JP2009288643A - Cleaning member, charging apparatus, process cartridge and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a roller cleaning member having an enhanced cleaning performance by preventing the roller from being contaminated. <P>SOLUTION: Since a charge cleaning roller 33 includes high-friction coefficient parts 33a and 33a provided on both ends of a roller-shaped cleaning member, the cleaning roller 33 does not slip on the charging roller 31, and the charging roller 31 is rotated together with the cleaning roller 33 without generating a linear velocity difference, accordingly, the surface of the charging roller 31 is satisfactorily cleaned without being contaminated, and then, the occurrence of an abnormal image is prevented. Further, the cleaning roller 33 does not need additional mechanisms such as a driving system, and cost and space are not increased. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning member that removes foreign matter adhering to a roller surface, and a charging device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus including the cleaning member.

JP 2003-66807 A JP 2005-70750 A JP 2006-113199 A

  In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a charging roller is widely used as a charging means for applying a charge to the surface of an electrostatic latent image carrier (hereinafter referred to as a photoreceptor). As the charging roller, there are a contact method in which an elastic roller is brought into contact with the photosensitive member, and a non-contact method in which a gap forming member is provided at both ends of the rigid or high hardness roller and separated from the photosensitive member (having a minute gap).

  In general, a latent image is formed by optical writing after a charge is applied to the photosensitive member by a charging roller. Thereafter, after a development / transfer process, the transfer residual toner is generally removed by a photosensitive member cleaning unit. As the photosensitive member cleaning means, a method of cleaning only with a blade such as polyurethane rubber and a method of supplying a lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member in order to improve the cleaning property are also known.

  The charging roller is contaminated over time by a small amount of toner or lubricant passing through the photoconductor cleaning means, and the charging function is lowered. For example, when the contamination progresses only in a part of the charging roller in the axial direction, the resistance increases only in the contaminated portion and no charge is applied to the photoconductor, and black streaks occur in the output image.

  In order to prevent this charging roller contamination, the charging roller cleaning device has a configuration in which the surface of the charging roller is cleaned by contacting a member formed of fibers such as a roller-like brush roller or an elastic body such as foam. As a known example, a cleaning member using a foam containing a melamine compound is proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 and the like.

  In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the cleaning member is made of a foam having a three-dimensional network structure, so that the fibrous melamine resin on the order of submicron enters the minute irregularities on the image bearing member or the charging member to remove dirt. It is said that the surface of the object to be cleaned can always be kept free from dirt.

  However, when there is a difference in linear velocity at the contact portion between the charging roller that is the object to be cleaned and the cleaning member, contaminants are imprinted on the surface of the charging roller. In order to prevent the linear velocity difference between the object to be cleaned and the cleaning member, for example, even if the charging roller and the cleaning roller are gear-connected, both members actually have a variation in outer diameter (part tolerance). There is a problem in that the linear velocity difference between the two cannot be completely eliminated, and an effect of imprinting contaminants occurs.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning member that solves the above-described problems in conventional cleaning means and cleaning devices, and that can improve the cleaning performance by preventing contamination imprinting.

  It is also an object of the present invention to provide a charging device that does not cause a deterioration in charging function due to poor cleaning and an image forming device that does not generate abnormal images.

  According to the present invention, the above-described problem is a cleaning member configured to be a roller having elasticity and cleaning the surface of the roller member in contact with the roller member to be cleaned, the surfaces of both ends of the cleaning member being It is solved by being provided as a high friction coefficient part.

Moreover, it is preferable that the base of the cleaning member is formed of a foam containing a melamine compound, and the high friction coefficient portion is formed by dipping at both ends thereof.
Moreover, it is preferable that the base material of the cleaning member is formed of a foam containing a melamine compound, and high friction coefficient portions are formed at both ends by spray coating.

  Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a charging device using a charging roller as means for applying a charge to an image carrier, and the cleaning device for the charging roller according to any one of claims 1 to 3. This is solved by a charging device including a cleaning member.

The high friction coefficient portion of the cleaning member is preferably provided at a position corresponding to the outside of the image area of the charging roller.
Further, it is preferable that the charging roller has a gap forming portion that forms a minute gap between the charging roller and the image carrier.

Further, it is preferable that the high friction coefficient portion of the cleaning member is in contact with the gap forming portion.
According to the present invention, the above problem is solved by a process cartridge on which at least the image carrier and the charging device according to any one of claims 4 to 7 are mounted.

  Further, according to the present invention, the object is to provide the cleaning member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the charging device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, or the process according to claim 8. This is solved by an image forming apparatus including a cartridge.

