Cleaning method and device for electrophotographic machine

Claim 2

An electrophotographic machine comprising: a rotatable medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said rotatable medium; liquid developing means for visualizing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; means for transferring the developed toner image to transfer material; means for cleaning said rotatable medium for repetitive use; means for starting the operation of the machine; and means for rotating, after the activation of said starting means, said rotatable medium during operation of said cleaning means, for a predetermined period of time prior to intiating operation of said image forming means, to form the latent image on a portion of said rotatable medium cleaned by said cleaning means, wherein said predetermined time corresponds to at least one full turn of said rotatable medium.

Claim 3

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning blade for contacting said rotatable medium.

Claim 4

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning blade for contacting said rotatable medium at a position whereat said rotatable medium rotates downwardly, and wherein application of liquid developer is effected at a lower portion of said rotatable medium.

Claim 5

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 1, wherein said rotatable medium is a photosensitive medium, and said machine further comprises means for uniformly exposing said photosensitive medium to light before the start of said image forming means.

Claim 6

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning means contacts said rotatable medium and further comprising: means for supplying cleaning liquid onto the contact area between said cleaning means and said rotatable medium for a desired period of time while said rotatable medium is maintained in a fixed position prior to rotation for said predetermined period of time.

Claim 7

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 5, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning blade for contacting said rotatable medium at a position whereat said rotatable medium rotates downwardly, and wherein application of liquid developer is effected at a lower portion of said rotatable medium.

Claim 8

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 5 wherein said desired period of time is variable.

Claim 9

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 1, further comprising: discharging means for removing charges from said rotatable medium during said predetermined period of time.

Claim 10

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 8, wherein said discharging means is disposed at a position where the surface of said rotatable medium rotates downwardly between said cleaning means and said developing means.

Claim 11

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 8, wherein said discharging means is a corona discharger.

Claim 12

An electrophotographic machine according to claim wherein said discharging means is a lamp.

Claim 13

An electrophotographic machine comprising: a rotatable medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said rotatable medium; liquid developing means for visualizing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; means for transferring the developed toner image to transfer material; means for cleaning said rotatable medium for repetitive use, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning blade for contacting said rotatable medium at a position whereat said rotatable medium rotates downwardly and wherein application of liquid developer is effected at a lower position of said rotatable medium; means for starting the operation of the machine; means for rotating, after the activation of said starting means, said rotatable medium during operation of said cleaning means, for a first predetermined period of time prior to initiating operation of said image forming means, to form the latent image on a portion of said rotatable medium cleaned by said cleaning means, wherein said first predetermined time corresponds to at least one full turn of said rotatable medium; and means for rotating said rotatable medium during operation of said cleaning means, for a second predetermined period of time after termination of the image forming operation and while said image forming means is maintained inoperative, the second predetermined period of time being such that the whole surface of said rotatable medium is cleaned, and the transfer material is discharged out of the machine.

Claim 14

An electrophotographic machine comprising: a rotatable medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said rotatable medium; liquid developing means for visualizing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; means for transferring the developed toner image to transfer material; means for cleaning said rotatable medium for repetitive use, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning blade for contacting said rotatable medium at a position whereat said rotatable medium rotates downwardly and wherein application of liquid developer is effected at a lower position of said rotatable medium; means for starting the operation of the machine; means for rotating, after the activation of said starting means, said rotatable medium during operation of said cleaning means, for a first predetermined period of time prior to initiating operation of said image forming means, to form the latent image on a portion of said rotatable medium cleaned by said cleaning means, wherein said first predetermined time corresponds to at least one full turn of said rotatable medium; and means for rotating said rotatable medium during operation of said cleaning means, for a second predetermined period of time after termination of the image forming operation and while said image forming means is maintained inoperative, the second predetermined period of time being such that the whole surface of said rotatable medium is cleaned, and the transfer material is discharged out of the machine.

Claim 15

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 12, further comprising discharging means for removing charges from said rotatable medium during rotation thereof while said image forming means is inoperative.

