Patent ID: 6330421
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
A cleaning apparatus of a liquid electrophotographic printer, comprising:a photoreceptor belt cleaner installed between a transfer/fixation unit and a charging unit in the neighborhood of a photoreceptor belt of the liquid electrophotographic printer to be brought into close contact with a surface of the photoreceptor belt simultaneously with a printing operation, for removing contaminants containing untransferred toner on the photoreceptor belt;a transfer roller cleaner installed in the neighborhood of the transfer/fixation unit to be brought into close contact with the surface of a transfer roller simultaneously with a printing operation, for removing contaminants containing untransferred toner on the transfer roller; anda solvent supplier continuously supplying a solvent to the photoreceptor belt cleaner and the transfer roller cleaner so that the respective cleaners containing the solvent dissolve the untransferred toner, wherein the photoreceptor belt cleaner comprises:a cleaning member assembly selectively brought into close contact with the surface of the photoreceptor belt, for wiping out contaminants of the photoreceptor belt;a housing for supporting the cleaning member assembly;a slidable mechanism allowing the cleaning member assembly to either closely contact or to separate from the surface of the photoreceptor belt by moving the cleaning member assembly relative to the housing; anda frame fixed to the printer body, for detachably supporting the housing, wherein the cleaning member assembly comprises:a cleaning member formed by stacking a plurality of thin rectangular felts on a fixing plate having a pair of fixing pieces, and having a cleaning sheet fixed to the bottom surface of the stack of the felts which is brought into direct contact with the photoreceptor belt during a cleaning operation;a pair of fixing blocks coupled to both ends of the cleaning member and having fixing parts for fixing the fixing pieces of the cleaning member, respectively, and threaded holes piercing downward;a holder bracket integrally coupled to the pair of fixing blocks;springs installed in the threaded holes of the fixing blocks, for elastically supporting the pair of fixing blocks downward with respect to the housing; andadjustment threads upwardly engaged with the threaded holes, for supporting the springs and adjusting the elasticity thereof.