  According to the cleaning member of the present invention, since the surfaces of both end portions are provided as the high friction coefficient portions, the roller member to be cleaned does not slip and can be rotated without a difference in linear velocity. The surface of the roller member to be cleaned can be satisfactorily cleaned without causing the effect of imprinting contaminants. Further, an additional mechanism such as a drive system is not required, and cost and space are not increased.

According to the configuration of the second aspect, the foam containing the melamine compound exhibits good cleaning properties, and the high friction coefficient portion can be formed at low cost by dipping.
According to the configuration of the third aspect, the foam containing the melamine compound exhibits good cleaning properties, and the high friction coefficient portion can be formed at low cost by spray coating.

According to the charging device of the fourth aspect, the cleaning property of the surface of the charging roller is improved, and the occurrence of an abnormal image due to charging failure can be prevented.
According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, it is possible to eliminate the influence of the high friction coefficient portion on the image area. Further, it is possible to eliminate the influence on the image due to the difference in the cleaning property at the boundary portion of the high friction coefficient portion.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the charging roller can be satisfactorily cleaned even if the system has a minute gap between the charging roller and the image carrier.
According to the configuration of the seventh aspect, the foreign matter attached to the gap forming portion can be removed. Further, the charging gap is not changed.

  According to the process cartridge of claim 8, since the charging roller can be cleaned satisfactorily, an abnormal image due to charging failure does not occur, and the process cartridge is excellent in handling and improving the apparatus life. be able to.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the ninth aspect, the roller member provided in the image forming apparatus can be favorably cleaned by the cleaning member. In addition, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can stably supply a high-quality image over a long period of time without causing an abnormal image due to a charging failure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description is the best mode of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the claims.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating an outline of a full-color multi-function peripheral which is an example of an image forming apparatus including a roller cleaning member according to the present invention. The image forming apparatus 100 shown in the figure includes a document reading apparatus 110 above the apparatus main body 120 and is configured as a copying apparatus. In addition to the copying function, the image forming apparatus 100 is a full-color composite having printer and facsimile functions. Machine.

  Inside the apparatus main body 120, four process cartridges 200 (Y, C, M, K), an endless intermediate transfer belt 62, a secondary transfer roller 65, and a toner bottle 59 of each color for supplying toner to the process cartridge are provided. Etc. are arranged. As shown in FIG. 2, the process cartridge 200 includes an image carrier 10, a cleaning module 20 as a cleaning unit, a charging module 30 as a charging unit, a developing module 50 as a developing unit, and the like.

  The intermediate transfer belt 62 is positioned above the photoconductor 10 as each image carrier, and the lower running side of the intermediate transfer belt 62 is in contact with the circumferential surface of each photoconductor 10. The intermediate transfer belt 62 constitutes an example of a transfer material onto which toner images of different colors formed on the surface of each photoconductor 10 are transferred in a superimposed manner.

  The configuration of the image forming unit that forms a toner image on each photoreceptor 10 and transfers the toner image to the intermediate transfer belt 62 is substantially the same except that the color of the toner used is different. The photoconductor 10 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2, and at this time, the photoconductor 10 is charged to a predetermined polarity by a charging module 30 which is a charging unit to which a charging voltage is applied.

  The photoconductor 10 after charging is irradiated with a light-modulated laser beam L emitted from the optical writing device 40 shown in FIG. 1, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor 10. The electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image of each color by the developing module 50 as developing means.

  A primary transfer roller 61 is disposed on the opposite side of the photoconductor 10 with the intermediate transfer belt 62 interposed therebetween. When a transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller 61, the toner image on the photoconductor 10 is rotated in the middle. Primary transfer is performed on the transfer belt 62. The transfer residual toner adhering to the photoreceptor 10 after the toner image transfer is removed by a cleaning module 20 which is a cleaning unit. On the downstream side of the cleaning means, there is provided a lubricant application device 70 for applying a lubricant on the photoconductor 10 to reduce wear on the surface of the photoconductor 10 and to improve the cleaning performance.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a sheet feeding device 130 having a sheet feeding cassette containing a recording medium made of transfer paper, for example, is disposed at the lower part of the apparatus main body 120. The paper is fed between the secondary transfer roller 65 and the secondary transfer roller 65 that is opposed thereto. At this time, a predetermined transfer voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller 65 from a power source (not shown), whereby the composite toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 62 is secondarily transferred to the recording medium.

  The recording medium onto which the composite toner image has been secondarily transferred is further conveyed upward and passes through the fixing device 90. At this time, the toner image on the recording medium is fixed by the action of heat and pressure. The recording medium that has passed through the fixing device 90 is discharged to a paper discharge unit 58 on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 120 by a pair of paper discharge rollers.

