JP2001290405A - Toner sealing member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner sealing member preventing the adhesion of toner coarse powder caused by the endurance of a gap holding member abutting part on an electrophotographic photoreceptor and having sufficient cleaning ability and sealing ability. SOLUTION: This toner sealing member 7j is disposed in a frame body opposed to a position where the gap holding member of a developer carrier for properly keeping a gap with the electrophotographic photoreceptor of a process cartridge freely attached to/detached from an electrophotographic image forming device main body and having the photoreceptor and a processing means acting on the photoreceptor abuts on the photoreceptor and consists of a sheet type member (nonwoven fabric) 12 formed by the fibrous slip of at least one of a regenerated fiber, a semi-synthetic fiber area synthetic fiber. The member 7j is provided with plural loop-shaped bristles 12a on its surface side abutting on the photoreceptor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a toner seal member used for a process cartridge detachably mountable on an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrated as a cartridge, and the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus main body. On the other hand, a process cartridge system which can be detached is used. According to this process cartridge system, maintenance of the apparatus can be performed by the user himself without relying on a serviceman, so that operability can be remarkably improved.

Therefore, the process cartridge system is widely used in an image forming apparatus. In the image forming apparatus, an interval between an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a developer carrying member of a developing means is properly maintained by a spacing member. .

Further, in order to clean the endurance of the contact portion of the electrophotographic photosensitive member due to the durability, a toner seal member is provided on a cartridge frame opposed to a position where the toner seal member contacts the electrophotographic photosensitive member. . The toner seal member has a layer structure in which an elastic body made of urethane foam, wool, or synthetic fiber felt is adhered to a pile fabric of fluorine fibers.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a further development of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to reduce the adhesion of toner coarse powder due to the durability of the space holding member contact portion in the electrophotographic photosensitive member. It is another object of the present invention to provide a toner seal member that prevents the toner from leaking and has sufficient cleaning and sealing properties.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member which is detachable from a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and a process means for acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member. A space holding member of a developer carrier for properly maintaining the space between the process cartridge having the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the electrophotographic photosensitive member is disposed on a frame opposed to a position where the developer carrier comes into contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and the recycled fiber and the half-processed material are provided. In a toner seal member made of a synthetic fiber and a non-woven fabric formed by entanglement of at least one fiber of a synthetic fiber, a plurality of loop-shaped naps are provided on a surface contacting the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a main part of a laser beam printer. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a photosensitive drum as an image bearing member. It is formed by forming it on the outer peripheral surface of the base.

The photosensitive drum 1 is driven to rotate at a constant peripheral speed in the direction of the arrow (clockwise) in the figure, and its surface is first uniformly charged by a charging roller 2 as a contact charging device. An oscillating voltage obtained by superimposing an AC voltage on a DC voltage is applied to the charging roller 2.

Next, the scanning exposure by the laser beam 3 whose ON / OFF is controlled according to the image information is performed on the photosensitive drum 1.
And an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1.

The electrostatic latent image formed as described above is developed by a developing device 4 disposed opposite to the photosensitive drum 1 and is visualized as a toner image. Here, the developing device 4
Is provided with a developing sleeve 4a that is driven to rotate and a developing blade 4b that is in contact with the surface of the developing sleeve 4a, and contains a one-component toner 4c that is negatively charged. In addition, an oscillating voltage obtained by superimposing an AC voltage on a DC voltage is applied as a developing bias. As a developing method, for example, a jumping developing method is used, and image exposure and reversal developing are used in combination.

The visualized toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 is pressed against the photosensitive drum 1, and the toner image is transferred to the transfer roller 5 at a transfer portion 6 opposed to the rotationally driven transfer roller 5. While a voltage (transfer bias) having a polarity opposite to the normal charge polarity is applied, the image is electrostatically transferred onto the surface of the transfer material P conveyed to the transfer portion 6 at a predetermined timing. The transfer residual toner slightly remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the completion of the transfer process is removed by the cleaning device 7.

Thereafter, the transfer material P is conveyed to the fixing device 8 where the toner image is fixed, and then discharged out of the apparatus.
In the laser beam printer, the photosensitive drum 1, the charging roller 2, the developing device 4, and the cleaning device 7 are integrated to form a process cartridge 9. The process cartridge 9 is attached to the laser beam printer main body. It is configured to be removable.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning device 7 holds the photosensitive drum 1 rotatably, and the developing device 4
Has a developing sleeve 4a rotatably held therein.
A drum gear 20 is provided at the right end of the photosensitive drum 1, and a sleeve gear 4 is provided at the right end of the developing sleeve 4a.
d is provided, and a spacing member 21 is provided at both ends. The developing device 4 includes the arm portions 22a and 22a.
b are provided, and developing side coupling holes 23a and 23b are provided near the ends of the arms 22a and 22b.

