JP2014139646A - Lubricant supply device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lubricant supply device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus that suppress, even when a lubricant supply rotating body is used having a foam elastic layer formed thereon, the foam elastic layer from being clogged over time with lubricant and attachments.SOLUTION: A lubricant supply device includes: a lubricant supply rotating body 15a that has a foam elastic layer formed of a foam material, and rotates in a predetermined direction to come in slide contact with an image carrier 11; solid lubricant 15b that is brought into slide contact with the lubricant supply rotating body 15a; and removing means 15g for removing lubricant and attachments attached to the foam elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body 15a.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction machine thereof, a lubricant supply device installed therein, and a process cartridge.

  Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers, a lubricant supply device (lubricant coating device) for supplying a lubricant is installed on the image carrier to reduce wear of the image carrier and cleaning blade. The technique which performs is known (for example, refer patent document 1 grade | etc.,).

  Specifically, the untransferred toner remaining on the image carrier after the transfer process should be completely removed by a cleaning blade (cleaning device) that contacts the image carrier. However, when the cleaning blade deteriorates with time due to contact with the image carrier (abrasion), cleaning failure may occur due to slipping through the gap between the cleaning blade where the untransferred toner is worn and the image carrier. Even when the cleaning blade is not deteriorated, when small toner or spherical toner is used, the toner enters a slight gap between the cleaning blade and the image carrier and eventually passes through the gap. A cleaning failure sometimes occurred. Furthermore, if toner or an external additive or paper dust contained in the toner slips through the gap between the cleaning blade and the image carrier, it adheres to the image carrier and forms a film. There was also.

  In response to such a problem, by applying a lubricant on the image carrier, the friction coefficient on the image carrier is reduced, so that deterioration of the cleaning blade and the image carrier is reduced. Since the removability of deposits such as untransferred toner adhering to the toner is improved, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of poor cleaning and filming over time.

Specifically, in Patent Document 1 and the like, the lubricant supply device (coating device) includes a lubricant supply rotating body (foam roller) that is in sliding contact with the image carrier, a solid lubricant that is in contact with the lubricant supply rotating body, and a solid lubricant. An urging member (pressing means) for urging the lubricant toward the lubricant supply rotator, a thinning blade (equalizing means) that contacts the image carrier on the downstream side of the lubricant supply rotator, etc. Consists of. Then, the lubricant is gradually scraped off from the solid lubricant by the lubricant supply rotating body rotating in a predetermined direction, and the lubricant scraped off by the lubricant supplying rotating body is applied (supplied) to the surface of the image carrier. . Thereafter, the lubricant supplied onto the image carrier is thinned (homogenized) by a thinning blade.
In Patent Document 1, etc., for the purpose of efficiently and uniformly forming a lubricant film on an image carrier, a lubricant supply rotating body installed in a lubricant supply device is provided on a mandrel. A technique is disclosed that uses a foam roller in which a foamed elastic layer (foam) is formed on a cored bar, instead of using a brush roller in which brush bristles are provided.

The technique of Patent Document 1 uses a foam roller having a foamed elastic layer formed on the outer peripheral surface as a lubricant supply rotating body installed in a lubricant supply device, and therefore uses a brush roller as a lubricant supply rotating body. Compared with the case where the lubricant is applied, it is possible to efficiently and uniformly form a lubricant film on the image bearing member, and it is possible to expect the effect of improving the durability of the lubricant supply rotating member with less flying of the lubricant. .
However, by repeating the operation of scraping off the lubricant from the solid lubricant by the lubricant supply rotating body and the operation of supplying the lubricant to the image carrier, the surface of the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body and In some cases, the lubricant gradually enters the inside and remains (clogged) without being supplied to the image carrier. If such a problem occurs, the ability of the lubricant supply rotating body to scrape the lubricant from the solid lubricant is reduced, and the amount of lubricant supplied to the image carrier is insufficient, resulting in poor cleaning and fill. Will occur.

  Such a problem may also occur when a deposit such as toner adheres to the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body. That is, the ability of the lubricant supply rotating body to scrape the lubricant from the solid lubricant is gradually clogged due to the adhering matter such as toner gradually entering the surface and inside of the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body. It sometimes declined.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and even when a lubricant supply rotating body having a foamed elastic layer formed thereon is used, the lubricant and attachment to the foamed elastic layer over time are used. An object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant supply device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus in which a kimono is not easily clogged.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lubricant supply device for supplying a lubricant onto an image carrier on which a toner image is carried, comprising a foamed elastic layer made of a foam material. And a lubricant supply rotating body that is in sliding contact with the image carrier while rotating in a predetermined direction, a solid lubricant that is in sliding contact with the lubricant supply rotating body, and the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body. And a removing means for removing the adhered lubricant and / or deposits.

  The present invention is provided with a removing means for removing the lubricant and deposits attached to the foamed elastic layer even when using the lubricant supply rotating body on which the foamed elastic layer is formed. It is possible to provide a lubricant supply device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus in which the foamed elastic layer is less likely to be clogged with a lubricant or a deposit.

1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows a process cartridge. It is an enlarged view which shows the vicinity of a lubricant supply apparatus. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of the lubricant supply apparatus as a modification. It is the schematic which shows the lubricant supply apparatus as another modification. It is a table | surface figure which shows the experimental condition and experimental result in the experiment conducted as an Example and a comparative example. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part of the lubricant supply apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of the lubricant supply apparatus as a modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same or it corresponds, The duplication description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted suitably.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
First, the configuration and operation of the entire image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a process cartridge 10Y for yellow installed in the image forming apparatus 1 of FIG.
Since the four process cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10BK (image forming units) have substantially the same structure except that the color of the toner T used in the image forming process is different, the process cartridge 10Y for yellow is shown in FIG. Only a representative is shown.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an apparatus main body of a tandem color copier as an image forming apparatus, 2 a writing unit that emits laser light based on input image information, and 3 an original conveying unit that conveys an original D to an original reading unit 4. 4 is a document reading unit that reads image information of the document D, 7 is a sheet feeding unit that accommodates a recording medium P such as transfer paper, and 9 is a registration roller that adjusts the conveyance timing of the recording medium P, 10Y, 10M, 10C. 10BK is a process cartridge on which toner images of each color (yellow, magenta, cyan, black) are formed, and 16 is a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum of each process cartridge 10Y, 10M, 10C, 10BK. 17 is a transfer bias roller (primary transfer bias roller) that is transferred on top of the transfer roller 17, and 17 is an intermediate transfer bell on which toner images of a plurality of colors are transferred in a superimposed manner , 18 is a secondary transfer bias roller for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 17 onto the recording medium P, 19 is an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit for cleaning the intermediate transfer belt 17, and 20 is toner on the recording medium P. 1 shows a fixing device for fixing an image (unfixed image).