  As in this embodiment, each process unit such as a cleaning unit, a charging unit, and a developing unit is modularized so that each process module can be replaced in a module unit in a state where the process cartridge 200 is detached from the image forming apparatus main body. Therefore, it is possible to prevent waste of resources by discarding the process means that can still be used with the life of the process cartridge. According to the present embodiment, the user or service person can exchange the process cartridge unit or the process module unit, which is very convenient.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the process cartridge 200.
As shown in FIG. 2, the process cartridge 200 includes a process cartridge frame (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “frame”) 210 and at least a photoconductor 10 as an image carrier and a charging module 30. . In this example, in addition to the charging module 30, a cleaning module 20, a developing module 50, and a lubricant application device 70 are also mounted on the process cartridge. Each module will be described later.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the charging module 30, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the charging module 30. As shown in these drawings, the charging module 30 includes a charging roller 31 that is a charging member disposed to face the photoconductor 10 and a spring material 32 that is an urging unit that prevents the charging roller 31 from vibrating. A charging cleaning roller 33 that removes dirt from the charging roller 31; a bearing 37 of the cleaning roller 33; a spring material 38 that presses the charging cleaning roller 33 in contact with the charging roller 31; And a support member 35 for supporting the charging roller 31 on the housing of the charging module 30, a housing 39 for storing them, and the like.

  A gear 41 is fixed to the back end of the charging roller 31, and the charging roller 31 is rotationally driven through the gear 41. The charging cleaning roller 33 is rotatably supported so as to rotate with the charging roller 31. The support member 35 of the charging roller is pressed by the spring material 32 in a direction away from the housing 39 (a direction toward the drum shaft of the photosensitive member), and movement is restricted by a restriction member formed on the housing 39.

  With this configuration, when the charging module 30 is mounted on the process cartridge 200, the charging roller 31 maintains an appropriate distance from the photosensitive member 10 by the spacer members 34 and 34 wound around both ends of the roller, and the charging roller 31. Is pressed by the photosensitive member 10. Further, when the charging module 30 is removed, the charging module 30 itself can be handled. Further, although the charging roller 31 is driven by the driving mechanism, the charging roller 31 may be driven by the driving of the photosensitive member 10.

Next, the roller cleaning member of the present invention will be described. Here, the case where the charging roller 31 is cleaned as the roller member to be cleaned will be described.
FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a contact portion between the photoconductor 10 and the charging means.

  As shown in this figure, the charging roller 31 is urged and brought into contact with the photosensitive drum 10 by a spring 32 (actually via a bearing), and the charging cleaning roller 33 is also pressed by a spring 38. It is energized and is in contact with the charging roller 31.

  The charging cleaning roller 33 of this example is formed in a cylindrical shape by a foam containing a melamine compound on a core metal member, and a resin or the like is attached to the foam by dipping or spray coating, so that the height of both ends is increased. A friction coefficient portion 33a is provided. The central portion where the high friction coefficient portion 33a is not provided becomes the cleaning portion 33b made of the foam. The friction coefficient on the surface of the high friction coefficient portion 33a is larger than the friction coefficient on the surface of the cleaning portion 33b, and has a friction coefficient that can be driven and rotated by the charging roller 31 without the charging cleaning roller 33 slipping. The high friction coefficient portion 33a is provided outside the image area. When the charging roller 31 rotates, the charging cleaning roller 33 rotates following the charging roller 31, and the cleaning unit 33b cleans the surface of the charging roller 31. When the charging cleaning roller 33 is driven to rotate, the charging cleaning roller 33 of this example has high friction coefficient portions 33a and 33a at both ends, so that the charging cleaning roller 33 can be rotated without a difference in linear velocity.

  As described above, the roller cleaning member of the present invention is provided with the high friction coefficient portions at both ends of the roller-shaped cleaning member, so that it does not slip with respect to the roller member to be cleaned, and there is no difference in linear velocity. Therefore, the surface of the roller member to be cleaned can be satisfactorily cleaned without causing the effect of imprinting contaminants. Further, an additional mechanism such as a drive system is not required, and cost and space are not increased. When the roller cleaning member of the present invention is used for cleaning the charging roller, it is possible to improve the cleaning property of the charging roller surface and prevent the occurrence of abnormal images.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the configuration of the charging roller is different.
The charging roller 31 </ b> B shown in FIG. 6 has spacer members 34, 34 at both ends of the roller, thereby forming a charging gap (fine gap) G with the photoreceptor 10. The charging cleaning roller 33 is the same as that shown in FIG. 6, and high friction coefficient portions 33a and 33a are provided outside the image area. For this reason, even a charging roller having a charging gap (micro gap) can be rotated without a difference in linear velocity, and the surface of the roller member to be cleaned can be removed without causing the imprinting action of contaminants. It can be cleaned well.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the roller cleaning member, which is a charging cleaning roller used for a charging roller of a system having a charging gap (fine gap).
The charging roller 31B shown in FIG. 7 is the same as that shown in FIG. On the other hand, the charging cleaning roller 133 of the second embodiment has a roller length that extends the length in the roller axial direction so as to contact the spacer members 34 and 34 at both ends of the charging roller 31B. The high friction coefficient portions 133a and 133a are provided so that the high friction coefficient portions 133a and 133a provided at both ends of the charging cleaning roller 133 are in contact with the spacer members 34 and 34 of the charging roller. As in the first embodiment, the cleaning roller itself is formed into a cylindrical shape with a foam containing a melamine compound on the core metal member, and a resin or the like is attached to the foam by dipping or spray coating. The high friction coefficient portions 33a at both ends are provided. Similarly, the central portion is the cleaning portion 133b, and the high friction coefficient portion 133a is provided outside the image area.

