JP2009157002A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provided an image forming apparatus that, when residual matter remaining on the surface of an image holding member after the transfer of a toner image is removed by a cleaning device and then a lubricant is applied onto the surface of the image holding member by means of a leveling member, enables the leveling member to properly apply the lubricant onto the surface of the image holding member even when the state of a formed image or an environmental condition changes, and hence can perform stable image formation. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is provided in which residual matter remaining on the surface of the image holding member 10 after the transfer of a toner image is removed by the cleaning device 20, then the lubricant particles are supplied to the surface of the image holding member by a lubricant supply means 30, the edge of a leveling member 40 formed from a plate-like elastic body is brought into firm contact with the surface of the image holding member, thereby the lubricant is applied onto the surface of the image holding member, wherein a state in which the edge of the leveling member is in firm contact with the surface of the image holding member is varied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine of these, and in particular, the movement of an image holding member rather than a position where a toner image is transferred from an image holding member that holds and moves a toner image. A cleaning device that removes residue remaining on the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the image holding member, and a lubricant on the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the cleaning device in the moving direction of the image holding member. A lubricant supplying means for supplying particles and a plate-like elastic body for applying the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member with the end pressed against the surface of the image holding member on the surface of the image holding member The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a leveling member. In the present invention, even when the state of the image to be formed or the environmental condition changes, the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member by the lubricant supplying means are separated from the image holding member by the leveling member. It is characterized in that it is coated on the surface appropriately in the form of a film so that good image formation can be stably performed.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine of these, an image holding member that holds and moves a toner image, for example, a photoconductor on which a toner image is formed, and toner formed on the photoconductor In an intermediate transfer member to which an image is transferred, after a toner image is transferred from such an image holding member to a transfer member such as a recording medium or an intermediate transfer member, a cleaning member such as a cleaning blade is provided on the surface of the image holding member. In order to remove the residue such as toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member.

  Here, the cleaning member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member after the toner image is transferred as described above, and the operation of removing the residual toner and the like remaining on the surface of the image holding member is lengthened. If it continues, there are problems such that the cleaning member is worn and the cleaning performance is deteriorated, and the surface of the image holding member is worn and the life of the image holding member is shortened.

  For this reason, conventionally, a lubricant such as metal soap is supplied from a lubricant supply means to the surface of an image holding member on which a toner image is transferred to a recording medium or the like, and the surface of the image holding member and the cleaning member are supplied by this lubricant. The surface of the image holding member is improved, and the toner image formed on the surface of the image holding member is appropriately transferred to the transfer member. Has been done.

  Conventionally, in supplying a lubricant from a lubricant supply means to the surface of an image holding member having a toner image transferred to a transfer member as described above, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a solid lubricant is used. After scraping the lubricant particles with a brush roll, the brush roll is brought into contact with the surface of the image holding member after transferring the toner image, and the scraped lubricant particles are supplied to the surface of the image holding member. It has been proposed that the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member are pressed by a cleaning member so that the lubricant particles are applied in a film shape on the surface of the image holding member.

  However, when the cleaning member removes residual toner or the like remaining on the surface of the image holding member, the lubricant is applied by bringing the brush roll into contact with the surface of the image holding member. The toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member adheres to the brush roll and gradually accumulates, thereby gradually reducing the ability of the brush roll to scrape off the lubricant from the solid lubricant, thereby maintaining the image. There was a problem that lubricant particles could not be properly applied to the surface of the member.

  Conventionally, as shown in Patent Documents 2 and 3, image holding is performed in order to prevent the toner or the like remaining on the surface of the image holding member from adhering to the brush roll as described above. After the toner remaining on the surface of the member is removed by the cleaning member, the above-described brush roll is brought into contact to supply the lubricant particles to the surface of the image holding member. The end of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member in the same direction as the moving direction of the image holding member, and the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member are pressed by the leveling member. There has been proposed an apparatus in which lubricant particles are applied in the form of a film on the surface of an image holding member.

  Here, when the end of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member in the same direction as the moving direction of the image holding member and the lubricant particles are applied to the surface of the image holding member, If the pressure contact force of the end of the leveling member with respect to the surface of the holding member is weak, the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member are not sufficiently coated, and the level of the leveling members It passes through the end.

  Then, when passing through the end of the leveling member in the state of the lubricant particles in this way, the lubricant particles adhere to the charging roller or the like contacting the surface of the image holding member, and the surface of the image holding member is appropriately There is a problem that charging cannot be performed, or the lubricant particles are mixed in the developing device to cause charging failure of the toner, resulting in various defects in the formed image.

  On the other hand, when the pressure contact force of the end of the leveling member to the surface of the image holding member is increased so that the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member are sufficiently coated, the image holding member is driven. As the torque increases, the wear of the end of the leveling member and the surface of the image holding member increases, and the leveling member gradually deforms to increase the permanent distortion, which makes it impossible to form a stable image. there were.

  Further, even when the press contact force for pressing the end of the leveling member against the surface of the image holding member is set appropriately, if image formation with low image density continues, the lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member. In this state, a lubricant is further supplied and excessively applied, and even when an image is formed in a low-temperature and low-humidity environment, a brush roll that supplies lubricant particles to the surface of the image holding member The brush becomes hard, and the brush roll supplies excess lubricant to the surface of the image holding member so that it is applied excessively.

  If excessive lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member in this way, the toner image holding power on the surface of the image holding member is reduced, and toner scatters during transfer, causing the image to blur. There was a problem such as.

Conversely, when image formation with a high image density is continued or when image formation is performed in a high temperature and high humidity environment, the amount of lubricant supplied to the surface of the image holding member decreases, The lubricant is not sufficiently applied to the surface of the image holding member, the releasability of the toner image on the surface of the image holding member is deteriorated, the toner image is not properly transferred, and the line image is lost. There was a problem.
JP 2003-57996 A JP 2006-251751 A JP 2006-259450 A

  The present invention is a cleaning that removes residue remaining on the surface of an image holding member at a position downstream of the image holding member in the moving direction from the position where the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image. An apparatus, a lubricant supply means for supplying lubricant particles to the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the cleaning device in the moving direction of the image holding member, and an end portion in pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member In order to solve the above-described problems in the image forming apparatus provided with a leveling member made of a plate-like elastic body for applying the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member to the surface of the image holding member. It is to be an issue.

  That is, in the present invention, as described above, the end of the leveling member is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member, and the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member are moved to the surface of the image holding member by the leveling member. In the application, the end of the leveling member can be easily pressed to the surface of the image holding member, and even if the state of the image to be formed and the environmental conditions are changed, An object of the present invention is to apply a lubricant appropriately to the surface of an image holding member so that good image formation can be stably performed.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above-described problems, the image holding member is located at a position downstream of the moving direction of the image holding member from the position where the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image. A cleaning device for removing residues remaining on the surface of the image forming device, and a lubricant supply means for supplying lubricant particles to the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the cleaning device in the moving direction of the image holding member; Image forming provided with a leveling member made of a plate-like elastic body in which an end portion is pressed against the surface of the image holding member and lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member are applied to the surface of the image holding member In the apparatus, the state in which the end portion of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member is changed.

  Here, in changing the state in which the end portion of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member as described above, the pressing force of the end portion of the leveling member to the surface of the image holding member may be changed. Although it is possible, if the pressure contact force of the end of the leveling member to the surface of the image holding member is weakened as described above, the lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member are not sufficiently coated, and the lubricant While there is a possibility that the particles pass through the end portion of the leveling member in the state of particles, when the pressure contact force is increased, problems such as an increase in torque for driving the image holding member occur. For this reason, it is preferable to change the contact state of the end portion of the leveling member with the surface of the image holding member by changing the angle at which the end portion of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member.

  In this image forming apparatus, when the end of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member as described above, a wedge-shaped space formed by the end of the leveling member and the surface of the image holding member. It is preferable that the end of the leveling member abuts in the same direction as the moving direction of the image holding member so that the lubricant particles are appropriately held.

