JP4574577B2 - Charging device and image forming apparatus using the charging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging device used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus used for a copying machine, a laser printer, a facsimile, and the like, and an image forming apparatus using the charging device.

  An electrophotographic image forming apparatus used in a copying machine, a laser printer, a facsimile, or the like is an apparatus that records an image on a recording sheet. This image recording is generally performed as follows. That is, the surface of the photosensitive member that is moved by rotation is charged, the charged surface is exposed, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface. The image is developed with a developer and visualized, and the visualized image is transferred to a recording sheet, whereby the image is recorded on the recording sheet. A charging device is used to charge the surface of the photoreceptor used in this image recording.

  As the charging device, a charging device using a wire-like wire electrode has been conventionally devised (see, for example, FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1), and a mesh-like grid is used as the charging device using the wire electrode. A type for use with electrodes has been devised. The charging device including the wire electrode and the grid electrode is widely used because it has an advantage that the surface of the photoreceptor can be charged with a stable potential.

  The charging device including the wire electrode and the grid electrode is configured such that the grid electrode is covered on the opening surface of the charging device housing including the internal space and the opening surface formed by opening the internal space. In addition, a wire electrode is stretched in the internal space of the charging device casing so as to be separated from the grid electrode. The charging device configured as described above is used in such a manner that the opening surface of the charging device housing in the charging device faces the surface of the photoreceptor in parallel.

In this charging device, the mesh-like grid electrode provided on the opening surface of the charging device casing and the wire electrode stretched in the internal space of the charging device casing are both parallel to the surface of the photoreceptor. In particular, it is important to use the wire electrode in parallel with the surface of the photoreceptor. This is because if the wire electrode of the charging device is charged to the photoconductor in a state where it is not parallel to the surface of the photoconductor, the surface charge of the photoconductor becomes non-uniform, and the formation quality of the electrostatic latent image is reduced. This is because the quality of the image recorded on the recording medium decreases.
JP 2000-172030 A

  By the way, in the manufacturing stage of the charging device described above, the charging device is manufactured by stretching the wire electrode at a predetermined position in the internal space of the charging device housing. However, the wire electrode is predetermined in the internal space of the charging device housing. It is not always the case that they are stretched out of position. However, once such a charging device is incorporated into the image forming apparatus, the distance between the grid electrode provided on the opening surface of the charging device casing of the charging device and the surface of the photoreceptor is extremely short. After incorporation into the image forming apparatus, it has been difficult to accurately confirm that the wire electrode is parallel to the surface of the photoreceptor.

  Further, in the above-described charging device including the wire electrode and the grid electrode, dust, toner, or the like adheres to the wire electrode during use, and thus needs to be cleaned. To perform this cleaning, remove the charging device housing of the charging device from the image forming apparatus, remove the grid electrode from the charging device housing, clean the wire electrode, and then reattach the grid electrode to the charging device housing. It is necessary to attach and detach the charging device, disassemble and assemble it so that it is attached to the body and incorporated into the image forming apparatus. Even when the stretched position of the wire electrode deviates from a predetermined position during this series of operations, it is difficult to confirm this for the reasons described above.

  Further, in order to facilitate the cleaning of the charging device, a charging device in which a cleaning member for cleaning the wire electrode is incorporated in the charging device has been devised. In the charging device incorporating this cleaning member, the wire cleaning member disposed in the internal space of the charging device casing is pressed against the wire electrode and pressed, and the wire electrode is bent while approaching the grid electrode. The wire electrode is cleaned by moving along the electrode.

  Therefore, during the cleaning, the wire electrode is pressed by the cleaning member and warped so as to approach the grid electrode. In this state, the wire electrode is not parallel to the surface of the photosensitive member, but the wire electrode is stretched. Is a state shifted from a predetermined position. Therefore, if the charging operation is performed in a state where the cleaning is not completed, the above-described problem that the charge on the surface of the photosensitive member becomes non-uniform occurs. For the reasons described above, the wire electrode It has been difficult to confirm that the tensioning position of is shifted from the predetermined position.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to cope with such a situation, and in a charging device including a wire electrode and a grid electrode, is the position where the wire electrode is stretched a predetermined position? It is an object of the present invention to provide a charging device capable of easily confirming whether or not, and an image forming apparatus using the charging device.

  In the charging device of the present invention, the surface of the moving photosensitive member is charged and the charged surface is exposed to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface, and the formed electrostatic latent image is used as a developer. The charging device is used to charge the surface of the photosensitive member in a mechanism in which an image is recorded on the recording paper by being developed, visualized, and transferred onto the recording paper. The charging device includes a wire electrode and a mesh-like grid electrode, and a charging device housing that holds the wire electrode and the grid electrode.

  Among these, the charging device casing includes a front wall and a rear wall formed along a direction intersecting with the moving direction of the photosensitive member, an internal space surrounded by the front wall and the rear wall, and the internal space An opening surface formed so as to open is provided, and the opening surface is disposed so as to face the surface of the photoreceptor.

  The grid electrode is provided on the opening surface of the charging device housing so as to be parallel to the surface of the photosensitive member, and the wire electrode is separated from the grid electrode and intersects the moving direction of the photosensitive member. And is stretched at a predetermined position in the internal space of the charging device casing so as to be parallel to the surface of the photoconductor.

  In this charging device, a confirmation window penetrating the front wall or the rear wall is installed on at least one of the front wall and the rear wall of the charging device casing, and the wire electrode is stretched through the confirmation window. It is a feature that it can be visually confirmed whether or not the position is a predetermined position.

In the charging device, on the outer surface of the wall surrounding the check window, Ru provided with reference marks for visual confirmation. As the reference mark, for example, when a wire electrode stretched at a predetermined position is viewed with the line of sight viewed through the confirmation window parallel to the grid electrode, the grid electrode crosses the confirmation window. It looks like a straight line. In this case, on the outer surface of the wall surrounding the check window, above and aligned, is displayed arrow or triangle like to overlap the tip is suitable as standards mark. By obtaining Bei reference marks for confirmation by such visually confirm the position where the wire electrode is stretched is whether the predetermined position can be done easily, the wire electrode is stretched It is possible to prevent non-uniform charging of the photoconductor, which may occur when the position of the photoconductor is not a predetermined position.

