JPH0442278A - Transfer device in wet image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set a gap between a separator and a cleaner widely by arranging a transfer charger casing at the lower part of a photosensitive material so as to receive developer dripping from the lowest point of the photosensitive material, and connecting a developer reclaim path on which the developer is introduced to a reclaimer tank. CONSTITUTION:The transfer charger casing 72 is arranged at the lower part of the photosensitive material 1 so as to receive the developer dripping from the lowest point of the photosensitive material 1, and also, the developer reclaim path 73 which introduces the developer to the developer reclaimer tank is connected to the transfer charger casing 72. When the rotation of an image carrier 1 is stopped, the developer attached on the surface of the image carrier 1 is collected at the lowest point of the image carrier 1 transmitted on the surface of the image carrier 1, and when the amount of developer arrives at certain amount, it drops downward, and is received with the transfer charger casing 72 arranged at the lower side of the image carrier 1, and is reclaimed to the developer reclaimer tank via the developer reclaim path 73. Thereby, the gap between the separator 8 and the cleaner 9 can be set widely.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a transfer device employing a wet development type image forming apparatus (wet type image forming apparatus) such as a copying machine, a printer facsimile, or the like.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to prevent the developing solution falling from the lowest point of the photoreceptor 1 from contaminating the inside of the apparatus, the photoreceptor 1 is
The guide member 6 consists of a guide member main body plate 61a that receives and flows down the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the guide member main body plate 61a, and a recess 61b that collects the developer that has flown down the guide member main body plate 61a] (In the example shown in the figure, A transfer paper (also serving as an upper guide plate) is disposed below the photoconductor 1, and the developer in the recess 61b is transferred to a developer recovery tank (not shown) in the recess 61b of the guide member 1. A developer recovery device for a wet image forming apparatus is known, which is connected to a developer recovery path (not shown) for guiding the developer (for example, disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-139260).
(see publication).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, according to the above configuration, the guide member 61 is placed on the photoconductor 1 so as to receive the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the photoconductor 1.
By disposing the guide member 61 at the lower part of the photoconductor, the distance between the transfer charger 7, which is disposed downstream of the guide member 61 in the direction of one rotation of the photoconductor, and the cleaning device 9, which is disposed further downstream in the direction of one rotation of the photoconductor, is reduced. The distance between the separation device 8 and the cleaning device 9 disposed between them also becomes narrow, so that the separation device 8 follows the direction in which the transfer paper is conveyed after separation, and the separation device 8 moves the transfer paper in the cleaning device 9. In order to prevent the transfer paper from coming into contact with the lower part of the casing, it is necessary to set the separated transfer paper so that it rapidly separates from the surface of the photoreceptor, which poses a problem in that paper jams are likely to occur.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to enable the separation device and the cleaning device to be disposed below the photoreceptor, and to reduce the distance between the separation device and the cleaning device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer device in a wet type image forming apparatus that can be set more widely than the above.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a transfer charger casing that is disposed below the photoreceptor so as to receive the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the photoreceptor, and a transfer charger casing that receives the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the photoreceptor. This is characterized in that a developer recovery path is connected which leads the developer to a developer recovery tank.

[Effect]

When the rotation of the image carrier is stopped, such as after the image forming apparatus is stopped, the developer adhering to the surface of the image carrier travels along the surface of the image carrier and collects at the lowest point of the image carrier, and a certain amount Then, the developer falls downward, is received by a transfer charger casing disposed below the image carrier, and is collected into a developer recovery tank via a developer recovery path connected to the transfer charger casing.

〔Example〕

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wet-type copying machine, which is a wet-type image forming apparatus, will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2.

First, an overview of the entire copying machine will be explained.

In FIG. 1, a drum-shaped photoreceptor 1, which is an image carrier, is rotated clockwise, and after being positively charged by a corona discharger 2, which is a negative charger, unnecessary portions are removed by an eraser 3. The charge is erased, and the reflected light from the document is projected by an optical system (not shown) to form an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image is converted into a toner image by negatively charged toner from a side developing device 4 provided on the right side of the photoreceptor 1.
This toner image is conveyed from a paper feed section (not shown), sent out at timing by a registration roller 5, and transferred to a transfer paper guided by upper and lower guide plates 61 and 62 to the surface of the photoreceptor 1, and transferred to a transfer charger. 7. This discharge from the transfer charger 7 positively charges the back surface of the transfer paper. The transfer paper on which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photoreceptor 1 by a separation device 8, which is composed of a turn roller 8a, a turn belt 8b, and a separation belt (not shown), and is arranged on the front end surface of the photoreceptor.
It passes through a fixing device and a paper ejecting device (not shown) and is ejected outside the machine as copy paper. On the other hand, on the photoreceptor 1 after transfer, untransferred toner is collected and removed by a cleaning roller 9a and a cleaning blade 9b of a cleaning device 9 provided on the left side of the photoreceptor 1, and residual charges are removed by a charge removal lamp 10. Then, the corona discharger 2 prepares for the next charging.