On the other hand, the outer walls 7a, 7
The cleaning device side coupling holes 24a and 24b are provided in b, and the cleaning device coupling holes 24c and 24d are provided in the inner walls 7c and 7d provided inside thereof.

Then, the developing device 4 and the cleaning device 7
Are connected to the coupling holes 23a, 23b, 24a to 2
4d are combined at a position where they fit, and three longitudinally left and right coupling holes 23a, 24a, 24c and 23b, 24b,
The developing device 4 and the cleaning device 7 are connected by passing the connecting pins 25a and 25b through 24d, respectively.
Therefore, the connecting pins 25a and 25b are
, And the developing device 4 is rotatably supported by the cleaning device 7.

The arms 22a, 22b of the developing device 4
Is provided with a spring projection 26, and a D pressure spring 27 is inserted into the spring projection 26. Then, when the developing device 4 and the cleaning device 7 are combined,
The D pressure spring 27 is connected to the arms 22 a and 22 b of the developing device 4.
Between the photosensitive drum 1 of the cleaning device 7 and the developing sleeve 4a in the developing device 4 at a predetermined pressure via the spacing member 21. In contact. Thus, the minute interval between the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing sleeve 4a is always kept constant, and a good image is stably output.

Next, details of the cleaning device 7 will be described with reference to FIG.

The cleaning device 7 includes a cleaning blade 7f made of urethane rubber which is supported by a sheet metal 7e and abuts on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in a so-called counter direction.
A squeeze sheet 7h for collecting the toner scraped off from the surface, a storage container 7g for storing the toner scraped from the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and a storage container 7g located at the longitudinal end of the cleaning blade 7f. A toner seal member 7j according to the present invention, which is attached to a wall surface and has one surface abutting on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to prevent leakage and scattering of toner from the storage container 7g.

Here, the toner seal member 7j is provided in a storage container 7g of the cleaning device 7 which faces the position where the spacing member 21 abuts on the photosensitive drum 1, and the toner seal member 7j contacts the photosensitive drum 1 surface. A nonwoven fabric sheet formed of at least one fiber entanglement of a recycled fiber, a semi-synthetic fiber, and a synthetic fiber is provided on the contact surface.

FIG. 4 shows the details of the toner seal member 7j. As shown in FIG.
A sheet member 12 made of a nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 0.4 to 4.0 mm is bonded to a bonding member 1 such as a double-sided tape on the surface of an elastic member 11 such as foamed polyurethane or wool or synthetic fiber felt.
3 (see FIG. 5).
The sheet-like member 12 is formed of at least one fiber entanglement of a recycled fiber, a semi-synthetic fiber, and a synthetic fiber, and has a plurality of loop-shaped naps 12a on a surface that comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 1.

Next, the toner seal member 7j according to the present invention will be described.
Will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the sheet-like member 12 is made of synthetic fiber such as fluorine fiber (PT
FE: polytetrafluoroethylene) will be described as an example.

First, a sheet material of a non-woven fabric using fluorine fibers as the sheet member 12 is prepared. It has been experimentally found that the fiber length at this time is desirably about 10 to 150 mm, and the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric is desirably about 400 to 1000 g / m ² .

Next, the sheet-like member 12 is needle-punched (in the direction of arrow a) by a plurality of needles 30 forming a fork portion 30a from the back side of the surface in contact with the photosensitive drum 1, so that the fork portion 30a The bundle of fibers of the book is hooked and extruded toward the surface in contact with the photosensitive drum 1. In this embodiment, it is known that the arrangement of the needles 30 is preferably 1 to 3 mm pitch and the projection amount from the surface of the sheet member 12 is preferably 6 to 8 mm. It is desirable to determine the arrangement and the amount of protrusion of the needle 30 by verifying the properties from experiments.

When the needle 30 is returned in the direction of the arrow b, the nap 12a is formed. In order to prevent the raised hairs 12a from coming off, it is desirable that the sheet-like member 12 be fixed from the back side of the surface that comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 1 with fixing means such as an adhesive.

