JP2001343876A - Cleaning mechanism for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaning mechanism capable of highly effectively cleaning an image forming device at an appropriate time not only the replacement time of parts in the image forming device. SOLUTION: The cleaning mechanism has a cleaning member movable into or out of the image forming device, and cleans a member in the image forming device. In the cleaning mechanism, the cleaning member abuts on the member to be cleaned, only in the direction where the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming device or in the direction where the cleaning member is pulled out of the image forming device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction machine thereof, and more particularly, to an improvement in a cleaning mechanism of the image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to maintain the initial performance of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, there are components that need to be periodically cleaned in the image forming apparatus. For example, a seal glass having a property of transmitting exposure light is provided between an exposure device (optical unit) and a photoconductor in an image forming apparatus to prevent dust and toner from entering the exposure device. Often separated. However, if dust, toner, or the like adheres to the surface of the seal glass on the photoconductor side, the exposure light from the exposure device is blocked, and an image defect such as a white stripe occurs in an output image.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 63-068657 discloses a technique for cleaning such dust and toner adhering to the surface of the seal glass. Techniques for cleaning the surface have been proposed. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-28620
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-2006 proposes a technique for cleaning the surface of the seal glass in conjunction with the removal and storage operations of the charging device.
Further, a user of the image forming apparatus or the like may actually clean the surface of the seal glass with a cleaning brush.

[0004]

However, according to the techniques described in these publications, the surface of the seal glass is cleaned only when the photoconductor unit and the charging device are taken in and out. In the case where a lot of dirt is already attached before the photosensitive unit is taken in and out and an image defect occurs, or when the photosensitive unit is taken in and out even though there is not much dirt attached There is a problem that the cleaning member is unnecessarily consumed. In addition, since the sealing glass is cleaned in accordance with the operation of taking out and putting in the photoconductor unit and the charging device, a part of the dirt adsorbed by the cleaning member which has adsorbed a large amount of dirt on the outward path is again sealed on the return path. There is also a problem that the cleaning effect is reduced by adhering to the glass, and in some cases, dirt is scattered around.

On the other hand, when a user or the like cleans with a cleaning brush, cleaning can be performed at an appropriate time after checking the degree of dirt on the surface of the seal glass. It may splatter around in the device, possibly affecting other devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and its object is to perform cleaning not only at the time of replacing parts in an image forming apparatus but also at an appropriate time, and furthermore, the cleaning effect is obtained. To provide a cleaning mechanism for an image forming apparatus with high cost.

[0007]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, in a cleaning mechanism that includes a cleaning member that can be taken in and out of the image forming apparatus and that cleans the surface of the member to be cleaned in the image forming apparatus, one in which the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned only in one direction, for example, The cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned only in one of a direction in which the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus and a direction in which the cleaning member is pulled out from the image forming apparatus.

By configuring the cleaning mechanism of the image forming apparatus in this way, the degree of contamination of the member to be cleaned can be reduced irrespective of the time of replacement with some component (photosensitive unit, charging device, etc.) in the image forming apparatus. The member to be cleaned can be cleaned at an appropriate appropriate time. As a result, dirt on the member to be cleaned can be cleaned before a problem occurs in the image forming apparatus, and unnecessary cleaning is not performed, so that consumption of the cleaning member can be suppressed.

In addition, since the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned only in one of the direction in which the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus or the direction in which the cleaning member is pulled out of the image forming apparatus, the insertion member is different from the conventional one. The cleaning member that has absorbed a large amount of dirt in the cleaning direction does not cause a part of the suctioned dirt to adhere to the member to be cleaned again in the direction in which the cleaning member is pulled out, so that a higher cleaning effect can be exhibited. Here, the cleaning member may come into contact with the member to be cleaned either in a direction in which the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus or in a direction in which the cleaning member is pulled out from the image forming apparatus. Considering the possibility that some of the adsorbed dirt cannot be retained (even if it does not come into contact with the member), it is preferable that the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned in the direction of being pulled out from the inside of the image forming apparatus.

As a more specific configuration for realizing such a configuration, a first path through which the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus and a second path through which the cleaning member is pulled out from the image forming apparatus are different from each other. There is a device provided with a route regulating means for regulating the route to be a route (claim 2). Examples of the mode of the path regulating unit include a system in which two systems of guide members are provided, and a system in which two systems of guided members of the cleaning member are provided.

That is, in a specific configuration of the embodiment in which two guide members are provided, the above-mentioned path regulating means is provided in the image forming apparatus, and extends from the outside of the image forming apparatus to the inside of the image forming apparatus through a portion facing the member to be cleaned. The first and second guide members included on the cleaning member, and the first and second guide members are provided with a guided shape that can be selectively fitted to one of the first and second guide members. When the guided shape fits with the first guide member at the confronting portion, the cleaning member and the cleaned member come into contact with each other, and when the guided shape fits with the second guide member, The cleaning member and the member to be cleaned are configured to be out of contact with each other (claim 3). It is not always necessary to include a portion facing the member to be cleaned on the path of the second guide member.

Further, in a specific configuration in which two guide shapes of the cleaning member are provided, the path regulating means is provided in the image forming apparatus and is provided between the outside of the image forming apparatus and the inside of the image forming apparatus. A guide member including an opposing portion on the path, and first and second guided shapes provided on the cleaning member, one of which can be fitted with the guide member, and When one guided shape fits with the guide member, the cleaning member and the member to be cleaned come into contact with each other, and when the second guided shape fits with the guide member, the cleaning member and the member to be cleaned are fitted. Are configured to be in non-contact with each other (claim 4).

In this case, from the viewpoint of simplifying the structure of the cleaning member, the guide member has a convex shape, and the first guided shape is urged toward the member to be cleaned by the convex shape. It is preferable that the second guided shape is a concave shape on the side surface of the cleaning member which is held so as not to contact the member to be cleaned due to its convex shape (claim 5).

As described above, when the cleaning member is guided by the guide member provided on the side of the image forming apparatus so as to be taken in and out of the apparatus, dust and toner may be removed from the member to be cleaned such as a seal glass. If the cleaning member adheres, dust and toner should adhere to the guide member facing the member to be cleaned as well. It is also conceivable that it falls on the cleaning member. Therefore, from this viewpoint, it is preferable that the cleaning member also cleans the guide member when the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus or when the cleaning member is pulled out of the image forming apparatus. 9).

