JP2521447B2 - Electrostatic photocopier - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrostatographic copying machine.

[Conventional technology]

In the above-mentioned electrostatic photocopier, in the past, the actual development was 60-
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 51554, the photosensitive drum is detachably attached to the drum housing in a direction orthogonal to the drum axis, so that the surface of the photosensitive drum can be easily cleaned and other maintenance.

Further, in order to prevent the cleaning device from interfering with attachment / detachment of the photosensitive drum to / from the drum housing, or even until it does not interfere with attachment / detachment of the photosensitive drum, a residual toner collecting member (for example, a toner peeling blade) of the cleaning device and other cleaning In order to prevent the surface of the photosensitive drum from being damaged by a case or the like, the cleaning device is set to a first state in which the residual toner collecting member is in contact with the drum surface and a second state in which the residual toner collecting member is separated from the drum surface, respectively. The swing can be switched freely.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, when the photosensitive drum is pulled out, the stopper for holding the cleaning device in the first state is switched to the stopper function released state, and then the cleaning device is switched to the second state. In addition, when the photosensitive drum is mounted on the drum housing, it is necessary to switch the cleaning device to the first state and then switch the stopper to the stopper function state. There was a drawback that it took a lot of time and effort.

Further, by forgetting the operation for switching the cleaning device to the second state and removing the photosensitive drum, the drum surface may be damaged, or the cleaning device may be switched to the first state or the stopper may be switched to the stopper function state. Forgetting it also had the drawback that it could not be cleaned or poorly cleaned.

Therefore, the present invention has been invented in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and is an extremely easy operation that does not involve a situation such as a scratch on the drum surface or a cleaning failure, and the operation of the photosensitive drum with respect to the drum housing. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrostatographic copying machine that can be attached and detached.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in an electrostatographic copying machine according to the present invention, a photosensitive drum is detachably mounted on a drum housing in a direction orthogonal to a drum axis of the photosensitive drum, and A cleaning device provided with a residual toner collecting member for cleaning the drum surface and a residual toner collecting opening for receiving the residual toner collected by the residual toner collecting member, and the cleaning device is provided with the residual toner collecting member. The action position in which the toner collecting member comes into contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum (first
State) and a non-acting posture (second state) separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum. In the second state), the opening for collecting the residual toner is set in a vertical direction, and switching between the working posture (first state) and the non-working posture (second state) of the cleaning device is performed. A mechanical interlocking mechanism is provided which is associated with loading / unloading operations of the photosensitive drum to / from the drum housing, and the interlocking relationship between the cleaning device and the photosensitive drum by the mechanical interlocking mechanism is based on the action posture ( State) is performed by loading the photosensitive drum into the drum housing, and the photosensitive drum is switched to the non-acting position (second state). It is characterized in that it is configured to be performed by the operation withdrawn from the Managing.

[Action]

In the electrostatographic copying machine of the present invention having the above-described structure, the cleaning device is separated from the photosensitive drum in association with the removal of the photosensitive drum from the drum housing, and conversely, the photosensitive drum is mounted on the drum housing. The state that can be cleaned appears. The mechanical interlocking mechanism of the present invention is different from the conventional operation of loading or unloading the photosensitive drum in that, unlike the operation of inserting and removing the stopper each time, the loading of the photosensitive drum from the drum housing is performed. Alternatively, an operating position in which the cleaning device is brought into contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum in association with the operation of detachment,
That is, the first state is automatically switched to the non-working posture separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum, that is, the second state. Further, when the cleaning device is switched to the position separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum, the toner recovery opening of the residual toner recovery member is switched to the upward position.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an outline of the entire electrostatographic copying machine. A copying machine case 3 including a document placing table 1 and a document holder 2 is divided into upper and lower parts, and a lower case 3B and an upper case 3A have a horizontal axis 4. The upper case 3A is provided with an optical system moving type exposure device 5, and a photosensitive drum unit A including a photosensitive drum 6, a charging device 7, a developing device 8 and a cleaning device 9 is configured to open and close around the upper case 3A. Case 3A and lower case
Connected to 3B.