Hereinafter, an operation during normal color image formation in the image forming apparatus will be described.
First, the document D is transported from the document table in the direction of the arrow in the drawing by the transport rollers of the document transport unit 3 and placed on the contact glass 5 of the document reading unit 4. Then, the document reading unit 4 optically reads the image information of the document D placed on the contact glass 5.

  Specifically, the document reading unit 4 scans the image of the document D on the contact glass 5 while irradiating light emitted from an illumination lamp. Then, the light reflected by the document D is imaged on the color sensor via the mirror group and the lens. The color image information of the document D is read for each RGB (red, green, blue) color separation light by the color sensor, and then converted into an electrical image signal. Further, color conversion processing, color correction processing, spatial frequency correction processing, and the like are performed by the image processing unit based on the RGB color separation image signals to obtain yellow, magenta, cyan, and black color image information.

  Then, the image information of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black is transmitted to the writing unit 2. Then, the laser beam (exposure light) based on the image information of each color is directed from the writing unit 2 toward the corresponding photosensitive drum 11 (image carrier) of the process cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10BK. Be emitted.

On the other hand, the photosensitive drums 11 (see FIG. 2) of the four process cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10BK are rotated in the direction of the arrow (counterclockwise), respectively. First, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is uniformly charged at a portion facing the charging unit 12 (this is a charging process). Thus, a charged potential is formed on the photosensitive drum 11. Thereafter, the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 11 reaches the irradiation position of each laser beam L.
In the writing unit 2, laser light L corresponding to the image signal is emitted from the four light sources corresponding to each color. Each laser beam L passes through a different optical path for each of the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black color components (this is an exposure process).

  The laser beam L corresponding to the yellow component is applied to the surface of the first photosensitive drum 11 (image carrier) from the left side of the sheet. At this time, the yellow component laser light is scanned in the rotation axis direction (main scanning direction) of the photosensitive drum 11 by a polygon mirror that rotates at high speed. Thus, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the yellow component is formed on the photosensitive drum 11 charged by the charging unit 12.

  Similarly, the laser beam corresponding to the magenta component is irradiated onto the surface of the second photosensitive drum 11 from the left side of the paper, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the magenta component is formed. The cyan component laser light is applied to the surface of the third photosensitive drum 11 from the left side of the drawing, and an electrostatic latent image of the cyan component is formed. The black component laser beam is applied to the surface of the fourth photosensitive drum 11 from the left side of the paper, and an electrostatic latent image of the black component is formed.

Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 on which the electrostatic latent image of each color is formed reaches a position facing the developing unit 13. Then, each color toner is supplied from each developing unit 13 onto the photosensitive drum 11, and the latent image on the photosensitive drum 11 is developed (this is a developing step).
Thereafter, the surface of the photoconductive drum 11 after the development process reaches a portion facing the intermediate transfer belt 17. Here, a transfer bias roller 16 is installed at each facing portion so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 17. Then, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drum 11 are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 17 at the position of the transfer bias roller 16 (this is a primary transfer process).

Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the transfer process reaches a position facing the cleaning unit 14 (cleaning device). At this position, untransferred toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11 is mechanically removed by a cleaning blade 14a as a blade member, and the removed untransferred toner is collected in the cleaning unit 14 as waste toner. (This is a cleaning process.)
Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 sequentially passes through the positions of the lubricant supply device 15 and the charge eliminating unit (not shown), and a series of image forming processes on the photosensitive drum 11 is completed.

On the other hand, the intermediate transfer belt 17 on which the toners of the respective colors on the photosensitive drum 11 are transferred (carried) are run in the clockwise direction in the drawing and reach the position facing the secondary transfer bias roller 18. Then, a color toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 17 is transferred onto the recording medium P at a position facing the secondary transfer bias roller 18 (secondary transfer step).
Thereafter, the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 17 reaches the position of the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 19. Then, the untransferred toner adhered on the intermediate transfer belt 17 is collected by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 19, and a series of transfer processes in the intermediate transfer belt 17 is completed.

Here, the recording medium P transported between the intermediate transfer belt 17 and the secondary transfer bias roller 18 (secondary transfer nip) is transported from the paper supply unit 7 via the registration roller 9 and the like. It is a thing.
Specifically, the recording medium P fed by the paper feeding roller 8 from the paper feeding unit 7 that stores the recording medium P passes through the conveyance guide and is guided to the registration roller 9 (timing roller). The recording medium P that has reached the registration roller 9 is conveyed toward the secondary transfer nip at the same timing.

Then, the recording medium P on which the full-color image is transferred is guided to the fixing device 20 by the transport belt. In the fixing device 20, the color image (toner) is fixed on the recording medium P at the nip between the fixing belt and the pressure roller.
Then, the recording medium P after the fixing step is discharged as an output image outside the apparatus main body 1 by a paper discharge roller, and a series of image forming processes is completed.

Next, the process cartridge 10Y will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the process cartridge 10Y includes a photosensitive drum 11 as an image carrier, a charging unit 12 (charging roller), a developing unit 13 (developing device), a cleaning device 14 (cleaning unit), The lubricant supply device 15 is integrally configured as a unit.

Here, the photosensitive drum 11 as an image bearing member is a negatively charged organic photosensitive member, and a photosensitive layer or the like is provided on a drum-shaped conductive support.
Although not shown, the photosensitive drum 11 has an undercoat layer as an insulating layer, a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer as a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer (protective layer) in this order on a conductive support as a base layer. Are stacked.
In particular, in Embodiment 1, since the thermosetting resin is contained in the surface layer of the photosensitive drum 11 (image carrier), durability against mechanical stress on the photosensitive drum 11 can be further improved. it can.