Further, even if the cleaning member cleans the member to be cleaned when the cleaning member moves in and out of the image forming apparatus, dust and toner displaced by the cleaning member around the member to be cleaned not contacting the cleaning member. For example, it is conceivable that these dusts and toners get on the member to be cleaned due to vibrations or the like acting during transportation of the image forming apparatus. For this reason, from the viewpoint of actively removing dust and the like displaced by the cleaning member from the periphery of the member to be cleaned, a pair of collection grooves are provided on both sides of the member to be cleaned along the insertion direction of the cleaning member. On the other hand, it is preferable that the cleaning member is provided with a scraping member for cleaning the inside of the collection groove with insertion or withdrawal of the cleaning member (claim 10).

By the way, in the present invention, a cleaning member is formed.
Direction to insert into the image forming device or from inside the image forming device
The cleaning member is to be cleaned in only one of the
Contact the cleaning member,
If the contact pressure P is too low, the cleaning effect cannot be fully exhibited.
No. On the other hand, if the contact pressure P is too high,
The operational feeling at the time of being damaged is impaired. Are these viewpoints the present inventors?
The present inventors have found an appropriate contact pressure P and completed the present invention. sand
That is, in the present invention, the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned.
Contact pressure P is 0.49 [N / cm^Two≦ P ≦ 1.
63 [N / cm ^Two] (Claim 6).

The member to be cleaned may be any component as long as it needs to be cleaned in the image forming apparatus. For example, a transparent member existing on the optical path from the exposure device to the photosensitive member may be used. Item 8). Furthermore, since dirt such as dust and toner easily adheres, it is more preferable to apply the present invention to a transparent body of an image forming apparatus in which an exposure device is present below a photoconductor. Other members to be cleaned include, for example, various optical sensors.

In addition, the cleaning member gradually becomes dirty around the portion that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned due to its use, and the cleaning effect is reduced. On the other hand, discarding all the dirty cleaning members is not only uneconomical, but also has a problem from the viewpoint of resource saving. In view of this, it is preferable that the cleaning member is configured such that a portion that contacts the member to be cleaned and a portion that does not contact the member are removable. By configuring the cleaning mechanism in this manner, even when the cleaning member is soiled by use, the portion not in contact with the member to be cleaned can be continuously used without being replaced, which is economical and saves resources. Is also preferred.

Similarly, considering economical efficiency and resource saving,
Preferably, the cleaning member is used as many times as possible. Therefore, a removing means for removing dirt adhering to the cleaning member may be provided inside the image forming apparatus and / or outside the image forming apparatus relative to the member to be cleaned. By configuring the cleaning mechanism in this way, every time the cleaning member is moved in and out of the image forming apparatus, dirt adhering to the cleaning member is removed by the removing means, so that the cleaning effect of the cleaning member is not significantly reduced. As a result, it can be used more times. In addition, as a specific configuration of the removing unit, a protruding one or a claw-shaped one protruding toward the cleaning member side may be used.

Further, in order to prevent the dirt removed from the cleaning member by the removing means from being scattered again in the image forming apparatus, the image is more inside the image forming apparatus than the above removing means and / or more than the above removing means. It is preferable to provide a holding means for holding dirt removed outside the forming apparatus.
With this configuration of the cleaning mechanism, the dirt that is removed each time the cleaning member passes through the removing unit is retained by the retaining unit, and thus is not scattered again in the image forming apparatus. In addition, as a specific configuration of the holding means, a groove-shaped member formed on the side opposite to the cleaning member may be mentioned.

By the way, such removing means and holding means are effective only when the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus or when the cleaning member is pulled out from the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this case.

That is, in a cleaning mechanism provided with a cleaning member provided in a unit of the image forming apparatus which can be taken in and out of the image forming apparatus, wherein the cleaning member rubs the member to be cleaned and cleans the member as the unit is taken in and out. The present invention is also effective for a device provided with a removing unit for removing dirt attached to the cleaning member inside the image forming apparatus and / or outside the image forming apparatus relative to the member to be cleaned. Further, the image forming apparatus may further include a removing unit that removes dirt adhering to the cleaning member inside the image forming apparatus and / or outside the image forming apparatus relative to the member to be cleaned.

Even when the cleaning member is provided in the unit, the contact pressure P when the cleaning member rubs against the member to be cleaned is 0.49 [N / cm ² ] ≦ P ≦
It is preferably 1.63 [N / cm ² ], and the same is true of the above-mentioned cleaning member, in which it is preferable that a portion that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned and a portion that does not come into contact are removable.

[0024]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on embodiments.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a color printer (image forming apparatus) 100 to which a cleaning mechanism according to this embodiment is applied. The color printer 100 is roughly divided into an image forming unit,
It is classified into an intermediate transfer section, a paper transport section, and a fixing section. The image forming unit includes an image forming unit 1K that forms toner images of each color of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow;
C, M, Y and the exposure device 2 are provided. Further, in the image forming units K, C, M, and Y, the photosensitive drums 10K, C, M, and Y, and the developing devices 11K, C, M, and
Y, although not shown, the photosensitive drums 10K, C,
A charging device, a cleaning device, and the like are provided around M and Y, respectively.

The intermediate transfer section includes an endless intermediate transfer belt 30, a driving roll 31, a driven roll 32, and a primary transfer roll 33K which faces each of the photosensitive drums 10K, C, M, and Y via the intermediate transfer belt 30. , C, M, Y, and a secondary transfer roll 44 facing the driven roll 32 via the intermediate transfer belt 30. As the paper transport unit,
A paper tray 40 located below the printer 100, and a pickup roll 4 located at an upper end of the paper tray 40
1, a transport roll pair 42, a resist roll pair 43, and the like. The fixing unit includes a fixing roll pair 45 and the like. The fixing roll is provided with a halogen lamp as a heat source. Note that a dashed line extending from the paper tray 40 to the fixing roll pair 45 indicates a transport path of the paper S.

The operation of forming a color toner image on the paper S in the printer 100 will be briefly described.
Upon receiving a print command from a connected personal computer or the like, the printer 100 analyzes the command, performs necessary image processing, and exposes the exposure beams Bm (K, C, M,
Y) is irradiated to each of the photoconductor drums 10K, C, M, and Y. On the other hand, the photosensitive drums 10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y rotate in the directions indicated by arrows in the figure, and the surface thereof is uniformly charged by a charging device (not shown) with the rotation, and then the exposure beams Bm (K, C, M, Y), a latent image is formed on the surface due to the potential difference. Each of the developing devices 11
The K, C, M, and Y toner images of each color are electrostatically held and visualized.

The toner images of the respective colors formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y are
With the rotation of C, M, and Y, the primary transfer rolls 33K, C,
After reaching a portion (primary transfer portion) facing M and Y, the primary transfer rollers 33K, C, M and Y successively transfer the image onto the intermediate transfer belt 30 rotating in the direction of the arrow in FIG. A full color toner image is formed on the belt 30. The full-color toner image reaches a portion (secondary transfer portion) facing the secondary transfer roll 44 as the intermediate transfer belt 30 rotates. On the other hand, the paper S stored in the paper tray 40 is separated and taken out one by one by the pickup roll 41. Then, the sheet S is conveyed by a pair of conveying rolls 42 along a sheet path indicated by a dashed line in FIG.
At the timing when the full-color toner image on 0 reaches the secondary transfer portion, the registration roll pair 42 starts rotating so that the sheet S reaches the secondary transfer portion.

In this manner, the timing at which the full-color toner image and the sheet S reach the secondary transfer portion is synchronized, and the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 30 is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S by the secondary transfer roll 44. You. Thereafter, the sheet S passes through the nip portion of the pair of fixing rolls 45, holds the full-color toner image carried on the surface as a permanent image by the action of heat and pressure at that time, and is discharged from the upper portion of the printer 100.

Incidentally, the inside of the printer 100 is in an environment where dust accumulates or toner scatters due to use over time. When these stains block the exposure beam Bm emitted from the exposure device 2, an image defect such as a white spot occurs immediately in the output image. In particular, this printer 100
As described above, in a layout in which the exposure device 2 exists below the photosensitive drums 10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y and the intermediate transfer belt 30, dirt easily adheres to the upper portion of the exposure device 2. Therefore, in order to block the exposure beam Bm and prevent image defects from occurring, the printer 100 employs a cleaning mechanism including a guide plate and a cleaning member.

First, the structure of the cleaning mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exposure apparatus 2 and a guide plate 5 provided on the exposure apparatus, which are separated from each other. An exposure beam Bm corresponding to each color is provided on the upper surface of the exposure apparatus 2.
Seal glass (members to be cleaned) 20K, C, M, and Y to which (K, C, M, and Y) are respectively transmitted and irradiated are provided in parallel from the front to the back of the printer. The length of the sealing glass 20K, C, M, Y in the longitudinal direction is l.
(Ell). On the other hand, on the guide plate 5, each of the sealing glasses 20K, C, M,
A guide rail (guide member) 50 is provided in a portion to be Y-shaped. The length of the guide rail 50 in the longitudinal direction is L
And

FIG. 3 shows an AA 'section of one guide rail 50 in FIG. 2 in the installed state. Each guide rail 50K, C, M, Y faces the seal glass 20K, C, M, Y of the exposure apparatus 2, and its longitudinal length L is the longitudinal direction of the seal glass 20K, C, M, Y. It is configured to be longer than the length l. Also, one guide rail 50 is provided with first and second side rails 52a and 52b having an L-shaped cross section on both sides, and the first and second side rails 52a and 52b have convex shapes, respectively. 51
“a” and “b” face each other across a predetermined space so as not to hinder the irradiation of the exposure beam Bm. The seal glass 20
The height from the upper surface to the lower surface of the convex shapes 51a and 51b is H2,
The height from the upper surface of the seal glass 20 to the upper surface of the convex shapes 51a and 51b is H1, and the height of the side rails 52a and 52b
1a, b) is not included in the interval.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cleaning member 6. The cleaning member 6 includes a cleaning unit main body 66 and a handle portion 65.
It is configured to be detachable with respect to. Further, the cleaning unit main body 66 includes a housing member 60 and a cleaning member 64. Further, the housing member 60
It is substantially box-shaped, and has substantially right-angled side edges 61a and 61b on both sides of the upper surface, and concave groove portions 62a and 62b are formed on both side surfaces. Although not shown in the drawing, the length of the handle portion 65 is determined by the cleaning unit main body 60 inserted from outside the printer 100.
It is configured to have a length that can sufficiently reach the back.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the cleaning unit 66 in FIG.
It shows a B ′ cross section. As shown in the figure, the cleaning member 64 wraps the elastic member 63 and is attached to the housing member 60. Here the cleaning member 6
4 is a non-woven fabric, and the elastic member 63 is a urethane sponge. The width of the cleaning member 64 is w1, and the width of the housing member 60 is w1.
2. the housing member 6 from the lower surface of the cleaning member 64;
The height from the lower surface of the cleaning member 64 to the side edges 61a and 61b of the housing member 60 (the upper surface of the housing member 60) is h2. Here, each of the heights h1 and h2 is a height when a load is not applied to the housing member 60 (the elastic member 63), and the housing member 60 (the elastic member 63).
When a load is applied from above, the heights h1 and h2 are reduced because the elastic member 63 is elastically deformed.

Next, the use and operation of such a cleaning mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0037] The user attaches the cleaning member 6 to each guide rail 5.
By sequentially performing insertion and removal along 0K, C, M, and Y, the surface of each seal glass 20K, C, M, and Y is cleaned in order.

FIG. 6 explains the operation of inserting the cleaning member 6 into one guide rail 50. As shown in the figure, the convex shapes 51a and 51b of the guide rail 50 are fitted to the groove portions 62a and 62b of the housing member 60, respectively, and the guide rail 50 holds the cleaning unit main body 66. FIG. 6A shows the convex shape 51 of the guide rail 50.
a and b are the groove portions 62a of the housing member 60, respectively.
FIG. 6B shows the state of fitting with the cleaning unit main body 66 from the outside to the inside of the printer 100 while the guide rail 50 holds the cleaning unit body 66 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as “forward direction A”). ") Are shown.

FIG. 8A illustrates a positional relationship between the cleaning unit main body 66 and the seal glass 20 when the cleaning unit main body 66 is inserted in the forward direction A. As shown in the figure, the cleaning member 64 of the cleaning unit main body 66 and the seal glass 20 do not contact each other. This is the height H1 from the upper surface of the seal glass 20 to the upper surface of the convex shape 51a, b of the guide rail 50 (see FIG. 3), and the height from the lower surface of the cleaning member 64 to the upper surface of the groove portion 62a, b of the housing member 60. This is because the relationship with h1 (see FIG. 5) is configured such that h1 <H1. The side rails 52a and 52b (the convex shapes 51a,
b) (excluding b) (see FIG. 3) and the housing member 6
0 is substantially equal to the width w2 (see FIG. 5).

FIG. 7 illustrates the operation of pulling out the cleaning member 6 from one guide rail 50. As shown in FIG. 6B, the cleaning unit main body 66 is held by the guide rail 50, but the user pushes the handle portion 65 and further moves the cleaning unit main body 66 to the printer 100.
When it is inserted inside, it reaches the rear end of the guide rail 50, and the convex shapes 51a and 51b of the guide rail 50 and the housing member 60
Is released from the groove portions 62a, 62b, and the cleaning unit main body 66 is the upper surface of the exposure device 2, and the sealing glass 20
Drops off parts other than the surface. FIG. 7C shows a state in which the cleaning unit main body 66 has dropped onto the upper surface of the exposure apparatus 2.

Next, when the user pulls the handle portion 65, the convex shapes 51a, 51b of the guide rail 50 and the side edges 61a, 61b of the housing member 60 are fitted. It is held at 50. When the user further pulls the handle portion 65, the cleaning unit main body 66 is held by the guide rail 50,
The printer 100 is drawn from the inside to the outside of the printer 100 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as “return path B direction”). FIG. 7 (d)
This shows a state in which the cleaning knit body 66 is pulled out in the return path B direction.

FIG. 8B illustrates the positional relationship between the cleaning unit main body 66 and the seal glass 20 when the cleaning unit main body 66 is pulled out in the backward direction B. As shown in the figure, the cleaning member 64 of the cleaning unit main body 66 and the seal glass 20 are in contact with each other.
The height H2 from the upper surface of the seal glass 20 to the lower surfaces of the convex shapes 51a and 51b of the guide rail 50 (see FIG. 3),
From the lower surface of the cleaning member 64, the housing member 60
(Side edges 61a, b) Height h2 to the upper surface (FIG. 5
This is because the relationship is established such that H2 <h2.

That is, when the cleaning unit body 66 is pulled out in the backward direction B, the height h2 of the cleaning unit
Is lower by the variable weight (h2-H2). This is because the side edges 61a, 61b of the housing member 60 are pressed by the convex shapes 51a, 51b of the guide rail 50,
This is because the elastic member 63 of the cleaning unit main body 66 is elastically deformed. The width w1 of the cleaning member 64 (FIG. 5)
Is slightly wider than the width of the seal glass 20. Therefore, the cleaning member 64 abuts the seal glass 20 substantially evenly. In this embodiment, the contact pressure P is 0.49 [N / cm ² ] ≦ P ≦
It is in the range of 1.63 [N / cm ² ]. In other words, the height h2 of the cleaning unit body 66, the height H2 of the guide rail 50,
The elastic coefficient of the elastic member 63 is designed.

Now, in order to clean the seal glass 20 by such a usage and operation, the cleaning unit main body 6 is used.
6 does not come into contact with the seal glass 20 when inserted in the forward direction A, but comes into contact with the seal glass 20 only when pulled out in the backward direction B, so that dirt on the surface thereof can be removed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the contamination of the inside of the printer 100, and the unnecessary cleaning member 64 can be prevented.
Wear can be prevented. Furthermore, since the pressure at which the cleaning member 64 contacts the seal glass 20 in the backward direction B is set in an appropriate range, a sufficient cleaning effect can be exhibited without impairing the operational feeling.

When such cleaning operation is repeated a plurality of times, a large amount of dirt adheres to the surface of the cleaning member 64, and the cleaning effect is reduced. In such a case, the intended cleaning effect can be achieved by replacing the cleaning unit body 64 with a new one, and the cleaning unit 6 is more economical and contributes to resource saving than when the entire cleaning member 6 is replaced. It is.

In this embodiment, the cleaning unit main body 66 is used.
Does not come into contact with the seal glass 20 when inserted in the outward direction A, and comes into contact with the seal glass 20 only when pulled out in the backward direction B. Of course, if this is reversed,
That is, the cleaning unit main body 66 may be used so as to come into contact with the seal glass 20 only when inserted in the forward direction A, and not to come into contact with the seal glass 20 when pulled out in the backward direction B.

Modification 1 This modification is an improvement of the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment.
This is for smoothly performing the operation from when the cleaning unit main body 66 falls off the guide rail 50 to when it is held by the guide rail 50 again. FIG. 9 shows the exposure apparatus 2
FIG. 4 is a perspective view in which a guide plate and a guide plate installed on an upper portion thereof are drawn apart from each other. The guide plate 5 'is provided with each of the sealing glasses 20K, C, M, and Y in a state of being installed above the exposure apparatus 2.
Guide rails (guide members) 50K, C,
M and Y are provided. And each guide rail 50K,
At the rear end side of C, M, Y, there are provided guide shapes 51K, C, M, Y whose widths gradually increase. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cleaning member 6 '. The cleaning member 6 'is provided with guided shapes 67a and 67b on the side edges 61a and 61b of the housing member 60 on the handle portion 65 side.

In this modification, such a guide shape 51 is used.
Since K, C, M, and Y and the guided shapes 67a, b are provided, the operation from when the cleaning unit main body 66 falls off the guide rail 50 to when it is held by the guide rail 50 again is more smoothly performed. It can be carried out. That is, when the cleaning unit main body 66 reaches the rear end side of the guide rail 50,
The engagement between the convex shapes 51a, 51b of the guide rail 50 and the groove portions 62a, 62b of the housing member 60 is released, and the cleaning unit main body 66 falls onto the upper surface of the exposure device 2 (FIG. 7).
(C)). Next, when the user pulls the handle portion 65, the convex shapes 51a, 51b
And the side edges 61a, b of the housing member 60 are easily fitted by being guided by the guide shapes 51K, C, M, Y and the guided shapes 67a, 67b, and the cleaning unit main body 66 is held by the guide rail 50. You.

In this modification, the guide plate 5 has a guide shape 5
1K, C, M, and Y are transferred to the cleaning member 6 by the guided shape 67a,
The cleaning unit main body 66 can be held on the guide rail 50 again to some extent smoothly even when either one is provided.

Modification 2 This is an improvement of the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment, in which dirt adhering to the cleaning unit main body 66 is removed to prevent its deterioration, and the removed dirt does not contaminate the inside of the printer 100 again. A refresh mechanism is provided for this purpose.

FIG. 11 shows a part of the cleaning mechanism according to the present modification, in which a refresh mechanism is provided on the upper surface of the exposure apparatus 2. As shown in FIG. 11A, the refresh mechanism 7 is provided on the upper surface of the exposure device 2 on the outer side of the printer (on the forward direction B side). FIG.
The configuration of the refresh mechanism 7 shown in (a) will be described in more detail. As shown in the figure, a claw shape (removing means) 70 protruding upward, and a first groove shape (holding means) provided outside the printer 100 beyond the claw shape 70
71 and a second groove shape (holding means) 72 provided inside the printer 100 with respect to the claw shape 70.
Note that these claw shapes 70, first and second groove shapes 71,
The width of 72 is at least the width w1 of the cleaning member 64.
More widely configured.

FIG. 12 illustrates the operation of the refresh mechanism 7. FIG. 12A shows a state in which the cleaning unit main body 66 is held by the guide rail 50 and is inserted in the outward direction A. At this time, the surface of the cleaning member 64 is rubbed by the claw shape 70, and the dirt G such as toner and dust adhered to the cleaning member 64 by the previous cleaning operation is removed. Then, the cleaning member 64 cleans the surface of the seal glass 20 (in the return path direction B) in a state where the dirt is removed, so that the cleaning performance can be maintained for a long time. Also,
The removed dirt G is held in the first groove shape 71 and does not contaminate the seal glass 20 in the printer 100.

FIG. 12B shows the cleaning unit body 6.
6 shows a state in which the guide rail 6 is held by the guide rail 50 and pulled out in the backward direction B. At this time, the surface of the cleaning member 64 is rubbed by the claw shape 70, and the dirt G such as toner and dust adhered to the cleaning member 64 by this cleaning operation is removed. Then, the cleaning member 64 cleans the surface of the seal glass 20 (in the returning direction B of the next cleaning operation) in a state in which the dirt is removed, so that the cleaning performance can be maintained for a long time. The removed dirt G is held in the second groove shape 72 and does not contaminate the seal glass 20 and the like in the printer 100.

In this modification, the refresh mechanism 7 is provided outside the printer 100, that is, on the backward direction B side of the seal glass 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be provided on the outward direction A side of the seal glass 20, or may be provided on both of them.

Modification 3 This modification is an improvement of the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment.
The cleaning unit main body 66 is provided with a function of cleaning the guide rail 50. That is, just as the dirt G such as dust and toner adheres to the seal glass 20 of the exposure apparatus 2, the dirt easily adheres to the guide rail 50 facing the seal glass 20 as well. Therefore, FIG.
When the cleaning unit main body 66 is slid along the guide rail 50 in a state where the guide rail 50 is soiled as shown in FIG. 17B, the cleaning unit main body 6 as shown in FIG.
The dirt G adhered to the guide rails 50 may fall onto the seal glass 20 after 6 passes, and the cleaning work may be spoiled.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 18, in this modification, cleaning members 64 made of nonwoven fabric are provided on both side surfaces, side edges 61a, b and groove portions 62a, b of the housing member 60 of the cleaning unit main body 66. , The guide rail 50 along with the operation of inserting and pulling out the cleaning member 6.
Is configured to wipe off dirt G adhered to the surface. FIG.
9A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a relationship between the cleaning unit main body 66 and the guide rail 50 when the cleaning unit main body 66 is inserted in the outward direction A. When inserting in the outward direction,
The cleaning members 64 provided on both side surfaces of the housing member 60 wipe off dirt on the inner surfaces of the side rails 52a, 52b, while the cleaning members 64 provided on the groove portions 62a, 62b have the convex shape of the side rails 52a, 52b. 51a,
The dirt on the lower surface side of b is wiped off. Also,
FIG. 19B shows the cleaning unit main body 66 and the guide rail 50 when the cleaning unit main body 66 is pulled out in the backward direction B.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between The cleaning members 64 provided on both side surfaces of the housing member 60 also wipe off dirt on the inner side surfaces of the side rails 52a and 52b, and also cover the side edges 61a and 61b when being pulled out in the backward direction. The cleaning member 64 is a side rail 5
The dirt on the lower surface side of the convex shapes 51a, b of 2a, b is wiped off.

In this modification, since the cleaning unit main body 66 is provided with the cleaning member 64 for wiping the dirt G adhered to the guide rail 50 as described above, the seal glass 20 is cleaned using the cleaning member 6. After that, the dirt G attached to the guide rail 50 itself can also be cleaned,
It is possible to avoid an unexpected situation in which dust or toner attached to the guide rail 50 falls on the seal glass 20 and hinders exposure of the photosensitive drum. In particular, in the first embodiment to which this modification is applied, since the seal glass 20 is cleaned on the return path where the cleaning unit main body 66 is pulled out from the inside of the apparatus, the guide rail is provided on the outward path where the cleaning unit main body 66 is inserted into the apparatus. 50, the dust and the like dropped onto the seal glass 20 from the guide rail 50 can be wiped in the return path by the cleaning, and the guide rail 50 is cleaned again in the return path. 6, the reciprocating operation of the seal glass 20 and the guide rail 5
0 can be completely cleaned.