Next, the sheet-like member 12 is sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower rollers 31 rotating in the direction of arrow c in the drawing in order to orientate the nap 12a of the sheet-like member 12, and appropriate pressure and heat are applied to the sheet-like member 12. Add. In addition, when the toner seal member 7j is disposed in the storage container 7g of the cleaning device 7 in the forward direction or the counter direction with respect to the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1 when the nap 12a is turned down, both the cleaning property and the sealing property are improved. Good things have been confirmed by experiments.

Next, an elastic member 11 such as foamed polyurethane, wool, or synthetic fiber felt is joined to the sheet-like member 12 on the side opposite to the surface having the nap 12a with a joining member 13 such as a double-sided tape. The elastic member 11 is also provided with a joining member 13 such as a double-sided tape for joining to both ends of the storage container 7g. Due to the elasticity of the elastic member 11, the surface of the sheet-like member 12 having the raised hairs 12 a abuts along the curvature of the photosensitive drum 1.

As described above, the sheet-like member 12 is formed by entanglement of at least one of a recycled fiber, a semi-synthetic fiber, and a synthetic fiber, and has a plurality of loop-shaped naps 12a on the surface in contact with the photosensitive drum 1. Irregularities are formed on the surface by the loop-shaped raised portions 12a and the non-raised portions, and both the fine toner and the toner coarse powder staying in the contact surface between the toner seal member 7j and the photosensitive drum 1 are in the irregularities. After being collected in the space, cleaning and sealing of the photosensitive drum 1 are performed.
As a result, even if toner coarse particles are likely to be generated on the contact surface (sliding portion) between the toner seal member 7j and the photosensitive drum 1 as the toner particles become finer and lower in melting point, the toner coarseness is reduced as in the related art. It is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which the powder adheres to the photoreceptor and adversely affects the minute gap holding portion between the photoreceptor and the developing roller.

As described above, the nonwoven sheet formed by entanglement of at least one of recycled fiber, semi-synthetic fiber and synthetic fiber on the surface of the sheet-like member 12
By providing a, it is possible to reliably prevent leakage and scattering of toner from the storage container 7g of the cleaning device 7 and adhesion of the toner to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 outside the opening of the storage container 7g.

In the present embodiment, the photosensitive drum and the cleaning device have been described as being integrated as a process cartridge. However, the photosensitive drum and the cleaning device are separately provided as a photosensitive drum unit and a cleaning unit. The present invention is also applicable to

[0031]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, an electrophotographic photosensitive member which can be detachably attached to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body, and a process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are provided. A space holding member of a developer carrier for properly maintaining the space between the process cartridge having the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the electrophotographic photosensitive member is disposed on a frame opposed to a position where the developer carrier comes into contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and the recycled fiber and the half-processed material are provided. In the toner seal member made of a synthetic fiber or a non-woven fabric formed by entanglement of at least one fiber of the synthetic fiber, a plurality of loop-shaped naps are provided on the surface side in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. It is possible to prevent the toner coarse powder from adhering due to the durability of the holding member contact portion, and to ensure sufficient cleaning and sealing properties for the toner seal member. It is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a main part of a laser beam printer.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the process cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the cleaning device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a toner seal member according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of the toner seal member according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 photosensitive drum (electrophotographic photosensitive member) 2 charging roller (process means) 4 developing device (process means) 4a developing sleeve (developer carrier) 5 transfer roller 7 cleaning device 7j toner seal member 8 fixing device 11 elastic member 12 sheet -Shaped member (nonwoven fabric) 12a napping 13 Joining member (adhesive layer) 21 Spacing member

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A process cartridge, which is detachably attached to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body and has an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, has a proper distance between the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process cartridge. The spacing member of the developer carrying member for keeping the distance between the developer carrier and the electrophotographic photosensitive member is disposed on the frame facing the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and is formed by at least one fiber entanglement of a recycled fiber, a semi-synthetic fiber, and a synthetic fiber. A toner seal member made of a non-woven fabric, wherein a plurality of loop-shaped naps are provided on a surface side in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. 2. The toner seal member according to claim 1, wherein the nap is formed by needle punching from the back side in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. 3. The toner seal member according to claim 1, wherein a direction in which the raised hairs fall is a forward direction or a counter direction with respect to a rotation direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. 4. The toner seal member according to claim 1, wherein the surface contacting the electrophotographic photoreceptor has irregularities due to a loop-shaped raised portion and a non-raised portion. 5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, further comprising a loop-shaped raised portion on a surface in contact with the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and an elastic member and an adhesive layer on a frame side. Toner seal member.