Patent ID: 8280282

Claim:
A doctor blade assembly for an electrophotographic printer, comprising: a first bracket having a first width dimension and a first height dimension; a second bracket having a second width dimension and a second height dimension; a doctor blade disposed between said first bracket and said second bracket; and a spacer disposed near each end portion of said doctor blade between one of (a) a first face of said doctor blade and said first bracket and (b) a second face of said doctor blade and said second bracket, each spacer forming a tapering space between each end portion of said doctor blade and one of said first and second brackets extending toward a center portion between said end portions of said assembly and in said center portion said first face of said doctor blade being in contact with said first bracket and said second face of said doctor blade being in contact with said second bracket, said spacers and said spaces positioning said doctor blade to have a cantilever length that is longer at each of said end portions than in said center portion with said cantilever length decreasing from each end portion to said center portion.