Modification 4 This modification is an improvement of the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment.
The cleaning member 6 is provided with a function of also cleaning the periphery of the seal glass 20 of the exposure apparatus 2, so that the sealing glass 20 is thoroughly prevented from adhering dirt such as dust and toner. That is, when the dirt adhered to the seal glass 20 of the exposure device 2 is wiped by the cleaning member 6, among the dirt, the dirt caught by the cleaning member 64 of the cleaning unit main body 66 does not pose a problem.
Even if the cleaning unit body 66 moves on the seal glass 20 as shown in FIG. 0A, it moves around the seal glass 20 without being caught by the cleaning member 64 as shown in FIG. There is also some dirt, and the dust and the like pushed away around the seal glass 20 in this manner may possibly get on the seal glass 20 again when vibration is applied to the printer 100 later.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 21, in this modification, the collecting grooves 21 for dirt such as dust and toner are provided on both sides of the seal glass 20 along the longitudinal direction thereof, and the cleaning unit main body 66 is provided with the seal glass. When the dirt on the surface of the seal glass 20 is wiped off, the dirt pushed away from the seal glass 20 does not spread around the seal glass 20 and accumulates in the collection groove 21. FIG.
2, a scraping member 22 corresponding to the collection groove 21 is provided on the lower surface side of the housing member 60 of the cleaning unit main body 66. As shown in FIG. When pressed against the exposure device 20, the scraping member 22 enters the collection groove 21 provided on the upper surface of the exposure apparatus 2. The scraping member 22 only needs to scrape off dirt such as dust and toner accumulated in the repair groove 21 in accordance with the movement of the cleaning unit main body 66. For example, a resin film having a certain elastic force, A brush can be used.

According to the present modified example, dust such as dust pushed away from the seal glass 20 by the movement of the cleaning unit main body 66 is received by the repair groove 21, and the dust is sealed by the seal glass. 20
When the cleaning unit main body 66 wipes off the dirt on the seal glass 20, the dust collected inside the repair groove 21 can be prevented from being diffused around the cleaning member 22. Cleaning unit body 66
The sealing glass 20 and its surroundings can be cleaned together. For this reason, it is possible to avoid a problem that dust around the seal glass 20 adheres to the seal glass 20 again even though the seal glass 20 is cleaned using the cleaning member 6. As shown in FIG. 11, if a groove 72 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the seal glass 20 and the collection groove 21 is communicated with the groove 72, the repair groove 21 is The dust scraped out of the container can be received in the groove 72 and collected.

Embodiment 2 In this embodiment, the refresh mechanism 7 described in Modification 2 of Embodiment 1 is applied to a cleaning member 64 'attached to an image forming unit.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a color printer (image forming apparatus) 100 to which the cleaning mechanism according to the present embodiment is applied. This color printer 100 is roughly divided into
It is classified into an image forming section, an intermediate transfer section, a sheet transport section, and a fixing section. The image forming section includes image forming units 1K, C, M, and Y for forming toner images of each color of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and an exposure device 2.
Each of the image forming units 1K, 1C, 1M, and 1Y is in a direction from the inside to the outside of the printer 100 (hereinafter, referred to as “forward direction C”) and from the outside to the inside (hereinafter, referred to as “return direction D”). It can be pulled out and pulled back. The same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the configurations and operations is omitted.

The pulling out and pulling back of the image forming unit 1 is performed, for example, at the time of exchanging the photosensitive drums 10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y, performing a jam processing of a recording sheet, and performing maintenance. The cleaning mechanism according to this embodiment removes dirt G on the seal glass 20 of the exposure device 2 simultaneously with the operation of pulling out and pulling back the image forming unit.

FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate the structure and operation of the cleaning mechanism and refresh mechanism 7 'according to this embodiment.

As this cleaning mechanism, each seal glass 20K, below each image forming unit 1K, C, M, Y,
A cleaning member 64'K capable of rubbing C, M, and Y;
C, M, and Y are attached. The width of the cleaning member 64 ′ is such that the entire surface of the seal glass 20 can be rubbed. Note that an elastic base material exists inside the cleaning member 64 '. On the other hand, the refresh mechanism 7 ′ is provided on the upper surface of the exposure apparatus 2 on the outer side of the printer apparatus (the forward direction C side). More specifically, a claw shape (removal means) 70 ′ protruding upward and its claw shape 7
0, the first groove shape (holding means) 71 ′ provided outside the printer 100, and the printer 1
And a second groove shape (holding means) 72 ′ provided inside. The widths of the claw shape 70 'and the first and second groove shapes 71' and 72 'are configured to be wider than at least the width of the cleaning member 64'.

First, the operation of the cleaning mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 13 illustrates an operation in which the image forming unit 1 is pulled out in the forward direction C. In an initial state, the image forming unit 1 is installed inside the printer 100 as shown in FIG. From such a state, the user or the like opens the outer panel (not shown) of the printer 100 and replaces the image forming unit 1 with the outside to replace the photosensitive drum 10, clear a recording sheet, perform maintenance on the printer 100, and the like. Try to withdraw to. FIG. 13B shows a state where the image forming unit 1 is being pulled out. As shown in this figure, in this state, the cleaning member 64 'rubs the seal glass 20 with the movement of the image forming unit 1 in the outward direction C, and cleans the surface. Then, as shown in FIG. 13C, when the image forming unit 1 is completely pulled out to the outside, the entire length of the seal glass 20 in the longitudinal direction has already been cleaned by the cleaning member 64 '.

FIG. 14 shows an operation in which the image forming unit 1 is pulled back in the backward direction D. FIG. 14 (d)
The image forming unit 1 is in a state of being completely pulled out of the printer 100 (similar to FIG. 13C). When the replacement of the photosensitive drum 10, the jam clearance of the recording sheet, the maintenance of the printer 100, and the like are completed from such a state, the user or the like tries to pull the image forming unit 1 inward. FIG. 14E illustrates the image forming unit 1.
Is being pulled back. As shown in this figure, in this state, the cleaning member 64 ′ moves together with the movement of the image forming unit 1 in the
0 is rubbed and the surface is cleaned again. Then, as shown in FIG. 14 (f), when the image forming unit 1 is completely pulled back inside, the entire length of the seal glass 20 in the longitudinal direction is cleaned again by the cleaning member 64 '.