Referring to FIG. 2, the charging unit 12 is a charging roller formed by covering an outer periphery of a conductive metal core with a medium resistance elastic layer. A predetermined voltage (a voltage obtained by superimposing an AC voltage and a DC voltage) is applied to the charging roller 12 from a power supply unit (not shown), thereby uniformly charging the surface of the opposing photosensitive drum 11. To do.
Here, in the first embodiment, the charging roller 12 is configured to come into pressure contact with the photosensitive drum 11 by a compression spring (not shown), but the charging roller 12 is made to contact the photosensitive drum 11 with a small gap. It can also be configured so as to face each other without contact.
In the first embodiment, the cleaning roller 40 for cleaning the surface of the charging roller 12 is disposed so as to be in pressure contact with the charging roller 12.

  The developing unit 13 (developing device) mainly includes a developing roller 13a facing the photosensitive drum 11, a first transport screw 13b facing the developing roller 13a, and a first transport screw 13b facing the first transport screw 13b via a partition member. It is comprised by the 2 conveyance screw 13c and the doctor blade 13d facing the developing roller 13a. The developing roller 13a includes a magnet that is fixed inside and forms a magnetic pole on the peripheral surface of the roller, and a sleeve that rotates around the magnet. A plurality of magnetic poles are formed on the developing roller 13a (sleeve) by the magnet, and the developer G is carried on the developing roller 13a.

In the developing unit 13, a two-component developer G composed of a carrier C and a toner T is accommodated.
In the first embodiment, in order to improve the image quality, the circularity is 0.93 or more, and the ratio (D4 / D1) of the weight average diameter D4 to the number average diameter D1 (D4 / D1) is 1.00-1. A spherical toner of 40 is used as the toner T.
The “circularity” of the toner T is the circumference of a circle having the same area as the particle projection area with respect to the circumference of the particle projection image. The flow type particle image analyzer “FPIA-2000” (manufactured by Toa Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.) ) Based on the measured value.
Further, the “weight average diameter” and “number average diameter” of the toner T can be measured by a particle size measuring instrument “SD2000” (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation).

In the cleaning device 14, a cleaning blade 14 a is installed as a blade member that contacts the photosensitive drum 11 and cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 11.
The cleaning blade 14a is obtained by holding a plate-like blade body made of a rubber material such as urethane rubber, hydrin rubber, silicone rubber, or fluorine rubber on a holding plate 14b (see FIG. 3), and is a photosensitive drum. 11 is in contact with the surface at a predetermined angle and a predetermined pressure. As a result, untransferred toner adhering to the photosensitive drum 11 (paper powder generated from the recording medium P, discharge products generated on the photosensitive drum 11 when discharged by the charging unit 12, additives added to the toner, etc. Are also scraped mechanically and collected in the cleaning device 14. In the first embodiment, the cleaning blade 14 a is in contact with the photosensitive drum 11 in the counter direction with respect to the traveling direction (rotating direction) of the photosensitive drum 11.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the lubricant supply device 15 supplies a lubricant onto the photosensitive drum 11 with a foamed elastic layer (surface layer) that is in sliding contact with the photosensitive drum 11 around the outer peripheral surface. Lubricant supply roller 15a as a lubricant supply rotating body, solid lubricant 15b in sliding contact with the lubricant supply roller 15a (foaming elastic layer), and urging member for urging the solid lubricant 15b toward the lubricant supply roller 15a A compression spring 15c, a thinning blade 15d (leveling blade) as a blade member that abuts on the photosensitive drum 11 and thins (uniformizes) the lubricant supplied onto the photosensitive drum 11, and a solid A holding member 15e for holding the lubricant 15b, a guide member 15f (holder) for guiding the solid lubricant 15b urged by the compression spring 15c and held by the holding member 15e, and a lubricant supply Roller 15a abutting member 15g as removing means for cleaning the lubricant or substances attached to the (foamed elastic layer) (cleaning means), and the like.
The lubricant supply device 15 is downstream in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 11 (downstream in the traveling direction) with respect to the cleaning device 14 (cleaning blade 14a), and is in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 11 with respect to the charging unit 12. Arranged upstream. The thinning blade member is disposed on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 11 with respect to the lubricant supply roller 15a.

  The lubricant supply roller 15a as a lubricant supply rotating body is a roller member in which a foamed elastic layer made of foamed polyurethane (urethane foam) is formed on a core metal, and the foamed elastic layer is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. It rotates in the counterclockwise direction of FIG. As a result, the lubricant is supplied from the solid lubricant 15b to the photosensitive drum 11 via the lubricant supply roller 15a.

Here, the lubricant supply roller 15a forms a polyurethane foam to be a foamed elastic layer in advance from a raw material of polyurethane foam into a block shape, cuts it into a necessary shape, polishes the surface, and forms a core metal (core material) After being inserted, the polyurethane foam is rotated, and a polishing blade is applied to move the blade parallel to the axial direction to cut (traverse grinding) to a predetermined sponge thickness. In order to improve the adhesiveness with the foamed elastic layer, an adhesive may be applied in advance to the core metal to be inserted. Moreover, irregular unevenness | corrugation can be formed in the surface of a foaming elastic layer by changing the rotational speed of foaming polyurethane, or the speed to which it moves when performing traverse grinding.
The manufacturing method of the lubricant supply roller 15a is not limited to this. For example, as another manufacturing method, a method of injecting a polyurethane foam raw material into a molding die containing a core metal and foaming and curing it is used. It can also be used.

