JPS6326832Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a cleaning device that removes developer remaining on the surface of an image carrier. The present invention also relates to an excellent cleaning device configured to minimize the amount of transfer material that enters the device during removal, and to remove the transfer material without contaminating the inside or outside of the device.

Conventionally, there has been a device that forms an electrostatic image on an insulator or a photoreceptor and develops this electrostatic image with a developer to form an image, or a device that forms a magnetic image on a magnetic recording material and uses magnetic development. Various apparatuses and the like that form images by developing images using agents have been put to practical use. In these image forming devices,
While the developed image is transferred to a transfer material and the transfer material is separated and discharged, a cleaning device is used to completely remove the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier such as the insulator, photoreceptor, or magnetic recording material. removed and prepared for subsequent image formation. This cleaning device generally has a casing having an opening facing the surface of the image carrier, and a cleaning member acts on the surface of the image carrier through the opening, while guiding removed developer into the casing.

By the way, in the above-mentioned transfer type image forming apparatus,
Sometimes, an accident occurs in which the transfer material is not separated even after the transfer is completed and reaches the cleaning device while remaining attached to the surface of the image carrier. (This is a transfer material separation error.) At this time, the transfer material may be separated by the cleaning member and enter the cleaning device through the casing opening, and if the image carrier is drum-shaped, the transfer material may be separated by the cleaning member. Depending on the quality of the paper, even though it passed through the transfer material separation position, it did not follow the circumference of the drum and instead entered directly into the opening of the cleaning device casing. In any case, the misseparated transfer material often remains at the cleaning device and gets caught inside the device. Conventionally, when such an accident occurs, when the transfer material is removed, the removed developer inside the device is drawn out together with the transfer material, staining the surrounding area. In particular, when the developer scraped out together with the transfer material adheres to the periphery of the image carrier, it adversely affects subsequent image formation and is extremely inconvenient. Even if the operator is careful, it is inevitable that the unfixed developer adhering to the transfer material will stain the operator's hands and clothes.

The object of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and is to prevent a transfer material that has caused a separation error from entering the casing of a cleaning device and jamming it.

The present invention, which has achieved the above object, removes the developer remaining on the front surface of the drum of an image forming apparatus that separates the transfer material from the drum surface after transferring the developed image on the surface of the image bearing drum to the transfer material. The cleaning device includes a casing having an opening facing the surface of the image carrier drum, and a cleaning device that is enclosed in the casing and is provided opposite to the rotational direction of the image carrier drum, and that cleans the image carrier drum from the opening. a cleaning blade that comes into contact with the drum to remove developer remaining on the drum surface; and a transfer device that has one end supported within the casing and the other end of which is located on the opposite side of the cleaning blade from the image carrier drum. It has a material blocking plate member.

Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be explained using specific examples with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the same device.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an image bearing drum, which is, for example, a drum-shaped photoreceptor having a photoconductive layer. 2 is an elastic cleaning tip blade,
An elastic tip member made of rubber or the like is provided at the tip of a flexible support member 2a made of metal or the like. Then, an elastic chip member is disposed in a counter direction facing the rotational direction of the image carrier drum, and cleans and removes the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a magnetic roller disposed below the elastic cleaning tip blade, which has a plurality of magnetic poles along the circumference of the roller and rotates in the direction of the arrow. The developer removed by the blade is then conveyed to the left in the figure.

Reference numeral 4 denotes an auxiliary roller disposed above the magnetic roller 3 with a predetermined gap therebetween, which cooperates with the magnetic roller 3 to apply a strong conveying force to the removed developer.
The auxiliary roller 4 may be a magnetic roller having magnetic poles along its circumference, similar to the magnetic roller 3, but it is also effective to use a ferromagnetic iron roller or the like. 5 is a non-magnetic scraper placed close to or in contact with the surface of the magnetic roller. This scraper 5 sends the removed developer that has passed between the magnetic roller 3 and the auxiliary roller 4 to a developer conveying path 6 arranged on the left side and having an upward path.