Then, the lower case 3B is provided with a transfer device 10 and a separation device 11 in a state of corresponding to the photosensitive drum 6, and the copy paper from the manual feed portion 12 or the paper feed cassette 13 is fed to the transfer device 10. The paper feed / conveyance device 14, the paper ejection / conveyance device 17 for ejecting the copy paper after transfer / separation from the fixing device 15 to the paper ejection tray 16, and the double-sided copying mechanism unit for performing double-sided copying as necessary ( A switchback mechanism 18 and an intermediate tray 19 for temporarily stocking a copy paper tray after the completion of one-sided copying, the front and back sides of which are reversed by the switchback mechanism 18,
And a re-feeding mechanism 20 for re-feeding the stocked copy paper. ) 21 is arranged.

The photosensitive drum unit A is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of drum housings 22 and 22 in which U-shaped bearings 24 that support the cylindrical shaft portions 23 of the photosensitive drum 6 are connected to each other are provided on both sides of the developing device 8. And a hole b corresponding to the shaft hole a of the cylindrical shaft portions 23, 23 is provided in each of the drum housings 22, 22, and a transmission shaft 25 is provided so as to be insertable into and removable from each of the holes a, b. Therefore, by removing the transmission shaft 25, the photosensitive drum 6 can be attached to and detached from the drum housings 22, 22 in the vertical direction orthogonal to the drum axis along the U-shaped bearing 24.

On the other hand, the cleaning case of the cleaning device 9
A support shaft 27 parallel to the drum axis is concentrically provided on both side surfaces of the lower side of the support shaft 26, and the support shaft 27 is provided with support holes d, d formed in the drum housings 22, 22. The residual toner collecting member, which is, for example, an upper cleaning blade 28a and a lower cleaning blade 28b, provided inside the cleaning case 26 of the cleaning device 9 as shown in FIG. In addition, it is freely switchable between a first state X in which the surface of the photosensitive drum 6 is brought into contact with the second state Y and a second state Y in which the toner recovery opening 29 is directed toward the information and is separated from the photosensitive drum 6 as shown in FIG. There is.

An urging tool 30 for urging the cleaning device 9 toward the second state Y is provided between the drum housing 22 and the cleaning case 26, and the urging tool 30 is provided.
The drum housing 22 is provided with a stopper 31 for fixing the second state Y against the urging force of the cleaning housing 26, and the arms 32, 32 are connected to both sides of the cleaning case 26.
The free ends of the arms 32, 32 are connected to the cleaning device 9
Is provided so as to be positioned within the insertion / removal locus of the cylindrical shaft portion 23 of the U-shaped bearing 24 while being oscillated by switching between the two states X and Y, and accordingly, in association with the attachment / detachment of the photosensitive drum 6, The cleaning device 9 is swingably switched between the first state X and the second state Y.

That is, the cleaning device 9 is interlocked with the withdrawal of the photosensitive drum 6 from the drum housing 22 by the urging force tool 30, the stopper 31, the arm 32, and the tubular shaft portion 23 of the photosensitive drum 6 acting on the stopper. To the second state Y
In addition, a mechanical interlocking mechanism B is configured to switch the cleaning device 9 to the first state X in a swinging manner in association with the mounting of the photosensitive drum 6 on the drum housing 22.

According to the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, the photosensitive drum unit A is lifted upward from the lower case 3B side and rocked as the upper case 3A is opened.

Then, with the upper case 3A open, the transmission shaft 25 is pulled out to move the photosensitive drum 6 to the U-shaped bearing 24.
The photosensitive drum 6 by pulling it up along the
The cleaning device 9 is automatically
Is switched to the second state Y while directing the toner collecting opening 29 thereof upward.

