JP3205159B2 - Cleaning equipment for electrophotographic equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention can be applied to an electrophotographic apparatus for recording an image on paper by an electrophotographic method, such as a laser printer, a laser copying machine, and a laser facsimile. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of a photoconductor by scraping off a residual developer on the photoconductor after image transfer with a cleaning blade in the electrophotographic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an electrophotographic apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, devices 2 to 6 for charging, writing, development, transfer and cleaning are arranged around a photoreceptor 1, and after image transfer, There is a cleaning device 6 for cleaning the surface of the photoconductor 1. This cleaning device 6
The cleaning blade 7 was pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor 1 and the rotating brush 8 was brought into contact with the cleaning blade 7. Further, an elongated and thick solid lubricant 9 was fixed above the rotating brush 8.

At the time of cleaning, the developer remaining on the photoreceptor 1 after image transfer is scraped off with a cleaning blade 7 to clean the surface of the photoreceptor 1, and the rotating brush 8 is rotated to remove the solid lubricant 9 Lubricants that have been scraped off and attached to the rotating brush 8 have been applied to the surface of the photoconductor 1 to reduce the contact resistance of the cleaning blade 7 to the photoconductor 1.

[0004]

However, in the conventional cleaning device 6, since the commercially available solid lubricant 9 is fixedly installed, the shaving amount is reduced as the solid lubricant 9 is reduced. As time passes,
The lubricant could not be uniformly attached to the surface of the photoconductor 1 by the rotating brush 8. In addition, the solid lubricant 9 is replaced while most of the solid lubricant 9 is left uncut, which is uneconomical.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus, in which most of the solid lubricant is used up to increase the economical efficiency, and that the lubricant is evenly adhered to the surface of the photoreceptor over time. To make it happen.

[0006]

Accordingly, the present invention provides
For example, as shown in the following illustrated embodiment, the residual developer on the photoreceptor 10 after image transfer is scraped off with a cleaning blade 20 to clean the surface of the photoreceptor 10, and a solid lubricant 35 is applied to the rotating brush 25. In the cleaning device 15 of the electrophotographic apparatus, in which the lubricant adhered to the rotating brush 25 and attached to the surface of the photoreceptor 10 to reduce the contact resistance of the cleaning blade 20 to the photoreceptor 10, the solid lubricant 35 Is guided by another member such as the brush cover 30 via the support plate member 36, and comes into contact with the rotating brush 25 by its own weight.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning apparatus 15 of the first aspect, as shown in the following illustrative embodiment, the cleaning blade 20 is provided to the photosensitive member 10 more than the cleaning blade 20. The rotary brush 25 is arranged at a position upstream of the rotation direction A.

[0008]

At the time of cleaning, the developer remaining on the photoreceptor 10 after image transfer is scraped off by the cleaning blade 20, and the solid lubricant 35 is guided by another member to contact the rotary brush 25 by its own weight. A lubricant attached to the rotating brush 25 is applied to the surface of the photoconductor 10 to reduce the contact resistance of the cleaning blade 20 to the photoconductor 10.

According to the second aspect, at the time of cleaning, the lubricant attached to the rotating brush 25 is applied to the surface of the photoconductor 10 at a position upstream of the cleaning blade 20 in the rotation direction A of the photoconductor 10.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 shows a recording unit of a laser printer including a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a schematic configuration thereof.

The illustrated printer has a drum-shaped photoreceptor 10 substantially at the center in the apparatus main body. The recording unit includes a charging device 11, a developing device 12, a transfer device 13, a cleaning device 15, and a light neutralizing device 16 in that order around the photosensitive member 10 in the driving direction indicated by the arrow A. Also, the photoconductor 10
An optical writing device 17 is provided at the upper left of the device.

At the time of recording, the sheet P is sent out from a sheet cassette (not shown), and is conveyed to the lower side of the photoreceptor 10 at a timing by a registration roller. On the other hand, the photoconductor 10 is driven in the direction of arrow A. At this time, the surface is uniformly charged by the charging device 11 and the surface is irradiated with laser light from the optical writing device 17 to electrostatically charge the photoconductor 10. Forms a latent image,
Subsequently, when passing through the position of the developing device 12, the electrostatic latent image is successively visualized by a developer. Then, this visible image is transferred to a sheet P conveyed below the photoconductor 10 by a transfer device 13.
Transfer with After the image transfer, the paper P is conveyed to a fixing device (not shown) by the transfer device 13, and the visible image is fixed by the fixing device and discharged outside.

On the other hand, after the image is transferred, the residual developer adhering to the surface of the photoreceptor 10 is cleaned by a cleaning device 15. Then, the photosensitive member 1 is irradiated with light from the light removing device 16.
The surface of 0 is neutralized.

By the way, the cleaning device 15 described above is used.
Includes a box-shaped cleaning case 19 that is long in the axial direction of the photoconductor 10. The cleaning case 19 includes the photoconductor 1
The cleaning blade 20 is disposed inside the charging device 11 by opening the zero side along the opening. The cleaning blade 20 has an elongated plate shape in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 10, and has a blade holder 21 on a base end side as shown in FIG.
, And the front end is protruded toward the photoconductor 10 and pressed against the surface thereof.