As shown in the figure, the developer conveyance path 6 curves at the top from the ascending path and ends at a downward opening 6a. A storage tank 7 for the removed developer is provided at the bottom of the opening of the developer conveyance path.
is removably arranged at the lever 8. 9 is an inner container that can be disposed of together with the removed developer. The upper casing 10 forming the peripheral wall of the developer conveyance path 6 also covers the upper side of the auxiliary roller 4, and its right end serves as a fixed portion for the elastic cleaning tip blade 2.

On the other hand, the lower casing 11 is connected to the entrance of the developer conveyance path at its left end, forms a recess along the lower side of the magnetic roller 3 at its center, and ends at a position close to the image carrier surface at its right end.

The space A between the central part of the lower casing and the right side and the magnetic roller 3 is configured to have an appropriate size, and is designed to prevent the developer from being removed when a transfer material separation error occurs. prevent falling,
This allows for sufficient storage. That is, when the transfer material enters the cleaning position due to a separation error, the removed developer adsorbed on the surface of the magnetic roller is scraped off by the transfer material, resulting in a large amount of fallen developer. However, as described above, since a sufficient space A is provided on the lower casing, the fallen developer remains in the space A and does not overflow to the outside of the cleaning device. and,
The accumulated developer is moved to the conveyance path 6 by the rotation of the magnetic roller 3 and removed from the space A.

In the device of this embodiment, the lower casing 11
A partition plate 12 is disposed at an appropriate interval on the opening side, and the edge 12a of the partition plate 12 on the opening side makes it difficult for the transfer material to enter.

Further, in the apparatus of the above embodiment, a prevention plate 13 is provided adjacent to the elastic cleaning tip blade 2 to prevent the transfer material removed by the blade 2 from entering the developer conveyance path. This makes it possible to minimize the amount of transfer material entering the casing. Of course, when the image forming apparatus itself detects a separation error in the transfer material, it normally stops the operation of the image carrier drum, etc., so the movement of the transfer material is quickly stopped. No force is applied to push the hole deeply into the opening, and the prevention plate 13 can provide a sufficient blocking effect.

In this embodiment, if the transfer material is not separated from the image bearing drum 1 after the transfer process, it will enter the casing of the cleaning device as the drum 1 rotates. Then, the transfer material is separated from the drum 1 by the blade 2, and further guided to the back along the rotational direction of the image carrier drum by the prevention plate 13. Furthermore, the transfer material stops when its leading edge reaches 2b between the prevention plate 13 and the flexible support member 2a of the blade 2, and further intrusion is prevented.

As described above in detail with the specific examples, according to the device of the present invention, even if the transfer material enters the cleaning device without being separated from the image bearing drum after transfer,
By preventing the leading edge of the transfer material from entering, the transfer material does not completely enter the cleaning device and there is no need to worry about taking it out.
Furthermore, since the amount of intrusion of the transfer material can be minimized, it is possible to minimize stains caused by the developer when taking out the transfer material.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a specific example cleaning device based on the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the device. In the figure, 1: image carrier drum, 2: elastic cleaning chip blade, 3: magnetic roller, 4: auxiliary roller, 5: scraper, 6: developer conveyance path.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] Cleaning for removing developer remaining on the drum surface of an image forming apparatus that separates the transfer material from the drum surface after transferring the developed image on the surface of the image bearing drum to the transfer material. In the apparatus, a casing having an opening facing the surface of the image carrier drum, and a casing included in the casing and provided opposite to the rotational direction of the image carrier drum, and contacting the image carrier drum from the opening. a cleaning blade that removes developer remaining on the drum surface; and a transfer material blocking plate having one end supported within the casing and the other end of the cleaning blade disposed on the opposite side of the image carrier drum. 1. A cleaning device comprising: a member for preventing transfer material from entering and being drawn into a casing;