As the raw material of the polyurethane foam, those added with an auxiliary such as polyol, polyisocyanate, catalyst, foaming agent, foam stabilizer and the like are used. In addition, components other than polyisocyanate are mixed in advance and mixed with the polyisocyanate component immediately before molding. As the polyol component, a polyol called a polyether polyol is preferable because it is easy to adjust processability, hardness of the polyurethane foam layer, and the like. As the polyether polyol, it can be appropriately selected from known various polyether polyols. Moreover, what is necessary is just to select suitably from polyether polyether polyol known as polyether polyol generally used for manufacture of a flexible polyurethane foam, polyester polyether polyol, polymer polyether polyol, etc., combining 1 type, or 2 or more types. It may be used. Further, when a polyether polyether polyol having 5 mol% or more of ethylene oxide bonded to a terminal is used, the moldability is improved.
Moreover, as polyisocyanate used for manufacture of a foaming elastic layer, it can select suitably from well-known various polyisocyanate, for example, 2, 4? And 2, 6? Tolylene diisocyanate (TDI), Tolidine diisocyanate (TODI), naphthylene diisocyanate (NDI), xylylene diisocyanate (XDI), 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and carbodiimide modified MDI, polymethylene polyphenyl polyisocyanate, polymeric polyisocyanate, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The catalyst used for the production of the foamed elastic layer can be appropriately selected from catalysts used for known urethanization reactions, such as triethylenediamine, dimethylethanolamine, bis (dimethylamino) ethyl ether. Examples thereof include amine-based catalysts such as dioctyltin, organometallic catalysts such as distearyltin dibutyrate, and modified catalysts thereof. Further, it may be a reactive catalyst such as dimethylaminoethanol having active hydrogen in itself. By appropriately selecting the catalyst and controlling the amount used, the cell wall width, open cell diameter, hardness, air flow rate, etc. of the polyurethane foam layer can be adjusted.
Moreover, as a foam stabilizer used for manufacture of a foaming elastic layer, although it can generally be used if it is generally used for polyurethane foam manufacture, a silicone type surfactant is used preferably.
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as a foaming agent used for manufacture of a foaming elastic layer, It can be used individually or in combination of multiple types from well-known various foaming agents, such as water, a low boiling point thing, and a gas body. However, it is preferable to use water as a foaming agent from the viewpoint of the environment. Also, other foaming agents can be used in combination. By changing the use amount and conditions of the foaming agent, the cell wall width, cell diameter, hardness, air flow rate and the like of the polyurethane foam layer can be controlled.
The raw material of the polyurethane foam layer described above may contain a crosslinking agent, a foam breaker, etc. so as to control the closed-cell property and open-cell property of the cells of the polyurethane foam layer, and give desired conductivity. In order to do so, a conductive agent, an antistatic agent, or the like may be added. Examples of the crosslinking agent include known ones such as triethanolamine and diethanolamine. Other additives such as conductive agents, flame retardants, thickeners, pigments, stabilizers, colorants, anti-aging agents, UV absorbers, antioxidants, antioxidants, etc. Can be blended.

The average value of the values measured by the following method is used for the number of cells p of the foamed elastic layer. Three measurement points are arbitrarily selected at both ends and the center in the axial direction on the surface of the foamed elastic layer. Next, two more points are selected in the circumferential direction at each measurement point, and a total of nine measurement points are determined. Next, the photograph screen of each measurement location is observed using a microscope. Then, a line having a length corresponding to an actual size of 1 inch (25.4 mm) is drawn at the center of the photo screen, the number of cells in the line is counted, and an average value of 9 points is obtained. A cell that touches even a 25.4 mm line is counted as one.
The number of cells p of the foamed elastic layer is preferably in the range of 40 to 100 cells / inch. This is because if the number of cells is too small, efficient application cannot be performed even if the linear velocity difference is increased. In general, the hardness increases as the number of cells increases. In the first embodiment, a linear velocity difference is provided between the photosensitive drum 11 and the lubricant supply roller 15a. If the hardness is large, each driving torque increases, so the number of cells p is 100 / Inch or less is desirable.
The hardness of the foamed elastic layer is an average value of values measured based on JIS K 6400 at arbitrary points on the surface of the foamed elastic layer. The hardness of the foamed elastic layer is preferably 10 to 430 N (particularly 15 to 100 N) from the viewpoint of scraping off a relatively small particle size lubricant and supplying the lubricant particles to the photosensitive drum 11.

The metal core of the lubricant supply roller 15a is a cylindrical body made of a metal such as iron, aluminum or stainless steel or a non-metal such as a resin, and an adhesive layer may be provided on the surface in advance.
Moreover, in the manufacturing method using the mold containing the cored bar described above, it is preferable to provide a release layer such as a fluororesin coating agent or a mold release agent on the surface of the mold, which requires complicated processing. However, a foamed elastic layer having a suitable opening property can be easily formed.

The lubricant supply roller 15a configured as described above is rotationally driven so as to be in sliding contact with the photosensitive drum 11 rotating in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 in the counter direction (reverse direction) (counterclockwise in FIG. 2). Direction rotation). That is, the rotation direction of the lubricant supply roller 15 a is configured to be opposite to the rotation direction (traveling direction) of the photosensitive drum 11 at the sliding contact position with the photosensitive drum 11.
The lubricant supply roller 15a is disposed so as to be in sliding contact with the solid lubricant 15b and the photosensitive drum 11, and the lubricant supply roller 15a rotates to scrape the lubricant from the solid lubricant 15b. The lubricant is applied on the photosensitive drum 11.
In addition, a compression spring 15c is disposed behind the solid lubricant 15b (holding member 15e) in order to eliminate uneven contact between the lubricant supply roller 15a and the solid lubricant 45, and lubricates the solid lubricant 15b. The agent supply roller 15a is urged.

Here, the solid lubricant 15b is formed by adding an inorganic lubricant to fatty acid metal zinc. Moreover, as fatty acid metal zinc, what contains at least zinc stearate is preferable. Further, as the inorganic lubricant, at least one of talc, mica, and boron nitride can be used, and boron nitride is particularly preferable.
Zinc stearate is a typical lamellar crystal powder. A lamellar crystal has a layered structure in which amphiphilic molecules are self-organized, and when a shearing force is applied, the crystal breaks along the layers and is slippery. Therefore, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 can be made to have low friction. In other words, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 can be effectively covered with a small amount of lubricant by the lamellar crystals that receive the shearing force and uniformly cover the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 can be covered relatively evenly and well protected from electrical stress in the charging process.
Further, by using an inorganic lubricant having a plate-like structure such as boron nitride, it is difficult for the toner and lubricant to slip through the cleaning unit 14 (cleaning blade 14a), and the charging roller 12 is not easily contaminated. Can do.

The solid lubricant 15b according to the first embodiment is formed in a substantially rectangular shape by pouring a raw material powder into a mold, compressing and solidifying the powder. The solid lubricant 15b formed by such a manufacturing method can simplify the manufacturing equipment and reduce the component cost.
In the first embodiment, the solid lubricant 15b is formed by adding an inorganic lubricant to fatty acid metal zinc. However, as the solid lubricant 15b, the fatty acid metal zinc is used without containing an inorganic lubricant. What was formed only by it can also be used.

