JP2533960Y2 - Electrophotographic device and cleaning device used for it - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus and a cleaning apparatus used therein.

[Background of the invention]

FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a conventional electrophotographic apparatus.

In the figure, a photoreceptor 1 is supported so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow. Along with the rotation of the photoconductor 1, the surface of the photoconductor 1 is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by a charger 3, and receives an irradiation beam 4 from a subsequent exposure device (not shown). Is formed.

The toner 2 is supplied to the electrostatic latent image that has reached the developing area of the developing device 5, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image. The toner image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 is transferred by a transfer corotron 7 at a position near the transfer belt 6 to a printing paper sheet fed from a sheet feed roll 19 and conveyed onto the transfer belt 6.

The toner image transferred onto the printing paper is transferred to the first transfer belt.
The roll 8 and the second roll 9 rotate and are conveyed to the holding portion of the fixing roll 18, where they are heated and pressed by the holding portion to be fixed on the printing paper.

On the other hand, the toner 2 remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 without being transferred to the printing paper in the transfer section is removed by the cleaner housing.
The toner 2 is removed mechanically by the cleaning brush 11 provided in the cleaning brush 15 or electrostatically removed when the bias applying means 16 is used as shown in FIG. The toner 2 collected by the cleaning roller 12 provided at the subsequent stage is magnetically collected or electrostatically collected when the bias applying means 17 is used as shown in FIG. The toner is scraped off by the cleaning blade 13 and discharged out of the cleaning device by the toner collecting mechanism 14.

On the other hand, the toner adhering to the surface of the transfer belt 6 in the transfer mechanism is scraped off at the contact position of the cleaning blade 22 provided in the cleaner housing 23 by the rotation of the first and second rolls 8 and 9 of the transfer belt. .

In the above prior art, the cleaning means differs between the cleaning device for the photoreceptor and the cleaning device for the transfer mechanism, and the device configurations are completely different. Also,
Even when the cleaning method was the same, the apparatus configuration was completely different.

Therefore, it is necessary to separately design the cleaning device for the photoconductor and the transfer mechanism, and the design cost is high, and there is a drawback in the maintenance method such as a different life replacement cycle of the life component of the cleaning device and a different replacement method. .

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic apparatus which can eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art, reduce the design cost, and improve maintainability, and a cleaning apparatus used therefor.

[Outline of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention is:
The cleaning device for the photoconductor and the cleaning device for the transfer belt have the same configuration.

[Example of the invention]

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment In FIG. 1, the photoconductor 1 is supported so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow. Along with the rotation of the photoconductor 1, the surface of the photoconductor 1 is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by a charger 3, and receives an irradiation beam 4 from a subsequent exposure device (not shown). Is formed.

The toner 2 is supplied to the electrostatic latent image that has reached the developing area of the developing device 5, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image.

The toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1 is transferred to a transfer belt 6.
The transfer corotron 7 at the position near
Is transferred to a stamp paper (not shown) which is fed from the printer and transferred onto the transfer belt 6.

The toner image transferred on the printing paper is transferred to the transfer belt 1
By the rotation of the roll 8 and the second roll 9, the sheet is conveyed to the holding portion of the fixing roll 18, and is heated and pressed by the holding portion to be fixed on the printing paper.

On the other hand, the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 without being transferred to the printing paper in the transfer section is transferred to the cleaner housing 15.
The toner applied to the cleaning brush 11 is electrostatically removed by the rotation of the cleaning brush 11 to which a bias is applied by the bias applying unit 16, and a bias voltage higher than that of the cleaning brush 11 is applied to the toner by the bias applying unit 17. The applied toner is electrostatically collected by the cleaning roll 12, and the toner collected by the cleaning roll 12 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 13 and discharged out of the apparatus by the toner collection mechanism 14, It is transported to and reused.

On the other hand, the toner adhered to the surface of the transfer belt 6 in the transfer mechanism is removed by the same configuration and the same method as the cleaning device for the photoconductor 1, and the cleaning brush 11 of the cleaning device for the transfer belt 6 rotates the transfer belt 6. The transfer belt is disposed at a position facing the transfer roller first roll 8.

The cleaner housing 15 has an opening 15a for exposing a part of the cleaning brush 11 to the object to be cleaned (photoconductor 1, transfer belt 6). The opening 15a is formed with a predetermined width along the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 11 and a predetermined length along the axial direction of the cleaning brush.

Further, when the scattered toner collecting member 21 such as a brush is provided at the edge of the cleaner housing 15 forming the opening 15a so as to face the object to be cleaned, scattering of the toner is prevented, and the cleaning efficiency is further improved. .

The positional relationship between each cleaning device and the object to be cleaned is as follows: When the angle between a horizontal line connecting the rotation center of the cleaning brush 11 and the rotation center of the photosensitive member 1 is θ, the rotation center of the cleaning brush 11 and the transfer belt The angle formed by the straight line connecting the rotation center of the roll 8 and the horizontal line is also substantially θ, and the cleaning device for the photosensitive member 1 is disposed closer to the transfer mechanism than the horizontal position. The positional relationship between the component parts and the cleaning brush 11 is the same. The number of rotations of the cleaning brush 11, the cleaning roll 12, the specification of the brush,
It is best if the bias application voltage and the like can be set to the same value in the case of the photoreceptor and the case of the transfer mechanism. The conditions do not have to be the same.

(Second embodiment) Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The position of the transfer belt cleaning device with respect to the transfer belt 6 is different between the first embodiment and the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the cleaning brush 11 is located at a position facing the second transfer belt 9 of the transfer belt. Are located.

In the case of the second embodiment as well, the positional relationship between each cleaning device and the object to be cleaned is as follows, assuming that the angle formed by the straight line connecting the rotation center of the cleaning brush 11 and the rotation center of the photoconductor 1 with the horizontal line is θ. The angle formed by the straight line connecting the rotation center of the transfer belt and the rotation center of the second transfer belt 9 with the horizontal line is also substantially θ.

(Third embodiment) Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a detailed sectional view of a contact portion between the cleaning brush 11 and the photosensitive member 1 in the third embodiment.
FIG. 4B is a detailed sectional view of a contact portion between the transfer roller 11 and the first roll 8 of the transfer belt.

In the case of the third embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments described above, the cleaning device for the photoconductor 1 is disposed on the side away from the transfer mechanism with respect to the horizontal line. However, the angle θ ′ between a line connecting the rotation center of the cleaning brush 11 and the center of the photoconductor 1 is a horizontal line, and the angle between a line connecting the rotation center of the cleaning brush 11 and the rotation center of the first transfer belt 8 to a horizontal line. The point that θ 'is set to be substantially equal is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

By the way, when each cleaning device is attached as in the third embodiment, if the opening 15
If a is formed to be constant, the upper side of the cleaning brush 11 is widely exposed in the photoconductor cleaning device as shown in FIG. 6A, and in the transfer belt cleaning device as shown in FIG. 6B. Since the lower side of the cleaning brush 11 is widely exposed, there is a problem that the toner is easily scattered from a widely exposed portion.

Therefore, in the third embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), a convex portion 15c is provided on an edge portion 15b of the cleaner housing 15 for regulating the width of the opening. A cover member 20 having a concave portion 20a fitted with the convex portion 15b is detachably provided, and when the cleaning device is used as a photoconductor cleaning device, the cover member 20 is attached as shown in FIG. When the cleaning device is used as a transfer belt cleaning device, the cover member 20 is attached as shown in FIG. 4B, and the mounting position of the cover member 20 is changed so that the cleaning device can be used in common. The apparatus can be used for both the photoconductor and the transfer mechanism without changing the configuration of the apparatus.

Also, instead of providing the cover member piece 20, the edge of the cleaner housing 15 is formed as a stretchable elastic member.
In other words, it may be configured integrally with the device 15, that is, if the direction forming the angle θ is different, a configuration capable of following the direction may be used.

In this embodiment, the case where a DC power supply is used as the bias applying unit has been described. However, an AC power supply may be used, or an AC power supply may be superimposed on a DC power supply.
Further, it is not necessary to apply a bias.

[Effect of the invention]

According to the present invention, since the cleaning device for the photosensitive member and the cleaning device for the transfer belt have the same configuration, the design cost can be reduced and the maintainability can be improved.

Also, the lot quantity of the components of the cleaning device is
This is twice as large as that of the conventional configuration, and it is possible to reduce the cost of parts due to the increase in lot quantity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 (a) shows the third
FIG. 4B is a detailed sectional view of a contact portion between the cleaning brush and the first roll of the transfer belt according to the third embodiment. FIG. FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing a state where a cover member piece is not provided in the third embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a photoreceptor, 2 is a toner, 6 is a transfer belt, 8 and 9 are transfer belt rolls, 11 is a cleaning brush, 12 is a cleaning roll, 13 is a cleaning blade, 14 is a toner collecting mechanism, and 15 is a cleaner housing. , 1
Reference numerals 6 and 17 denote bias applying means, 20 denotes a cover member piece, and 21 denotes a scattering toner collecting member.

Claims (5)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A photosensitive drum, a transfer belt supported endlessly at a position facing the photosensitive member, a cleaning device for cleaning a surface of the photosensitive member, and a cleaning device for cleaning a surface of the transfer belt. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising: a cleaning device for a photoreceptor; and a cleaning device for a transfer belt. 2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting angle of the cleaning device for the photoreceptor to the photoreceptor is substantially equal to the mounting angle of the cleaning device for the transfer belt to the transfer belt. A cleaner housing provided in the vicinity of the object to be cleaned; a cleaning brush rotatably supported in the cleaner housing; and a cleaning brush provided in a portion of the cleaner housing opposed to the object to be cleaned. A housing opening formed with a predetermined width along a rotation direction and a predetermined length along an axial direction of the cleaning brush; and exposing a part of the cleaning brush from the housing opening to cover the cleaning brush. A cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus for cleaning a cleaning body, wherein the width of the housing opening is variably provided. 4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein a cover member is detachably provided on an edge of the cleaner housing that regulates the width of the housing opening. 5. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning device is provided near the photoconductor and the transfer belt, and the housing opening is provided to face the photoconductor surface and the transfer belt surface. An electrophotographic apparatus characterized by the following.