Next, referring to FIG. 15, the refresh mechanism 7 'will be described.
The operation of will be described. FIGS. 15A and 15B both show the refresh mechanism 7 when the image forming unit 1 is pulled out in the forward direction C (see FIGS. 13B to 13C).
FIG. 15 (c) shows the operation when the image forming unit 1 is pulled back in the backward direction D (FIG. 14).
(See (d) to (e)) of the refresh mechanism 7 '.

The cleaning member 64 ′ that rubs the surface of the seal glass 20 retains a large amount of dirt on the surface and the traveling direction (forward direction C) of the seal glass 20 before reaching the outer end. . Cleaning member 64 '
Reaches the second groove shape 72 ', the dirt G1 held in the traveling direction portion of the cleaning member 64' is stored in the second groove shape 72 '(FIG. 15).
(A)). Further, when the cleaning member 64 ′ moves in the forward direction C with the movement of the image forming unit 1,
The cleaning member 64 'comes into contact with the claw shape 70', and the dirt G2 adhering to the surface of the cleaning member 64 'is scraped off by the claw shape 70' and stored in the second groove shape 72 '(FIG. 15 (b)).

Conversely, when the cleaning member 64 'moves in the return path D along with the movement of the image forming unit 1, the cleaning member 64' comes into contact with the claw shape 70 'again and remains on the surface of the cleaning member 64'. The slight dirt G3 is also scraped off by the claw shape 70 ', and the first groove shape 71 is formed.
(See FIG. 15C). Then, the cleaning member 64 ′ refreshed by these actions (see FIGS. 15A to 15C) causes the seal glass 20.
Since the surface is cleaned, dirt held on the outward path does not adhere to the seal glass 20 on the return path.

In this embodiment, the refresh mechanism 7 ′ is provided outside the printer 100, that is, the seal glass 20.
The refresh mechanism 7 'is not limited to this, but may be provided inside the printer 100, that is, on the return direction D side of the seal glass 20, or may be provided on both of them. May be.

Experimental Examples The inventors of the present invention have conducted various experiments before completing the present invention, and here, as a part thereof, the case where the cleaning member makes reciprocal contact with the member to be cleaned and the case where the cleaning member makes one-way contact An experiment for confirming the cleaning effect with the case and an experiment for confirming a preferable range of the contact pressure at which the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned will be described below.

Experiment 1 (one round trip vs. one) First, the method of this experiment will be described. In an experiment in which the cleaning member is reciprocated with respect to the seal glass, sample dirt is sprayed to a predetermined position on the seal glass, and the cleaning member is brought into contact with the seal glass from the outer end to the inner end with a predetermined contact pressure. Let me move
Further, the cleaning member is moved from the inner end to the outer end while being in contact with the seal glass, and the degree of contamination on the seal glass is evaluated. On the other hand, in an experiment in which the cleaning member is moved in only one direction with respect to the seal glass, the sample dirt is dispersed at a predetermined position on the seal glass, and the cleaning member is sealed from the inner end to the outer end of the seal glass with a predetermined contact pressure. Move it by touching it on the glass,
The degree of contamination on the seal glass is evaluated.

Here, two types of stains, i.e., toner stain and soil dust, were used as sample stains. Toner contamination refers to soiling the surface of the seal glass by dropping a predetermined amount of toner on the seal glass. What is dirt and dust?
It is a mixture of the dust specified in S7 and S8.
The toner stain was sprayed inside the seal glass, and the dust stain was sprayed outside the seal glass. Toraysee MC cloth (trade name, manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) as a cleaning member
And TX604 (manufactured by Tex Swipe, trade name: Technicrew) were used. The evaluation of dirt on the seal glass was as follows: “○”: no dirt was found on the seal glass, “△”: slight dirt was found outside the optical path on the seal glass, “×”: The evaluation was made in three steps: stains were confirmed on the optical path, or many stains were confirmed outside the optical path. In this experiment, such an evaluation was performed four times without replacing the cleaning member.

[0075]

[Table 1] Next, the results of this experiment will be described. Table 1 summarizes the results of this experiment. As shown in Table 1, when any cleaning member and any dirt type were used, the cleaning member was reciprocated with respect to the seal glass for cleaning. When the member is moved in only one direction with respect to the seal glass and cleaned,
It is confirmed that there is no "x" evaluation and good cleaning performance is exhibited. This is considered to be because dirt held by the cleaning member in the outward path is released in the backward path. That is, the present inventors have found and confirmed from this experiment that the cleaning effect is higher when the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned in only one direction than when the cleaning member contacts the member in the reciprocating direction.

Experiment 2 (Contact Pressure) First, the method of this experiment will be described. In this experiment, the sample dirt was sprayed on the seal glass, the cleaning member was moved from the inner end to the outer end of the seal glass by contacting the seal glass with a predetermined contact pressure, and the degree of dirt on the seal glass was checked. The evaluation is repeated until the contamination is confirmed on the seal glass (without replacement of the cleaning member), and the number of times is recorded. Further, such an experiment was performed a plurality of times while changing the contact pressure of the cleaning member against the seal glass, and the operation feeling of the user at that time was also evaluated.

Here, toner stains as sample stains,
Three types of dirt, soil dirt and 10% uniform dirt, were used. The toner stain and the dust stain were described in Experiment 1. The 10% uniform stain is a stain in which the toner stain that reduces the amount of transmitted light to the seal glass by 10% is spread over the entire surface of the seal glass. The contact pressure of the cleaning member against the seal glass is 0.16 [N / c
Experiments were conducted with several stages change between m ^2] of 1.63 [N / cm ^2].

Next, the results of this experiment will be described. FIG.
Is a line graph summarizing the results of this experiment. In this graph, the horizontal axis indicates the load applied to the cleaning member, that is, the contact pressure against the seal glass, and the vertical axis indicates the number of experiments until contamination is confirmed on the seal glass. In each of the polygonal lines in the graph, a black square indicates toner stain, a black circle indicates soil dust, and a white circle indicates 10% uniform stain.

