JPH0447834B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for cleaning an intermediate transfer body in a recording apparatus in which a toner image is formed on a toner image forming body, transferred to an intermediate transfer body, and retransferred from the intermediate transfer body to recording paper and fixed. Regarding improvements.

The intermediate transfer body of the above-mentioned recording device is coated with silicone rubber or fluorine-based material on the surface so that the toner image can be efficiently transferred from the toner image forming body, retransferred to the recording paper, and fixed. A layer of heat-resistant elastic material such as rubber is provided as a transfer layer, and the transfer layer is configured to be heated to a temperature higher than the softening temperature of the toner. Using a sliding contact cleaning method such as using a blade or heat-resistant cloth to clean such an intermediate transfer member is different from cleaning a toner image forming member or fixing pressure roller, which has a relatively hard and smooth surface. However, there are problems in that not only a sufficient cleaning effect cannot be obtained, but also the transfer layer on the surface is easily damaged. Conventionally, the intermediate transfer member has been cleaned by a method in which a metal cylinder is rotated in contact with the intermediate transfer member, as described in US Pat. No. 3,649,992. This method takes advantage of the fact that the adhesion of toner to metal is stronger than that to a transfer layer such as silicone rubber, and since there is little toner remaining on the intermediate transfer layer, it can be completed in a relatively short time. The cleaning action of the metal cylinder is not reduced. However, even so, as the amount of toner adhering to the metal cylinder increases, the amount of toner adhering to the metal cylinder is usually not uniform in the direction of the rotation axis of the metal cylinder, and unevenness occurs, so the surface of the intermediate transfer body is This results in poor adhesion with the cleaning agent, resulting in a reduced cleaning effect.

The present invention relates to an improvement in a cleaning method for removing residual toner on an intermediate transfer member by utilizing the difference in adhesion force as described above. The present invention provides a cleaning method that prevents deterioration of the cleaning effect due to toner adhesion to a member.

The present invention provides a recording apparatus that forms a toner image on a toner image forming body, transfers it to an intermediate transfer body, retransfers it from the intermediate transfer body to recording paper, and fixes the image, which rotates from the retransfer position to the transfer position. A cleaning member that rotates while contacting the surface of the intermediate transfer body whose temperature is higher than the softening temperature of the toner between the bodies and causes residual toner in a softened or molten state on the intermediate transfer body to adhere thereto. The cleaning member is provided so that it can be rotated away from the intermediate transfer body while the intermediate transfer body is in contact with the intermediate transfer body. A cleaning method for an intermediate transfer member is provided, and the toner adhering to the cleaning member is scraped off from the cleaning member by the blade when the toner is substantially solidified.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

1 and 2 are schematic side views respectively showing an example of a recording apparatus using an intermediate transfer member, in which 1 is a photosensitive drum which is a toner image forming body that rotates in the direction of the arrow, and 2 is a photosensitive drum 1. 3 is a charging device that uniformly charges the surface of the cleaned photoreceptor drum 1; 4 is a uniformly charged photoreceptor drum; projection light that projects the current image onto the surface of 1 to form an electrostatic image;
5 is a dry developing device that develops an electrostatic image into a toner image;
Reference numeral 6 denotes an intermediate transfer member which rotates in the direction of the arrow in pressure contact with the photosensitive drum 1 and onto which the developed toner image is transferred. The intermediate transfer body 6 in FIG. 1 is formed into a belt shape, and 7 is a transfer pressure roller that presses the intermediate transfer body 6 against the photoreceptor drum 1, and 8 is an infrared lamp or a resistance heating element inside. The toner image on the intermediate transfer member 6 is transferred to the recording paper P using a heat source 8A,
A heating roller 9 is a tension roller that heats the intermediate transfer member 6 to facilitate fixing. The belt-shaped intermediate transfer body 6 is made of stainless steel, polyimide,
It has a structure in which a layer of heat-resistant elastic material such as silicone rubber or fluorine rubber is provided as a transfer layer on the surface of a Baltic substrate made of a heat-resistant resin film such as polyamide, aromatic polyamide, polyarylate, or polyester. Further, the intermediate transfer body 6 shown in FIG. 2 is formed as a roller, and has a structure in which a transfer layer of silicone rubber, fluorine rubber, etc. is provided on the surface of a heating roller 8, that is, a heat source 6A is provided inside. It has a structure in which a transfer layer is provided on the surface of a cylinder made of metal or resin. 10 is a fixing pressure roller which has a heat source 10A inside and presses the recording paper P against the surface of the intermediate transfer body 6; 11 is a fixing pressure roller that presses against the intermediate transfer body 6 and rotates in the direction of the arrow to soften the intermediate transfer body 6; 1 is a cleaning member to which residual toner in a molten state adheres;
Reference numeral 2 represents a blade for scraping off toner adhering to the cleaning member 11, and reference numeral 13 represents a storage box for receiving the scraped toner.

