JPH02230176A - Cleaning device for image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a color image recording device having a plurality of photoreceptors. It has a transfer paper conveyance belt that rotates in sequential contact with the photoconductor, and the toner images of different colors formed on each photoconductor are sequentially brought into contact with the transfer position of each photoconductor drum by the transfer paper conveyance belt. A method is known in which images are aligned and superimposed on a conveyed transfer paper, and after the transfer, the transfer paper is separated from a transfer paper conveyance belt and fixed to record an image.

In this type of image recording device, toner remains not only on each photoconductor after transfer but also on the surface of the transfer paper conveyance belt. A cleaning device is provided on the downstream side of the paper separation position and has a cleaning member such as a cleaning blade or a cleaning brush roller in contact with each of these surfaces. The toner cleaned from the circumferential surface of the photoconductor or the transfer paper conveyance belt by the cleaning member is discharged from one end of the cleaning device by a conveyance screw provided in the width direction at the bottom of the cleaning device.

Now, in conventional image recording apparatuses of this type, the cleaning members of the cleaning devices for the photoreceptor and the transfer paper conveyance belt are generally made to have the same size and shape, partly for the purpose of cost reduction. Therefore, the cleaning width of both the photoreceptor and the transfer paper conveyance belt is the same.

The surface of the photoreceptor is cleaned of toner within an effective cleaning width range corresponding to the contact width of the cleaning member, but since there is no cleaning means outside of that range, toner adhering thereto is not cleaned. If this toner is transferred to the transfer paper conveyance belt or falls and adheres to the transfer paper conveyance belt, the effective cleaning width of the cleaning member of the cleaning device for the transfer paper conveyance belt will be the effective cleaning width of the cleaning member relative to the photoreceptor. If the width is the same as or narrower than that, the toner cannot be cleaned, resulting in toner stains inside the machine, image defects due to the stains, and toner stains on the back side of the transfer paper. The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional cleaning device for the photoconductor and transfer paper conveyance member of the color image recording apparatus of the above type. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device that can reliably clean toner that has adhered to the surface of the printer and prevent the toner from contaminating the inside of the machine and the image surface and back surface of recording paper.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is characterized in that the effective cleaning width of the cleaning means of the cleaning device for the transfer paper conveying member is made wider than the effective cleaning width of the cleaning means of the cleaning device for each photoreceptor. do.

Work-J1 With the above configuration, even if toner remaining without being cleaned outside the effective cleaning width of the cleaning device for the photoconductor is transferred onto the transfer paper conveyance member, falls, and adheres to the photoconductor, it will not affect the photoconductor. The cleaning member for the transfer paper conveying member having an effective width wider than the cleaning effective width prevents the inside of the machine and the recording paper from getting dirty.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a color image recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. This color image recording device includes a document reading section 1, an image processing section 2 that electrically processes a color separation image information signal output as a digital signal from the document reading section 1, and a color separation image information signal output from the image processing section 2. It consists of a printer section 3 that forms a color image on transfer paper based on image information signals to be developed with toners of each color: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black (hereinafter abbreviated as Y, M, C, and BK).

The document reading section 1 includes a white lamp 5 that scans and illuminates the document on the document table 4, mirrors 6, 7.8, and a lens 9 that guide reflected light from the slit-illuminated document surface to the reading section.
A scanning optical system consisting of a dichroic prism 1o that separates the colors into the three primary colors of blue, green, and red, and three CCDs that receive and read the document image light that is separated into the three color beams.
It has a reading section consisting of IIB, 11G, and IIR.

The three-color image information read by the three CCs and Dlls is output as a digital signal, and the image processing unit 2 processes it into Y, M
, C, and BK toners and output to the printer section 3.

The printer section 3 includes four photoreceptor drums 14 (subscript Y) on which toner images of four colors Y, M, C, and BK are formed.
, M, C, and BK indicate toner images for forming toner images of respective colors. (the same applies hereafter) are provided in parallel at the same level, and the four image information signals output from the image processing section modulate the laser beams emitted from the four laser beam emitting devices 12 according to the signals, The light is made incident on each of the four photoreceptors 14 via a deflection means, and the light is scanned to write an image on the photoreceptors. Around each photosensitive drum, a charging charger 15, the writing position, a developing device 16, a transfer charger 17, and a cleaning device 24 are provided in the order of the rotational direction, similar to a general electrophotographic recording device. A recording device [13] for each color is constituted by nine, and the image written on each photosensitive drum 14 by laser light is transferred to a developing device 16.
The image is developed to form Y, M, C, and BK toner images.

