System and method for cleaning a printer

• US 8,112,012 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Kai Leong, Wong, Hin Loong
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GEOFFREY T
• Application Number:
  US12/099,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20090250080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 134/6, 101/425, 399/98
• US Class Current: 399/98
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/17 Cleaning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00909 Cleaning arrangements or preventing or counter-acting contamination from dust or the like cleaning in general, prevention of fouling in general B08B

Abstract

A printer ROS window cleaning system enforces unidirectional cleaning motion through a passageway formed in the printer housing. A guide has a distal portion that engages a cleaning tool from insertion until a cleaning portion reaches the rear of the passageway. A cleaning tool deflector positioned at the rear of the passageway biases the cleaning tool from the distal portion of the passageway to a proximate portion so that the cleaning portion contacts the ROS window. A unidirectional cleaning feature ensures that the cleaning portion will contact the ROS window during removal of the cleaning tool by preventing re-insertion of the cleaning tool in the proximate portion of the passageway.

Claims

1. An information handling system peripheral comprising:

a housing;

components disposed in the housing and operable to perform a peripheral function;

a transparent portion disposed in the housing;

a cleaning passageway formed in the housing proximate the transparent portion, the cleaning passageway having an entry portion, a rear portion, and a guide, the guide having a distal portion and a proximate portion;

a cleaning tool deflector proximate the rear portion, the cleaning tool deflector operable to accept a cleaning device inserted at the entry portion and passed in the distal portion to the rear portion and to redirect the cleaning device to the proximate portion for removal from the cleaning passageway through the entry portion, the proximate portion maintaining the cleaning device in contact with transparent portion during the removal; and

one or more exit flaps associated with the entry portion and operable to allow insertion of the cleaning device in the distal portion, to restrict insertion of the cleaning device in the proximate portion, and to allow removal of the cleaning device at the entry portion from the proximate portion.

2. The information handling system peripheral of claim 1 wherein the cleaning passageway distal portion maintains the cleaning device out of contact with the transparent portion while the cleaning device passes from the entry portion to the rear portion.

3. The information handling system peripheral of claim 2 further comprising a unidirectional feature operable to interact with the cleaning device in the proximate portion to preclude motion of the cleaning device towards the rear portion.

4. The information handling system peripheral of claim 3 further comprising a cleaning device having an arm of a length sufficient to extend from the rear portion out the entry portion and having protrusions operable to interact with the guide.

5. The information handling system peripheral of claim 4 wherein the cleaning tool deflector comprises a biasing mechanism aligned to bias the cleaning device from the distal portion to the proximate portion at the rear portion.

6. The information handling system peripheral of claim 1 wherein the components comprise printer components and the transparent portion comprises a ROS window.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the components comprise scanning components and the transparent portion comprises a window separating the scanning components from an object for scanning.

8. A method for cleaning a transparent portion of an electronic device, the method comprising:

inserting a cleaning tool into a distal portion of a cleaning passageway of the device;

maintaining a cleaning portion of the cleaning tool distal the transparent portion until the cleaning portion approaches a rear portion of the passageway;

automatically adjusting the cleaning portion from the distal portion of the cleaning passageway to a proximate portion of the cleaning passageway, the proximate portion proximate the transparent portion at the rear portion of the cleaning passageway;

removing the cleaning tool from the cleaning passageway;

maintaining the cleaning portion proximate the transparent portion to clean the transparent portion during the removing; and

preventing re-insertion of the cleaning tool through the proximate portion of the cleaning passageway during removal of the cleaning tool.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein inserting a cleaning tool further comprises:

inserting the cleaning tool at a distal portion of a guide formed in the passageway; and

blocking entry of the cleaning tool at a proximate portion of the guide.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein maintaining a cleaning portion further comprises guiding the cleaning tool along the distal portion to the rear portion of the cleaning passageway.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically adjusting the cleaning portion further comprises engaging the cleaning tool with a biasing mechanism that biases the cleaning portion into a proximate portion of the guide.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein preventing re-insertion of the cleaning tool further comprises engaging flexible members in formations of the proximate portion upon re-insertion.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising snapping the flexible members against the formations during removal of the cleaning tool.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the transparent portion comprises a ROS window of a laser printer.

15. A system for cleaning a printer transparent surface, the system comprising:

a housing forming a passageway along the transparent surface, the housing having an entry, a rear and a guide, the guide having a distal portion and a proximate portion;

a cleaning tool having a handle and a cleaning portion, the cleaning portion sized to engage the guide;

one or more exit flaps associated with the housing entry and operable to direct the cleaning tool into the guide distal portion; and

a cleaning tool deflector proximate the housing rear and operable to bias the cleaning tool from the distal portion to the proximate portion upon insertion of the cleaning tool cleaning portion to the housing rear so that the cleaning portion touches the transparent surface.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the transparent surface comprises a ROS window.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising a unidirectional cleaning feature operable to interact with the cleaning tool in the proximate portion to preclude motion of the cleaning tool towards the housing rear.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the unidirectional cleaning feature comprises flexible members associated with the cleaning tool and formations associated with the proximate portion, the flexible members engaging the formations upon insertion of the cleaning tool towards the housing rear.