Patent ID: 6438329
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An apparatus to determine the status of a customer replaceable unit (CRU) in a printing machine, comprising:a customer replaceable unit monitor (CRUM) located on the CRU, said CRUM generating a signal indicative of a plurality of characteristics of the CRU: a machine controller, communicating with said CRUM when a CRU is installed in the printing machine, to receive the signal from said CRUM, said machine controller then causing the printing machine to operate in a predetermined manner as a function of the signal from said CRUM, wherein said CRU includes a cleaning blade and a photoreceptive member positioned so that upon insertion and locking of the CRU into the printing machine said cleaning blade contacts a surface of said photoreceptive member and wherein upon insertion of the CRU into the printing machine said machine controller communicates with said CRUM to determine if the CRU is new or previously used and upon determining that the CRU is new the controller causes the machine to develop a toner patch on the photoreceptive member that is not transferred to a sheet so that the cleaner blade is coated and lubricated by the toner path removed from the photoreceptive member.