  When the end of the leveling member is brought into contact with the moving direction of the image holding member in this way, the condition that the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the image holding member is reduced, for example, When the image formation with a high image density is continuously performed as described above, or when the image formation is performed in a high temperature and high humidity environment, the position where the end of the leveling member contacts the surface of the image holding member. The contact angle on the upstream side in the moving direction of the image holding member is reduced, and the lubricant particles in the wedge-shaped space between the end portion of the leveling member and the surface of the image holding member become the end of the leveling member. And is applied to the surface of the image holding member by increasing the nip width between the end of the leveling member and the surface of the image holding member. Try to increase the amount of lubricant.

  On the other hand, when the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the image holding member is large, for example, when image formation with low image density is continued or when image formation is performed in a low temperature and low humidity environment The above-mentioned contact angle is increased so that the lubricant particles in the wedge-shaped space between the end of the leveling member and the surface of the image holding member are blocked by the leveling member. The amount of lubricant particles introduced between the edge of the image holding member and the surface of the image holding member is reduced to reduce the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the image holding member.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the surface of the image holding member is moved by the above-described lubricant supplying means at a position downstream of the cleaning device for removing the residue remaining on the surface of the image holding member. Since the lubricant particles are supplied to the surface of the image holding member, the toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member is prevented from being removed by the cleaning device and attached to the lubricant supply means. As a result, the lubricant particles are appropriately supplied to the surface of the image holding member.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the end portion of the leveling member made of a plate-like elastic body is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member to which the lubricant particles are supplied by the lubricant supply means as described above. Therefore, when applying the lubricant to the surface of the image holding member, the state in which the end of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member is changed, so that the state of the image to be formed and the environmental conditions change. In this case, depending on the respective conditions, the state in which the end of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member is changed, and the end of the leveling member is appropriately pressed against the surface of the image holding member. Can be.

  As a result, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, an appropriate amount of lubricant is appropriately applied to the surface of the image holding member by the leveling member even when the state of the image to be formed and the environmental conditions change. As a result, good image formation can be performed stably.

  Next, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to those shown in the following embodiments, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not changing the gist thereof.

  In the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, four photosensitive drums serving as image holding members corresponding to the four developing devices 11 containing toners of different colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. 10 is provided.

  Here, in this image forming apparatus, when full-color image formation is performed, the respective photosensitive drums 10 are rotated, and the surface of each photosensitive drum 10 is charged by the charging device 12 including a charging roller. Each of the photosensitive drums 10 charged in this way is exposed according to image data by the exposure device 13 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of each photosensitive drum 10.

  Then, toner of a predetermined color is supplied from each developing device 11 corresponding to each photosensitive drum 10 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed in this manner to the electrostatic latent image on each photosensitive drum 10 and developed. The toner images of the respective colors are formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 10.

  Next, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the respective photosensitive drums 10 are respectively transferred to the intermediate transfer body 15 in the form of an endless belt that is driven around the roller 14 and transferred in the form of a roller. A primary transfer is sequentially performed by the device 16 to form a full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer member 15.

  Residues such as toner remaining on the surface of each photosensitive drum 10 after transfer are guided to the first cleaning device 20, and elasticity of a plate-like urethane rubber or the like provided in the first cleaning device 20 is obtained. A cleaning blade 21 made of a body is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 to remove residues such as toner from the surface of each photosensitive drum 10.

  Next, a lubricant is supplied by the lubricant supply means 30 to the surface of each photoconductor drum 10 from which the residue such as toner has been removed in this manner, and the photoconductor drum 10 thus supplied with the lubricant is supplied. The end portion of the leveling member 40 is brought into pressure contact with the surface, and the lubricant supplied to the surface of each photoconductor drum 10 is uniformly applied to the surface of each photoconductor drum 10.

  On the other hand, the full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer member 15 as described above is guided to a position facing the secondary transfer device 17 formed into a roller shape by the intermediate transfer member 15, and the image forming apparatus. The sheet-like recording medium S accommodated in the lower part of the sheet is guided between the intermediate transfer member 15 and the secondary transfer device 17 by the feed roller 18 and formed on the intermediate transfer member 15 by the secondary transfer device 17. The resulting full-color toner image is secondarily transferred to the recording medium S.