  Further, in the above charging device, generally, a non-image area that is not an object of charging is formed on both ends of the surface of the photoconductor at the left and right edges in the moving direction of the photoconductor. Therefore, it is preferable that the above-described confirmation windows are installed on at least one of the left and right end portions of the front wall or the rear wall of the charging device casing and above the non-image area.

  An image area where an electrostatic latent image is formed and a non-image area where the electrostatic latent image is not formed are provided on the surface of the photoreceptor. Among these, the non-image area is formed at both edge portions located on the left and right in the moving direction of the photoconductor, and the image area is formed at the central portion of the photoconductor sandwiched between the non-image areas. Therefore, in a charging device housing having a wire electrode therein, the opening of the charging device housing faces the image area of the photoconductor so that the discharge from the wire electrode extends evenly to the image area of the photoconductor. The charging device housing is configured so as to be limited to the portion to be applied.

  Therefore, if an opening other than the above-described opening is provided in a portion located above the image area in the charging device casing, the uniformity of discharge from the wire electrode to the image area of the photoreceptor may be impaired. However, since the above-described confirmation windows are provided at both ends located above the non-image area, it is possible to avoid a possibility that the uniformity of charging from the wire electrode to the image area of the photoreceptor is impaired.

  Further, instead of installing the confirmation window of the charging device, or together with the installation of the confirmation window, a wire electrode extension position detecting means may be provided. The wire electrode extension position detecting means has a function of determining that the wire electrode extension position is abnormal when detecting that the position where the wire electrode is extended is not a predetermined position.

  Specifically, the wire electrode extension position detecting means may be configured as follows, for example. That is, the wire electrode extension position detecting means includes a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a wire electrode extension position determining unit. Among these, the light emitting element has a function of irradiating light toward the wire electrode. The light receiving element has a function of detecting the position of a shadow formed when light emitted from the light emitting element toward the wire electrode is blocked by the wire electrode. Then, the wire electrode extension position determination unit is configured so that a shadow formed by being blocked by the wire electrode is different from a position of the shadow formed by being blocked by the wire electrode in a state where the wire electrode is stretched at a predetermined position. Is detected, it has a function of determining that the wire electrode extending position is abnormal.

  According to the charging device provided with the above-described wire electrode tension position detecting means, it is possible to automatically check whether or not the position where the wire electrode is tensioned is a predetermined position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the confirmation of the stretched position of the wire electrode, and to prevent uneven charging of the photoreceptor, which may occur when the position where the wire electrode is stretched is not a predetermined position. it can.

  Further, the above charging device may be provided with a wire electrode cleaning means. By using this wire electrode cleaning means by manual operation, a cleaning operation and a standby operation can be performed. In this cleaning operation, the top surface of the wire cleaning member disposed in the internal space of the charging device casing is pressed against the wire electrode and moved along the wire electrode while warping the wire electrode. And cleaning the wire electrode. The standby operation is an operation when the cleaning operation is not performed, and is provided at either of the left and right ends of the charging device housing with the top of the wire cleaning member removed from the wire electrode. This is an operation for waiting at the standby position.

  By providing the above-described charging device with the wire electrode cleaning means as described above, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of detaching and disassembling / assembling the charging device that has been conventionally performed for cleaning the wire electrode. .

  When the above-described confirmation window is installed in the charging device, it is preferable that the confirmation window is located closer to the center in the left-right direction than the standby position of the wire cleaning member. By doing in this way, the wire electrode cleaning means can stand by at a position off the confirmation window, so when confirming whether or not the wire electrode extension position is a predetermined position, It can be avoided that the wire electrode cleaning means becomes an obstacle to visual confirmation.

  In the wire electrode cleaning unit, the wire electrode cleaning unit may include a wire cleaning member drive control unit that automatically performs a cleaning operation and a standby operation instead of a manual operation. By doing in this way, cleaning of a wire electrode can be performed automatically and the cleaning leak of a wire electrode can be prevented.

  In the above wire electrode cleaning means, the wire electrode cleaning means detects whether or not the wire cleaning member is present at the standby position, and if it is detected that the wire cleaning member is not present at the standby position, A wire cleaning member standby state determination unit that determines that the cleaning member standby position is abnormal may be provided. By doing so, it is possible to automatically detect whether or not the wire cleaning member is in the standby position, and the charging device performs the charging operation in a state where the wire cleaning member is not in the standby position. It is possible to avoid such a situation. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent non-uniform charging of the photoconductor, which may occur when the position where the wire electrode is stretched is not a predetermined position.

  The charging device described above has the above-described actions and effects. However, it is preferable to configure the image forming apparatus using a charging device having such actions and effects. Here, as described above, the image forming apparatus is an apparatus that records an image on a recording sheet, and the surface of the moving photosensitive member is charged and the charged surface is exposed to be statically exposed on the surface. An apparatus using a mechanism in which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and the formed electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer, visualized, and transferred to a recording sheet, thereby recording an image on the recording sheet. .

  Specifically, the image forming apparatus including the above-described charging device includes, for example, a charging device having the above-described wire electrode extension position detecting unit to constitute the image forming apparatus. In an image forming apparatus provided with a charging device having this wire electrode tension position detection means, it is preferable to use the wire electrode tension position detection determination process using this wire electrode tension position detection means as follows.

  That is, in the image forming apparatus, the wire electrode tension position detection means by the wire electrode tension position detection means immediately before the photoreceptor initialization process of the photoreceptor prior to performing the image recording process for recording an image on the recording paper. If the wire electrode tensioning position determination unit does not determine that the wire electrode tensioning position is abnormal in the wire electrode tensioning position detection judgment process, the photosensitive member follows the wire electrode tensioning position detection judgment process. An initialization process is performed.

  In addition to the above-described wire electrode extension position detecting means, an image forming apparatus is provided using a charging device provided with wire electrode cleaning means having the above-described wire cleaning member drive control unit and wire cleaning member standby state determination unit. You may make it comprise. In an image forming apparatus configured using a charging device including the wire electrode extension position detecting unit and the wire electrode cleaning unit, the internal process configuration in the image forming apparatus is configured as follows. preferable.

  That is, immediately before the photoreceptor initialization process that is performed prior to performing the image recording process for recording an image on a recording sheet, a wire electrode tension position detection determination process is performed by the wire electrode tension position detecting means, and the wire electrode The wire cleaning member standby state determination step by the wire cleaning member standby state determination unit of the wire electrode cleaning means when the wire electrode extension position determination unit determines that the wire electrode extension position is abnormal in the tension position detection determination step. Do.

  In this case, in the wire cleaning member standby state determination step, when the wire cleaning member standby state determination unit determines that the wire cleaning member standby position is abnormal, the wire cleaning member drive control unit of the wire electrode cleaning unit performs the wire cleaning. A wire cleaning member standby position return step is performed in which drive control is performed to return the member to the standby position.

  Then, after performing the wire cleaning member standby position return step, the wire electrode extension position detection determination step is performed again. In the wire electrode extension position detection determination step, the wire electrode extension position determination unit performs the wire electrode extension position detection step. When it is determined that the position is abnormal, a warning of the wire electrode extending position abnormality is generated and the operation is stopped.

  By configuring the internal processes in the image forming apparatus as described above, the internal processes of the image forming apparatus can be rationally formed.

  According to the charging device of the present invention, a confirmation window penetrating the front wall or the rear wall is installed on at least one of the front wall and the rear wall of the charging device casing of the charging device, and the confirmation window passes through the confirmation window. It is possible to visually check whether the position where the wire electrode is stretched is a predetermined position. A reference mark for visual confirmation is provided on the outer surface of the wall around the confirmation window. Therefore, it is possible to easily confirm whether or not the position where the wire electrode is stretched is the predetermined position, and there is a possibility that the photosensitivity may occur when the position where the wire electrode is stretched is not the predetermined position. Non-uniform charging of the body can be prevented.

  In addition, since the confirmation windows are installed at both ends located above the non-image area, it is possible to avoid the possibility that the uniformity of charging from the wire electrode to the image area of the photosensitive member is impaired.

  Further, since the charging device is provided with the wire electrode extension position detecting means, it is possible to automatically check whether or not the position where the wire electrode is extended is a predetermined position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the confirmation of the stretched position of the wire electrode, and to prevent uneven charging of the photoreceptor, which may occur when the position where the wire electrode is stretched is not a predetermined position. it can.

  In addition, since the charging device is provided with the wire electrode cleaning means, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of detaching, disassembling and assembling the charging device which has been conventionally performed for cleaning the wire electrode.

  In addition, since the confirmation window is located closer to the center in the left-right direction than the standby position of the wire cleaning member of the wire electrode cleaning means, the wire electrode cleaning means can wait at a position outside the confirmation window. When confirming whether or not the extending position of the electrode is the predetermined position is visually confirmed, it is possible to avoid the wire electrode cleaning means from being an obstacle to the visual confirmation.

  Further, since the wire electrode cleaning means includes the wire cleaning member drive control unit and the wire cleaning member standby state determination unit, the wire electrode can be automatically cleaned, and the cleaning of the wire electrode can be prevented. It is possible to automatically detect whether or not the wire cleaning member is present at the standby position. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a state in which the charging device performs the charging operation in a state where the wire cleaning member is not present at the standby position, and may occur when the position where the wire electrode is stretched is not the predetermined position. It is possible to prevent uneven charging of the photoreceptor.

  The process of executing the functions of the wire electrode tension position detecting means and the wire electrode cleaning means provided in the charging device while using the charging device of the present invention in the image forming apparatus is described above in the internal process of the image forming apparatus. As described above, the operation process of the image forming apparatus can be rationally formed by optimally arranging the image forming apparatus.

  Hereinafter, a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an image forming apparatus using the charging device will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a main part of an image forming apparatus 1 in which a charging device 3 according to the present embodiment is used. The image forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus used for a copying machine, a laser printer, a facsimile, or the like, and records an image on a recording sheet. The image recorded on the recording paper is read by a copying machine using the image forming apparatus 1, a laser printer, a facsimile, or the like using a scanner, or received via a communication line. It is formed based on the image information.

  In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 includes a photoreceptor 2, and a charging device 3, an exposure unit 4, a developing unit 5, a transfer belt 6, and a sheet peeling nail disposed around the photoreceptor 2. 7 and a cleaning blade 8. In addition to these components, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a fixing unit, a recording paper storage cassette, a recording paper transport belt, a recording paper discharge belt, a recording paper storage tray, a display device, and And a control unit that controls the entire image forming apparatus 1. The control unit includes hardware such as a CPU and a memory, and software such as an OS and various control programs necessary for controlling each of the above components and the entire image forming apparatus 1. . The display device is composed of an LCD or the like, and has a function of displaying an operation state of the image forming apparatus 1 and a warning.

  The photosensitive member 2 has a cylindrical shape, is coupled to a photosensitive member driving device (not shown in FIG. 1), and rotates in the direction of an arrow 2a. The charging device 3 has a function of charging the surface of the photoreceptor 2. The charging device 3 includes an opening surface, and the opening surface is disposed so as to face the surface of the photoreceptor 2 in parallel. The charging device 3 will be described in detail later. The exposure unit 4 has a function of forming a latent image on the surface of the photosensitive member 2 by irradiating the charged surface of the photosensitive member 2 with light 4 a such as a laser or LED whose emission is controlled based on image information. The developing unit 5 has a function of developing and visualizing the latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 2 using toner as a developer.

  The transfer belt 6 has a loop shape and is coupled to a transfer belt driving device (not shown in FIG. 1) to rotate in the direction of the arrow 6a. The upper side of the loop of the loop-shaped transfer belt 6 is in contact with the lower part of the surface of the photosensitive member 2, conveys the recording paper P to the photosensitive member 2, and is developed and visualized by the developing unit 5. The image on the surface of the recording paper P is transferred to the surface of the recording paper P. The paper peeling claw 7 has a function of peeling the recording paper P, on which the image has been transferred, from the surface of the photoreceptor 2, and the peeled recording paper P is fixed by a fixing unit (not shown). . The cleaning blade 8 has a function of removing toner adhering to the surface of the photoreceptor 2.

  Next, the charging device 3 will be described. 2 is a perspective view of the charging device 3 with the electrodes removed, as viewed from the opening surface side, FIG. 3A is a plan view of the charging device 3 as viewed from the opening surface side, and FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA, and FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3A. The charging device 3 mainly includes a wire-like wire electrode 3a, a mesh-like grid electrode 3b, a wire cleaning member 33, a wire electrode extending position detection mechanism, and the wire electrode 3a, grid electrode 3b, and wire cleaning member. 33 and a charging device housing 3c that holds a wire electrode extension position detection mechanism.

  The charging device housing 3c is formed along a direction intersecting with the rotation direction of the photosensitive member 2 and faces the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 in parallel with each other, the side walls 13 and 14, and the bottom wall 15 It consists of and. In addition, the charging device casing 3c has an internal space 16 formed therein, and an opening surface 17 formed by opening the internal space 16.

  The side walls 13, 14 are formed so that the end surfaces of the side walls 13, 14 on the opening surface side are deeper than the end surfaces of the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12. V-shaped wire attachment grooves 13 a and 14 a are formed on the end face of the opening surface side of 14. Wire attachment pieces 13 and 14 are bonded to the outside of the side walls 13 and 14, wire fixing pins 18 a and 18 a are provided on the side surfaces of the wire attachment pieces 18, and the side surfaces of the wire attachment pieces 19 are provided. Wire attachment pins 19a and 19a are provided.

  The wire electrode 3a has a wire shape, and the wire electrode 3a starts from one fixing pin 18a of the wire attachment piece 13, and is one of the wire attachment grooves 13a of the side wall 13 and one of the side walls 14. The wire attachment groove 14 a, one wire attachment pin 19 a of the wire attachment piece 19, the other wire attachment pin 19 a of the wire attachment piece 19, the other wire attachment groove 14 a of the side wall 14, and the other wire attachment of the side wall 13 After passing through the groove 13a in order, the wire fixing piece 13 is fixed and stretched by the other fixing pin 18a.

  Here, a portion from the side wall 13 to the side wall 14 where the wire electrode 3 a is stretched so as to cross the internal space 16 of the charging device housing 3 is referred to as an outward path portion, and the side wall 14 is changed to the side wall 13. The part to reach is called the return part. As described above, usually, the forward path portion is stretched between one wire mounting groove 13a of the side wall 13 and one wire mounting groove 14a of the side wall 14, and the return path portion is the other side of the side wall 14. The wire attachment groove 14a and the other wire attachment groove 13a of the side wall 13 are stretched. The forward path part and the backward path part are stretched so as to be parallel to the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12, and the forward path part and the backward path part are also stretched so as to be parallel to each other. The forward and backward path portions of the wire electrode 3a and the grid electrode 3b play a role of charging the surface of the photosensitive member 2.

  The grid electrode 3b has a mesh shape, and the grid electrode 3b is covered with the opening surface 17 of the charging device housing 3c. The wire electrode 3a is connected to the charging device housing with respect to the grid electrode 3b. Both the outward path and the return path crossing the internal space 16 of the body 3c are stretched so as to be parallel to the grid electrode 3b. Further, as described above, since the end surfaces of the side walls 13 and 14 on the opening surface side exist at positions deeper than the end surfaces of the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12, the forward path portion and the return path portion of the wire electrode 3a. Is spaced from the grid electrode 3b. That is, the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are separated from the grid electrode 3b and are stretched in parallel with the grid electrode 3b.

  Further, as described above, the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 are formed along the direction intersecting the rotation direction of the photosensitive member 2, and the forward path portion and the return path portion of the wire electrode 3 a are the front wall 11 and The rear wall 12 is stretched in parallel. Further, the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3 a are stretched in parallel with the grid electrode 3 b, and the charging device 3 is covered with the opening surface 17 of the charging device 3, that is, the opening surface 17. The grid electrode 3b is disposed so as to face the surface of the photoreceptor 2 in parallel. That is, the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3 a are stretched in parallel with the surface of the photoconductor 2 along a direction intersecting the rotation direction of the photoconductor 2.

  Further, the forward and backward path portions of the wire electrode 3a and the grid electrode 3b perform corona discharge toward the surface of the photoreceptor 2 due to a potential difference between the forward and backward path portions of the wire electrode 3a and the grid electrode 3b. As a result, the surface of the photoreceptor 2 is charged. Therefore, in order to apply the voltage for corona discharge to the wire electrode 3a and the grid electrode 3b, the wire electrode 3a and the grid electrode 3b are connected to a power source (not shown).

  As described above, the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are portions where the wire electrode 3a is stretched across the internal space 16 of the charging device housing 3, and the forward path of the wire electrode 3a. The positions of the portion and the return path portion on the charging device casing 3 are simply referred to as a stretched position of the wire electrode 3a. Further, the forward path of the wire electrode 3a in a state where the forward path portion of the wire electrode 3a is fitted and stretched in one wire mounting groove 13a of the side wall 13 and one wire mounting groove 14a of the side wall 14, respectively. The position of the portion on the charging device housing 3 is referred to as a predetermined position of the wire electrode 3a. Further, the forward path of the wire electrode 3a in a state where the return path portion of the wire electrode 3a is fitted and stretched in the other wire mounting groove 14a of the side wall 14 and the other wire mounting groove 13a of the side wall 13, respectively. The position of the portion on the charging device housing 3 is also referred to as a predetermined position of the wire electrode 3a.

  That is, normally, the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position, and if the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is the predetermined position, as can be seen from the above description, the forward path portion and the return path portion of the wire electrode 3a are: It is in a state parallel to the surface of the photoconductor 2 along the direction intersecting the rotation direction of the photoconductor 2. If the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are not parallel to the surface of the photoconductor 2, as described above, the surface of the photoconductor 2 is non-uniformly charged and the formation quality of the electrostatic latent image is deteriorated. As a result, the quality of the image recorded on the recording paper is degraded. Therefore, it is possible to check whether or not the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are parallel to the surface of the photoreceptor 2, that is, whether or not the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position. Important for one.

  Accordingly, confirmation windows 20 and 21 for confirming whether or not the wire electrode 3a is stretched to a predetermined position are provided in the charging device casing 3c. That is, a confirmation window 20 penetrating the front wall 11 is formed near the side wall 13 on the front wall 11 of the charging device casing 3c. Similarly, a confirmation window 21 penetrating the rear wall 12 is formed in the rear wall 12 near the side wall 13 so as to face the confirmation window 20. FIG. 4A is a partial front view showing the confirmation window 20 formed on the front wall 11.

  The confirmation windows 20 and 21 are formed in a portion of the charging device casing 3c positioned above the non-image area of the photoreceptor 2. That is, the surface of the photoconductor 2 is provided with an image area where an electrostatic latent image is formed and a non-image area where the electrostatic latent image is not formed. The image area formed at the edge portion is formed at the central portion of the photoreceptor 2 sandwiched between the non-image areas. The charging device 3 is disposed so as to face the photoconductor 2, but the confirmation windows 20 and 21 are formed in a portion of the charging device housing 3 c positioned above the non-image area of the photoconductor 2. The portions near the side wall 13 in the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 correspond to this portion.

  Such consideration is given for the following reason. In other words, in the charging device casing 3c having the wire electrode 3a therein, the opening of the charging device casing 3c is formed on the photosensitive member so that the discharge from the wire electrode 3a can be applied evenly to the image area of the photosensitive member 2. It is necessary to configure the charging device casing 3c so as to be limited to the portion facing the second image area. Therefore, in the charging device housing 3c, if an opening other than the above-described opening is provided in a portion located above the image area of the photoconductor 2, discharge from the wire electrode 3a to the image area of the photoconductor 2 is performed. Uniformity may be impaired. Therefore, the confirmation windows 20 and 21 are installed in a portion positioned above the non-image area so as to avoid a possibility that the uniformity of charging from the wire electrode 3a to the image area of the photoreceptor 2 is impaired. It is.

  A triangular reference mark 20a shown in FIG. 4A is formed on the surface of the front wall 11 around the confirmation window 20, and the surface of the front wall 12 around the confirmation window 21 is the same. The triangular reference mark is provided. This is provided in order to make it easy to check whether or not the wire electrode 3a is stretched at a predetermined position. That is, when the wire electrode 3a whose tensioning position is a predetermined position is viewed so that the line of sight viewed through the confirmation window is parallel to the grid electrode, the grid electrode appears as a straight line across the confirmation window. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, on the outer surface of the wall around the confirmation window, the above straight line and the front end are displayed on the surface of the front wall 11 or the front wall 12 so as to overlap each other. A triangular mark is the reference mark.

  Accordingly, when the wire electrode 3a is viewed from one confirmation window 20 so that the line of sight of the wire electrode 3a is parallel to the grid electrode, the wire electrode 3a is aligned with the tip of the reference mark 20a. When visible (see FIG. 4 (a)), the wire electrode 3a is stretched at a predetermined position, and when viewed from the tip of the reference mark 20a (see FIG. 4 (b)), the wire electrode 3a It can be seen that the tension position is not a predetermined position.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), the wire electrode 3 a is detached from the wire attachment groove 13 a of the side wall 13 and is stretched in a state of riding on the end surface of the side wall 13 on the opening surface side. As shown in FIG. 4B, the wire electrode 3a appears to be detached from the tip of the reference mark 20a. Even when the wire cleaning member 33 described below is stopped during cleaning (see FIGS. 6A and 6B), the wire electrode 3a appears to be detached from the tip of the reference mark 20a. In addition to the triangular mark, an arrow or a simple straight line may be used as the reference mark.

  The wire cleaning member 33 has a function of automatically cleaning the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a. Therefore, in order to realize this function, it is necessary to slide the wire cleaning member 33 along the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a. In FIGS. 3 is formed with a slide groove penetrating the bottom wall 15 in parallel with the forward path portion and the return path portion of the wire electrode 3a. Further, in order to construct a sliding rod 34 for moving the wire cleaning member 33 along the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a, the bottom wall 15 of the side walls 13 and 14 of the charging device housing 3 is provided. Sliding rod mounting walls 31 and 32 are formed on the opposite side sandwiched therebetween, and a sliding rod 34 is installed between the sliding rod mounting walls 31 and 32.

  The wire cleaning member 33 includes a cleaning pad 33a, a sliding body 33b, a screw feed hole 33c, a pad support 33d, a solenoid 33e, and a solenoid shaft 33f. A screw hole 33c screwed with the sliding rod 34 is formed in the lower part of the sliding body 33b of the wire cleaning member 33, and a cylindrical cylinder space 33d is formed in the upper part of the sliding body 33b. A solenoid 33f is installed in the back of the cylinder space 33d, and a pad support 33e is mounted on the tip of the solenoid shaft 33g of the solenoid 33f. The pad support 33e moves up and down in the cylinder space 33d by the solenoid 33f. The solenoid 33f is driven and controlled by the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1. A cleaning pad 33a is mounted on the top of the pad support 33e, and the cleaning pad 33a is automatically moved up and down by the solenoid 33f, but the cleaning pad 33a protrudes as will be described later. Thus, the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are cleaned.

  In the wire cleaning member 33, the sliding body 33 b of the wire cleaning member 33 is inserted into the slide groove formed in the bottom wall 15, and the screw hole 33 c formed in the sliding body 33 b has the sliding rod 34. It is screwed and attached to the charging device casing 3. The sliding rod 34 is coupled to a sliding rod driving device (not shown) and automatically moves forward and reverse to move the sliding body 33b of the wire cleaning member 33. .

  When the wire cleaning member 33 is in a standby state where cleaning is not performed, the sliding body 33b contacts the inner surface of the side wall 14 with the cleaning pad 33a retracted as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). The position is waiting, and this position is the waiting position of the wire cleaning member 33. At the time of cleaning for cleaning, as described above, with the cleaning pad 33a protruding, the cleaning pad 33a presses the surface of the top of the cleaning pad 33a against the forward path part and the return path part of the wire electrode 3a, As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are warped so as to approach the grid electrode 3b. Then, the sliding rod 34 is rotated to move the sliding body 33b, whereby the cleaning pad 33a is moved along the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a to perform the cleaning operation.

  The confirmation windows 20 and 21 are formed so as to be located closer to the center in the left-right direction than the standby position of the wire cleaning member 33. By doing in this way, the wire cleaning member 33 can be made to stand by in the position remove | deviated from the confirmation windows 20 and 21, and the confirmation window 20 confirms whether the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position. , 21 to avoid the wire cleaning member 33 from being an obstacle to visual confirmation.

  For the wire cleaning member 33, a standby position detection mechanism (not shown) that detects whether the wire cleaning member 33 is present at the standby position of the wire cleaning member 33 is provided in the charging device casing 3. Installed. The standby position detection mechanism includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element are connected to a control unit of the image forming apparatus 1. In this control unit, when the wire cleaning member 33 is not present at the standby position, the light emitted from the light emitting element is directly received by the light receiving element, and when the wire cleaning member 33 is present at the standby position, the light emission is performed. The light emitted from the element is blocked by the wire cleaning member 33 and is not received by the light receiving element, so that it can be determined whether or not the wire cleaning member 33 exists at the standby position. That is, when determining whether or not the wire cleaning member 33 is in the standby position, if the light receiving element is not receiving light, it is determined that the wire cleaning member standby position is normal, and the light receiving element is receiving light. And the wire cleaning member standby position abnormality is determined.

  The charging device 3 includes the standby position detection mechanism for the wire cleaning member 33 for the following reason. As described above, if the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are not parallel to the surface of the photoconductor 2, the surface of the photoconductor 2 is non-uniformly charged as described above, and the formation quality of the electrostatic latent image is increased. Decreases and the quality of the image recorded on the recording paper decreases. Therefore, it is important that the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3 a are parallel to the surface of the photoreceptor 2.

  Therefore, if the charging operation by the charging device 3 is performed on the photosensitive member 2 while the wire cleaning member 33 is stopped in the state shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B at the time of cleaning, Charging is performed in a state in which the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a are not parallel to the surface of the photoconductor 2, and the surface of the photoconductor 2 may be non-uniformly charged. Therefore, by detecting the case where the wire cleaning member 33 does not exist at the standby position by the standby position detection mechanism of the wire cleaning member 33, the above-described abnormal situation is prevented from occurring.

  The wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41 is a mechanism having a function of automatically detecting whether or not the extension position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position. The wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41 includes a light emitting element 41a and a light receiving element 41b. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 3 (a). FIG. 7 (a) shows a state where the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position, and FIG. The state when the stretched position of the wire electrode 3a deviates from the predetermined position is shown.

  That is, the light emitting element 41a is mounted at a position on the inner surface of the rear wall 12 so that the light emitted from the light emitting element 41a is irradiated to the forward path part and the return path part of the wire electrode 3a in parallel with the grid electrode 3b. The light receiving element 41b is attached at a position on the inner surface of the front wall 11 that can receive the light emitted from the light emitting element 41a. The light receiving element 41b has a function of detecting the position of a shadow formed by the light irradiated from the light emitting element 41a toward the forward path part and the backward path part of the wire electrode 3a being blocked by the forward path part and the backward path part. Yes.

  The light emitting element 41a and the light receiving element 41b are connected to the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1, and the control unit determines whether the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position. This determination is made at the positions where the wire electrode 3a is stretched at a predetermined position, at positions different from the positions of shadows blocked by the forward part and the backward part of the wire electrode 3a, at the forward part and the backward part of the wire electrode 3a. When the shaded shadow is detected by the light receiving element 41b, it is determined that the wire electrode extending position is abnormal.

  That is, in the control unit, when the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, in FIG. The position of the shadow formed by the light emitted from the light emitting element 41a being blocked by the forward path part and the backward path part of the wire electrode 3a is the center position in the vertical direction of the light receiving element 41b, and the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position. It turns out that there is, and judges that the wire electrode extending position is normal. When the extending position of the wire electrode 3a deviates from a predetermined position as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, for example, the radiation of the light emitting element 41a in FIG. The position of the shadow formed when the light to be blocked by the forward path part and the return path part of the wire electrode 3a is shifted to the grid electrode 3b side from the center position in the vertical direction of the light receiving element 41b, and the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is It is determined that the wire electrode is out of the predetermined position, and it is determined that the wire electrode extending position is abnormal. This is the same result even in the state shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b).

  According to the charging device 3 described above, the confirmation windows 20 and 21 penetrating the front wall 11 are installed on the front wall 11 of the charging device casing 3c of the charging device 3, and the confirmation windows 20 and 21 are used to It can be visually confirmed whether or not the position where the wire electrode 3a is stretched is a predetermined position. Further, on the outer surface of the wall around the confirmation windows 20 and 21, a reference mark for visual confirmation is provided. Therefore, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the position where the wire electrode 3a is stretched is the predetermined position, and may occur when the position where the wire electrode 3a is stretched is not the predetermined position. In addition, nonuniform charging of the photoreceptor 2 can be prevented.

  Further, since the confirmation windows 20 and 21 are installed in a portion located above the non-image area of the photosensitive member 2, it is possible to avoid the possibility that the charging uniformity from the wire electrode 3a to the image area of the photosensitive member 2 is impaired. can do.

  Further, since the charging device 3 includes the wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41, it is possible to automatically check whether or not the position where the wire electrode 3a is extended is a predetermined position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent omission of confirmation of the position where the wire electrode 3a is stretched, and to prevent uneven charging of the photoreceptor 2 which may occur when the position where the wire electrode 3a is stretched is not a predetermined position. can do.

  In addition, since the charging device 3 includes the wire cleaning member 33, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of attaching and detaching the charging device and disassembling / assembling which have been conventionally performed for cleaning the wire electrode 3a.

  Further, the wire electrode 3a can be automatically cleaned by the wire cleaning member 33, the sliding rod 34, the sliding rod driving device, etc., and the cleaning leakage of the wire electrode 3a can be prevented. Further, since the charging device 3 is provided with a standby position detection mechanism for the wire cleaning member 33 with respect to the wire cleaning member 33, it is automatically detected whether or not the wire cleaning member 33 is present at the standby position. be able to. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid a state in which the charging device 3 performs the charging operation in a state where the wire cleaning member 33 is not present at the standby position, and the position where the wire electrode 3a is stretched is not a predetermined position. It is possible to prevent non-uniform charging of the photoreceptor 2 that may occur in

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 provided with the charging device 3 will be described. As described above, the charging device 3 provided in the image forming apparatus 1 includes the wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41 connected to the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 and the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1. The wire cleaning member 33 having a solenoid 33f that is driven and controlled, the sliding rod 34 having a sliding rod driving device that is also driven and controlled by the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1, and the wire cleaning member 33 A standby position detection mechanism is provided, and the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is characterized by using these.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. In FIG. 8, the control device of the image forming apparatus 1 reads from each device such as a copying machine, a laser printer, or a facsimile using the image forming apparatus 1 using a scanner or via a communication line. If the image information requested is provided and the request for image recording is made (S1), the process proceeds to the wire electrode extension position detection determination step (S2).

  In the wire electrode extension position detection determination step (S2), whether or not the extension position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position based on the output of the wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41 provided in the charging device 3 is described above. That is, it is checked whether or not the wire electrode 3a is stretched to a predetermined position to determine whether the wire electrode stretch position is normal or the wire electrode stretch position is abnormal. If it is determined that the wire electrode extending position is normal (S3), the process proceeds to the photoreceptor initialization step (S9).

  If it is determined in the wire electrode tension position detection determination step (S2) that the wire electrode tension position is abnormal (S3), the process proceeds to a wire cleaning member standby state determination step (S4). In the wire cleaning member standby state determination step (S4), the wire cleaning member 33 is present at the standby position of the wire cleaning member 33 by the output of the above-described standby position detection mechanism of the wire cleaning member 33 provided in the charging device 3. It is checked whether the wire cleaning member standby position is normal or the wire cleaning member standby position is abnormal. If it is determined that the wire cleaning member standby position is normal (S5), the cause of the wire electrode tensioning position abnormality is not the fact that the wire cleaning member 33 is not present at the standby position. The image is displayed on the display device of the image forming apparatus 1 and the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is stopped (S11).

  If it is determined in the wire cleaning member standby state determination step (S4) that the wire cleaning member standby position is abnormal (S5), the process proceeds to the wire cleaning member standby position return step (S6). In the wire cleaning member standby position return step (S6), the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 controls the sliding rod driving device to rotate the sliding rod 34 so that the wire cleaning member 33 waits for the wire cleaning member 33. Return to position.

  When the wire cleaning member standby position return step (S6) is completed, the process proceeds again to the wire electrode extension position detection determination step (S7), and the output of the wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41 provided in the charging device 3 is performed. Thus, it is checked whether the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position, and it is determined whether the wire electrode extending position is normal or the wire electrode extending position is abnormal. If it is determined that the wire electrode extending position is normal (S8), the process proceeds to the photoreceptor initialization step (S9).

  If it is determined in step S2 or S7 that the wire electrode tension position is determined to be normal (S3, S8), a photoreceptor initialization process (S9) is executed. In the photoreceptor initialization step (S9), the developer adhering to the surface of the photoreceptor 2 is removed, and uniform charging is performed except for remaining charge.

  When the photoreceptor initialization process (S9) is completed, an image recording process (S10) is executed. In the image recording step (S10), the recording paper P is taken out from the recording paper storage cassette and transported toward the photoconductor 2 by the recording paper transport belt, and an image is recorded on the recording paper P by the photoconductor 2 and the transfer belt 6. The recording paper P on which the image is recorded is fixed by the fixing unit, and then conveyed by the recording paper discharge belt, and is stored in the recording paper storage tray. When this image recording step (S10) is executed, a series of operations of the image forming apparatus 1 is completed.

  If it is determined that the wire electrode tensioning position is abnormal in the wire electrode tensioning position detection determination step of S7 (S8), the wire electrode tensioning is performed even if the wire cleaning member 33 is returned to the standby position of the wire cleaning member 33. Since the position does not become normal, a warning of the wire electrode extending position abnormality is displayed on the display device of the image forming apparatus 1, and the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is stopped (S11), and the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is ended. .

  In addition, the cleaning operation of the forward path portion and the backward path portion of the wire electrode 3a performed using the wire cleaning member 33 is normally performed every time the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, and the entire image forming apparatus 1 is initialized. The operation is included in the operation, but may be performed between S1 and S2 in the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 described above. Alternatively, it may be performed after the series of operations of the image forming apparatus 1 described above is completely completed.

  In the operation process of the image forming apparatus 1 described above, a process of checking whether the extending position of the wire electrode 3a is a predetermined position, which is performed by using the wire electrode extending position detecting mechanism 41, or wire cleaning. The step of checking whether or not the wire cleaning member 33 exists at the standby position, which is performed by using the standby position detection mechanism of the member 33, is optimally arranged. Therefore, by configuring the operation process of the image forming apparatus 1 as described above, the operation process of the image forming apparatus can be rationally formed.

  In the charging device 3 provided in the image forming apparatus 1, the confirmation windows 20 and 21 formed in the charging device housing 3 c of the charging device 3 are formed on the side wall 13 of the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12. Although it is formed near, it may be formed near the side wall 14 of the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12. Alternatively, the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 may be formed both near the side wall 13 and near the side wall 14.

  Further, in the charging device 3 described above, the wire cleaning member 33 is automatically driven and controlled, but may be configured to be manually operated. For example, the solenoid 33f of the wire cleaning member 33 and the sliding rod driving device for driving the sliding rod 34 are removed to manually move the pad column 33e up and down, and the sliding rod 34 is manually moved. For example, the wire cleaning member 33 can be manually operated by rotating the wire cleaning member 33.

  The charging device 3 includes both the confirmation windows 20 and 21 and the wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41. However, only the wire electrode extension position detection mechanism 41 or only the confirmation windows 20 and 21 are provided. You may do it.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a main part of an image forming apparatus in which a charging device according to an exemplary embodiment is used. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the charging device in a state where an electrode of the image forming apparatus in the present embodiment is removed as viewed from the opening surface side. (A) of the charging device in the present embodiment is a plan view of the charging device as viewed from the opening surface side, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in (a), and (c) is in (a). It is BB sectional drawing. FIG. 3 is an external view of a confirmation window of a charging device according to the present embodiment, where (a) shows a case where the wire electrode is properly stretched and (b) shows a case where the wire electrode is stretched abnormally. . FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3A when the wire electrode of the charging device according to the present embodiment is abnormally stretched. It is sectional drawing. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3A during cleaning with the cleaning pad of the charging device according to the present embodiment. . FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the charging device in FIG. 3A according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. 3A illustrates a case where the wire electrode is normally stretched and FIG. Shows the case. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an image forming apparatus in which the charging device according to the present embodiment is used.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Photoconductor 2a Rotation direction of a photoconductor 3 Charging device 3a Wire electrode 3b Grid electrode 3c Charging device housing 4 Exposure unit 4a Light 5 Development unit 6 Transfer belt 6a Rotation direction of transfer belt 7 Paper peeling nail 8 Cleaning blade 11 Front wall 12 Rear wall 13 Side wall 13a Wire mounting groove 14 Side wall 14a Wire mounting groove 15 Bottom wall 16 Internal space 17 Opening surface 18 Wire mounting piece 18a Wire fixing pin 19 Wire mounting piece 19a Wire mounting pin 20 Confirmation window 20a Reference mark 21 Confirmation window 31 Sliding rod mounting wall 32 Sliding rod mounting wall 33 Wire cleaning member 33a Cleaning pad 33b Sliding body 33c Screw hole 33d Cylinder space 33e Pad support 33f Solenoid 33g Solenoid shaft 34 Sliding rod 41 Wire GokuCho established position detecting mechanism 41a emitting element 41b receiving element P recording paper

Claims (13)

The surface of the moving photosensitive member is charged and the charged surface is exposed to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface. The formed electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer and visualized. Wire electrodes and mesh grid electrodes used for charging the surface of the photoreceptor on which image recording is performed on the recording paper by being transferred to the recording paper, and the wire electrodes and the grid electrodes A charging device having a charging device housing for holding
The charging device casing includes a front wall and a rear wall formed along a direction intersecting the moving direction of the photoconductor, an internal space surrounded by the front wall and the rear wall, and the internal space An opening surface formed so as to be open, and the opening surface is disposed so as to face the surface of the photoreceptor;
The grid electrode is covered with the opening surface of the charging device casing so as to be parallel to the surface of the photoconductor, and the wire electrode is separated from the grid electrode, and the photoconductor It is stretched at a predetermined position in the internal space of the charging device casing so as to be parallel to the surface of the photoreceptor along a direction intersecting the moving direction,
At least one of said front wall and said rear wall, confirmation window through the front wall or the rear wall is placed, via the confirmation window, the predetermined position is a position where the wire electrode is stretched confirmation of whether or not the state, and are possible with the naked eye,
A charging apparatus comprising a reference mark for visual confirmation on an outer surface of a wall around the confirmation window . On the surface of the photoconductor, non-image areas that are not subject to charging are formed at both end portions located on the left and right in the moving direction of the photoconductor,
The confirmation window is installed at at least one of the left and right end portions of the front wall or the rear wall of the charging device casing, the end portions being located above the non-image area. 2. The charging device according to 1 . The surface of the moving photosensitive member is charged and the charged surface is exposed to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface. The formed electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer and visualized. Wire electrodes and mesh grid electrodes used for charging the surface of the photoreceptor on which image recording is performed on the recording paper by being transferred to the recording paper, and the wire electrodes and the grid electrodes A charging device having a charging device housing for holding
The charging device casing includes a front wall and a rear wall formed along a direction intersecting the moving direction of the photoconductor, an internal space surrounded by the front wall and the rear wall, and the internal space An opening surface formed so as to open, and the opening surface is disposed so as to face the surface of the photoconductor,
The grid electrode is covered with the opening surface of the charging device casing so as to be parallel to the surface of the photoconductor, and the wire electrode is separated from the grid electrode, and the photoconductor It is stretched at a predetermined position in the internal space of the charging device casing so as to be parallel to the surface of the photoreceptor along a direction intersecting the moving direction,
A charging device comprising: a wire electrode extension position detecting unit that determines that the wire electrode extension position is abnormal when detecting that the position where the wire electrode is extended is not the predetermined position. The wire electrode extension position detecting means includes a light emitting element that emits light toward the wire electrode;
And capable of detecting light-receiving element the position of the shadow can the light emitting elements or RaTeru Isa light is blocked by the wire electrode,
When the light receiving element detects a shadow that is blocked by the wire electrode at a position different from the position of the shadow that is blocked by the wire electrode in a state where the wire electrode is stretched at the predetermined position, The charging device according to claim 3, further comprising: a wire electrode extension position determination unit that determines that the wire electrode extension position is abnormal. The top surface of the wire cleaning member disposed in the internal space of the charging device casing is pressed against the wire electrode and pressed, and the wire electrode is moved along the wire electrode while being warped. A cleaning operation for cleaning the electrode, and when the cleaning operation is not performed, the wire cleaning member is provided at one of the left and right ends of the charging device housing with the top of the wire cleaning member removed from the wire electrode. 5. The charging device according to claim 1, further comprising a wire electrode cleaning unit that performs a standby operation of waiting at a standby position by manual operation. 6. The charging device according to claim 5, wherein when the confirmation window is installed, the confirmation window is installed so as to be positioned closer to the center in the left-right direction than the standby position of the wire cleaning member. The charging device according to claim 5, wherein the wire electrode cleaning unit includes a wire cleaning member drive control unit that automatically performs the cleaning operation and the standby operation instead of the manual operation. The wire electrode cleaning means detects whether or not the wire cleaning member is present at the standby position, and determines that the wire cleaning member standby position is abnormal when it is detected that the wire cleaning member is not present at the standby position. The charging device according to claim 7, further comprising a cleaning member standby state determination unit. An image forming apparatus comprising the charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . An image forming apparatus comprising the charging device according to any one of claims 3 to 8 ,
Immediately before the photoconductor initialization process of the photoconductor performed prior to performing the image recording process for recording an image on a recording paper, a wire electrode tension position detection determination step by the wire electrode tension position detection unit is performed, In the wire electrode tension position detection determination step, when the wire electrode tension position determination unit does not determine that the wire electrode tension position is abnormal, the photoreceptor initialization process follows the wire electrode tension position detection determination process. An image forming apparatus for performing. An image forming apparatus comprising the charging device according to claim 8 ,
Immediately before the photoconductor initialization process of the photoconductor performed prior to performing the image recording process for recording an image on a recording paper, a wire electrode tension position detection determination step by the wire electrode tension position detection unit is performed, in the wire electrode tensioned position detection determining step, wherein when it is determined that the wire electrode stretched malpositioned by wire electrode tensioned position determination unit, before Kiwa ear cleaning member standby state determination section wire cleaning member standby state judgment by An image forming apparatus that performs a process. In the wire cleaning member standby state determination step, when it is determined that the wire cleaning member standby position abnormality by the wire cleaning member standby state determination section, the front Kiwa ear cleaning member drive control unit, the standby the wire cleaning member The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a wire cleaning member standby position return step in which drive control for returning the position is performed is performed. After performing the wire cleaning member standby position return step, the wire electrode extension position detection determination step is performed again. In the wire electrode extension position detection determination step, the wire electrode extension position determination unit performs the wire electrode extension position detection step. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when it is determined that the installation position is abnormal, a warning of a wire electrode extending position abnormality is generated and the operation is stopped.

Images