  The charging cleaning roller 133 according to the second embodiment can be rotated without a difference in linear velocity when the charging roller 31B rotates as in the case of the charging cleaning roller 33 according to the first embodiment. The surface of the roller member to be cleaned can be satisfactorily cleaned without being generated. Even if foreign matter such as dust adheres to the spacer member 34 of the charging roller, the foreign matter adheres to the high friction coefficient portions 133a and 133a of the charging cleaning roller 133, so that the charging gap (fine gap) G varies. Therefore, the charging performance of the charging roller can be maintained, so that a high-quality image can be stably formed over a long period of time.

Hereinafter, descriptions of other modules and the like mounted on the process cartridge 200 of FIG. 2 will be described.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the structure of the process cartridge frame 210.

  The process cartridge frame 210 is integrally provided in the longitudinal direction of the photoconductor 10 from the side plate 220 (first side plate) on the near side of the drawing to the side plate 250 (second side plate) on the back side, and is positioned to which the charging module 30 is attached. The plate 211 and the lubricant application device installation unit 270 are configured. The first side plate 220 includes a bearing 244 for supporting the rotating shaft 14 (FIG. 9) of the photosensitive member protruding from the flange 13 (FIG. 9) of the photosensitive member 10, a guide groove 223 for mounting the developing module 50, and a developing module. Fixing holes 225 and 226 for fixing 50 are provided. In addition, the first side plate 220 is provided with a first contact surface 221 as a contact portion for contacting a holding plate 21 of a cleaning unit described later, and the second side plate 250 is similarly provided with a second contact surface 251. It has been.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the front side of the photoreceptor 10.
The photoreceptor 10 which is a cylindrical image carrier is provided with flanges 13 and 15 at both ends inside the cylinder, and a rotary shaft 14 penetrating both flanges.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the photosensitive layer of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor 10 is provided with a photosensitive layer 12 on a cylindrical aluminum substrate 11. The substrate 11 of the photoreceptor 10 is subjected to surface treatment such as cutting, superfinishing, and polishing after extruding a metal such as aluminum, copper, iron, or an alloy thereof, and processing such as drawing to form a cylindrical blank. Formed into a cylindrical drum. The structure of the photosensitive layer 12 is a layer mainly composed of a charge generation material.

  The photosensitive layer 12 includes a charge generation layer 121 and a charge transport layer 122 that transports the generated charges to the surface of the photoreceptor or the substrate 11. In the charge generation layer 121, a charge generation material is dispersed in a suitable solvent together with a binder resin as necessary using a ball mill, an attritor, a sand mill, an ultrasonic wave, etc., and this is applied onto a conductive support. It is formed by drying. A known charge generation material can be used for the charge generation layer 121, and representative examples thereof include monoazo pigments, disazo pigments, trisazo pigments, perylene pigments, perinone pigments, quinacridone pigments, and quinone condensation polymers. Examples thereof include ring compounds, squalic acid dyes, phthalocyanine pigments, naphthalocyanine pigments, and azulenium salt dyes. Of these, azo pigments and / or phthalocyanine pigments are effectively used.

  The charge transport layer 122 can be formed by dissolving or dispersing a charge transport material and a binder resin in a suitable solvent, and applying and drying the solution on the charge generation layer. Moreover, a plasticizer, a leveling agent, antioxidant, etc. can also be added as needed. Charge transport materials include hole transport materials and electron transport materials. Examples of the charge transporting material include chloranil, bromineyl, tetracyanoethylene, and examples of the hole transporting material include poly-N-vinylcarbazole and derivatives thereof, poly-γ-carbazolylethyl glutamate and derivatives thereof, and pyrene-formaldehyde condensates. And derivatives thereof, polyvinylpyrene, and polyvinylphenanthrene. In addition, a protective layer 123 may be provided on the photosensitive layer 12 in order to protect the photosensitive layer 12. In addition, a filler can be added to the protective layer 123 for the purpose of improving the wear resistance. In particular, it is advantageous to use an inorganic material among them from the viewpoint of the hardness of the filler. In particular, silica, titanium oxide, and alumina can be used effectively.