The transfer paper conveyance belt 21 is moved between the driven rollers 25a, 25a and 25a so that the upper running portion passes between the four photoconductor drums 14 and the transfer charger 17 provided below and facing them.
25b and the drive roller 26. The transfer paper sent out from the paper feed unit 1.9 by the paper feed roller 18 is fed to the transfer paper conveyance belt 21 by the registration roller 20 at the timing when the leading edge aligns with the image on the photoreceptor. The transfer paper is conveyed by the transfer paper conveyance belt 21 in contact with each photoreceptor drum 14 at the transfer position, and transferred to the transfer charger 17.
After the toner images of BK, C, M, and Y are aligned and superimposed on the transfer paper under the action of Established by. A color image corresponding to the m manuscript is formed and is ejected to the outside of the machine by the wandering paper roller 23. After the transfer, the toner remaining on each photosensitive drum 14 is cleaned by a cleaning device 24, respectively. Further, a cleaning device 27 is placed in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the transfer paper conveyance belt that is wound around the driven roller 25a at the right end in the figure.
is provided to clean the toner adhering to the circumferential surface of the transfer paper conveyance belt 21.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the photoreceptor drum cleaning device 24. Inside the casing 24a, which extends over approximately the entire length of the photoreceptor 14 in the width direction, there is a casing 24a that extends over approximately the entire length of the photoreceptor 14. A brush roller 24b that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 14, and a cleaning blade 24c whose base is fixed to the casing and whose tip comes into pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 14 are provided. The residual toner that has been cleaned from the casing 24a collects at the bottom of the casing 24a, and is discharged from one side of the casing 24a by a conveying screw 24d that extends across the entire width of the bottom of the casing 24a. The transfer paper conveyance belt cleaning device 27 also has a similar configuration. Cleaning device 2 for each photoreceptor drum 14 described above
4 cleaning blade 24c and brush roller 24
FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the range of the effective cleaning width L of the photoreceptor according to b, the range of the effective cleaning width L2 of the cleaning member of the cleaning device @ 27 with respect to the transfer paper conveyance belt 21, and the range of the width L of the transfer paper. show. The photoconductor cleaning width L1 extends beyond the transfer paper width L on both sides, and the transfer paper conveyance belt cleaning width L2 extends beyond the photoconductor cleaning width L8. It's out.

Therefore, the range of the transfer paper width L3 of the photoreceptor is reliably cleaned by the photoreceptor cleaning device 24, and image formation is not hindered. Also, the cleaning width L by the photoconductor cleaning device 24 is removed by the toner remaining on the photoconductor.
The toner remaining outside (2) that has not been cleaned and has been transferred, fallen, and adhered onto the transfer paper conveyance belt is cleaned by the transfer paper conveyance belt cleaning device 27.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the toner adhering to the outside of the cleaning width of the photoreceptor is transferred to the transfer paper conveyance member, falls and adheres thereto, it can be cleaned by the transfer material conveyance member cleaning device. Therefore, the toner does not contaminate the inside of the machine or stain the image side or back side of the transfer paper, and a good image can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of an image recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a cleaning device thereof, and FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between effective cleaning widths of paper conveying members. 13...Recording device for each color 14...Photoconductor drum 16...Developing device 17...Transfer charger 19...Paper feed section 21...Transfer paper conveyance belt 22...Fixing device 24.27 ...Cleaning device No. 2 Occupied Tomoe ± Mr. L2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A cleaning device comprising a plurality of photoreceptors, a transfer paper conveying member that rotates in sequential contact with the photoreceptors, and a cleaning means that contacts each of the photoreceptors and the transfer paper conveyance member, respectively. The toner images formed on each of the above-mentioned photoconductors are superimposed and transferred onto the transfer paper which is conveyed by the above-mentioned transfer paper conveyance member in sequential contact with each photoconductor, and each photoconductor and the transfer paper conveyance member In a cleaning device for an image recording device, in which the toner remaining on the circumferential surface of the photoconductor is cleaned by the cleaning means of each of the cleaning devices described above, the effective cleaning width of the cleaning device of the cleaning device for the transfer paper conveyance member is A cleaning device characterized in that the cleaning width is wider than the effective cleaning width of the cleaning means of the cleaning device.