JPH0326532Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a copying machine that prevents residual toner stored inside the kit from spilling outside due to careless handling when the copy kit is removed from the copying machine. The present invention relates to a cleaning device.

[Prior art] An electrophotographic copying machine uses a rotating photoreceptor (drum).
A latent image is formed by projecting the image of the document placed on the document table through an optical system, and developing the image with toner supplied from a developing unit. , transferred to the paper fed from the feed system in the transfer system,
The transferred image is fixed on the sheet of paper by a fixing system and then taken out as a copy, while the photoreceptor is scraped off with residual toner by a cleaning blade.
Copying is now performed through the charger again.

Copying machines in recent years have become more maintenance-free and color-oriented, so photoreceptors, developing units,
Parts that are relatively less reliable than other mechanisms, such as a cleaning unit and a charger, are integrated into a unit to be replaced as a copy kit. In addition, previously only copies were made in black, but the copy kit has been changed to red,
By arranging copies for each color such as blue and green, it became possible to make copies in various colors with one machine.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a photoreceptor 1, a developing unit 2, a cleaning unit 3, and a charger 4 are integrated into a copying unit 5 (indicated by a dashed line), and a document table 6 and an optical system 7 of the main body of the copying machine are used. , the paper feed system 8, the transfer system 9, the fixing system 10, etc., and can be taken out all together.

Therefore, when the copy kit is removed from the copy machine for maintenance, if the copy kit is tilted too far or accidentally falls due to careless handling, the cleaning blade 11 of the cleaning unit 3 and the film may be damaged. Since the seal 12 is separated from the photoreceptor 1,
The toner contained therein sometimes spilled out from those gaps, staining the surrounding area.

Also, recent photoconductors have soft surfaces.
More and more products are equipped with a Se-based photosensitive layer.
If the cleaning blade or film seal is left in contact with the photoconductor for a long time after the machine has stopped, the photoconductor layer will cause a cold flow due to the pressure of the cleaning blade or film seal and may become permanently damaged. It becomes deformed and the copying function deteriorates. Therefore, in a copying machine that uses such a photoreceptor, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, there is a means to release (retract) the cleaning blade or film seal from contact with the photoreceptor while the copying operation is stopped. is provided.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] The invention provides a copying machine in which toner does not spill from the cleaning unit when the unitized copy kit is taken out from the copying machine, no matter what position the copy kit is in. Provide cleaning equipment.

Further, the present invention provides a cleaning device that does not cause deterioration in copying function even in a copying machine equipped with a photoreceptor that generates cold flow.

[Means and effects for solving the problem] According to the present invention, in a cleaning device for a copying machine in which residual toner on a photoconductor is scraped off by a cleaning blade and stored in a cleaner housing, a cleaning device located below the cleaning blade. a conveyor roll that is close to the photoconductor and is arranged between the upper and lower open ends of the cleaner housing so as to be rotatable with respect to the cleaner housing, and that conveys residual toner scraped off from above the photoconductor; a sealing member that is fixedly installed at the upper open end of the cleaner housing and abuts on the conveyance roll; and a seal member that is fixedly installed at the lower open end of the cleaner housing and comes into contact with the conveyance roll so that the conveyed residue is on the conveyance roll. By including a scraper member that scrapes off the toner, when the cleaner housing is taken out together with the conveyance roll, the toner contained in the housing will never spill out, no matter what attitude the cleaner housing is in. This avoids the hassle of cleaning up the surrounding area.