FIG. 11 shows a schematic configuration of the photoconductor cleaning module 20, (a) is an external perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view.
As shown in FIG. 11, the cleaning module 20 includes a cleaning blade 22 that is a cleaning means, a holding plate 21 that holds the cleaning blade, an entrance seal 23 that seals the inside of the housing 26 so that the toner recovered from the photosensitive member is not scattered, and is recovered. A housing 26 for storing the toner and a transport auger 25 for transporting the toner collected in the housing 26 into the image forming apparatus main body 120 are provided. The holding plate 21 has a housing 26 fixed thereto with screws 27 at a substantially intermediate position in the longitudinal direction.

  Further, on both sides of the holding plate 21, a hole portion 281 corresponding to a rod-shaped protrusion for positioning provided on the contact surfaces 221 and 251 and a hole 282 for fixing screw are provided as positioning guides 28. Note that the positioning is not limited to this, and for example, an elastic member may be pressed against a hole or a recessed portion. Further, the fixing is not limited to the screw, and an E-ring or the like may be used for the rod-shaped protrusion.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view schematically showing the arrangement state of the cleaning blade 22.
The cleaning blade 22 is fixedly attached to the holding plate 21 as shown in FIG. 5A in which the contact surface 221 that contacts the holding plate 21 is arranged in the same direction with respect to the holding plate 21 holding the cleaning blade 22. The However, as shown in (b), the abutment surface 221 that abuts the holding plate 21 may be disposed opposite to the holding plate 21 that holds the cleaning blade 22. However, in this embodiment, by adopting the fixing direction of the cleaning blade 22 shown in (a), the state of the cleaning blade 22 in contact with the photoconductor 10 varies depending on the variation of the thickness of the holding plate 21 to which the cleaning blade is fixed. Can be ignored, and the accuracy of the contact state of the cleaning blade 22 can be increased accordingly.

  Here, the abutting surface 221 is formed with the abutting portions that hold both ends of the holding plate 21 that abuts the cleaning blade 22 as the cleaning means on the photoreceptor 10 as surfaces. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and it is obvious that the shape of the contact portion is not limited as long as the cleaning unit can determine the contact state with the photoreceptor 10.

  The cleaning blade 22 is made of an elastomer including fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber or the like. In particular, urethane elastomer is preferable from the viewpoints of wear resistance, ozone resistance, and contamination resistance. In addition, the holding plate 21 has an L-shaped cross section so that the cleaning blade 22 is brought into contact with high accuracy while suppressing the bending caused by pressing the cleaning blade 22 onto the photosensitive member. The material is made of a SUS steel plate having a thickness of 2.0 mm and has strength. The holding plate 21 may be a copper plate such as an iron plate, an aluminum plate, or phosphor bronze. Further, the cleaning blade 22 is fixed to the holding plate 21 by applying an adhesive to the holding portion 21 and bonding and heating or pressurizing. However, fixing with a double-sided tape or an adhesive can be employed as appropriate.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing contact conditions of the cleaning blade. The contact method of the cleaning blade 22 of this embodiment employs a counter method in which the blade contacts the counter with respect to the rotation direction of the photosensitive member, but is a trailing method in which the blade contacts in the forward direction with respect to the rotation direction. There may be. In particular, the counter method is preferable and the cleaning property for the photoconductor 10 is high. The cleaning blade 22 preferably has a hardness (JIS-A) in the range of 60 to 85 °. If the hardness is less than 60 °, the cleaning blade 22 is greatly deformed and it becomes difficult to clean the toner or the like. If the hardness is more than 85 °, the photoconductor 10 is abraded and the life of the image forming apparatus is shortened.

  Further, the contact pressure of the cleaning blade 22 is preferably in the range of 10 to 60 gf / cm. If the contact pressure is less than 10 gf / cm, it is difficult to clean the toner having a particle size of less than 2 μm. If the contact pressure exceeds 60 gf / cm, the tip of the cleaning blade 22 is likely to be turned up or bound, resulting in poor cleaning such as chatter. It becomes easy and the cleaning property decreases. The elastic modulus of the cleaning blade is 4.5 to 10 MPa, the free length of the cleaning blade 22 is 5 to 12 mm, the thickness of the cleaning blade 22 is 1 to 2 mm, the contact angle is 5 to 25 degrees, and the biting amount is 0.1 to 2.0 mm is preferred. The contact angle of the cleaning blade 22 is preferably in the range of 5 to 25 ° or less from the tangent line of the contact position. If the contact angle is less than 5 °, cleaning failure due to toner slippage tends to occur, and if it exceeds 25 °, the blade may be turned up during cleaning.

