JP2000019861A - Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaner which achieves the miniaturization of an electrophotographic device and the improvement of the operability. SOLUTION: In the housing 1 of the cleaner a brush roller 2, a bias roller 3, a cleaning blade 4, and a carrying screw 5 are provided so a to form a unit, and residual toner sticking on the surface of an intermediate transfer belt 6 is scraped and recovered. In order to bring the brush roller 2 into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6 on separate it from it, the entire unit can be rotated by a specific angle around the shaft of the carrying screw 5. The shaft of the carrying screw 5 is supported by support plates 7 attached to side plates holding the intermediate transfer belt 6. Ribs 1a projecting from both ends of the housing 1 serve as stoppers by abutting on the tops 7a situated in the uppermost positions of the side plates 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electrophotographic apparatuses have become smaller and lighter, and various units must be arranged in a limited space. For this reason, it has become necessary to integrate the units as much as possible and to increase the assembling accuracy. However, in the conventional electrophotographic apparatus, the cleaning device for the intermediate transfer belt is disposed on the side of the electrophotographic apparatus main body, which not only hinders miniaturization of the apparatus but also causes problems such as poor operability. In addition, since the intermediate transfer belt and the cleaning device for the intermediate transfer belt are separated from each other, there is a problem that it is difficult to obtain the positional accuracy with respect to the intermediate transfer unit.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the cleaning device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a cleaning device which remains on a transfer belt of an electrophotographic apparatus. A cleaning member for removing toner remaining on the surface of the transfer belt by bringing the toner remaining in the surface of the transfer belt into contact with a surface of a transfer belt provided in the electrophotographic apparatus in a unit-shaped casing. A cleaning device including: a contact / separation drive unit for bringing the cleaning member into and out of contact with the surface of the transfer belt together with the casing; and a belt that holds the transfer belt by using a rotation fulcrum of the casing by the contact / separation drive unit. It is provided on the unit side.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the belt unit has a stopper for restricting the cleaning member from biting into the surface of the transfer belt when the cleaning member is brought into contact with the surface of the transfer belt. It is characterized by.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the cleaning device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the intermediate transfer belt.

[0006] The cleaning device of the illustrated embodiment is unitized by providing a brush roller 2, a bias roller 3, a cleaning blade 4 and a transport screw 5 on a housing 1, and adheres to the surface of an intermediate transfer belt 6. The residual toner is scraped off by the brush roller 2, the residual toner is transferred to the bias roller 3 to which the voltage is applied, and the transferred residual toner is scraped off from the surface of the bias roller 3 by the cleaning blade 4. 5 and collected in a collection tank (not shown).

Further, in order to move the brush roller 2 toward and away from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6, the cleaning unit has a structure in which the entire unit is rotated by a predetermined angle about the shaft 5a of the conveying screw 5 as shown by an arrow. It can be rotated. A shaft 5 a of the transport screw 5, which is a rotating shaft, is supported by a support plate 7, which is attached to a side plate holding the intermediate transfer belt 6.

Further, the housing 1 and the support plate 7 constitute means for regulating the amount of the brush roller 2 biting into the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6 when the brush roller 2 is pressed against the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6. . That is, the housing 1
The rib 1a protruding from both ends of the cleaning plate abuts on the top portion 7a located at the uppermost position of the support plate 7, thereby acting as a stopper, and from the separated state shown in FIG. 3A, the cleaning device as shown in FIG. Rotate the entire brush roller 2
Is brought into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 6, the position of the brush roller 2 with respect to the intermediate transfer belt 6 is determined by the above-described stopper.

[0009]

As described above, the cleaning device of the first aspect is provided with the contact / separation driving means for bringing the cleaning member into and out of contact with the surface of the transfer belt together with the unit-shaped casing. Is provided on the side of the belt unit that holds the transfer belt, and the cleaning member can be pressed against the surface of the transfer belt with reference to the unit that holds the intermediate transfer belt, which is the member to be cleaned. Downsizing,
There is an effect that the operability can be improved and the assembling accuracy can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, the belt unit holding the intermediate transfer belt, which is the member to be cleaned, does not bite when the cleaning member comes into contact with the surface of the transfer belt. Since the restricting stopper is provided, in addition to the above-mentioned common effects, the cleaning member can be accurately cut into the surface of the transfer belt, good cleaning properties can be secured, and a good image can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view around an intermediate transfer belt.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an operation of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 1 Cleaning device housing 1a Housing rib 2 Brush roller 3 Bias roller 4 Cleaning blade 5 Conveying screw 5a Conveying screw shaft 6 Intermediate transfer belt 7 Support plate 7a Top of support plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning device for removing toner remaining on a transfer belt of an electrophotographic apparatus, wherein the transfer belt is brought into contact with a surface of a transfer belt provided in the electrophotographic apparatus in a unit-shaped casing. A cleaning device provided with a cleaning member for scraping toner remaining on the surface into the casing; and a contact / separation drive unit for bringing the cleaning member into and out of contact with the surface of the transfer belt together with the casing. A rotation fulcrum of the casing provided on the side of the belt unit holding the transfer belt. 2. The belt unit according to claim 1, wherein a stopper is provided on the belt unit for restricting the cleaning member from biting into the surface of the transfer belt when the cleaning member is brought into contact with the surface of the transfer belt. Cleaning equipment.