The thinned blade 15d as a blade member is a member in which a plate-like member made of a rubber material such as urethane rubber, hydrin rubber, silicone rubber, or fluorine rubber is held by a holding plate, and has a predetermined angle on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. And it contacts at a predetermined pressure. The thinning blade 15d is disposed on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum 11 (downstream in the traveling direction) with respect to the cleaning blade 14a. The lubricant supplied onto the photoreceptor drum 11 by the lubricant supply roller 15a is thinned uniformly and in an appropriate amount on the photoreceptor drum 11 by the thinning blade 15d.
When the solid lubricant 15b is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 via the lubricant supply roller 15a, a powdery lubricant is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 11, but the lubricity is sufficient in this state. Therefore, the thinning blade 15d functions as a member for thinning and uniforming the lubricant. The thinning blade 15d forms a film of the lubricant on the photosensitive drum 11, and the lubricant exhibits its lubricity sufficiently. In particular, the first embodiment uses the lubricant supply roller 15a on which the foamed elastic layer is formed. Therefore, even if the contact pressure of the thinning blade 15d with respect to the photosensitive drum 11 is not set so large, A lubricant film can be satisfactorily formed on the photosensitive drum 11.

In the first embodiment, the thinning blade 15 d is in contact with the photosensitive drum 11 in the counter direction with respect to the traveling direction (rotating direction) of the photosensitive drum 11. The contact pressure is set to about 10 to 60 g / cm, and the contact angle θ is set to about 75 to 90 degrees. By bringing the thinning blade 15d into contact with the counter direction, the lubricant can be efficiently thinned on the photosensitive drum 11.
The “contact angle θ” is an imaginary line passing through the edge portion in a state where the thinning blade 15d is in contact with the photosensitive drum 11 (the thinning blade 15d is bent). The angle formed by the tangent at the contact position (a line perpendicular to the normal).

As described above, in the first embodiment, since the two blade members of the cleaning blade 14a and the thinning blade 15d are provided separately, the cleaning property and the lubricant application property can be maintained well. In addition, it is possible to reduce wear and deterioration of both the blade members 14a and 15d by supplying the lubricant to the photosensitive drum 11.
Here, in the first embodiment, each of the surfaces of the cleaning blade 14a and the thinning blade 15d (the portion in contact with the photosensitive drum 11) is subjected to an abrasion-resistant coating process (for example, a fluororesin coating process). Etc.). As a result, frictional degradation of the cleaning blade 14a and the thinning blade 15d can be reduced (durability can be improved).

Referring to FIG. 3, holding member 15e is a plate-like member for holding solid lubricant 15b, and solid lubricant 15b is adhered to one surface.
The guide member 15f (holder) is a substantially box-shaped member disposed so as to house a part of the solid lubricant 15b, the holding member 15e, and the compression spring 15c, and has a holding member on the inner wall surface thereof. 15e is configured to be in sliding contact. Further, one end side of the compression spring 15c is connected to the inner bottom surface of the guide member 15f, and the other end side of the compression spring 15c is connected to the holding member 15e. With this configuration, when the solid lubricant 15b is consumed, the holding member 15e is urged by the compression spring 15c and slides while being guided by the guide member 15f, so that the solid lubricant 15b moves to the lubricant supply roller 15a. It will be pressed.

Thus, in the first embodiment, since the lubricant supply roller 15a having the foamed elastic layer formed as the surface layer is used, the photosensitive drum is compared with the case where the brush roller is used as the lubricant supply roller. The lubricant film can be efficiently and uniformly formed on 11, and the flying of the lubricant is small, and the durability of the lubricant supply roller 15 a is improved.
In the first embodiment, the brush-like contact member 15g (removing means) is installed so as to be in sliding contact with the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply roller 15a. This will be described in detail later.

The image forming process described above will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.
The developing roller 13a rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The developer G in the developing unit 13 is moved from the toner replenishing unit 30 to the toner replenishing port by the rotation of the first conveying screw 13b and the second conveying screw 13c arranged with a partition member interposed therebetween in the direction of the arrow. The toner T is circulated in the longitudinal direction while being agitated and mixed with the toner T supplied through the toner T (in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2).

  The toner T that is frictionally charged and adsorbed on the carrier C is carried on the developing roller 13a together with the carrier C. The developer G carried on the developing roller 13a then reaches the position of the doctor blade 13d. The developer G on the developing roller 13a is adjusted to an appropriate amount at the position of the doctor blade 13d, and then reaches a position facing the photosensitive drum 11 (development area).

  Thereafter, in the developing region, the toner T in the developer G adheres to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. Specifically, the toner T is latently exposed by an electric field formed by a potential difference (development potential) between the latent image potential (exposure potential) of the image portion irradiated with the laser light L and the development bias applied to the developing roller 13a. Adhere to the image.

  Thereafter, most of the toner T adhering to the photosensitive drum 11 in the developing process is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 17. Then, the untransferred toner T remaining on the photosensitive drum 11 is collected in the cleaning device 14 by the cleaning blade 14a. Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the cleaning process sequentially passes through the lubricant supply device 15 and the charge eliminating unit (not shown), and the series of image forming processes is completed.

  Here, the toner replenishing unit 30 provided in the apparatus main body 1 includes a replaceable toner bottle 31 and a toner hopper unit 32 that holds and rotates the toner bottle 31 and replenishes the developing unit 13 with new toner T. And is composed of. Also, a new toner T (in FIG. 2, yellow toner) is accommodated in the toner bottle 31. In addition, a spiral protrusion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 31.