  After that, the recording medium S to which the full-color toner image is transferred in this way is guided to the fixing device 19, and the transferred full-color toner image is fixed on the recording medium S. The fixed recording medium S is discharged.

  Further, the toner or the like remaining on the intermediate transfer body 15 without being transferred to the recording medium S is guided to the second cleaning device 50, and a plate-like urethane rubber or the like provided in the second cleaning device 50 is used. A cleaning blade 51 made of an elastic body is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer member 15 to remove residues such as toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member 15 from the intermediate transfer member 15.

  Here, as described above, after the toner and other residues remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 after the transfer are removed by the first cleaning device 20, the lubricant supply means 30 is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the solid lubricant 32 is applied to the roller-like brush member 31 that rotates in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. The lubricant particles pressed by a pressing member 33 made of a spring and scraped from the solid lubricant 32 by the brush member 31 are supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10.

  Here, as said lubricant, fatty acid metal salts, such as zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, lithium stearate, can be used, for example.

  Further, as the brush of the brush member 31, for example, a conductive or insulating brush made of synthetic fiber such as nylon, rayon, or acrylic, or metal fiber can be used.

  Here, as this brush member 31, while using what was comprised with the brush whose fiber thickness is the range of 5-15 micrometers, the pressing force which presses this brush member 31 to said solid lubricant 32 is 2-6 N /. In the range of m, when the lubricant particles are scraped off from the solid lubricant 32 by the brush member 31, uniform lubricant particles having a small particle diameter are scraped and supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. Will come to be.

  Then, the end of the leveling member 40 made of an elastic material such as a plate-like urethane rubber is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 supplied with the lubricant particles as described above, and the lubricant particles are moved to the photosensitive member. The surface of the drum 10 is applied in the form of a film.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the leveling member 40 is held by a holding member 41 that can be rotated by a support shaft 41a, and the holding member 41 is made of a spring. The end of the leveling member 40 is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 in the same direction as the movement direction of the photosensitive drum 10 by being biased by the biasing means 42.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a housing 60 in which the support shaft 41 a of the holding member 41 is accommodated in the first cleaning device 20 and the lubricant supply means 30 by the cylinder 43. Abutting angle θ on the upstream side in the moving direction of the photosensitive drum 10 where the end of the leveling member 40 abuts on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10, that is, the leveling member The angle between the tangent line of the photoconductive drum 10 and the tangent line of the leveling member 40 at a position where the end of the level 40 contacts the surface of the photoconductive drum 10 is changed. The state of pressure contact with the surface is changed.

  The amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 as in the case where image formation with a high image density is continuously performed as described above, or when image formation is performed in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. 3, the support shaft 41a of the holding member 41 is moved upward along the guide hole 61 by the cylinder 43, and the end portion of the leveling member 40 is the photosensitive drum 10 as shown in FIG. The contact angle θ on the upstream side of the moving direction of the photosensitive drum 10 in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is reduced, and the nip width between the end of the leveling member 40 and the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is increased.

  In this way, the lubricant particles in the wedge-shaped space between the end of the leveling member 40 and the surface of the photoconductor drum 10 are separated between the end of the leveling member 40 and the surface of the photoconductor drum 10. Therefore, many lubricant particles are guided between the end portion of the leveling member 40 and the surface of the photosensitive drum 10, and the leveling member 40 having a large nip width is supplied to the lubricant particles. As a result, the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 increases, and the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 increases. An appropriate amount of lubricant is applied to the surface.

  As a result, the releasability of the toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is deteriorated even when image formation with a high image density is continuously performed or when image formation is performed in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. This prevents the toner image from being properly transferred and the occurrence of voids in the line image, thereby providing a good image.

  On the other hand, the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 as in the case where image formation with a low image density is continuously performed as described above, or when image formation is performed in a low-temperature and low-humidity environment. 4, the support shaft 41a of the holding member 41 is moved downward along the guide hole 61 by the cylinder 43, and the end portion of the leveling member 40 is the photosensitive drum 10 as shown in FIG. The contact angle θ on the upstream side in the moving direction of the photosensitive drum 10 that is in contact with the surface is increased.