The transfer charger 7 will now be explained.

The discharge wire 71 of the transfer charger 7 is provided at a position offset from directly below the lowest point of the photoconductor so that the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the photoconductor does not adhere thereto. The bottom wall of the transfer charger casing 72 is formed with a flat inclined portion 72a, which is a liquid receiver, and a gutter-like portion 72b, which is a recessed portion. The plane inclined part 72a is provided so as to be inclined so that the side of the gutter-like part 72b is lower, and allows the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the photoreceptor to flow down on the surface and into the gutter-like part 72b. The gutter-like portion 72b is formed such that the bottom of the gutter is lower on the front side, thereby collecting the developer flowing from the plane inclined portion 72a toward the front side. The upper end of a recovery pipe 73 forming a developer recovery path is connected to the front end of the gutter-like portion 72b.
The lower end of 3 is connected to a developer recovery tank (not shown). As the developer recovery tank, the above-mentioned side developing device 4 is used.
It is also possible to use a developing tank storing a developer used in the cleaning device 9 or cleaning device 9, or a tank exclusively for collecting the developer may be provided separately.

In the above configuration, when the copying is completed and the rotation of the photoreceptor 1 and the rollers 41, 42° 43 inside the side developing device 4 is stopped, the accumulation occurs between the rollers 41, 42° 43 and the photoreceptor 1. The developer that is attached to the surface of the photoreceptor 1 or the developer that is attached to the surface of the photoreceptor 1 flows along the surface of the photoreceptor 1 toward the bottom, and when the developer that reaches the bottom reaches a certain amount, it flows downward. The transfer charger casing 72 falls onto the plane inclined part 72a, flows down its surface toward the gutter-like part 72b, flows into this, is collected toward the front side by the gutter-like part 72b, and is passed through the collection pipe 73. The developer is collected into the developer collection tank.

In the above embodiment, the transfer charger casing 7
2, its shape etc. have been changed as described above, and it has been placed below the lowest point of the photoreceptor 1 to have a developer recovery function, so compared to conventional copying machines, the registration roller is 5. By shifting the arrangement of the upper and lower guide plates 61 and 62, the transfer charger 7, and the separation device 8 to the upstream side in the rotational direction of the photoreceptor, the distance between the separation device 8 and the cleaning device t9 can be made larger than before. By narrowing the area where the turn belt 8b wraps around the turn roller 8a and making the change in the transfer paper conveyance direction before and after separation smaller than before, the transfer paper conveyance path is made approximately straight, and the transfer paper can be easily moved. Conveyance stability can be improved. Also, the separation device 8
Since the distance between the cleaning device 9 and the cleaning device 9 can be made larger than before, the separated transfer paper can be prevented from coming into contact with the lower part of the casing of the cleaning device 9.1. The amount can be reduced compared to the conventional method.

In the second embodiment, the transfer charger casing was formed with the plane inclined part 72a that receives the developer falling from the lowest point of the photoreceptor 1 and the gutter-like part 72b that collects the developer. Alternatively, the width of the gutter-like portion 72b may be increased so that the gutter-like portion 72b alone receives and collects the developer falling from the lowest point of the photoreceptor 1.

Further, in the above embodiment, a separation device consisting of a turn roller 8a, a turn belt 8b, and a separation belt is used.
A separating device may be used so that the separating claws are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the image carrier.

Furthermore, instead of the drum-shaped photoreceptor 1, a belt-shaped photoreceptor may be used.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the transfer charger is disposed below the photoreceptor, and the distance between the separation device and the cleaning device can be set wider than before, so that the transfer paper is transported before and after separation. By making the change in direction smaller than in the past, there is an excellent effect of improving the conveyance stability of the transfer paper.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are drawings for explaining a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The figure is a perspective view of a casing of a transfer device, and FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional copying machine. 1... Photoreceptor, 7... Transfer charger, 72a...
・Plane slope part, 72b... gutter-like part

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A transfer charger casing is disposed below the photoreceptor so as to receive the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the photoreceptor, and the developer is guided into the transfer charger casing to the developer collection tank. A transfer device in a wet image forming apparatus, characterized in that a recovery path is connected. (2) The transfer charger casing has a liquid receiving part that receives and flows down the developer that has fallen from the lowest point of the photoreceptor, and a recess that collects the developer that has fallen down, and in the recess,
Claim (1) characterized in that the developer recovery path is connected.
1) A transfer device in the wet image forming apparatus described above.