JPH075794A - Cleaner for electrophotographic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a cleaner for electrophotographic apparatus in which the management of a distance between the blade and side seal is ensured, a toner leak is less and a blade assembling body which maintains a satisfactory cleaning function at all times is provided. CONSTITUTION:The cleaner for electrophotographic apparatus prevents toner from leaking from both ends of a cleaning blade by arranging the side seal 6 at each side of the cleaning blade 5 which comes into contact with a photosensitive drum 1 fixed to a blade support member 4 with a proper positioning accuracy. The cleaner is provided with a blade support part 10 provided on the blade support member 4, two side seal member positioning parts 12 and 14, one at each end of the blade support part 10, a side seal member positioning member 15 provided adjustably on the side seal member positioning part 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a photosensitive drum used in electrophotography represented by xerographic systems such as electrostatic copying machines and electrostatic printers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electrophotographic apparatus such as an electrostatic copying machine or an electrostatic printer, a process of applying an electric charge to a photoconductor to uniformly charge the photoconductor, and exposing the photoconductor based on image information to partially charge the photoconductor. Except for the steps of forming a latent image on the photoconductor, developing the latent image formed on the photoconductor into a transferable toner image using toner, and transferring the toner image to a transfer material such as paper. An image is formed on the transfer material. In such an electrophotographic apparatus, the toner that has not been transferred to the transfer material remains on the surface of the photoconductor drum even after the transfer process, which causes inconvenience in performing the next copying cycle. Residual toner must be completely removed. Therefore, a cleaning device for removing the toner remaining on the photoconductor that has completed the transfer process is provided between the transfer process and the charging process.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an outline of the vicinity of a cleaning device of such an electrophotographic apparatus. The rotary shaft 2 of the photoconductor drum 1 is supported by the drum unit outer frame 3 via bearings, and the photoconductor drum is rotated by a drive device (not shown). The cleaning blade 5 made of an elastic material such as rubber supported by the blade supporting member 4 is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 at a position where the transfer process has been completed. The residual toner is transferred onto a cleaning blade and removed from the drum.

The toner removed from the photosensitive drum 1 is discharged to a waste toner container by a transfer means (not shown). Side seals 6 made of, for example, felt are disposed on both sides of the blade so that the waste toner removed from the photosensitive drum 1 onto the blade 5 does not spill from the sides of the blade and stain the inside of the machine. The blade and the side seal 6 are attached to the blade positioning portion and the side seal member positioning portion provided on the blade support member 4.

In this method, since there is a tolerance in the lengthwise dimension of the blade 5, the distance between the blade and the side seal varies, and when the distance increases, the amount of toner leakage increases, and the distance decreases. When the side seals come into contact with each other, the movement of the blade is restricted, which causes a problem of cleaning failure. For this reason, when installing the side seal, the width of the gap was regulated by sandwiching a shim or the like between them, but this method increases the number of assembly steps and requires re-adjustment every time maintenance and inspection of the cleaning unit and replacement of parts are performed. There was a hard work to do.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an electrophotographic apparatus equipped with a blade assembly in which the assembling workability is remarkably facilitated and the waste toner is less leaked at the time of maintenance / inspection and part replacement to improve the workability. An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an electrophotographic cleaning device including a blade assembly that reliably transmits a clearance control between a blade and a side seal, has a small amount of toner leakage, and can always maintain a good cleaning function. .

[0007]

In mounting a blade and a side seal member on a blade supporting member having a blade positioning portion and a side sealing member positioning portion in an electrophotographic cleaning device, positioning is performed on one side sealing member positioning portion. A member is provided to absorb variations in spacing due to the tolerance of the assembled parts.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The constitution of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing a plan view of an electrophotographic cleaning apparatus according to the present invention and FIG. 2 showing a specific example of a mounting structure of a blade and a side seal.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning device of the present invention comprises a photosensitive drum 1, which is rotatably mounted on an outer frame 3 of a drum unit, a blade supporting member 4, a blade 5 which contacts the photosensitive drum, and a side seal. Support members 7, 8
And two side seals 6 respectively attached to the both ends of the blade and spaced apart from each other by a small distance, and a side seal positioning member 15 for positioning one side seal supporting member 8.

The blade 5 and the side seal 6 made of, for example, felt are constructed as shown in FIG. The blade supporting member 4 made of a material having high rigidity such as metal has a blade positioning portion 10 for mounting the blade 5 in the central portion, which is formed in a concave shape, for example, and side seal positioning for mounting the side seals 6 on both sides thereof. Part 12,
14 are arranged. One end of the blade positioning portion 10 is used as a position reference 11, and for example, the longitudinal accuracy of the cleaning blade 5 made of an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin is abutted on one side to ensure positional accuracy.
The side seal 6 attached to the side seal supporting member 8 having the elongated hole 9 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided with the positioning portion 14
Mounted so as to be freely movable in the longitudinal direction. An end portion of the blade positioning portion 12, which is located opposite to the position reference 11, is provided at a position where the blade 5 having the maximum tolerance can be received, and corresponds to the variation in the size of the blade in the longitudinal direction.

A side seal positioning member 15 having an elongated hole 16 extending in the longitudinal direction is attached to the side seal member positioning portion 14 so as to be adjustable in the longitudinal direction, and the side seal positioning member 15 is adjusted in accordance with the tolerance of the blade 5. The mounting position can be adjusted. The side seal support member 8 is pressed against the side seal positioning member 15 to create a predetermined minute gap between the blade 5 and the side seal 6.

[0012]

According to the present invention, since the blade 5 and the side seal 6 are arranged in the blade positioning portion 10 and the side seal member positioning portions 12 and 14 which are provided on the blade supporting member 4 with positional accuracy, the respective positioning portions are arranged. The electrophotographic cleaning device can be easily assembled simply by arranging and fixing each part to the, and assembling man-hours can be reduced, and the same can be applied to maintenance and inspection of the cleaning unit and replacement of parts. By exchanging the blades within the tolerance range, it is possible to eliminate the need for readjustment and improve workability.

Further, according to the present invention, the clearance between the blade and the side seal can be surely controlled at the time of assembly, and the side seal can be prevented from coming into contact with the blade, so that the deformation of the blade can be prevented. , Can always exert a good cleaning function.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the concept of a cleaning device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a blade support member of the cleaning device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the concept of a conventional cleaning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photoconductor drum 1, 2 Rotating shaft, 3 Drum unit outer frame, 4 Blade support member, 5 Cleaning blade, 6 Side seal, 7,8 Side seal support member, 9,16 Long hole, 10 Blade positioning part, 1
1, 13 Position reference, 12, 14 Side seal positioning part, 15 Side seal positioning member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electrophotographic cleaning device in which side seals are arranged on both sides of a cleaning blade that is in contact with a photosensitive drum fixed to a blade supporting member with positional accuracy to prevent toner leakage from both ends of the cleaning blade, A blade support part provided on the blade support member, two side seal member positioning parts provided on both sides of the blade support part, and a side seal member positioning member adjustably provided on the side seal member positioning part are provided. And an electrophotographic cleaning device.