  The new toner T in the toner bottle 31 is appropriately replenished from the toner replenishing port into the developing unit 13 as the toner T (existing toner) in the developing unit 13 is consumed. The toner T in the developing unit 13 is consumed indirectly or directly by the reflection type photosensor facing the photosensitive drum 11 and the magnetic sensor installed below the second conveying screw 13c of the developing unit 13. Detected.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the lubricant supply device 15 that are characteristic of the first embodiment will be described.
As described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the lubricant supply device 15 includes a lubricant supply roller 15 a (lubricant supply rotating body) having a foamed elastic layer made of a foam material formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, Solid lubricant 15b slidably contacting the lubricant supply roller 15a (foaming elastic layer), compression spring 15c, thinning blade 15d, holding member 15e, guide member 15f, contact member 15g as removal means (cleaning means), etc. Consists of.
Here, the contact member 15g (removing means) removes the lubricant and adhering matter (toner that has moved from the photosensitive drum 11 and adhered) adhering to the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supplying roller 15a. Is for.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 3, the contact member 15g as a removing means is a position downstream of the sliding direction of the lubricant supply roller 15a with respect to the sliding contact position with the photosensitive drum 11, and is a solid lubricant. The lubricant supply roller 15a is disposed in contact with the foamed elastic layer (surface layer) at a position upstream of the lubricant supply roller 15a in the rotational direction with respect to the sliding contact position with the agent 15b.
In the first embodiment, the contact member 15g (removal means) is a non-rotating brush-like member that contacts the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply roller 15a. Specifically, the contact member 15g (brush-like member) is obtained by sticking brush hairs planted on a base cloth onto the holding plate 14b of the cleaning blade 14a, and the brush hairs are lubricants. It is in sliding contact with the foamed elastic layer of the supply roller 15a. As the bristle, a known material such as one or two or more kinds of flexible resin fibers such as acrylic, polyester, nylon, rayon, vinylon, vinyl chloride can be used, and if necessary In addition, a conductive fiber mixed with a conductivity-imparting agent such as carbon can be used. In the first embodiment, as the bristle of the contact member 15g (brush-like member), a bristle having a thickness of 6 denier (d) and a density of 50 F / inch ² (particulate ment: k) is used. It is set so that the brush hair bites into the foamed elastic layer by about 1 mm.
Here, in the first embodiment, in order to effectively use the installation space, the contact member 15g is installed on the holding plate 14b provided close to the lubricant supply roller 15a. The installation position is not limited to this, and for example, it can be installed on the case of the process cartridge 10Y or on the guide member 15f.

In this way, by installing the contact member 15g (brush-like member) as the removing means, the lubricant supply roller 15a scrapes the lubricant from the solid lubricant 15b and supplies the lubricant to the photosensitive drum 11. Even if the operation is repeated, the lubricant and deposits adhered to the foamed elastic layer after passing through the sliding contact position with the photosensitive drum 11 are cleaned by the contact member 15g, and the foamed elasticity in the cleaned state is obtained. Since the lubricant is scraped off from the solid lubricant 15b by the layer, the problem that the lubricant and deposits are clogged (residual) in the foamed elastic layer is surely reduced. Therefore, the capability of the lubricant supply roller 15a to scrape the lubricant from the solid lubricant 15b is reduced, and the amount of lubricant supplied to the photosensitive drum 11 is insufficient, resulting in defective cleaning and filming. Reduced surely.
In particular, in the first embodiment, a brush-like member is used as the contact member 15g (removing means), and the brushed elastic layer is installed so that soft brush hair enters the wide area in the circumferential direction of the foamed elastic layer. Therefore, the ability to remove the lubricant and deposits that have entered the eyes of the foamed elastic layer can be enhanced. In order to further utilize such characteristics, the contact member 15g is covered with a non-rotating brush-like member so as to cover a part of the foamed elastic layer in the circumferential direction (along the curvature of the outer circumference of the foamed elastic layer). Can also be installed.

In the first embodiment, a brush-like member is used as the contact member 15g (removing means). However, the form of the contact member 15g (removing means) is not limited to this, and for example, FIG. Various forms can be used as shown in A) to (D).
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A, a substantially triangular prism flicker can be used as the contact member 15g (removing means). The flicker is made of a resin material such as PET, and the tip of the portion that bites into the foamed elastic layer has an R shape of about R0.5 mm and the biting amount is about 0.5 mm. Can do. In addition to the substantially triangular prism flicker, the flicker is a plate formed of a resin material such as PET having a plate thickness of about 0.3 mm, and the amount of biting into the foamed elastic layer is about 0.3 mm. Things can also be used.
As shown in FIG. 4B, a substantially plate-like blade can also be used as the contact member 15g (removing means). As the blade, it is also possible to use a blade that is formed of a rubber material such as urethane rubber having a plate thickness of about 1 mm and that has a biting amount of about 1 mm with respect to the foamed elastic layer.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, a roller member can be used as the contact member 15g (removing means). As the roller member, a brush roller in which brush hairs are wound on a metal core, a roller member having fine irregularities formed on the surface, or the like can be used. In addition, the roller member can be configured to rotate with the lubricant supply roller 15a as shown in the figure, or rotated in the counter direction with respect to the rotation direction of the lubricant supply roller 15a by the driving force from the driving source. You may comprise so that it may drive.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4D, a movable sheet can be used as the contact member 15g (removing means). As the movable sheet, as shown in the figure, the sheet interposed between the lubricant supply roller 15a and the opposing roller is moved by winding the sheet wound around the holding roller by the winding roller. What was comprised in this way can be used. As the material of the sheet itself, a material having a relatively rough surface and entering the eyes of the foamed elastic layer is preferable.

In the first embodiment, at least a portion of the contact member 15g that contacts the foamed elastic layer is formed of a conductive material, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the contact member 15g to adhere to the foamed elastic layer. Lubricants and deposits can also be removed.
Specifically, referring to FIG. 5, the bristle in the brush-like member as the contact member 15g is formed of a conductive material, and the brush bristle is charged with a charging polarity such as a lubricant from the second power supply unit 52. A DC voltage of different polarity (or an AC voltage may be superimposed) is applied.
As a result, the lubricant or the like attached to the foamed elastic layer by the contact member 15g is removed mechanically as well as electrostatically. Therefore, in the first embodiment described above, The effect will be exhibited more reliably.

Further, in the first embodiment, it is possible to execute an “idle driving mode (refresh mode)” in which the lubricant supply roller 15a is idly driven during non-image formation.
Specifically, referring to FIG. 5, driving is performed during non-image formation (for example, every time the number of sheets passed reaches 1000 and is a timing after a normal image forming process is performed). The “idle drive mode” in which the lubricant supply roller 15a is rotationally driven by the motor 60 is performed for about 30 seconds. As a result, the lubricant or the like adhering to the foamed elastic layer by the contact member 15g is positively removed in the idle driving mode in addition to the image formation, so that the effect of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. Will be demonstrated more reliably.