[Example] The present invention will be described below based on the example shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a photoconductor, and 13 a conveyance roll opposing the photoconductor with a small gap, each of which is rotated in the direction of the arrow by a drive device (not shown). The transport roll 13 is made of a metal pipe such as aluminum or stainless steel, or conductive resin or rubber, and is connected to ground or has a bias voltage of the same polarity as the photoreceptor applied thereto. The gap between the photoreceptor and the transport roll is set to a constant value of 0.1 to 2.0 mm, and the bias power supply 20
A voltage of ~2000V is applied. Above the photoreceptor 1, a cleaning blade 11 is provided which pivots between a pressurizing position shown by a solid line and a releasing position shown by a dotted line by a pressurizing and releasing mechanism such as a solenoid 18 and a subring 19. A cleaner housing 16 is installed on the opposite side of the conveyor roll 13 to the photoconductor 1, and the roll 13 is disposed between the upper and lower open ends of the housing and is rotatable with respect to the cleaner housing. has entered the inside of the opening. At the upper and lower ends of the opening of the housing 16, seal members 15 made of a thin sheet such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate, trade name Mylar) and a thin spring material such as phosphor bronze or stainless steel, or rubber such as urethane rubber are provided. A scraper 14 made of a material such as PET or the like is provided, and these seal members and the scraper 15 are always in contact with the outer periphery of the conveyor roll 13 to seal the inside of the housing 16.

The photoreceptor 1, transport roll 13, and cleaner housing 16 described above are integrated into a copy kit, but the cleaning blade 11 including the pressure and release mechanism may be fixed to the cleaner housing 16, or may be fixed to the main body of the copying machine. You can. If it is fixed to the copying machine body, it will naturally not be attached or detached as part of the copy kit.

When the copying machine operates, most of the toner supplied onto the photoreceptor 1 in the developing unit, for example 80%, moves onto the paper in the transfer system, is fixed, and is ejected together with the paper, but some of it is The residual toner 21 continues to rotate on the photoconductor 1 and passes through the gap between the photoconductor 1 and the conveyance roll 13 . Then, it is scraped off by the cleaning blade 11 in the pressurizing position, falls onto the conveyance roll 13, is adsorbed, rotates together with the roll 23, and is then scraped off by the sealing member 15.
It enters the cleaner housing through the
deposited at the bottom of the Due to the sealed structure of the housing 16, the toner contained in the housing 16 cannot be taken out unless the seal member 15, the scraper 14, or a separately provided lid is removed.

[Effects of the invention] As configured as described above, the cleaning device of the present invention hermetically stores the collected untransferred toner in the cleaner housing, and when the cleaning device is taken out from the copying machine main body, it does not tilt. Even if the toner is dropped or tipped over, the toner stored inside will never spill out and will not pollute the surrounding area. This eliminates the hassle of cleaning up afterwards, reducing the amount of time it takes to maintain the copier.

Furthermore, if the present invention is combined with means for releasing (retracting) the cleaning blade from contact with the photoreceptor, the copying function will not deteriorate even in a copying machine equipped with a photoreceptor that generates cold flow.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional side view of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional side view of a conventional copying machine. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic side views showing the operation of the cleaning device of FIG. 2. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Photoreceptor, 2... Developing unit, 3... Cleaning unit, 4... Charger, 5... Copy kit,
6... Original table, 7... Optical system, 8... Paper feeding system, 9... Transfer system, 10... Fixing system, 11... Cleaning blade, 12... Guide member (film/seal), 13
...Transport roll, 14...Scraper, 15...Seal member, 16...Housing, 17...Deposited toner, 1
8...Solenoid, 19...Spring, 20...Bias power supply, 21...Residual toner.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) In a cleaning device for a copying machine that uses a cleaning blade to scrape off residual toner on a photoconductor and stores the residual toner in a cleaner housing, the cleaning device is located below the cleaning blade and close to the photoconductor. and a transport roll that is rotatably installed between the upper and lower open ends of the cleaner housing and that transports residual toner scraped off from above the photoreceptor; and an upper opening of the cleaner housing. a sealing member that is fixedly installed at an end and comes into contact with the transport roll; and a scraper member that is fixedly installed at the lower open end of the cleaner housing and comes into contact with the transport roll to scrape off the transported residual toner on the transport roll. A cleaning device for a copying machine, comprising: (2) The cleaning device for a copying machine according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade is provided with means for releasing contact with the photoreceptor.