From this graph, it can be seen that the higher the contact pressure of any dirt, the greater the number of experiments until the dirt is confirmed on the seal glass, ie, the more easily each dirt is removed. In addition, it can be seen that the 10% uniform stain is less likely to be removed on the seal glass than the other stains (toner stain and dust stain), that is, the stain is difficult to remove. Therefore, the present inventors have determined the lower limit of the contact pressure of the cleaning member with respect to the seal glass based on the 10% uniform stain which is relatively difficult to remove. The present inventors obtained the lower limit of the contact pressure, 0.49 [N / cm ² ], with the minimum required number of cleaning times being four.

As described above, the higher the contact pressure, the better the cleaning performance. On the other hand, if the contact pressure is too high (the operation becomes heavy), the operational feeling of the user is impaired. Therefore, the present inventors decided the upper limit of the contact pressure in consideration of the operational feeling of the user, and set the value to 1.63 [N / cm ² ].

In other words, the present inventors have conducted this experiment to make the cleaning member a member to be cleaned from the viewpoint of achieving both sufficient cleaning performance, operational feeling at the time of cleaning, and problems of the strength of the seal glass and the support portion. Contact pressure P in case of contact
Is 0.49 [N / cm ² ] ≦ P ≦ 1.63 [N / cm
² ] was found preferable, and this was confirmed.

[0082]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, cleaning can be performed not only at the time of replacing parts in the image forming apparatus but also at an appropriate time, and the cleaning effect is high. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a printer apparatus to which a cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment can be applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a guide plate included in the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cleaning member included in the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the outward movement of the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the return path operation of the cleaning mechanism according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a guide plate included in a cleaning mechanism according to a first modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cleaning member included in a cleaning mechanism according to a first modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates a configuration of a refresh mechanism according to a second modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 illustrates an operation of a refresh mechanism according to a second modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a view for explaining the configuration of a cleaning mechanism and a refresh mechanism according to the second embodiment, and an operation associated with a pull-out operation;

FIG. 14 is a view for explaining the configuration of the cleaning mechanism and the refresh mechanism according to the second embodiment, and the operation involved in the pullback operation.

FIG. 15 is a view for explaining an operation associated with the pull-out and pull-back operations of the refresh mechanism according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating results of Experiment 2.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a problem when dirt adheres to the guide rail according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cleaning member according to a third modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the outward movement and the backward movement of the cleaning mechanism according to the third modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a view for explaining a problem that dirt attached to a seal glass is diffused around by a cleaning member.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a sealing glass according to a fourth modification of the first embodiment and a collection groove formed on the use side thereof.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of a cleaning member according to a fourth modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a return path operation of the cleaning mechanism according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

100: color printer (image forming apparatus), 1K, C,
M, Y: image forming unit, 10K, C, M, Y: photosensitive drum, 2: exposure device, 20: seal glass (member to be cleaned), Bm: exposure beam, 5: guide plate, 50: guide rail ( (Guide member), 52: side rail, 51: convex shape, 6: cleaning member, 66: cleaning unit body 66, 6
5 ... handle part, 60 ... housing member, 64 ... cleaning member, 61 ... side edge (second guided shape),
62: groove portion (first guided shape); 63: elastic member; 7 (7 '): refresh mechanism; 70 (70'):
Claw shape (removal means), 71 (71 ') ... first groove shape (holding means), 72 (72') ... second groove shape (holding means)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H034 AA00 2H071 BA13 BA19 BA35 BA36 DA02 EA10 2H076 AA91 3B116 AA08 AB54 BA08 BA23 BA32

Claims (10)

[Claims] A cleaning mechanism for cleaning a member to be cleaned in the image forming apparatus, the cleaning mechanism including a cleaning member that can be moved in and out of the image forming apparatus, wherein the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus or from within the image forming apparatus. A cleaning mechanism wherein the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned only in one of the pulling directions. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a path regulating unit configured to regulate a first path through which the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus and a second path from the image forming apparatus to be different from each other. 2. A cleaning mechanism for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The first and second guide members provided on the image forming apparatus, the first and second guide members including a portion facing the member to be cleaned on the path from outside the image forming apparatus to inside the image forming apparatus. A guided shape provided on the member and selectively engageable with either one of the first and second guide members, wherein the guided shape is a first guide member at an opposing portion on the path. When the cleaning member and the member to be cleaned come into contact with each other, and when the guided shape fits with the second guide member, the cleaning member and the member to be cleaned are not in contact with each other. 3. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning mechanism is configured. 4. A guide member provided in the image forming apparatus, the guide member including a portion facing the member to be cleaned on the path from outside the image forming apparatus to the inside of the image forming apparatus; One is provided with first and second guided shapes that can be fitted with the guide member, and the cleaning member is provided when the first guided shape fits with the guide member at the opposing portion on the path. 3. The cleaning according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning member and the member to be cleaned are configured to be in non-contact when the second member to be cleaned contacts the member to be cleaned and the second guided shape fits with the guide member. mechanism. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has a convex shape, the first guided shape is an upper surface edge of the cleaning member urged toward the member to be cleaned by the convex shape, and the second guided shape is provided. 5. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the convex shape is a concave shape on a side surface of the cleaning member held so as not to contact the member to be cleaned. 6. The contact pressure P when the cleaning member contacts the member to be cleaned is 0.49 [N / cm ² ] ≦ P ≦ 1.6.
The cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning mechanism is 3 [N / cm ² ]. 7. The cleaning member according to claim 1, wherein a portion that contacts the member to be cleaned and a portion that does not contact the cleaning member are detachable.
The cleaning mechanism according to item 1. 8. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said member to be cleaned is a transparent body existing on an optical path from an exposure device to a photosensitive member. 9. The cleaning member according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning member also cleans the guide member when the cleaning member is inserted into the image forming apparatus or when the cleaning member is pulled out of the image forming apparatus. A cleaning mechanism according to any one of the above. 10. A cleaning groove formed on both sides of the member to be cleaned along an insertion direction of the cleaning member, and a cleaning member for cleaning the inside of the collection groove as the cleaning member is inserted or pulled out. The taking member was provided, The claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.
9. The cleaning mechanism according to any one of 9 above.