Further, when the “idle drive mode” is executed as described above, a predetermined voltage (a DC voltage (or an AC voltage having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the lubricant or the like) is applied from the first power supply unit 51 to the lubricant supply roller 15a. In this case, the lubricant and the like adhering to the foamed elastic layer is also removed electrostatically, which further enhances the effect of the first embodiment described above. it can.
Here, in the lubricant supply device 15 provided with the contact member 15g, when the “idle drive mode” is executed, a predetermined voltage is applied from the first power supply unit 51 to the lubricant supply roller 15a. Thus, the lubricant and the like attached to the foamed elastic layer was mechanically and electrostatically removed. On the other hand, when the “idle drive mode” is executed for the lubricant supply device 15 in which the contact member 15g is not installed, a predetermined voltage is applied from the first power supply unit 51 to the lubricant supply roller 15a. Can also be applied. Even in such a case, the lubricant and the like adhering to the foamed elastic layer can be removed electrostatically. That is, as the removing means, means for removing the lubricant and / or deposits adhered to the foamed elastic layer by applying a voltage to the lubricant supply rotating body while idly driving the lubricant supply rotating body during non-image formation. It can also be used.

Finally, experiments (Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 1) conducted by the present inventor in order to confirm the effects of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the experiment, (1) an image forming operation for forming a color image with an image area ratio of 5% on an A4 size recording medium P by changing the configuration and operating conditions of the lubricant supply device 15 according to the first embodiment. Lubricant consumption rate (= solid lubricant consumption / travel distance of the photosensitive drum) when 2000 sheets are continuously passed, (2) Further, the above image forming operation is performed up to 2400 sheets. Variations in the consumption rate of the lubricant in the lubricant supply devices 15 of the process cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10BK (difference between the maximum consumption rate and the minimum consumption rate) were measured and compared. As the solid lubricant 10b, zinc stearate containing boron nitride was used.
Further, in Example 1, the contact member 15g (removal member) has a brush-like member (shown in FIG. 3 and having brush hair having a thickness of 6d (denier) and a density of 50k (particulate ment). Is used). In Example 2, a brush-like member (shown in FIG. 3 having a bristle having a thickness of 4d and a density of 40k) is used as the contact member 15g. In the third embodiment, the “idle drive mode” (the voltage is not applied from the power supply units 51 and 52) described above with reference to FIG. 5 is executed with respect to the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, a flicker (described in “Note” in FIG. 4A and has a plate shape) is used as the contact member 15g. In the fifth embodiment, a blade (as described in FIG. 4B) is used as the contact member 15g. Furthermore, in the comparative example 1, the contact member 15g (removal member) is not installed.
In FIG. 6, “decrease in lubricant consumption rate” indicates the result of the above-described experiment (1), and “variation in lubricant consumption rate” indicates the result of the above-described experiment (2). It is shown. In these experimental results, “◎” is a level at which no problem occurs, “◯” is an acceptable level at which no problem occurs, and “x” is a level at which a problem can occur.
From the experimental results shown in FIG. 6, by installing the contact member 15g, the decrease in the lubricant consumption rate over time (clogging of the foamed lubricant, etc.) is suppressed regardless of the form of the contact member 15g. It turns out that there is an effect. Further, by using a brush-like member as the contact member 15g, there is an effect that the variation in the lubricant consumption rate with time can be reduced and the clogging of the lubricant or the like into the foamed elastic layer can be stably suppressed. Recognize. In particular, when the “idle drive mode” is executed, these effects are further improved.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, even when the lubricant supply roller 15a (lubricant supply rotating body) on which the foamed elastic layer is formed is used, it adheres to the foamed elastic layer. Since the contact member 15g (removing means) for removing the lubricant and the deposits is provided, it is possible to reduce the problem that the lubricant and deposits are clogged in the foamed elastic layer over time.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a main part of the lubricant supply device 15 in the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 3 in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a main part of the lubricant supply device 15 as a modification thereof.
The lubricant supply device 15 in the second embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in that the contact member 15g generates heat.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lubricant supply device 15 according to the second embodiment is also provided with the lubricant supply roller 15a (lubricant supply rotating body) in which the foamed elastic layer is formed, as in the first embodiment. , Solid lubricant 15b in sliding contact with lubricant supply roller 15a (foaming elastic layer), compression spring 15c, thinning blade 15d, holding member 15e, guide member 15f, contact member 15g as removing means (cleaning means), Etc.
Here, in the second embodiment, the contact member 15g (removing means) is a brush roller (brush-like member) in which brush hairs are wound on a core metal (see also FIG. 4C). it can.). The contact member 15g (brush roller) can be configured to rotate with the lubricant supply roller 15a as shown in FIG. 7, or with respect to the rotation direction of the lubricant supply roller 15a by the driving force from the drive source. It may be configured to rotate in the counter direction.

In the second embodiment, the bristles of the contact member 15g (brush roller) are configured to generate heat by the heat generating means.
Specifically, the bristle of the contact member 15g (brush roller) has a conductive resistivity (the resistivity per cm of one brush fiber) of about 10 ⁻⁵ to 10 ⁵ Ω · cm ( For example, a polyester resin is coated with carbon nanotubes.). Further, the contact member 15g (brush roller) is configured such that the brush bristles are in contact with the ground plate 54 (grounded), and configured such that a predetermined voltage is applied from the power supply unit 53 to the cored bar. Has been.

With such a configuration, when a voltage is applied from the power supply unit 53 to the core of the contact member 15g (brush roller), a current flows through the bristles and the bristles generate heat due to electrical resistance. That is, the power supply unit 53 and the ground plate 54 function as a heating unit that generates heat from the brush member (brush hair).
As the temperature of the brush bristles of the contact member 15g (brush roller) decreases, the properties such as flexibility change and the ability to remove the lubricant and deposits attached to the lubricant supply roller 15a decreases. Therefore, in order to stabilize the removal capability, it is useful to heat the brush bristles of the contact member 15g (brush roller) by the heating means 53 and 54.
Further, the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply roller 15a increases in hardness when its temperature is lowered, and is capable of scraping the lubricant from the solid lubricant 15b and supplying the lubricant to the photosensitive drum 11. Will fall. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the bristles of the contact member 15g (brush roller) are heated by the heating means 53 and 54, and therefore the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply roller 15a is generated by the generated bristles. Therefore, the occurrence of such a problem can be reduced.