Claim 16

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 12, further comprising: means for wetting the surface of said rotatable medium before the operation of said image forming means.

Claim 17

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 14, wherein during the rotation prior to establishing the latent image, the developing liquid is applied to the rotatable medium at a cleaning station.

Claim 18

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 12 further comprising means for automatically stopping rotation of said rotatable medium after said predetermined period of time.

Claim 19

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 12, further comprising switch means for initiating operation of the image forming means, and means for terminating, after said predetermined period of time elapses, the rotation of said rotatable medium, when said switch means is not operated during the rotation for predetermined period of time, and for initiating, when said switch means is operated, a subsequent image forming operation before the rotation of said rotatable medium for said predetermined period of time terminates.

Claim 20

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 17, further comprising a main switch for operation to supply power to the machine, wherein said terminating means holds an actuated condition of said main switch after termination of rotation of said rotatable medium.

Claim 21

An electrophotographic machine comprising: a rotatable medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said rotatable medium; liquid developing means for visualizing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; means for transferring the developed toner image to transfer material; means for cleaning siad rotatable medium for repetitive use; means for repeating the operations of said electrostatic latent imate forming means, liquid developing means, transferring means and cleaning means; means for starting the operation of the machine; and means for rotating, after activation of said starting means, said rotatable medium during operation of said cleaning means, for a first predetermined period of time prior to operation of said image forming means, to form the latent image on a portion of said rotatable medium cleaned by the clean means, and for a second predetermined period of time after the repetitive of said operations, wherein said first predetermined time corresponds to at least one full turn of said rotatable medium.

Claim 22

An electrophotographic machine comprising: a rotatable medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said rotatable medium; liquid developing means for visualizing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; means for transferring the developed toner image to transfer material; means for cleaning siad rotatable medium for repetitive use; means for repeating the operations of said electrostatic latent imate forming means, liquid developing means, transferring means and cleaning means; means for starting the operation of the machine; and means for rotating, after activation of said starting means, said rotatable medium during operation of said cleaning means, for a first predetermined period of time prior to operation of said image forming means, to form the latent image on a portion of said rotatable medium cleaned by the clean means, and for a second predetermined period of time after the repetitive of said operations, wherein said first predetermined time corresponds to at least one full turn of said rotatable medium.

Claim 23

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 19, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning blade for contacting said rotatable medium.

Claim 24

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 19, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning blade for contacting said rotatable medium at a position whereat said rotatable medium rotates downwardly, and wherein application of liquid developer is effected at a lower portion of said rotatable medium.

Claim 25

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 19, wherein said rotatable medium is a photosensitive medium, and said machine further comprises means for uniformly exposing said photosensitive medium to light before the start of said image forming means.

Claim 26

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 19, wherein said first predetermined period of time corresponds to at least one full turn of said rotatable medium.

Claim 27

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 19, further comprising: means for wetting the surface of said rotatable medium before the operation of said image forming means.

Claim 28

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 24, wherein during the rotation before establishing the latent image, the developing liquid is applied to the rotatable medium at a cleaning station.

Claim 29

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 24 wherein the time period of wetting is variable.

Claim 30

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 19, further comprising: discharging means for removing charges from said rotatable medium during rotation thereof while said image forming means is inoperative.

Claim 31

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 27, wherein said discharging means is disposed at a position where the surface of said rotatable medium rotates downwardly between said cleaning means and said developing means.

Claim 32

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 27, wherein said discharging means is a corona discharger.

Claim 33

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 27, wherein said discharging means is a lamp.

Claim 34

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 18, wherein said starting means is a main switch for supplying power to said machine, and further comprising switch means for initiating operation of said image forming means and means for terminating said rotation at the end of said first predetermined period in the absence of actuation of said switch means, and for continuing rotation of said rotatable medium for operation of said image forming means upon subsequent actuation of said switch means during the rotation.

Claim 35

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 31, wherein said terminating means holds an actuated condition of said main switch after termination of rotation of said rotatable medium.