  The amount of biting of the cleaning blade 22 into the photoreceptor 10 is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 mm. If the thickness is less than 0.1 mm, the contact area between the cleaning blade 22 and the photosensitive member 10 is small, resulting in poor cleaning through which the toner slips. If the thickness exceeds 2.0 mm, the frictional force with the photosensitive member 10 increases and the blade is turned or bounded. It becomes easy. In addition, cleaning defects such as squeal and chatter due to blade vibration occur.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing the developing module. A cross-sectional view thereof is shown in FIG. As shown in these drawings, in the developing module 50, a developing sleeve 51 which is a developer carrying member disposed so as to be close to the photosensitive member 10, a toner bottle provided outside the process cartridge 200, and a supply The replenishing port (not shown) for replenishing toner from the means to the developing module 50 containing developer, the mixing screws 53 and 54 for mixing and stirring the replenished toner with the magnetic carrier, and the developing supplied to the developing sleeve 51 A regulating member 55 that regulates the amount of the agent is disposed.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the developing module 50 includes a rotating shaft 511 for rotating the developing sleeve 51, guides 521 provided on the top and bottom of the developing module main body for positioning when mounted on the process cartridge 200. 522, a partition plate 561 that prevents leakage of the developer during conveyance to the outside, and a developer storage unit 56 that stores the developer by partitioning with the partition plate 561 are provided. By sealing with a partition plate 561 provided in the developer storage portion 56 for storing the developer, leakage of the developer at the time of transport is prevented, and the partition plate 561 is pulled and removed at the first use to open the container. Then, the developer is supplied from the developer container 56 to the mixing / stirring screw 53.

  In the developing sleeve 51, a developing sleeve formed by forming a non-magnetic material such as aluminum, brass, stainless steel, or conductive resin into a cylindrical shape is rotated by a rotation driving mechanism, so that the developer is conveyed by a magnetic pole provided inside. It has come to be. The height of the developer chain spike, that is, the amount of developer on the developing sleeve 51 is regulated by a regulating member 55 arranged in the upstream portion of the developing area in the developer transport direction. In addition to the two-component developer using a magnetic carrier and toner, a magnetic one-component developer and a non-magnetic one-component developer can be appropriately selected and used as the developer. In this case, the specifications of the developing sleeve are changed. It can respond.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing a face plate for positioning and fixing the developing module to the process cartridge. The face plate 240 is fitted to the outer periphery of a bearing 244 that supports the rotating shaft 14 of the photoreceptor 10, and a hole 241 positioned with respect to the shaft of the photoreceptor and the shaft 511 of the developing sleeve 51 of the developing module 50 are inserted. A screw hole 243 for fixing the insertion portion 242 and the face plate 240 to the side plate 220 of the process cartridge frame 210 is provided.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state when the developing module is positioned by the face plate with respect to the side plate on the front side of the process cartridge frame. As shown in FIG. 16, the rotating shaft 14 of the photoconductor 10 is positioned by passing through a bearing 244 provided on the side plate 220 of the process cartridge frame 210. In the face plate 240, a positioning hole 241 is fitted to the outer periphery of the bearing 244, and the insertion portion 242 is inserted into the shaft 511 of the developing sleeve 51, whereby the rotating shaft 14 of the photosensitive member 10 and the developing sleeve 51. The position is determined. After such positioning, the guides 521 and 522 of the developing module 50 are fixed from the fixing holes 225 and 226, respectively, and the developing module 50 is fixed to the frame.

FIG. 17 is an assembly diagram of the process cartridge.
As shown in FIG. 17, the shaft 14 of the photoconductor 10 is inserted into the bearing 244 provided on the side plate 220 in the process cartridge frame 210, and the shaft 14 of the photoconductor 10 is inserted into the bearing 254 of the second side plate 250. And fix. Further, the guide portions 28 provided on the holding plate 21 that holds the cleaning blade 22 are positioned on the first contact surface 221 and the second contact surface 251 provided on the side plate 220 and the second side plate 250 of the process cartridge frame 210, respectively. And attach. As a result, highly accurate positioning, twisting, and bending with less parts can be achieved.

Hereinafter, the mounting of each module and part will be described in detail.
FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a state in which the photoconductor is mounted on the second side plate and attached to the back side of the frame. After the rotating shaft 14 of the photoconductor 10 is inserted through the bearing 254 of the second side plate 250 and positioned, the coupling 141 is attached to the end of the rotating shaft 14. When the process cartridge 200 is mounted, the coupling 141 is engaged with a driving unit (not shown) provided on the main body side of the image forming apparatus 100, and the photosensitive member 10 is rotationally driven. In the cleaning module 20, the holding plate 21 is brought into contact with the second contact surface 251 of the side plate 250, guided by the guide 281 as described above, and fixed by the fixing hole 282.