  In this way, the lubricant particles in the wedge-shaped space between the end of the leveling member 40 and the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 are blocked by the leveling member 40, and the end of the leveling member 40 and the photosensitive member are exposed to light. The amount of lubricant particles guided to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is reduced, the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is reduced, and an appropriate amount of lubrication is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. The agent comes to be applied.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent excessive lubricant from being applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 even when image formation with a low image density is continuously performed or when image formation is performed in a low-temperature and low-humidity environment. As a result, the toner image holding force on the surface of the photoconductor drum 10 is reduced, the toner is prevented from scattering during transfer and the image is prevented from bleeding, and a good image can be obtained.

  In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, the state in which the end of the leveling member 40 is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is changed as described above, but the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is changed. The method for changing the state in which the ends of the leveling member 40 are pressed against each other is not particularly limited to this.

  In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, the end portion of the leveling member 40 is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 in the same direction as the movement direction of the photosensitive drum 10, but the leveling member Even when the end of 40 is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the photosensitive drum 10, the end of the leveling member 40 is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. It is also possible to change the state to be applied so that an appropriate amount of lubricant is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10.

  In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, a roller-like brush member 31 is used for the lubricant supply means 30 for supplying the lubricant particles scraped from the solid lubricant 32 to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. However, instead of the brush member 31 described above, it is also possible to use a solid type or foam type roller member (not shown) made of urethane rubber, silicon rubber or the like.

  In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 10 is moved more than the first cleaning device 20 that removes residual toner and the like remaining on the surface of each photosensitive drum 10 after transfer. On the downstream side in the direction, the lubricant supplying means 30 for supplying the lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 and the leveling member 40 are provided, but although not shown, they remain on the intermediate transfer body 15 after transfer. It is also possible to provide the lubricant supply means and the leveling member as described above on the downstream side in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer body 15 with respect to the second cleaning device 30 that removes residual toner and the like.

1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, the first cleaning device removes the residue remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum at a position downstream of the position where the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum in the moving direction of the photosensitive drum. Lubricant supplying means for supplying a lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive drum, and lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member with the end pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum on the surface of the image holding member. It is the schematic explanatory drawing which showed the state which provided the leveling member to apply | coat. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged explanatory view showing a state in which the contact angle on the upstream side in the moving direction of the photosensitive drum in which the end portion of the leveling member comes into contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum is reduced in the image forming apparatus of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged explanatory view showing a state in which the contact angle on the upstream side in the moving direction of the photosensitive drum in which the end portion of the leveling member comes into contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum is increased in the image forming apparatus of the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10 Photosensitive drum (image holding member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Developing device 12 Charging device 13 Exposure device 14 Roller 15 Intermediate transfer body 16 Primary transfer device 17 Secondary transfer device 18 Feeding roller 19 Fixing device 20 First cleaning device 21 Cleaning blade 30 Lubricant supply means 31 Brush member 32 Solid lubricant 33 Pressing member 40 Leveling member 41 Support member 41a Support shaft 42 Energizing means 50 Second cleaning device 51 Cleaning blade 60 Housing 61 Guide hole S Recording medium θ Contact angle of end of leveling member with respect to surface of photosensitive drum

Claims (4)

  A cleaning device that removes residue remaining on the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the image holding member in the moving direction from the position where the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image; Lubricant supply means for supplying lubricant particles to the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the cleaning device in the moving direction of the image holding member, and an image holding member with an end pressed against the surface of the image holding member In an image forming apparatus provided with a leveling member made of a plate-like elastic body that applies lubricant particles supplied to the surface of the image holding member to the surface of the image holding member, the end of the leveling member is An image forming apparatus characterized by changing a state of being pressed against a surface of a member.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an angle at which the end portion of the leveling member is pressed against the surface of the image holding member is changed.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the leveling member is brought into contact with the moving direction of the image holding member in the same direction.   4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the end of the leveling member contacts the surface of the image holding member under a condition that the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the image holding member is reduced. The contact angle on the upstream side in the moving direction of the image holding member is reduced while the contact angle is increased under the condition that the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the image holding member is increased. Image forming apparatus.

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