JP2003029549A - Corona wire cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a corona wire cleaning device which has simple constitution and never influences the position relation of a corona wire to a photoreceptor. SOLUTION: A cleaning means having cleaning members arranged at fixed distance intervals is enabled to rotate about a moving member and no cleaning member comes into contact with a corona wire when the corona wire is not cleaned.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a corona wire cleaning device for cleaning a corona wire of a transfer unit or a charger in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer. . 2. Description of the Related Art Corona discharge is often used in a transfer unit and a charger of an electrophotographic apparatus, but scattered toner and paper powder adhere to a corona wire of the transfer unit and a charger. There is. A corona wire cleaning device is provided for the purpose of removing scattered toner, paper powder, and the like attached to the corona wire. FIG. 4 shows an example of a conventional corona wire cleaning device. At the time of the cleaning operation, the cleaning members 7 and 8 move in the corona wire stretching direction while holding the corona wire 9 therebetween, and clean the corona wire surface. When the cleaning member that is in contact with the corona wire repeats the cleaning operation, a portion that comes into contact with the corona wire is worn, and a cut is generated.
If the corona wire enters the cut formed in the cleaning member, the distance between the corona wire and the photoconductor is fixed by the cut in the cleaning member, which may affect the positional relationship between the photoconductor and the corona wire. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a structure in which a corona wire cleaning member comes into contact only during a corona wire cleaning operation and does not contact the corona wire when the cleaning operation is not performed. By providing a simple structure, a mechanism that does not affect the positional relationship between the photoconductor and the corona wire even if the cleaning member is cut in the frictional portion with the corona wire by repeating the above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is as follows. (1) A cleaning member is provided so as to contact a corona wire at a certain interval from a vertical direction. (2) The cleaning means has a holding member for holding the cleaning member so as to satisfy (1). (3) A cleaning device having a moving member for moving the cleaning means in the direction in which the corona wire is stretched. (4) The cleaning means can freely rotate by a fixed amount with respect to the moving member. (5) When the moving member is placed at the position where it is stored during non-cleaning, the cleaning means is inclined so that the cleaning member is separated from the corona wire. [0011] With the above configuration, the structure is such that the corona wire does not contact the cleaning means when the corona wire is not cleaned, and the contact portion between the corona wire and the cleaning member is worn by repeating the corona wire cleaning operation. Thus, it is possible to provide a corona wire cleaning device in which the cleaning unit does not affect the positional relationship between the photoconductor and the corona wire during the printing operation even if a cut occurs. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows a corona wire cleaning apparatus. The corona wire cleaning means 1 is composed of cleaning members 2, 3 using thin high-molecular-weight, high-tension fibers such as aramid fibers processed into a paper shape, and a holding member 4 holding the cleaning members 2, 3. I have. The holding member 4 is attached to the moving member 5,
By moving the moving member 5 back and forth in the direction of the arrow, the moving member 5 moves in the direction in which the corona wire 6 is stretched. The cleaning member 2 and the cleaning member 3 are attached to the holding member 4 so as to sandwich the corona wire 6 from above and below. 2 and 3, the operation of the corona wire cleaning device during the corona wire cleaning operation and when the corona wire cleaning operation is not performed will be described. In FIG. 2A, the cleaning members 2 and 3 are fixed to the holding member 4 at a fixed interval, and the tips of the cleaning members 2 and 3 attached from above and below are overlapped by a fixed amount. Fixed in position. The corona wire cleaning means 1 is attached to the moving member 5 so that the corona wire cleaning means 1 can freely rotate at a fixed angle around the moving member. In FIG. 2B, the moving member 5 is indicated by an arrow A.
When moving in the direction, the corona wire cleaning means 1 rotates in the direction of arrow B. When the tip of the cleaning member 2 touches the corona wire 6, frictional resistance is generated at the contact portion, the corona wire cleaning member 1 further rotates in the direction of arrow B, and the cleaning member 3 also comes into contact with the corona wire 6. When the moving member 5 is further moved in the direction of the arrow A in this state, the corona wire cleaning member 1 becomes the cleaning members 2 and 3.
Due to the contact friction resistance between the moving member 5 and the corona wire 6, the moving member 5 receives a rotating force in the direction of arrow B as shown in FIG.
When the corona wire cleaning means 1 abuts against the rotation stopping projection 7 provided in the above, the rotation is stopped. If the moving member 5 is continuously moved in the direction of the arrow A in this state, since the tip portions of the cleaning members 2 and 3 are arranged so as to overlap with each other by a predetermined size, the corona wire 6 is sandwiched between the cleaning members 2 and 3 from above and below, and the cleaning is performed. Ironing is performed at the tips of the members 2 and 3 to remove dirt attached to the corona wire 6. The moving member 5 is moved in the direction of arrow C as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3B, the corona wire cleaning member 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow D, and the cleaning members 2 and 3 move in the direction of the arrow C while the tips thereof slightly contact the corona wire 6. As shown in FIG. 3 (c), when the moving member 5 is moved until it abuts in the direction of arrow C, the corona wire cleaning member 1 comes into contact with the projection 8 provided on the housing of the charger, and is moved in the direction of arrow D. The tip of the cleaning members 2 and 3 can be separated from the corona wire 6 further. In other words, the structure is such that the cleaning members 2 and 3 do not contact the corona wire 6 during the printing operation. The moving member 5 may be configured to move with a power source inside, or may be configured to move with an external power source. According to the present invention, the corona wire cleaning operation is repeated with a simple structure, so that even if the cleaning member is cut by contact abrasion with the corona wire, the cleaning member may be cut during the printing operation (corona wire cutting). Since the corona wire is not brought into contact with the corona wire cleaning member when the cleaning operation is not performed), it is possible to provide a corona wire cleaning mechanism that does not affect the positional relationship between the corona wire and the photoconductor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a shape of a corona wire cleaning member of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the cleaning device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the cleaning device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional corona wire cleaning device. [Description of Signs] 1 ... Corona wire cleaning means, 2 ... Cleaning member, 3 ... Cleaning member, 4 ... Cleaning member holding member, 5 ... Cleaning member moving member, 6
... Corona wire, 7 ... Protrusion for stopping rotation, 8 ... Protrusion.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A corona wire cleaning apparatus comprising: a cleaning means having a plurality of thin plates for cleaning at least a corona wire; and a moving member moving in a direction in which the corona wire is stretched. A cleaning means rotatably mounted, a clearance provided in the cleaning means, a thin plate attached, and a corona wire passed through the clearance between the thin plates.