  Further, in the developing module 50, the shaft 511 of the developing sleeve 51 is inserted from the shaft support portion 253 and is fixed to the side plate 250. As described above, the holding plate 21 of the cleaning module 20 is fixed to the first contact surface 221 provided on the first side plate 220 and the second contact surface 251 provided on the second side plate 250. Protrusions for positioning and screw holes are provided. Accordingly, since the holding plate 21 can be supported at both ends of the process cartridge, that is, as long as possible in the longitudinal direction, the holding plate 21 can be stably held, and the cleaning blade 22 attached to the holding plate 21 and the photosensitive member 10 can be supported. The contact state can be attached with high accuracy.

  The bearings 244 and 254 that support the rotating shaft 14 of the photosensitive member 10 are within the width of the first contact surface 221 and the second contact surface 251, respectively, in the vicinity thereof, and the holding plate 21. Are fixed toward the bearings 244 and 254. Accordingly, the distance and angle accuracy with respect to the rotation axis of the photosensitive member supported by the holding plate 21 and the bearing can be increased. As a result, the contact between the cleaning blade 22 held by the holding plate 21 and the photosensitive member 10 can be improved. The contact state can be accurately attached. Moreover, as above-mentioned, it contributes to improving a precision by using a high intensity | strength material (this embodiment steel plate of thickness 2.0mm) for the holding plate 21. FIG.

  The holding plate 21 is preferably made of metal to increase the rigidity. As a result, it is possible to regulate the twist and deflection that occur when the holding plate 21 of the cleaning blade 22 is fixed at both ends from the size of the first side plate 220, the second side plate 250, the process cartridge frame 210 and the like. it can. In addition, if the developing module 50 and the charging module 30 are attached after the cleaning module 20 is attached to the process cartridge 200 by the highly rigid holding plate 21 in this way, the influence of twisting and deflection due to the attachment of the cleaning module 20. As a result, the development module 50 and the charging module 30 can be attached with high accuracy.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a state where a lubricant application device is mounted.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 19, the lubricant application device 70 is provided separately from the cleaning module 20, and is formed by a solid lubricant 73, a brush that supplies the solid lubricant 73 onto the photoreceptor 10, and the like. Further, the supply member 72 and a coating blade 71 which is a film forming member to be thinned on the photosensitive member 10 are configured. Examples of the lubricant include fatty acid metals such as lead oleate, zinc oleate, copper oleate, zinc stearate, cobalt stearate, iron stearate, copper stearate, zinc palmitate, copper palmitate and zinc linolenate. Fluorine such as salts, polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytrifluorochloroethylene, dichlorodifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene-oxafluoropropylene copolymer Based resins. In particular, fatty acid metal salts having a large effect of reducing the friction of the photoconductor 10, and stearic acid as a fatty acid, zinc stearate using calcium or calcium as a metal, and calcium stearate are more preferable.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing a gear train of a drive system disposed on the back side of the process cartridge.
As described above, the photoconductor 10 is rotationally driven from the image forming apparatus main body. The rotation of the photoconductor gear 10a provided on the photoconductor 10 is transmitted by the transfer auger gears 25a, 25b, and 25c to rotate the transfer auger 25. The conveyance auger 25 is rotationally driven to convey the collected toner collected in the housing 26 of the cleaning module 20 to the outside of the process cartridge. Further, the rotation of the photoconductor gear 10a is transmitted by the transmission gears 72a and 72b, and the supply member 72 (FIG. 19) is rotationally driven to supply the lubricant to the surface of the photoconductor 10. Further, the rotation of the photosensitive member gear 10b is transmitted to a gear 41 (FIG. 3) mounted on the back end of the charging roller 31 via a transmission gear (not shown), and the charging roller 31 is driven to rotate. The surface of the body 10 is uniformly charged.

