JP2656118B2 - Drum cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drum cleaning device used for cleaning a drum such as an aluminum pipe used for a photosensitive drum of an image forming apparatus.

(Prior Art) A photosensitive drum used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer is manufactured by applying a photosensitive substance to an outer peripheral surface of an aluminum pipe. In order to apply the photosensitive substance to a uniform thickness,
Before applying the photosensitive substance, the photosensitive substance is washed to remove foreign substances such as metal powder and oils and fats adhering to the surface.

As a method for cleaning the aluminum tube, for example,
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-108568, a method is known in which a cleaning liquid in which an aluminum tube is immersed is ultrasonically vibrated to clean the aluminum tube.

However, in such a method, in order to completely remove foreign matters firmly attached to the aluminum pipe,
There is a drawback that the aluminum tube has to be immersed in the cleaning solution for a long time, which lowers the working efficiency.

Accordingly, the applicant of the present application has installed a plurality of cleaning brushes having a group of ring-shaped brush bristles in the cleaning liquid contained in the cleaning tank, and swirled the aluminum tube while vibrating the cleaning liquid by ultrasonic waves. By passing the brush bristles up and down through the inside of the brush bristles while sliding the brush bristles on the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum tube, foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the aluminum tube can be efficiently and reliably removed in a short time. (Japanese Utility Model Application No. 63-14311).

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) In such a drum cleaning apparatus, foreign substances such as metal powder adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum pipe can be effectively removed. However, foreign substances such as metal powder attached to the lower end surface of the aluminum pipe or the inner peripheral surface of the lower end portion cannot be removed.

The washed aluminum tube is immersed in a coating solution containing a photosensitive substance while being held vertically in the next coating step, and the coating solution is applied to the outer peripheral surface thereof. At this time, the coating solution in which the aluminum tube is immersed is to apply the coating solution to the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum tube in a uniform thickness, so that the liquid surface of the coating solution is not displaced when the aluminum tube is immersed. The coating solution is allowed to flow from below to above so as to always overflow. For this reason,
When metal powder or the like is attached to the lower end surface of the aluminum tube or the inner peripheral surface of the lower end portion, the metal powder or the like is moved to the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum tube by the coating liquid flowing from below, and the aluminum It may adhere to the outer peripheral surface of the raw pipe. As described above, when foreign matter such as metal powder adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum tube, the coating liquid is thinly applied to the portion, so that the photosensitive layer is formed to a uniform thickness on the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum tube. Can not do it. The photosensitive drum manufactured in this way cannot form a desired image.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a drum cleaning device capable of reliably cleaning the inner peripheral surface of the drum end and the drum end surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum cleaning device in which foreign matter removed from the drum does not have to be reattached to the drum.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A drum cleaning device according to the present invention is a ring-shaped brush bristle group that fits into a lower end portion of a vertically supported drum and slides on an inner peripheral surface and a lower end surface of the lower end portion of the drum. And a nozzle for discharging a cleaning liquid toward the brush bristle group, thereby achieving the object described above.

(Example) Next, the present invention will be described with reference to examples.

The drum cleaning apparatus of the present invention is used for manufacturing a photosensitive drum in which a photosensitive layer is formed on an outer peripheral surface of a drum made of an aluminum tube, and for cleaning a drum outer peripheral surface on which a photosensitive layer is formed on an outer peripheral surface. used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drum cleaning device of the present invention includes a plurality of inner peripheral surface cleaning brushes 3 disposed in a cleaning tank 1 containing a cleaning liquid 2 and each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3. And a plurality of nozzles 4 respectively disposed on each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 for refining. The inner peripheral surface cleaning brushes 3 are disposed above the cleaning liquid 2 in the cleaning tank 1, for example, in a state of being arranged in two rows of four.

As a cleaning solution for the drum used for the photoconductor drum,
For example, a degreasing cleaning solution such as dichloromethane is preferably used.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 has, for example, four disk-shaped spacers 6 stacked vertically so as to be in a horizontal state. . The lowermost spacer 6 has a larger outer diameter than the other spacers 6. At the outer peripheral portion of each spacer 6, a concave fitting portion 7 whose upper portion is cut out so that its lower portion protrudes outward is formed over the entire periphery. The fitting portion 7 of each space 6 has the same outer diameter including the fitting portion 7 of the lowermost spacer 6, so that the lower portion of the lowermost spacer 6 projects outward. I have.

An annular support member 5 a for supporting the ring-shaped brush bristle group 5 is replaceably fitted in the fitting portion 7 of each spacer 6. Each support member 5a supports an inner peripheral portion of the brush bristle group 5 in which brush bristles are radially arranged. The brush bristles of the lowermost bristle group 5 are longer than the brush bristles of the other brush bristle groups 5, and the outer peripheral end thereof reaches the lower outer peripheral surface protruding outward of the lowermost spacer 6. ing. The uppermost brush bristle group 5 comes into sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface having a height of about 30 mm from the lower end surface of the drum.

