Print agent application assembly cleaning tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11307526-B2
Application number	US-201716495321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 6, 2017
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A print agent application assembly cleaning tool is disclosed. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool may include a handle and a flexible blade. The flexible blade may be inserted into a gap between a pair of electrodes of a print agent application assembly. The blade may protrude from a distal end of the handle in a lengthwise direction. The blade may have a width that varies to define a curved profile. The width may reduce and subsequently increase along a length of the blade so as to define a recess in an edge of the blade.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A print agent application assembly cleaning tool comprising:
a handle; and
a flexible blade configured to be inserted into a gap between a pair of electrodes of a print agent application assembly, the blade protruding from a distal end of the handle in a lengthwise direction,
wherein the blade has a width that varies to define a curved profile and that reduces and subsequently increases along a length of the blade so as to define a recess in an edge of the blade; and
wherein the recess is configured to collect unwanted matter from the pair of electrodes.

2. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 1 , wherein the width reduces and subsequently increases along the length of the blade so as to define a recess in both edges of the blade.

3. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 1 , wherein the width of the blade varies to define the curved profile in which a local radius of curvature is greater than or equal to approximately 0.5 mm.

4. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 1 , wherein the blade extends inside and substantially along the length of the handle.

5. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 4 , wherein the blade is held in place between two opposing parts of the handle.

6. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 1 , wherein the minimum width of the blade occurs closer to a distal end of the blade than the handle.

7. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises at least one magnet to selectively attach the cleaning tool to a surface.

8. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 7 , wherein the blade extends inside the handle and the at least one magnet passes through an aperture in the blade.

9. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 1 , wherein the blade is made from Polyoxymethylene.

10. The print agent application assembly cleaning tool of claim 1 , wherein the blade is approximately 0.5 mm thick.

11. A method comprising:
inserting a flexible blade of a cleaning tool into a gap between a pair of electrodes of a print agent application assembly;
moving the blade along the gap;
collecting unwanted matter in a curved recess formed in an edge of the blade; and
extracting the cleaning tool from the gap.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising:
removing the print agent application assembly from a print apparatus; and
mounting the print agent application assembly in the print apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11 comprising:
removing a developer roller from the print agent application assembly to expose the pair of electrodes; and
mounting a developer roller to the print agent application assembly.

14. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
attaching the cleaning tool to a surface by virtue of at least one magnet.

15. An assembly comprising:
a print agent application assembly comprising a pair of electrodes with a gap therebetween for supplying print agent to a developer roller; and
a cleaning tool comprising a handle and a flexible blade for insertion into the gap to remove print agent from the gap, wherein the handle comprises at least one magnet to selectively attach the cleaning tool to a surface.

Assignees

• Hp Indigo Bv

Inventors

• Sabo David
• Rosenstein Barak
• Ben-Basat Ilan
• Katz Roman

Classifications

• G03G21/0011

  using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming · CPC title

• G03G21/0088

  removing liquid developer · CPC title

• G03G15/10

  using a liquid developer · CPC title

• G03G21/0017 Primary

  Details relating to the internal structure or chemical composition of the blades · CPC title

• B08B1/165 Primary

  Scrapers · CPC title