Cleaning apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for removing a finely divided particulate material from a surface to which said material is loosely adhering including, an electrically isolated brush member arranged to move in an endless path and being positioned so that a portion of the fibers of said brush member are in contact with said surface, means to move said brush at a rate wheRein the brush fibers wipe across said surface to remove charged particles therefrom, a first corona generating device positioned adjacent to said brush and being arranged to induce a charge of a first polarity in said brush fibers and the removed particles collected thereon, an electrically biased transfer roll member positioned to move in an endless path in contact with a portion of the charged brush fibers and the removed particles collected thereon, and a blade member riding in contact with the roll surface and being adapted to mechanically remove particles from the surface of said roll member.

Claim 3

Apparatus for removing a finely divided particulate material from a surface to which said material is loosely adhering including, an electrically isolated brush member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of the fibers of said brush member being in contact with a portion of said surface, means for producing a relative movement between said surface and said brush member to wipe the fibers of said brush member across said surface to remove charged particulate material therefrom, corona generating means positioned adjacent said brush member adapted when energized to induce a charge of a predetermined polarity on the fibers of said brush member and said particulate material collected thereon, an electrically isolated transfer member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of said transfer member contacting a portion of the fibers of said brush member, means for electrically biasing said transfer member to a polarity opposite to the polarity of said brush member and said particulate material thereon to produce an electric field between said transfer member and said brush member for transferring particulate material on said brush member to said transfer member, and means supported in contact with said transfer member for mechanically removing particulate material from said transfer member.

Claim 4

Apparatus for removing a finely divided particulate material from a surface to which said material is loosely adhering including, an electrically isolated brush member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of the fibers of said brush member being in contact with a portion of said surface, means for producing a relative movement between said surface and said brush member to wipe the fibers of said brush member across said surface to remove charged particulate material therefrom, corona generating means positioned adjacent said brush member adapted when energized to induce a charge of a predetermined polarity on the fibers of said brush member and said particulate material collected thereon, an electrically isolated transfer member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of said transfer member contacting a portion of the fibers of said brush member, means for electrically biasing said transfer member to a polarity opposite to the polarity of said brush member and said particulate material thereon to produce an electric field between said transfer member and said brush member for transferring particulate material on said brush member to said transfer member, and means supported in contact with said transfer member for mechanically removing particulate material from said transfer member.

Claim 5

Apparatus for removing a finely divided particulate material from a surface to which said material is loosely adhering including, an electrically isolated brush member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of the fibers of said brush member being in contact with a portion of said surface, means for producing a relative movement between said surface and said brush member to wipe the fibers of said brush member across said surface to remove charged particulate material therefrom, corona generating means positioned adjacent said brush member adapted when energized to induce a charge of a predetermined polarity on the fibers of said brush member and said particulate material collected thereon, an electrically isolated transfer member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of said transfer member contacting a portion of the fibers of said brush member, means for electrically biasing said transfer member to a polarity opposite to the polarity of said brush member and said particulate material thereon to produce an electric field between said transfer member and said brush member for transferring particulate material on said brush member to said transfer member, means supported in contact with said transfer member for mechanically removing particulate material from said transfer member, and means for collecting particulate material removed from said transfer member and for transporting the collected particulate material to a supply reservoir.

Claim 6

Apparatus for removing a finely divided particulate material from a surface to which said material is loosely adhering including, an electrically isolated brush member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of the fibers of said brush member being in contact with a portion of said surface, means for producing a relative movement between said surface and said brush member to wipe the fibers of said brush member across said surface to remove charged particulate material therefrom, corona generating means positioned adjacent said brush member adapted when energized to induce a charge of a predetermined polarity on the fibers of said brush member and said particulate material collected thereon, an electrically isolated transfer member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of said transfer member contacting a portion of the fibers of said brush member, means for electrically biasing said transfer member to a polarity opposite to the polarity of said brush member and said particulate material thereon to produce an electric field between said transfer member and said brush member for transferring particulate material on said brush member to said transfer member, means supported in contact with said transfer member for mechanically removing particulate material from said transfer member, and means for collecting particulate material removed from said transfer member and for transporting the collected particulate material to a supply reservoir.

Claim 7

In a xerographic reproducing apparatus in which charged toner particles are deposited by a development system onto the surface of a photoconductive member to render a latent electrostatic image of the image to be reproduced visible and the developed image is then transferred to a support member, apparatus for removing residual toner particles from the photoconductive member comprising, an electrically isolated brush member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of the fiberS of said brush member being in contact with a portion of the surface of said photoconductive member, means for producing a relative movement between said photoconductive member and said brush member to wipe the fibers of said brush member across the surface of said photoconductive member to remove charged toner particles therefrom, corona generating means positioned adjacent said brush member adapted when energized to induce a charge of a predetermined polarity on the fibers of said brush member and said toner particles collected thereon, an electrically isolated transfer member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of said transfer member contacting a portion of the fibers of said brush member, means for electrically biasing said transfer member to a polarity opposite to the polarity of said brush member and said toner particles thereon to produce an electric field between said transfer member and said brush member for transferring toner particles on said brush member to said transfer member, means supported in contact with said transfer member for mechanically removing toner particles from said transfer member, and means for collecting toner particles removed from said transfer member and for returning the collected toner particles to the development system.

Claim 8

In a xerographic reproducing apparatus in which charged toner particles are deposited by a development system onto the surface of a photoconductive member to render a latent electrostatic image of the image to be reproduced visible and the developed image is then transferred to a support member, apparatus for removing residual toner particles from the photoconductive member comprising, an electrically isolated brush member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of the fiberS of said brush member being in contact with a portion of the surface of said photoconductive member, means for producing a relative movement between said photoconductive member and said brush member to wipe the fibers of said brush member across the surface of said photoconductive member to remove charged toner particles therefrom, corona generating means positioned adjacent said brush member adapted when energized to induce a charge of a predetermined polarity on the fibers of said brush member and said toner particles collected thereon, an electrically isolated transfer member adapted for movement about an endless path with a portion of said transfer member contacting a portion of the fibers of said brush member, means for electrically biasing said transfer member to a polarity opposite to the polarity of said brush member and said toner particles thereon to produce an electric field between said transfer member and said brush member for transferring toner particles on said brush member to said transfer member, means supported in contact with said transfer member for mechanically removing toner particles from said transfer member, and means for collecting toner particles removed from said transfer member and for returning the collected toner particles to the development system.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the brush member is moved in opposition to the movement of the moving surface.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 further including means to collect particles removed from said roll surface.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second corona generating device positioned adjacent to said moving surface and being adapted to induce a neutralizing charge over said surface prior to said particles moving into contact with said rotating brush.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7 further including mechanical means positioned between the said first corona generating device and said bias transfer member being adapted to mechanically dislodge loosely held particles from the brush surface prior to the brush contacting said transfer member.