Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Goodman, L.L.P.
Image forming apparatus with a pollution control unit
An image forming apparatus that can prevent a transfer belt from being polluted by used developer on a belt cleaning member is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one photoconductor on which a developer image is formed, a transfer belt, a belt cleaning member, and a first pollution control unit. The transfer belt transfers the developer image formed on the photoconductor to an image receiving medium, and the transfer belt is rotatably supported by a driving roller and a driven roller. The belt cleaning member cleans used developer remaining on the transfer belt after the developer image is transferred. The belt cleaning member is able to move into contact with the transfer belt or be separated from the transfer belt. The first pollution control unit is disposed on the driven roller, and prevents the used developer on the belt cleaning member from moving to the transfer belt due to electrical forces when the transfer belt passes by the vicinity of the belt cleaning member separated from the transfer belt. The first pollution control unit prevents the transfer belt from being polluted by the used developer on the belt cleaning member without requiring the belt cleaning member to be spaced apart from the transfer belt as much as required by conventional image forming apparatuses.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
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additional inventional inventional inventional
Yu-man
Kim