In the cleaning case 19, a rotating brush 25 is disposed at a position upstream of the cleaning blade 20 in the rotation direction A of the photosensitive member 10. At a further upstream position, a developer conveying screw 26 is rotatably disposed. The rotating brush 25 has a brush portion 25 having a cylindrical outer shape with a number of bristles made of conductive material attached to the peripheral surface of the core 25a.
b and is supported rotatably about the core 25a in the direction of arrow B in the figure. Then, the bristle tip of the brush portion 25b contacts the surface of the photoconductor 10, while the bristle tip contacts the cleaning bias roller 27 on the opposite side. The cleaning bias roller 27 is rotatably supported in the direction of arrow C in the drawing, and the lower end of the cleaning blade 28 is pressed against the outer periphery thereof. The cleaning blade 28 has an upper end screwed to the upper side of the cleaning case 19 via a blade holder 29.

In the cleaning device 15,
The cleaning blade 28, the cleaning bias roller 27, and the rotating brush 25 are covered with a brush cover 30 for preventing scattering of the developer. The brush cover 30 is made of resin, and the upper end mounting plate 30a extends substantially vertically along the cleaning blade 28, and the lower end cover 30b extends obliquely along the outer shape of the cleaning bias roller 27 and the rotating brush 25. It is formed by extending. Then, the mounting plate portion 30a is mounted on the upper side of the cleaning case 19. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover portion 30b is formed by projecting obliquely upward above the rotating brush 25 to form a storage recess 30c inside the cover portion 30b. Storage recess 30
c is reinforced by bonding a reinforcing plate 31 to the inner surface thereof with a double-sided tape (not shown). And the storage recess 30c
In addition, an elongated and thick solid lubricant 35 is disposed.

As the solid lubricant 35, for example, a lubricant obtained by melting a lubricating oil additive containing zinc stearate as a main component and cooling and solidifying the additive is used. This solid lubricant 35
Is held by being adhered to the support plate 36 with a double-sided tape (not shown). The support plate 36 has one side bent in a U-shape and provided with a locking portion 36a. When the solid lubricant 35 is disposed in the storage recess 30c, the cover 30b
The solid lubricating material 35 is guided through the supporting plate member 36 so that the edge of the locking portion 36a is brought into contact with the end surface of the cover portion 30b, and the solid lubricating material 35 contacts the brush portion 25b by its own weight.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rotating brush 25 is rotated during cleaning of the photoreceptor 10, and the residual developer on the photoreceptor 10 is moved by the brush portion 25b to reduce the mechanical adhesive force and to reduce the solid adhesion. Remove the lubricant 35 and remove the brush
5b of the photoreceptor 10b
To reduce the contact resistance of the cleaning blade 20 to the photoreceptor 10. At that time, brush part 2
The residual developer adhering to 5b is removed by a cleaning bias roller 27, and the residual developer transferred to the cleaning bias roller 27 is scraped off by a cleaning blade.

Then, the residual developer on the photoconductor 10 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 20, and the surface of the photoconductor 10 is cleaned. On the other hand, the scraped waste developer is transported by the developer transport screw 26 and collected in a recovery tank (not shown), or is reused in the developing device 12.

[0020]

Therefore, according to the present invention, in the cleaning apparatus for an electrophotographic apparatus, the solid lubricant is not fixedly installed but is guided by another member and comes into contact with the rotating brush by its own weight. Therefore, during cleaning, the amount of shaving does not decrease as the solid lubricant decreases as in the related art, whereby the lubricant can be evenly adhered to the surface of the photoconductor over time. In addition, the solid lubricant is always brought into contact with the rotating brush by its own weight to scrape off the solid lubricant, so that most of the solid lubricant can be used up to increase the economic efficiency.

According to the second aspect, the contact resistance of the cleaning blade with respect to the photosensitive member is further reduced by disposing the rotating brush at a position upstream of the cleaning blade in the rotational direction of the photosensitive member. In addition, the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade can be more efficiently improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged view showing a main part of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the cleaning device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a recording unit in a laser printer including the cleaning device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram around a photoconductor in an electrophotographic apparatus including a conventional cleaning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 photoconductor 15 cleaning device 20 cleaning blade 25 rotating brush 30 brush cover (other member) 35 solid lubricant A photoconductor rotation direction

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-1-149082 (JP, A) JP-A-4-213900 (JP, A) JP-A-3-211581 (JP, A) 173077 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 4-69164 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 21/10-21/12 G03G 21/00 G03G 15/20- 15/20 111

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cleaning blade for scraping off residual developer on a photoreceptor after image transfer to clean the surface of the photoreceptor, and contacting a solid lubricant with a rotating brush to lubricate the rotating brush. In a cleaning device of an electrophotographic apparatus for applying a material to the surface of a photoreceptor and reducing the contact resistance of the cleaning blade to the photoreceptor, the solid lubricant is guided by another member to contact the rotating brush by its own weight. A cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus. 2. The cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating brush is arranged at a position upstream of the cleaning blade in a rotation direction of the photoconductor.