JP5494188B2 - Cleaning device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides a cleaning blade disposed opposite to the photosensitive member to remove and clean the toner on the photosensitive member, a mechanism for holding the cleaning blade and abutting or separating from the photosensitive member; And an image forming apparatus including the cleaning device.

  2. Description of the Related Art An electrophotographic image forming apparatus that forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor (image carrier), adheres toner to the image, and transfers and fixes the image on paper or the like is widely used.

  As a developing method for forming a toner image, there are a dry developing method and a wet developing method. As dry developers, there are known a one-component system using only toner and a two-component developer system using a two-component developer obtained by mixing toner and carrier.

  For example, in the two-component development method, a carrier brush (magnetic brush) is formed on a developing roller (developer carrying member) containing a magnet body, and the latent image on the photosensitive member is rubbed to rub the magnetic brush. The upper charged toner is attached to the latent image.

  The latent image formed through the process of charging and image exposure on the photoreceptor is developed by rubbing with a developer as described above, and after forming a toner image, for example, primary transfer to an intermediate transfer body, Further, a process of secondary transfer onto a recording medium and fixing with a fixing device is followed.

  In this process, toner remaining after transfer remains on a member that forms or holds a toner image such as a photoreceptor or an intermediate transfer member, which may adversely affect the next image formation or the like. Therefore, a cleaning device is disposed as appropriate.

  In particular, since the photosensitive member has a large amount of residual toner and has a great influence on the next image formation, the cleaning device may be indispensable.

  Cleaning is generally performed using a cleaning blade. The edge portion of the blade is brought into pressure contact with the surface of the photoreceptor, and the residual toner is scraped off and removed. There are other methods using a cleaning roller, etc., which may be used together.

  The removed toner is often collected by a collecting means. The collected toner is stored and discarded or reused as a developer.

  However, the toner scraped off from the photoreceptor by the cleaning blade tends to become scattered toner in the process of recovery by the recovery means. That is, the toner may flow out of the toner collecting means due to the balance of the air pressure, or may be spilled toner near the cleaning unit, which may have an adverse effect.

  In addition, the cleaning blade in the cleaning unit has a service life, and is replaced, for example, after printing a predetermined number of sheets. Even in such a case, when the blade edge portion that has been in contact with the photosensitive member is separated, the toner may be scattered from the edge portion or may remain on the photosensitive member.

  Techniques have been developed to prevent scattering of toner that has been removed or recovered by such blade cleaning (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the toner collecting means is provided on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the photoreceptor of the cleaning unit using the blade, and the collecting means is almost sealed to prevent toner scattering. Further, an exhaust port is provided to prevent the air pressure from rising and the toner from leaking easily. To prevent the toner from flowing out, the exhaust path is a labyrinth or a filter is provided.

  However, even if the above technique is effective for scattering toner from the toner collecting means, it is not effective for scattering toner from the blade part, for example, when replacing the blade.

  According to the technique described in Patent Document 2, a bristle brush brought into contact with the photosensitive member is provided on the downstream side as a countermeasure against slipping off of the toner scraped off at the cleaning edge portion. Further, when the cleaning blade is separated due to blade replacement or the like, the photosensitive member is reversely rotated so that at least the contact portion of the bristle brush in which the toner is stagnant comes to the upstream side from the cleaning blade contact portion. . After that, the photosensitive member is normally rotated for a predetermined time in the cleaning blade contact state to suppress toner scattering.

JP 2000-181318 A JP-A-5-297769

  As described above, the scattering of toner that has been removed or recovered by blade cleaning has been a problem.

  As countermeasures, techniques such as Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are disclosed.

  However, even though the technique described in Patent Document 1 is effective for scattering toner from the toner collecting unit as described above, it is not effective for scattering toner from the blade part, for example, when replacing the blade.

  That is, even when the cleaning blade in the cleaning unit is replaced, when the blade edge part that has been in contact with the photosensitive member is separated, toner or a lubricant is scattered from the edge part or remains on the photosensitive member. In some cases, image defects may occur.

  As a countermeasure, the technique described in Patent Document 2 reverses the photosensitive member until the dirt on the photosensitive member comes upstream from the contact position of the cleaning blade with the cleaning blade separated, and then the cleaning blade. Is pressed against the photoconductor, and the photoconductor is rotated for a predetermined time.

  However, since the photosensitive member is rotated for a predetermined time after being reversed, image formation cannot be performed for a while after the cleaning blade is separated. In addition, in order to reverse the photoconductor, if the material accumulated on the brush or the scattering prevention member of other units adheres to the photoconductor and contains foreign matter such as paper dust, it will damage the cleaning blade. End up.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above technical problems.

  The object of the present invention is to suppress image defects due to scattered matter from the cleaning blade in the process of toner removal and recovery by the cleaning blade, and also to scattered matter when the cleaning blade is separated by replacement, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device capable of collecting without adversely affecting a normal image forming operation, and an image forming device including the cleaning device.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features.

