Patent ID: 6226027
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An electrophotography apparatus having a charging unit that charges the surface of a rotating image bearing body having an axis of rotation, an exposing unit that emits light to illuminate, during a printing operation, the surface of the image bearing body to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface, and a developing unit that applies charged fine powder particles to the electrostatic latent image to develop the electrostatic latent image, the apparatus comprising:at least one power supply; anda pair of electrodes disposed between the image bearing body and the exposing unit and aligned on opposite sides of the light and parallel to the axis of rotation of the image bearing body, said electrodes receiving voltages from said power supply, to create electric lines of force at an angle with the direction of the light so that charged residual powered particles remaining on the image bearing body fly in a direction deviating from the direction of the light and are collected, during the printing operation, on the illuminated areas of the image bearing body.