System for cleaning cart drive components in three-dimensional object printing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9592639-B2
Application number	US-201514693006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A cart that helps eliminate contaminants from a printing system with a rail support track includes a platform, a first bearing, and a first blade. The first bearing is operatively connected to the platform, and is positioned and configured to roll along a first cylindrical rail of a rail support track of a printing system to enable the platform to move along the first cylindrical rail. The first blade has a leading edge oriented at an acute angle relative to a curved surface of the first cylindrical rail, and is configured to engage the curved surface to remove contaminant as the cart moves along the first cylindrical rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cart that moves through in a printing system, the cart comprising:
a platform;
a first bearing operatively connected to the platform, the first bearing being configured to roll along a first cylindrical rail of the printing system to enable the platform to move along the first cylindrical rail; and
a first blade that is mounted to the platform and positioned to engage a curved surface of the first cylindrical rail as the first bearing rolls along the first cylindrical rail, the first blade having a leading edge that is oriented at an acute angle relative to the curved surface of the first cylindrical rail and the leading edge of the first blade being a curved edge with a radius substantially similar to a radius of the first cylindrical rail to enable the first blade to remove contaminant from the first cylindrical rail, the first blade having a shape of a radial section of a truncated cone with a radius of the first blade increasing with distance from the leading edge of the first blade.

2. The cart of claim 1 further comprising:
a second bearing operatively connected to the platform, the second bearing being configured to roll along a second cylindrical rail of the printing system that is parallel to the first cylindrical rail to enable the platform to move through the printing system; and
a second blade that is mounted to the platform and positioned to engage a curved surface of the second cylindrical rail as the second bearing rolls along the second cylindrical rail, the second blade having a leading edge that is oriented at an acute angle relative to the curved surface of the second cylindrical rail to enable the second blade to remove contaminant from the second cylindrical rail.

3. The cart of claim 1 wherein a central axis of the first blade is collinear with a longitudinal axis of the first cylindrical rail when the first bearing engages the first cylindrical rail.

4. The cart of claim 1 wherein the first blade has an elastic modulus that is less than an elastic modulus of the first cylindrical rail.

5. The cart of claim 1 wherein a defect in the leading edge of the first blade is configured to be removed such that the first blade achieves a close fit with the curved surface of the first cylindrical rail by wearing the first leading edge against the first cylindrical rail.

6. The cart of claim 1 wherein the first blade essentially consists of aluminum, brass, bronze, or plastic.

7. The cart of claim 1 wherein the leading edge of the first blade has a width that is substantially equal to a width of a surface of the first bearing configured to contact the first cylindrical rail.

8. The cart of claim 1 wherein the leading edge of the first blade has a width that is greater than a width of a surface of the first bearing configured to contact the first cylindrical rail and that is less than or equal to a diameter of the first cylindrical rail.

9. The cart of claim 1 wherein the platform includes a print media surface configured to receive a print media ejected from a printhead of the printing system that is disposed along the first cylindrical rail.

10. The cart of claim 1 further comprising:
a maintenance device configured to clean a face of a printhead as the cart moves along the first cylindrical rail and the second cylindrical rail.

11. A cart that moves through in a printing system, the cart comprising:
a platform;
a first bearing operatively connected to the platform, the first bearing being configured to roll along a first cylindrical rail of the printing system to enable the platform to move along the first cylindrical rail;
a first blade that is mounted to the platform and positioned to engage a curved surface of the first cylindrical rail as the first bearing rolls along the first cylindrical rail, the first blade having a leading edge that is oriented at an acute angle relative to the curved surface of the first cylindrical rail to enable the first blade to remove contaminant from the first cylindrical rail; and
a mounting bracket connected to the platform and positioned between the first cylindrical rail and a second cylindrical rail, and to which the first blade is mounted, the mounting bracket having a first pad mounted on a bottom surface of the mounting bracket and a second pad mounted on the bottom surface of the mounting bracket, the second pad being substantially formed from a material that is different from a material of the first pad.

12. The cart of claim 11 further comprising:
a biasing member positioned between the first pad and the mounting bracket to enable the first pad to be biased against a surface of a housing in the printing system.

13. A printing system comprising:
a rail track;
a printing station configured to eject print media, the printing station disposed along the rail track, the rail track having a first cylindrical rail that extends over at least a portion of the rail track in a region of the printing station;
a cart movable along the rail track that includes:
a platform;
a first bearing operatively connected to the platform, the first bearing being configured to roll along the first cylindrical rail to enable the platform to move along the first cylindrical rail; and
a first blade that is mounted to the platform and positioned to engage a curved surface of the first cylindrical rail as the first bearing rolls along the first cylindrical rail and the leading edge of the first blade being a curved edge with a radius substantially similar to a radius of the first cylindrical rail, the first blade having a leading edge that is oriented at an acute angle relative to the curved surface of the first cylindrical rail to enable the first blade to remove contaminant from the first cylindrical rail, the first blade having a shape of a radial section of a truncated cone with a radius of the first blade increasing with distance from the leading edge of the first blade.

14. The printing system of claim 13 wherein:
the rail track further includes a second cylindrical rail parallel with the first cylindrical rail; and
the cart further includes:
a second bearing operatively connected to the platform, the second bearing being configured to roll along the second cylindrical rail to enable the platform to move through the printing system; and
a second blade that is mounted to the platform and positioned to engage a curved surface of the second cylindrical rail as the first bearing rolls along the first cylindrical rail, the second blade having a leading edge that is oriented at an acute angle relative to the curved surface of the second cylindrical rail to enable the second blade to remove contaminant from the second cylindrical rail.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Anderson Jr Robert B
• Flores Eliud Robles
• Sawicki Paul F
• Mruthyunjaya Alicia S
• Atwood Christopher D
• Foley Timothy P
• Crossen Elizabeth M

Classifications

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• B29C67/0096 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C67/0085

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C67/0059

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic