brush cleaners in an electrophotographic printer A method for measuring a width of a contact zone between a surface, having movement, and a cleaner brush, having a detoning member, the surface having a toner image thereon, the contact zone having particles of the toner image removed from the surface, 'c... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6229968 | Method and apparatus for detecting image medium surface defects in an imaging system In an imaging system including at least one imaging medium transfer surface, an apparatus for detecting defects on the transfer surface is provided. The apparatus includes a scanner mechanism adapted and constructed to generate signals corresponding to a ... | 05/08/2001 |
| 5960228 | Dirt level early warning system A method to provide a highly intelligent, automated diagnostic system that identifies the need to replace specific parts to minimize machine downtime rather than require extensive service troubleshooting. In particular, a systematic, logical test analysis... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5946521 | Xerographic xerciser including a hierarchy system for determining part replacement and failure A method to provide a highly intelligent, automated diagnostic system that identifies the need to replace specific parts to minimize machine downtime rather than require extensive service troubleshooting. In particular, a systematic, logical test analysis... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5937224 | Cleaner stress indicator A method to provide a highly intelligent, automated diagnostic system that identifies the need to replace specific parts to minimize machine downtime rather than require extensive service troubleshooting. In particular, a systematic, logical test analysis... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5903797 | Monitoring cleaning performance to predict cleaner life A method, apparatus and printing machine are disclosed that contain a monitoring system that includes a sensor and artificial stress conditions to determine the cleaner brush life. A comparative analysis is performed from the data provided by the monitori... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5797063 | Image forming apparatus and cleaning device for transfer material conveyor belt In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning device using a webbing is capable of surely removing stains firmly adhered to a desired surface to be cleaned. Even when the degree and the kind of contamination on the above surface is irregular due to the varyin... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5652945 | Automatic measurement of cleaning brush nip width for process control and/or diagnostics A method to evaluate the cleaning performance of brush cleaners by measuring the brush to photoreceptor nip width (e.g cleaning footprint or contact zone) using an ESV sensor or ETAC sensor. This nip width measurement is automatically made using one of th... | 07/29/1997 |
| 5606721 | Diagnostic procedure to identify cleaner retraction timing faults A method and an apparatus for identifying cleaner retraction timing faults in an electrostatographic printer. A toner image or patch is developed on the photoreceptor during the non-printing mode of the printer. After cleaning by a retractable cleaner, th... | 02/25/1997 |
| 5500723 | Method and apparatus employing variable pressure to clean a substrate in a printing apparatus An electrostatic printer employing a cleaning blade that applies a variable amount of pressure on a photoreceptor substrate. The printer detects an amount of toner on the substrate, and varies the cleaning blade pressure as an increasing function of the d... | 03/19/1996 |
| 5434659 | Cleaning unit A cleaning unit used for cleaning the surface of a recording medium in an image forming apparatus, the cleaning unit having a head being moved so as to contact with and separate from the recording medium on the basis of the assessment of preset image form... | 07/18/1995 |
| 5239350 | Cleaning system failure detector An apparatus for detecting cleaning system failure having a trapping enclosure for particles cleaned from the imaging surface. The failure detector signals a failure in the cleaning apparatus when the level of trapped particles exceeds a preselected quant... | 08/24/1993 |
| 5229817 | Apparatus for monitoring wear of a toner removal device In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus in a printing apparatus of the type having a charge retentive surface upon which residual material is disposed. In one aspect of the disclosed embodiment, the cleaning appara... | 07/20/1993 |
| 5227844 | Cleaning sheet and method for cleaning paper path feed roller surfaces The feed surfaces of feed rollers along the paper path of an imaging machine are cleaned by passing a cleaning sheet along the paper path through the imaging machine, the cleaning sheet including a substrate carrying a coating of synthetic polymeric mater... | 07/13/1993 |
| 4967238 | Cleaning performance monitor An arrangement for detecting toner or debris deposits on an imaging surface is arranged downstream from the cleaning station. The imaging surface is illuminated with a light source, a light intensity detecting sensor arrangement is provided to view the il... | 10/30/1990 |