A truncated cone-shaped cap member 8 is placed on the upper surface of the uppermost spacer 6, and the cap member 8 and each spacer 6 are concentrically connected by three vertical bolts 9. . A through hole 14 having a rectangular cross section is inserted through the center of the cap member 8 and each spacer 6.

Each of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brushes 3 having such a configuration is attached to each of the support shafts 11 erected vertically at the bottom of the cleaning tank 1.
Each through hole 14 is slidably fitted and supported. A push spring 10 is fitted on each support shaft 11,
Each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 is urged upward.

An annular nozzle 4 is supported on the cap member 8 above the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3, respectively. Each nozzle 4 has a discharge port 4a facing the uppermost brush bristle group 5 from above in order to discharge the cleaning liquid toward the uppermost brush bristle group 5. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, after the cleaning liquid 2 in the cleaning tank 1 is circulated in the circulation path 15 by the pump 12 and passed through the filter 13, the cleaning liquid 2 is discharged from the discharge port 4a of each nozzle 4, Each brush bristle group 5 is sprayed.

The discharge port 4a of each nozzle 4 may be continuous in a ring shape, or a plurality of discharge ports may be arranged in a ring shape. Each nozzle 4 may be provided with an ultrasonic oscillator, and the cleaning liquid discharged from each nozzle 4 may be ultrasonically vibrated.

The operation of the drum cleaning device having such a configuration is as follows. For example, eight drums D to be cleaned are placed in the cleaning tank 1
In the same alignment state as the inner circumference cleaning brushes 3 arranged therein, the brushes are supported substantially vertically and integrally lowered. Then, in a state where each drum D is rotated, the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 is fitted into the lower end portion thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, each drum D has a brush 3 for cleaning the inner peripheral surface.
Is placed on the lowermost brush bristle group 5 and further lowered while rotating. At this time, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 1 is discharged from the discharge port 4a of each nozzle 4 while being filtered by the filter 13. Thereby, each drum D
Lowers each inner circumferential surface cleaning brush 3 against the urging force of the pressing spring 10. Each drum D is lowered to a position where its lower end is not immersed in the cleaning liquid 2 in the cleaning tank 1. At this time, in each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3, the brush bristles 5 in the upper three stages are in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum D, and each inner peripheral surface of the drum D is discharged from the nozzle 4. While washing using the washing solution to be performed, the lowermost brush bristles 5
The lower end face of the rotating drum D placed on it is
The cleaning is performed using the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 4. The cleaning liquid discharged toward the brush bristle group 5 is
The foreign matter adhering to the brush bristle group 5 is also separated.

Thereafter, each of the cleaned drums D is integrally lifted, and the fitted state with each of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brushes 3 is released. Then, it is carried to the next step of forming a photosensitive layer.

When the drum D is cleaned in this way, the drum D to be cleaned next is conveyed, and the inner peripheral surface of the lower end of the drum is cleaned by the brush bristle group 5 of the brush 3 for cleaning the inner peripheral surface. Until the lower end of the next drum D is fitted to the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3, if a clean cleaning liquid is constantly discharged from the nozzle 4, not only during the cleaning of the drum D, Even when the drum D has not been cleaned, the foreign matter adhering to the brush bristle group 5 is removed, and the reattachment of the foreign matter to the drum D is reliably prevented.

In the above description, the aluminum tube used for the photosensitive drum of the image forming apparatus has been described as the drum of the object to be cleaned. Good.

(Effect of the Invention) In the drum cleaning device of the present invention, the inner peripheral surface and the lower end surface of the lower end portion of the vertically supported drum are cleaned by the respective brush bristle groups of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush. Because
There is no possibility that dirt on the inner peripheral surface and the lower end surface of the lower end of the drum is brought into the next process. Therefore, if the aluminum tube used for the photoreceptor drum is cleaned by the cleaning device of the present invention, the aluminum tube is immersed in a coating solution containing a photosensitive substance so that the photosensitive layer has a uniform thickness. Can be formed.

In addition, since the brush bristles of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush are refined with a clean cleaning liquid, foreign matters such as metal powder and oils and fats removed from the drum by each brush bristle group of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush are removed. There is no danger of redeposition.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of a drum cleaning device of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush, and FIG. 3 is a partially broken side view of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cleaning tank, 2 ... Cleaning liquid, 3 ... Brush for cleaning inner peripheral surface, 4 ... Nozzle, 5 ... Brush bristle group, 13 ... Filter, D ... Drum.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Higashi 1-2-28 Tamazo, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Mita Kogyo Co., Ltd. No. 28 Mita Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koichi Kigami 1-2-28 Tamatsukuri, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Mita Kogyo Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-63-143989 (JP, A) 60-80451 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A brush for cleaning an inner peripheral surface having an annular brush bristle group fitted into a lower end of a vertically supported drum and slidingly contacting an inner peripheral surface and a lower end surface of a lower end of the drum. A nozzle for discharging a cleaning liquid toward the group of brush bristles;