The cleaning member 11 is configured so that it can take the illustrated state in which it is in pressure contact with the intermediate transfer body 6 and rotates, and the state in which it is separated from the intermediate transfer body 6 and rotates in pressure contact with the blade 12. Therefore, cleaning is performed by bringing the cleaning member 11 into pressure contact with the intermediate transfer member 6, and when toner accumulates on the cleaning member 11 and the cleaning effect begins to deteriorate, the cleaning member 11 is separated from the intermediate transfer member 6. Then, when the accumulated toner is substantially solidified, the cleaning member 11 is brought into pressure contact with the blade 12.
The accumulated toner can be effectively scraped off. This prevents the cleaning effect of the cleaning member 11 from deteriorating, and allows the cleaning member 11 to always efficiently clean the intermediate transfer body 6. Note that the cleaning member 11 may be brought into pressure contact with the blade 12 immediately after being separated from the intermediate transfer member 6 without waiting for the accumulated toner to solidify. In this case as well, the toner solidified during scraping and the accumulated toner can be effectively scraped off. The toner image forming member 1 scrapes off the toner accumulated on the cleaning member 11.
This is performed at a driving stage when no toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 6, or at a rest stage when the recording apparatus is not performing a recording process.

The cleaning member 11 has a surface that is similar to the intermediate transfer body 6.
As long as the adhesion of the toner is stronger than the transfer layer of the roller, it is not limited to metal, and may be made of a heat-resistant elastic layer such as silicone rubber or a heat-resistant resin layer such as polyimide or aromatic polyamide. However, it may be belt-shaped. If a belt-shaped cleaning member 11 is used, the adhered toner can have time to substantially solidify before reaching the contact position of the blade 12, so the cleaning member 11 is separated from the intermediate transfer member 6. The blade 12 is brought into contact with the blade 12 at almost the same time as the
This allows the toner attached to the cleaning member 11 to be removed. Note that a heat source may be provided inside the cleaning member 11 or the surface of the cleaning member 11 may be heated from the outside so that the toner easily adheres to the cleaning member 11 from the intermediate transfer body 6. In that case, heating may be stopped when removing toner accumulated on the cleaning member 11. The blade 12 is made of a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate, a resin plate, or the like.

The cleaning means for the intermediate transfer body 6 as described above can also be used for the fixing pressure roller 10, and FIG. An example in which the fixing pressure roller 10 is used is shown.

Further, the recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied is not limited to one based on electrophotography, but may be one based on electrostatic recording using a multi-stylus electrode or the like, or one based on magnetic recording using a magnetized head.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic side views showing an example of a recording apparatus using an intermediate transfer member, respectively. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Photosensitive drum, 2... Cleaning device, 3... Charging device, 4... Projection light, 5... Dry developing device, 6... Intermediate transfer body, 7... Transfer pressure roller, 8... Heating Roller, 9... Tension roller, 10... Fixing pressure roller, 11... Cleaning member, 12... Blade, 13... Storage box.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a recording device that forms a toner image on a toner image forming body, transfers it to an intermediate transfer body, retransfers it from the intermediate transfer body to recording paper, and fixes it, the toner during rotation from the retransfer position to the transfer position. A cleaning member that rotates while in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer body whose temperature is at a softening temperature of is provided so that it can be rotated away from the intermediate transfer body, and
A blade is provided that is separate from the cleaning member that rotates in contact with the intermediate transfer body, and that comes into contact with the cleaning member that rotates away from the intermediate transfer body, so that the blade substantially removes the toner adhering to the cleaning member. A method for cleaning an intermediate transfer member, which comprises scraping the intermediate transfer member from the cleaning member at a stage where the intermediate transfer member is completely solidified.