Patent ID: 7167662

Claim:
An electrophotographic machine, comprising: a dielectric member configured for carrying a toner image; a biased transfer roller engaging said dielectric member and being configured for transferring the toner image to an image substrate; a transfer roller cleaning brush having a plurality of bristles engaging said transfer roller, at least some of said bristles being electrically conductive bristles; an electrically conductive brush housing enclosing said transfer roller cleaning brush, said bristles engaging said brush housing, said brush housing defining an opening through which said bristles contact said transfer roller; and means for electrically charging at least one of said transfer roller cleaning brush and said brush housing to substantially the same electrical potential as said transfer roller during a time when the transfer roller cleaning brush performs a cleaning operation on the biased transfer roller, wherein said means for electrically charging comprises one or more power supplies, wherein one of the one or more power supplies is a transfer roller power supply electrically connected to and biasing said transfer roller, wherein the transfer roller power supply or another of the one or more power supplies is electrically connected to a selected one of said transfer roller cleaning brush and said brush housing, wherein if the selected one of said transfer roller cleaning brush and said brush housing is said brush housing, then the transfer roller cleaning brush is electrically floating, and wherein if the selected one of said transfer roller cleaning brush and said brush housing is said transfer roller cleaning brush, then the brush housing is electrically floating or is connected to ground potential.