  In addition, the process cartridge 200 includes a temperature / humidity sensor for detecting the temperature and humidity in the process cartridge 200, a potential sensor for detecting the potential of the photoconductor 10, and the developed photoconductor 10 as detection means. A toner density sensor for detecting the amount of toner developed above can be provided. Further, for example, a pre-transfer static eliminator and a pre-cleaning static eliminator may be provided. The process cartridge 200 of this example is a process cartridge 200 that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 100 with at least the photosensitive member 10 and the charging module 30 supported integrally. In the process cartridge 200 of the present invention, contaminants are not imprinted on the surface of the charging roller, and a high-quality image can be stably formed over a long period of time with good chargeability. Further, by increasing the accuracy of the gap between the photoconductor 10 and the charging module 30, it is possible to extend the life of the photoconductor 10 by suppressing the generation of ozone and discharge products. In addition, the mounting accuracy of the cleaning blade 22 can be increased, the cleaning performance can be improved, and the occurrence of defective cleaning can be delayed. Furthermore, by increasing the mounting accuracy of the cleaning blade 22 and reducing distortion, the accuracy in mounting other process modules can be increased. The mounting of the developing module 50, the photosensitive member 10, the developing module 50, The accuracy of the gap can be increased, and a high-quality image can be obtained. Further, by preventing twisting when the cleaning blade 21 is mounted, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise such as turning of the blade and chatter during image formation. Further, in the image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention, by using such a process cartridge 200, a high-quality image can be stably supplied over a long period of time.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated by the example of illustration, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the metal core member of the cleaning roller is not limited to metal, and an appropriate material having rigidity can be used. In addition, an appropriate material can be used as the material constituting the cleaning portion (in the embodiment, melanin foam). Also, an appropriate material can be used for the high friction coefficient portion. Further, in the embodiments, the roller member to be cleaned has been described as the charging roller. However, the roller cleaning member according to the present invention is not limited to the cleaning of the charging roller, and can be used for appropriate roller member cleaning. It is.

Modules mounted on the process cartridge are also arbitrary. The image carrier (photosensitive member) is not limited to a drum shape, and a belt-like image carrier can also be used.
The configuration of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus is also arbitrary, and the arrangement order of the color image forming units in the tandem system is arbitrary. In addition to the tandem type, a configuration in which a plurality of developing devices are arranged around a single photosensitive member, or a configuration using a revolver type developing device is also possible. The present invention can also be applied to a full color machine using three color toners, a multicolor machine using two color toners, or a monochrome apparatus. Of course, the image forming apparatus is not limited to a copying machine, but may be a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions.

1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating an outline of a full-color multifunction peripheral that is an example of an image forming apparatus including a roller cleaning member according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a process cartridge. It is a perspective view of a charging module. It is a side view of a charging module. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing a contact portion between a photoconductor and a charging unit. It is a side view which shows the example from which the structure of a charging roller differs. It is a side view which shows 2nd Example of a roller cleaning member. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a process cartridge frame. It is a perspective view which shows the front side of a photoreceptor. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the photosensitive layer of a photoreceptor. It is the external appearance perspective view and sectional drawing which show schematic structure of a photoconductor cleaning module. It is the schematic which shows the arrangement | positioning state of a cleaning blade typically. It is the schematic which shows the contact conditions of a cleaning blade. It is the schematic which shows a image development module. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a face plate for positioning and fixing a developing module to a process cartridge. It is a figure which shows a state when the developing module is positioned by the face plate with respect to the side plate on the front side of the process cartridge frame. It is an assembly drawing of a process cartridge. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the photoconductor to the 2nd side plate, and was attached to the frame body back | inner side. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore with the coating device of the lubricant. It is the schematic which shows the gear train of the drive system arrange | positioned in the process cartridge back | inner side.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image carrier 20 Cleaning module 30 Charging module 31, 31B Charging roller 33, 133 Charging cleaning roller 33a, 133a High friction coefficient part 33b, 133b Cleaning part 34 Spacer member 35 Support member 37 Bearing 39 Charging housing 40 Optical writing device 50 Development Module 70 Lubricant coating apparatus 100 Image forming apparatus 200 Process cartridge G Charging gap

Claims (9)

A cleaning member configured to be elastic and in contact with a roller member to be cleaned to clean the surface of the roller member;
A cleaning member, wherein the surfaces of both ends of the cleaning member are provided as high friction coefficient portions.   2. The cleaning member according to claim 1, wherein a base material of the cleaning member is formed of a foam containing a melamine compound, and the high friction coefficient portion is formed by dipping at both ends thereof.   2. The cleaning member according to claim 1, wherein a base material of the cleaning member is formed of a foam containing a melamine-based compound, and high friction coefficient portions are formed at both ends thereof by spray coating.   A charging device using a charging roller as means for applying a charge to an image carrier, comprising the cleaning member according to claim 1 as a cleaning member for the charging roller. .   The charging device according to claim 4, wherein the high friction coefficient portion of the cleaning member is provided at a position corresponding to an outside of an image area of the charging roller.   6. The charging device according to claim 4, wherein the charging roller has a gap forming portion that forms a minute gap between the charging roller and the image carrier.   The charging device according to claim 6, wherein a high friction coefficient portion of the cleaning member is in contact with the gap forming portion.   A process cartridge comprising at least an image carrier and the charging device according to any one of claims 4 to 7.   An image forming apparatus comprising the cleaning member according to claim 1, the charging device according to claim 4, or the process cartridge according to claim 8. .

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