Claim 36

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 19 further comprising switch means for initiating operation of the image forming means, and means for terminating, after said second predetermined period of time elapses, the rotation of said rotatable medium, when said switch means is not operated during the rotation for the second predetermined period of time, and for initiating, when said switch means is operated, a subsequent image forming operation before the rotation of said rotatable medium for the second predetermined period of time terminates.

Claim 37

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 33, further comprising a main switch for operation to supply power to the machine, wherein said terminating means holds an actuated condition of said main switch after termination of rotation of said rotatable medium.

Claim 40

A method according to claim 35, wherein during the rotation before establishing the latent image, the said cleaning liquid comprises developing liquid which is applied to the rotatable medium at a cleaning station.

Claim 41

A method of operating an electrophotographic machine, according to claim 35, wherein the time period for supplying liquid to wet said contact area is variable.

Claim 42

A method for operating an electrophotographic machine according to claim 35, said method further comprising: rotating said rotatable medium for a second predetermined period of time with said cleaning means being operated after the toner image has been transferred to copy material.

Claim 45

A method according to claim 39, wherein said charge removing step is performed by discharging means disposed at a position where the surface of said rotatable medium rotates downwardly.

Claim 46

A method according to claim 39, wherein said charge removing step is performed by a corona discharger.

Claim 47

A method according to claim 39 wherein said charge removing step is performed by a lamp.

Claim 48

A method according to claim 39, wherein the rotatable medium is a photosensitive medium, and further comprising uniformly exposing said photosensitive medium to light before the establishment of an electrostatic image.

Claim 49

A method according to claim 39, wherein said predetermined period of time corresponds to at least one full turn of said rotatable medium.

Claim 50

A method of operating an electrophotographic machine according to claim 39, said method further comprising: rotating said rotatable medium for a second predetermined period of time with said cleaning means being operated after the toner image has been transferred to copy material.

Claim 53

A method according to claim 46, wherein during the rotation before establishing the latent image, the developing liquid is applied to the rotatable medium at a cleaning station.

Claim 54

A method according to claim 46, wherein an electric charge is removed from said rotatable medium during the rotation for the predetermined time.

Claim 55

A method of operating an electrophotographic machine according to claim 46, in which said apparatus comprises switch means for initiating operation of the image forming means and a main switch for starting the machine, wherein, after said predetermined period of time elapses, rotation of said rotatable medium is terminated, when said switch means is not operated during the rotation for said predetermined period of time; and when said switch means is operated, a subsequent image forming operation is initiated before the rotation of the rotatable medium for said predetermined period of time terminates, and wherein said main switch is held in an actuated condition after termination of the rotation of said rotatable medium.

Claim 56

An electrophotographic machine comprising: a rotatable medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said rotatable medium; liquid developing means for visualizing said electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; means for transferring the developed toner image to transfer material; means for cleaning said rotatable medium for repetitive use; main switch means for manual operation to supply power to the machine; second switch means for initiating operation of said image forming means; means for preventing said second switch means from initiating the operation of said image forming means for a predetermined period of time after said main switch is actuated; means for changing said predetermined period of time; and means for rotating said rotatable medium to clean the rotatable medium during the predetermined time and through a predetermined angle during operation of said cleaning means, wherein said angle corresponds to at least one full rotation of said medium.

Claim 57

An electrophotographic machine comprising: a rotatable medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said rotatable medium; liquid developing means for visualizing said electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; means for transferring the developed toner image to transfer material; means for cleaning said rotatable medium for repetitive use; main switch means for manual operation to supply power to the machine; second switch means for initiating operation of said image forming means; means for preventing said second switch means from initiating the operation of said image forming means for a predetermined period of time after said main switch is actuated; means for changing said predetermined period of time; and means for rotating said rotatable medium to clean the rotatable medium during the predetermined time and through a predetermined angle during operation of said cleaning means, wherein said angle corresponds to at least one full rotation of said medium.

Claim 58

An electrophotographic machine according to claim 50, further comprising means for rotating said rotatable medium after said predetermined time has elapsed, and before operation of said image forming means.