As the upper case 3A is opened, the photosensitive drum unit A is lifted upward from the lower case 3B side and oscillated, so that as shown in FIG. The opening 29 becomes downward, and if the photosensitive drum 6 is pulled out in this state,
Toner that adheres to the upper and lower cleaning blades 28a and 28b or toner that tends to float in the cleaning case 26 drops from the downward opening 29, and stains the transfer device 10 and the separating device 11 on the lower side. There is a risk of

However, as shown in FIG. 4, as the photosensitive drum 6 is pulled out, the cleaning device 9 is switched to the second state Y while the toner recovery opening 29 of the cleaning device 9 is directed upward, so that the toner recovery It is possible to effectively prevent the collected toner from dropping from the opening 29.

The second state Y of the cleaning device 9 is a spring.
It is held by 30 and stopper 31.

The photosensitive drum 6 is attached to the drum housings 22 and 22.
The cleaning device 9 is automatically switched to the first state X by mounting the transmission shaft 25 in the holes a and b, and the first state X of the tubular shaft portion 23 is changed. It is held by the pressing force.

An example of a so-called shell type electrostatographic copying machine in which the copying machine case 3 is divided into upper and lower parts and an upper case 3A of the copying machine case is openable and closable is illustrated, but the front cover on the front side of the copying machine case is opened. In this state, the present invention can be applied to a copying machine in which the photosensitive drum unit is configured to be freely inserted and removed in the longitudinal direction of the copying machine.
The present invention can be embodied in at least the photosensitive drum 6 and the cleaning device 9.

Further, the cleaning device 9 is configured to be forcedly swung by the urging tool 30 to expose the second state Y, but the second state Y is generated due to the gravity of the cleaning device 9.
May be configured to appear.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the electrostatographic copying machine of the present invention automatically swings the cleaning device between the first state and the second state in conjunction with the operation of inserting and removing the photosensitive drum into and from the drum housing. Therefore, since the operation of changing the state of the cleaning device is not required at all when the photosensitive drum is inserted and removed, not only is the operability improved, but there is no fear of forgetting the operation of changing the state of the cleaning device. In this way, it is possible to surely eliminate the situation of inability to clean or poor cleaning, and overall, it is possible to eliminate the conventional defects by making effective use of the attachment / detachment operation of the photosensitive drum with respect to the drum housing and making a reasonable improvement. .

Further, according to the mechanical interlocking mechanism of the present invention, when the cleaning device is switched to the position separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum, the toner recovery opening of the residual toner recovery member is switched to the upward position. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the collected toner from being accidentally dropped from the toner collecting opening. Therefore, there is little fear that the transfer device, the separating device, etc. provided in the lower portion of the drum housing will be contaminated, and more beautiful and clear copying can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the entire electrostatographic copying machine, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts, and FIGS. 3 and 4 show two states of a cleaning device. 5 is a schematic sectional view of the entire copying machine with the upper case opened. 6 ... Photosensitive drum, 9 ... Cleaning device, 22 ... Drum housing, 26 ... Cleaning case, 28a, 28b
...... Residual toner collecting member, 29 ...... Toner collecting opening, B
...... Mechanical interlocking mechanism, X ... First state, Y ... Second state.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A photosensitive drum is removably provided in a drum housing in a direction orthogonal to a drum axis of the photosensitive drum, and a residual toner collecting member for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive drum and the residual toner. A cleaning device provided with an opening for recovering the residual toner for receiving the residual toner recovered by the recovery member is provided, and the cleaning device has an action posture in which the residual toner recovery member is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum. And a non-working position separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum, wherein the non-working position of the cleaning device is used for collecting the residual toner. The opening is set so that it faces upward, and the cleaning device is switched between the non-working position and the working position. However, a mechanical interlocking mechanism is provided which is associated with loading / unloading operations of the photosensitive drum to / from the drum housing, and the interlocking relationship between the cleaning device and the photosensitive drum by the mechanical interlocking mechanism is based on the action posture. To the inactive position, and the photosensitive drum is pulled out from the drum housing. Electrophotographic copying machine.