JPS646529Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for removing toner remaining on an image bearing member after image transfer in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, and in particular, the present invention relates to a cleaning device for removing toner remaining on an image bearing member after image transfer. The present invention relates to a blade cleaning device that cleans an image carrier with a blade that is held in contact with the image carrier.

In the blade cleaning method, residual toner on the surface of the image carrier is removed by rubbing the edge of a blade made of a wear-resistant rubber material. A device based on this method has a simple and compact structure, and is therefore extremely useful as a cleaning device for electronic copying machines. This is particularly effective when the surface of the image carrier, ie, the photoreceptor, of an electronic copying device is smooth, such as a smooth surface made of selenium or mylar, since the cleaning effect of the blade can be sufficiently exerted.

Such a cleaning device is generally located on the periphery of the photoreceptor behind a device for separating a transfer material to which an image has been transferred from the photoreceptor. For that reason,
Transfer material that sometimes fails to separate during normal copying may be thrust into the cleaning device while remaining in close contact with the surface of the photoreceptor. At this time, since the blade material is rubbing the surface of the photoreceptor, the transfer material that was in close contact with the surface of the photoreceptor is peeled off at this portion and enters the cleaning device. In order to take out the transfer material, it is necessary to remove the cleaning device from the copying device and disassemble it, which requires very troublesome work. Further, residual toner removed from the surface of the photoreceptor is accumulated in the cleaning device, and when the cleaning device is disassembled, the toner scatters, staining the operator or the surrounding area and causing a great nuisance.

The purpose of this invention is to solve all of the problems with conventional cleaning devices as described above, and to easily remove the transfer material even if the transfer material falls into the cleaning device without removing the cleaning device from the main body of the image forming apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device that allows the cleaning device to be removed from the cleaning device.

For this purpose, the present invention provides a cleaning device having a cleaning member for removing toner remaining on the image carrier by rubbing after forming an image on the image carrier and transferring the image to a transfer material. A transfer material guide means is provided for guiding the transfer material, which enters the cleaning device without being separated from the image carrier and is separated from the image carrier by the cleaning member, out of the cleaning device. be.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the transfer material is separated normally, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the transfer material fails to be separated and falls into the cleaner device.

In the figure, 1 is a photosensitive drum that carries a toner image;
is a separation charger, 3 is a conveyor belt, 4 is a transfer material, 5
indicates a cleaning device. Cleaning device 5
The photosensitive drum 1 includes a cleaning blade 6, a magnetic roller 7, a doctor blade 8, and a screw 9, which are in pressure contact with the photosensitive drum 1.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, the photosensitive drum 1 is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow, and the transfer material 4 is fed from the left side of the drawing and comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 1, and the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred thereto. After that, it is separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by a separation charger 2,
The image is sent to a fixing device (not shown) by a conveyor belt 3. However, the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 after the image transfer is removed by the cleaning device 5. In the cleaning device 5, residual toner (not shown) on the surface of the photosensitive drum is removed by a cleaning blade 6, and a magnetic roller 7
It falls onto the top and is transported into the cleaning device by rotation. Further, the toner is removed by a doctor blade 8 pressed against the surface of the magnetic roller 7 and falls onto the screw 9, and by its rotation, the toner is transported to a waste toner box (not shown) or to a developing unit (a conveying means (not shown)). sent to.

In the above-mentioned apparatus, if a failure occurs in separating the transfer material 4 by the separation charger 2, the transfer material 4 remains in close contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and is removed by the cleaning device 5.
It gets into the cleaning device 5 after being peeled off by the blade 6.

According to the present invention, the transfer material guide 10 guides the transfer material separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by the blade 6 and entered into the cleaning device 5 to the outside of the body of the cleaning device 5 as described above.
will be provided. The guide 10 is arranged near the cleaning blade 6 at one end, and an opening 11 is provided in the body of the cleaning device 5 at the other end. This opening 11 is covered with a lid 12 made of an elastic material such as Mylar to prevent the toner inside the cleaning device from scattering through the opening 11.

As shown in Fig. 2, the transfer material 4' that failed to separate
remains attached to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and enters the cleaning device 5 by rotation. Then, the transfer material 4' is separated from the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning blade 6 that is rubbing against the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, passes through the guide 10, and pushes up the lid 12 with the stiffness of the transfer material itself to the outside of the cleaning device. The part pops out and stops. By pulling out the transfer material 4' in this state, the transfer material 4' can be easily removed without causing any stains caused by toner scattering.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the transfer material is not separated from the image carrier and enters the cleaning device while remaining in close contact with the surface of the image carrier, the cleaning device is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus. The transfer material can be taken out very easily without the need for troublesome work such as disassembling the transfer material, and without scattering the toner and staining the operator or the surrounding area.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the cleaning device of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a state in which the transfer material is separated normally, and Figure 2 shows a state in which the transfer material is not separated and is in the cleaning device. Indicates a plunged state. 1...Photosensitive drum, 2...Separation charger, 3...
Conveyor belt, 4...Transfer material, 5...Cleaning device, 6...Cleaning blade, 7...Magnetic roller, 8...Doctor blade, 9...
...Screw, 10...Transfer material guide, 11...
Opening, 12...lid.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A cleaning device having a cleaning member that rubs off toner remaining on the image carrier after forming an image on the image carrier and transferring the image to a transfer material, A transfer material guide means is provided for guiding the transfer material that enters the cleaning device without being separated from the image carrier and is separated from the image carrier by the cleaning member to the outside of the cleaning device. cleaning equipment.