CLEANING SYSTEM FOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a cleaning system which surely removes the unnecessary developer of an electrophotographic device using liquid developer regardless of the sticking state (physically, electrically or the like) of a solid component in the liquid developer. SOLUTION: Dispersant is applied to the surface of a printing member where the liquid developer remains by a dispersant coating part 1, so that the cohesion of the solid component in the liquid developer is weakened. The solid component stuck by physical force is peeled by rubbing with nonwoven fabric formed of very fine fibers by a stuck material peeling part 2 consisting of the nonwoven fabric. The solid component electrically stuck is electrically peeled from the surface of the printing member by applying bias voltage having a polarity reverse to that of developer by an electrically stuck material peeling part 3. The solid component peeled from the surface of the printing member and a liquid component such as the dispersant are scraped off and recovered from the printing member by a residual developer recovery blade 4. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO