JP5206320B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a composite machine of these, and is downstream in the moving direction of an image holding member from a position where a toner image is transferred from an image holding member that holds and moves the toner image. And the lubricant supplying means for supplying the lubricant to the surface of the image holding member at the position on the side, and the end of the cleaning blade is pressed against the surface of the image holding member after the transfer to remain on the surface of the image holding member In an image forming apparatus provided with a cleaning device for removing toner and applying a lubricant to the surface of the image holding member, the lubricant is appropriately supplied to the surface of the image holding member by the lubricant supply means, This is characterized in that the occurrence of wear or chipping at the end of the cleaning blade is suppressed.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a composite machine of these, after a toner image is transferred from a moving image holding member to a transfer member such as a recording sheet or an intermediate transfer member. An end portion of a cleaning blade is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member to remove a residue such as toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member.

  Here, after the toner image is transferred as described above, the cleaning blade is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member, and the work of removing the residual toner and the like remaining on the surface of the image holding member is lengthened. Continuing, there were problems such as the end of the cleaning blade being worn and the cleaning performance deteriorated, and the surface of the image holding member was worn and the life of the image holding member was shortened.

  For this reason, conventionally, after a toner image on the surface of the image holding member is transferred to a transfer member such as a recording sheet, a lubricant such as metal soap is supplied to the surface of the image holding member from a lubricant supply means. The lubricant reduces the friction coefficient on the surface of the image holding member, suppresses the wear of the edge of the cleaning blade and the surface of the image holding member, and improves the releasability of the surface of the image holding member. The toner image formed on the surface of the toner is appropriately transferred to the above-mentioned transfer target member.

  In supplying the lubricant from the lubricant supplying means to the surface of the image holding member after the toner image is transferred to the transfer member as described above, conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a solid state is used. After scraping off the lubricant from the lubricant by the brush roller, the brush roller is brought into contact with the surface of the image holding member after transferring the toner image, and the scraped lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member. The end of the cleaning blade is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member to remove residual toner and the like remaining on the surface of the image holding member, and the lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member. Something like this has been proposed.

However, the lubricant is scraped off from the solid lubricant by the brush roller and applied to the surface of the image holding member, and the end of the cleaning blade is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member so as to be applied to the surface of the image holding member. Even when the residual toner or the like is removed and the lubricant supplied to the surface of the image holding member is applied to the surface of the image holding member, there is a chip near the edge of the cleaning blade. There is a problem in that good image formation cannot be stably performed over a long period of time due to occurrence or increased wear at the edge of the cleaning blade, resulting in poor cleaning and the like.
JP 2003-57996 A

  According to the present invention, after a toner image is transferred from an image holding member that holds and moves a toner image, a lubricant that is scraped off from a solid lubricant by a brush roller onto the surface of the image holding member is applied to the surface of the image holding member. At the same time, a cleaning blade is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member to remove residues such as toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member, and the lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member. It is an object to solve the above problems in the case.

  Here, as described above, the present inventors scrape the lubricant from the solid lubricant by the brush roller and apply it to the surface of the image holding member, and press the end of the cleaning blade against the surface of the image holding member. In addition, the toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member is removed, and the lubricant supplied to the surface of the image holding member is applied to the surface of the image holding member. The cause of chipping near the end of the blade and increased wear at the end of the cleaning blade was investigated.

  Here, when a brush roller provided with a normal brush is used to scrape off the lubricant from the solid lubricant by the brush roller and apply it to the surface of the image holding member as described above, the solid lubricant can be obtained by the brush roller. When the lubricant is scraped off and applied to the surface of the image holding member, the lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member in a substantially constant state in the moving direction of the image holding member.

  Then, when the end of the cleaning blade is pressed against the surface of the image holding member to which the lubricant is applied in a constant state in the moving direction of the image holding member, the cleaning blade pressed against the surface of the image holding member The end of the image is in close contact with the surface of the image holding member to which the lubricant has been applied, and the frictional force of the end of the cleaning blade against the surface of the image holding member increases. It is considered that the end portion of the cleaning blade is greatly deformed, thereby causing chipping near the end portion of the cleaning blade or increasing wear at the end portion of the cleaning blade.

  In the present invention, when the lubricant scraped from the solid lubricant by the brush roller as described above is applied to the surface of the image holding member after transfer, the lubricant is in a constant state in the moving direction of the image holding member. The frictional force of the edge of the cleaning blade against the surface of the image holding member is suppressed from increasing, and the edge of the cleaning blade is greatly deformed as the image holding member moves, so that the edge of the cleaning blade It is an object to prevent the occurrence of near chipping or increased wear at the end of the cleaning blade, to suppress the occurrence of defective cleaning and to enable stable image formation over a long period of time. .

In the present invention, in order to solve the above-described problems, the image is placed at a position downstream of the image holding member in the moving direction from the position where the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image. Lubricant supply means for supplying a lubricant to the surface of the holding member, an end of the cleaning blade is pressed against the surface of the image holding member after the transfer to remove toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member, and the image holding member In the image forming apparatus provided with a cleaning device for applying a lubricant to the surface of the image bearing member, the lubricant supply means is in contact with the solid lubricant along the longitudinal direction of the image holding member and the solid lubricant. rotating by providing a brush roller for supplying a lubricant to the surface of the image holding member, as the brush roller, the brush is constituted by a looped brush inclined with respect to the rotational direction of the brush roller Angle with brush rollers having different loop brush is mixed.

In the present invention, the lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member at a position on the downstream side in the moving direction of the image holding member from the position where the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image. Lubricant supply means to be supplied and the end of the cleaning blade are brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member after transfer to remove toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member, and a lubricant is applied to the surface of the image holding member. In an image forming apparatus provided with a cleaning device, the lubricant is supplied to the above-described lubricant supply means, and the lubricant is rotated while being in contact with the solid lubricant along the longitudinal direction of the image holding member, thereby holding the image of the lubricant. A brush roller to be supplied to the surface of the member. As the brush roller, the brush is constituted by a loop brush, and the above-mentioned loop roller having a different inclination direction with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller. There was used a brush roller disposed alternately in the axial direction of the brush roller.

  In the image forming apparatus, as the material of the solid lubricant, for example, a fatty acid metal salt such as zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, lithium stearate, etc. can be used. It is preferable to use zinc stearate having low frictional resistance.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, after the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image, the surface of the image holding member is provided with the lubricant scraped off from the solid lubricant by the brush roller. In doing so, in the brush roller using the loop brush as described above, the loop brush is inclined at a required angle with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller. The amount of lubricant scraped from the agent and applied to the surface of the image holding member changes corresponding to the inclination of the loop-shaped brush, and the amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the image holding member is Fluctuating in the moving direction of the member, the surface roughness in the moving direction of the image holding member on the surface of the image holding member to which the lubricant is applied increases.

  Then, the end of the cleaning blade is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the image holding member whose surface roughness in the moving direction of the image holding member has been increased by applying the lubricant, and remains on the surface of the image holding member. When the toner that has been removed is removed and the lubricant supplied to the surface of the image holding member is applied to the surface of the image holding member, the end of the cleaning blade adheres to the surface of the image holding member to which the lubricant has been applied. Therefore, the frictional force of the end portion of the cleaning blade against the surface of the image holding member is prevented from increasing.

  As a result, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the end of the cleaning blade pressed against the surface of the image holding member is prevented from being greatly deformed as the image holding member moves, and is close to the end of the cleaning blade. It is possible to suppress chipping and wear at the end of the cleaning blade from increasing, and to appropriately prevent the occurrence of defective cleaning and the like, so that stable image formation can be performed over a long period of time.

In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the brush roller using the loop brush, when the loop brush is inclined at a required angle with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller, the inclination angle with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller is so as to mix different looped brush, or the inclined direction to the rotation direction of the brush roller was set to be arranged alternately different looped brush in the axial direction of the brush roller, the image supporting member by each looped brush The amount of lubricant applied to the surface changes randomly in the moving direction of the image holding member, and the surface roughness in the moving direction of the image holding member on the surface of the image holding member to which the lubricant is applied becomes random. Therefore, the end of the cleaning blade can be further prevented from coming into close contact with the surface of the image holding member to which the lubricant is applied. Further, the frictional force of the edge of the cleaning blade against the surface of the image holding member is further reduced, and the occurrence of chipping near the edge of the cleaning blade and the increase in wear at the edge of the cleaning blade are further suppressed. Thus, stable image formation can be performed over a longer period.

  Next, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to those shown in the following embodiments, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not changing the gist thereof.

  In the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an image holding member corresponding to four developing devices 11 containing toners of different colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Four photoconductor drums 10 are provided.

  Here, in this image forming apparatus, when full-color image formation is performed, each of the photosensitive drums 10 is rotated, and the surface of each of the photosensitive drums 10 is charged by the charging device 12 that performs corona discharge. Each of the photosensitive drums 10 charged in this way is exposed according to image data by the exposure device 13 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of each photosensitive drum 10.

  Then, with respect to each photoconductor drum 10 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed in this way, toner of a predetermined color is supplied from the corresponding developing device 11 to the electrostatic latent image on each photoconductor drum 10 and developed. The toner images of the respective colors are formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 10.

  Next, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the respective photosensitive drums 10 are respectively transferred to the intermediate transfer body 15 in the form of an endless belt that is driven around the roller 14 and transferred in the form of a roller. A primary transfer is sequentially performed by the device 16 to form a full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer member 15.

  Next, the full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer member 15 in this way is guided to a position facing the secondary transfer device 17 formed into a roller shape by the intermediate transfer member 15, and the image forming apparatus The recording sheet S accommodated in the lower part is guided between the intermediate transfer member 15 and the secondary transfer device 17 by the feed roller 18, and the full color formed on the intermediate transfer member 15 by the secondary transfer device 17 described above. The toner image is secondarily transferred to the recording sheet S.

  Thereafter, the recording sheet S to which the full-color toner image has been transferred is guided to the fixing device 19, and the transferred full-color toner image is fixed to the recording sheet S, and then the recording in which the full-color toner image is fixed as described above. While discharging the sheet S, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 15 without being transferred to the recording sheet S is removed from the intermediate transfer body 15 by the second cleaning blade 21 provided in the second cleaning device 20. .

  In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the lubricant supply means 30 is provided on the surface of each photosensitive drum 10 after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 15 as described above. Then, the end of the first cleaning blade 41 provided in the first cleaning device 40 is brought into pressure contact with the surface of each photoconductive drum 10 to remain on the surface of each photoconductive drum 10. In addition to removing the toner, the lubricant supplied to the surface of each photoconductor drum 10 is applied to the surface of each photoconductor drum 10.

  Here, when the lubricant is supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 after the transfer by the lubricant supplying means 30 as described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. A brush roller 31 that rotates in contact with the surface is provided along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 10, and a solid lubricant 32 provided along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 10 is applied to the brush roller 31. It is pressed by a pressing means 33 made of a spring member, and the lubricant is scraped off from the solid lubricant 32 by the brush 31a in the brush roller 31 and supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG.3 and FIG.4, as said brush roller 31, the brush provided in the outer periphery is comprised with the loop-shaped brush 31a, and each loop-shaped brush 31a is the brush roller 31. The two types of loop-shaped brushes 31a1 and 31a2 that are provided so as to be inclined with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller 31 and that have different inclination directions with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller 31 are alternately arranged in the axial direction of the brush roller 31. I have to.

  When the lubricant is scraped from the solid lubricant 32 and supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 by the two types of loop-shaped brushes 31a1 and 31a2 provided on the brush roller 31 and having different inclination directions as described above, FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, in the moving direction A of the photosensitive drum 10, the thickness of the lubricant 32a applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 changes, and the surface on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 to which the lubricant 32a is applied. When the roughness increases and the end of the first cleaning blade 41 is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 as described above to apply the lubricant 32a to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10, the first cleaning blade is used. Thus, the first cleaning blade 41 with respect to the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is prevented from being brought into close contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. Frictional force of the end portion is reduced.

  For this reason, as the photosensitive drum 10 moves, the end of the first cleaning blade 41 pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is prevented from being greatly deformed, and is close to the end of the first cleaning blade 41. It is possible to prevent the chipping and the wear at the end of the first cleaning blade 41 from increasing, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 can be stably cleaned by the first cleaning blade 41. As a result, good image formation can be performed stably over a long period of time.

1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the image forming apparatus of the embodiment, after supplying the lubricant from the lubricant supplying means to the surface of the photosensitive drum after the toner image is transferred, the end of the first cleaning blade provided in the first cleaning device is Schematic description showing a state in which the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum is removed by being brought into pressure contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum, and the lubricant supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum. FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial explanatory view showing a state of a loop-shaped brush in a brush roller used for a lubricant supply unit in the image forming apparatus of the embodiment. In the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, the loop-shaped brush in the brush roller used for the lubricant supply unit includes two types of loop-shaped brushes having different inclination directions with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller. It is the schematic explanatory drawing which showed the state arrange | positioned alternately by the axial direction of a brush roller. In the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, the state of the lubricant supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum by the brush roller and the state in which the lubricant is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum by the first cleaning blade are shown. It is explanatory drawing.

Explanation of symbols

10 Photosensitive drum (image holding member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Developing device 12 Charging device 13 Exposure device 14 Roller 15 Intermediate transfer body 16 Primary transfer device 17 Secondary transfer device 18 Feeding roller 19 Fixing device 20 Second cleaning device 21 Second cleaning blade 30 Lubricant supply means 31 Brush roller 31a, 31a1, 31a2 Loop-shaped brush 32 Solid lubricant 32a Lubricant 33 Pressing means 40 First cleaning device 41 First cleaning blade A Movement direction of photosensitive drum S Recording sheet

Claims (3)

Lubricant supply means for supplying a lubricant to the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the image holding member in the moving direction from the position where the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image. And a cleaning device that presses the end of the cleaning blade against the surface of the image holding member after transfer to remove toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member and apply a lubricant to the surface of the image holding member. In the image forming apparatus, a solid lubricant along the longitudinal direction of the image holding member and a brush that rotates while contacting the solid lubricant and supplies the lubricant to the surface of the image holding member a roller provided, as the brush roller, the brush is constituted by a looped brush looped brush inclination angle with respect to the rotational direction of the brush roller are different are mixed Burashiro An image forming apparatus characterized by using a. Lubricant supply means for supplying a lubricant to the surface of the image holding member at a position downstream of the image holding member in the moving direction from the position where the toner image is transferred from the image holding member that holds and moves the toner image. And a cleaning device that presses the end of the cleaning blade against the surface of the image holding member after transfer to remove toner remaining on the surface of the image holding member and apply a lubricant to the surface of the image holding member. In the image forming apparatus, a solid lubricant along the longitudinal direction of the image holding member and a brush that rotates while contacting the solid lubricant and supplies the lubricant to the surface of the image holding member The brush is composed of a loop-shaped brush as the brush roller, and the loop-shaped brush having a different inclination direction with respect to the rotation direction of the brush roller is the axial direction of the brush roller. An image forming apparatus characterized by using the brush roller disposed alternately. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the solid lubricant material is zinc stearate.

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