In the second embodiment, the contact member 15g (brush-like member) is used to surely prevent the problem when the temperature of the brush bristles or the foamed elastic layer is lowered in a low temperature environment. ) Or a temperature sensor 56 as temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the vicinity thereof, and the brush hair of the contact member 15g is caused to generate heat by the heat generating means based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 56 (temperature detecting means). ing.
Specifically, when the detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor 56 becomes a predetermined value or less, a predetermined voltage is applied from the power supply 53 to the contact member 15g to generate heat in the contact member 15g (brush hair). Can be controlled.
Further, since the amount of heat generated by the contact member 15g (brush hair) can be changed by changing the magnitude of the voltage applied from the power supply unit 53 to the contact member 15g, the detection detected by the temperature sensor 56. It is also possible to control the temperature of the contact member 15g (brush hair) to be always constant by changing the magnitude of the voltage applied to the contact member 15g according to the temperature. That is, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 56 is low, the voltage applied to the contact member 15g is increased compared to when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 56 is high.

In the second embodiment, the power supply unit 53 and the ground plate 54 are used as the heat generating means for generating heat from the brush member (brush hair). However, the structure of the heat generating means is not limited to this, for example, FIG. As shown, the sheet heater 55 that contacts the bristles of the contact member 15g (brush-shaped member) can also be used as the heat generating means.
Even in such a case, the contact member 15g (brush hair) is caused to generate heat by the planar heater 55 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 56 (temperature detection means), as in the second embodiment. be able to.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the lubricant supply roller 15a (lubricant supply rotating body) on which the foamed elastic layer is formed is used. However, since the contact member 15g (removing means) for removing the lubricant and deposits adhering to the foamed elastic layer is provided, the problem that the lubricant and deposits are clogged in the foamed elastic layer over time is reduced. be able to.

In each of the above embodiments, the cleaning device 14 and the lubricant supply device 15 are integrated with the photosensitive drum 11, the charging unit 12, and the developing unit 13 to configure the process cartridge 10, thereby reducing the size of the image forming unit. And improvement of maintenance workability.
On the other hand, the cleaning device 14 and the lubricant supply device 15 may be configured so as to be replaceable in the apparatus main body 1 without being a component of the process cartridge. Even in such a case, the same effects as those of the above embodiments can be obtained.
In the present application, the “process cartridge” refers to a charging unit that charges the image carrier, a developing unit (developing device) that develops a latent image formed on the image carrier, and a cleaning on the image carrier. It is defined as a unit in which at least one of the cleaning unit (cleaning device) and the image carrier are integrated and installed detachably with respect to the image forming apparatus main body.

In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the image forming apparatus in which the developing unit 13 of the two-component developing system using the two-component developer is mounted. However, the one-component developing system using the one-component developer is used. Naturally, the present invention can also be applied to an image forming apparatus having the developing unit 13 mounted thereon.
In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the lubricant supply device 15 that supplies the lubricant to the photosensitive drum 11 as the image carrier. However, the lubricant is applied to the photosensitive belt as the image carrier. Naturally, the present invention can also be applied to a lubricant supply device for supplying the oil. Furthermore, the present invention can naturally be applied to the lubricant supply device that supplies the lubricant to the intermediate transfer belt 17 or the intermediate transfer drum as the image carrier in each of the embodiments.

In each of the above embodiments, the cleaning device 14 is installed separately from the lubricant supply device 15. However, the lubricant supply device 15 may be installed in the cleaning device 14. In that case, the cleaning blade 14a in FIG. 2 is removed, and the thinning blade 15d also functions as a cleaning blade.
Even in such a case, each of the above embodiments can be provided by providing a removing means for removing the lubricant and deposits attached to the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body as in the above embodiments. The same effect as that of the embodiment can be obtained.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, the embodiments can be modified as appropriate in addition to those suggested in the embodiments. Is clear. In addition, the number, position, shape, and the like of the constituent members are not limited to the above embodiments, and can be set to a number, position, shape, and the like that are suitable for carrying out the present invention.

1 image forming apparatus body (apparatus body),
10Y, 10M, 10C, 10BK process cartridge,
11 Photosensitive drum (image carrier), 12 Charging unit,
13 Developing section (developing device),
14 Cleaning section (cleaning device),
14a Cleaning blade (blade member),
15 Lubricant supply device,
15a Lubricant supply roller (lubricant supply rotating body),
15b solid lubricant (protective agent),
15c compression spring (biasing member),
15d Thinning blade (blade member),
15g Contact member (removing means).

JP 2009-150986 A

Claims (12)

A lubricant supply device for supplying a lubricant onto an image carrier on which a toner image is carried,
A lubricant supply rotator that has a foamed elastic layer made of a foam material and is in sliding contact with the image carrier while rotating in a predetermined direction;
A solid lubricant in sliding contact with the lubricant supply rotating body;
Removing means for removing the lubricant or / and deposits adhered to the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body;
A lubricant supply device comprising:   The removing means is a position downstream in the rotational direction of the lubricant supply rotating body with respect to the sliding contact position with the image carrier, and the lubricant supply with respect to the sliding contact position with the solid lubricant. The lubricant supply device according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant supply device is a contact member that contacts the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body at a position upstream of the rotating body in the rotation direction.   3. The lubricant supply device according to claim 2, wherein the contact member is a brush-like member that is non-rotating and contacts the foamed elastic layer of the lubricant supply rotating body.   The lubricant supply device according to claim 3, further comprising a heat generating unit that generates heat from the brush-like member. Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the brush-like member or the vicinity thereof,
The lubricant supply device according to claim 4, wherein the heat generation unit generates heat from the brush-like member based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit.   The lubricant supply device according to claim 2, wherein the contact member is any one of a flicker, a blade, a movable sheet, and a roller member.   The contact member is formed of a conductive material at least at a portion that contacts the foamed elastic layer, and a predetermined voltage is applied to remove the lubricant or / and the adhered matter adhered to the foamed elastic layer. The lubricant supply device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.   The lubricant supply device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein an idle driving mode for idly driving the lubricant supply rotating body during non-image formation is executed.   9. The lubricant or / and deposits attached to the foamed elastic layer are removed by applying a voltage to the lubricant supply rotating body when the idle driving mode is executed. Lubricant supply device.   The removing means applies a voltage to the lubricant supply rotating body while idly driving the lubricant supply rotating body at the time of non-image formation, and removes the lubricant and / or adhered matter adhering to the foamed elastic layer. The lubricant supply device according to claim 1, wherein: A process cartridge that is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body,
11. A process cartridge comprising the lubricant supply device according to claim 1 and the image carrier.   An image forming apparatus comprising the lubricant supply device according to claim 1 and the image carrier.

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