1. A cleaning blade for removing toner on the photoreceptor;
A contact / separation mechanism that holds the cleaning blade and contacts or separates the cleaning blade from the photoreceptor;
A toner collecting unit disposed upstream of the cleaning blade in the rotation direction of the photoconductor, and collecting the toner removed by the cleaning blade;
A suction means for sucking toner scattered by the toner removing operation by the cleaning blade and the toner collecting operation by the toner collecting means;
The suction means is
When the cleaning blade is in contact with the photoreceptor by the contact / separation mechanism, the scattered toner is sucked from the upstream side in the rotation direction of the photoreceptor with respect to the contact position of the cleaning blade. And
When said cleaning blade is in a state of being spaced apart from the photosensitive member by the contact and separation mechanism, said from the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive member, attracts toner scattered against contact position of the cleaning blade ,
The contact / separation mechanism has a connection duct having a suction port on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photoconductor with respect to the contact position of the cleaning blade,
The connecting duct is
When the cleaning blade is in contact with the photoconductor by the contact / separation mechanism, it is not connected to the suction means,
The cleaning device is connected to the suction means when the cleaning blade is separated from the photosensitive member by the contact / separation mechanism .

2 . The contact / separation mechanism holds a second cleaning blade,
2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for exchanging the cleaning blade with the second cleaning blade when the cleaning blade is separated from the photoconductor.

3 . 3. The cleaning device according to 2 , wherein the contact / separation mechanism holds a plurality of cleaning blades including the second cleaning blade in addition to the cleaning blade.

4 . Replacement of the cleaning blade in the contact / separation mechanism is as follows:
The cleaning blade is held at the contact position with the photoconductor to release the repulsive force of the charged spring, and the holding position of the second cleaning blade is replaced with the holding position of the cleaning blade. 4. The cleaning device according to 2 or 3 , wherein

5 . 1. A scattering prevention member that is disposed in contact with the photosensitive member downstream of the cleaning blade in the rotation direction of the photosensitive member and that suppresses scattering of the toner removed by the cleaning blade. 5. The cleaning device according to any one of items 1 to 4 .

6 . An image forming apparatus comprising the cleaning device according to any one of 1 to 5 and developing a latent image formed on a photoconductor to form a toner image.

  According to the cleaning device and the image forming apparatus including the cleaning device according to the present invention, the cleaning device includes the cleaning blade, the upstream toner collecting unit, and the suction unit that sucks the scattered toner. When the cleaning blade is in contact with the photosensitive member, suction is performed from the upstream side of the cleaning blade, and when the cleaning blade is separated from the photosensitive member, suction is performed from the downstream side of the cleaning blade.

  As a result, in the process of toner removal and recovery by the cleaning blade, image defects due to scattered objects from the cleaning blade are suppressed, and normal images are also displayed against scattered objects when the cleaning blade is separated by replacement or the like. It is possible to collect without adversely affecting the forming operation.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an image forming unit in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structural example of the cleaning apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram showing a conventional cleaning device in a state in which a cleaning blade is in contact with a photoreceptor. It is a block diagram showing a conventional cleaning device in a state where a cleaning blade is separated from a photoconductor. It is a block diagram which shows the conventional cleaning apparatus of the state in which the cleaning blade is replaced | exchanged automatically. It is a block diagram showing the cleaning device according to the present embodiment in a state where the cleaning blade is in contact with the photosensitive member. It is a block diagram showing the cleaning device according to the present embodiment in a state where the cleaning blade is separated from the photoconductor. It is a block diagram which shows the cleaning apparatus which concerns on this embodiment in the state in which the cleaning blade is replaced | exchanged automatically.

  Embodiments of a cleaning apparatus according to the present invention and an image forming apparatus including the cleaning apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Schematic configuration and operation of image forming apparatus)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an image forming unit in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. First, a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment and an example of an image forming operation will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 1, around a drum-shaped photoconductor (image carrier) 1, a photoconductor charger 2, an exposure device 3, a developing device 4, a transfer roller 6, and a photoconductor cleaning device 7 are installed.

  The photoreceptor charger 2 is a corona charger, for example, and uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor 1 by corona discharge. The exposure device 3 is, for example, a laser irradiation device, and scans and exposes the surface of the photoreceptor 1 with a laser beam in combination with a polygon mirror or the like to form a latent image.

  The developing device 4 is a dry two-component developing device that forms a magnetic brush of developer containing toner and carrier on a developing roller 41 including a magnet roller, and rubs a latent image on the surface of the opposing photoreceptor 1. Develop with charged toner.

  A voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner is applied to the transfer roller 6, and the toner image is transferred at the transfer nip portion with the photoreceptor 1.

  P is a recording medium for the formed image, and usually paper is used. The members relating to the supply and conveyance of the recording medium P are not shown. In FIG. 1, the recording medium P is about to pass the toner image transferred from the photoreceptor 1 at the transfer nip portion between the photoreceptor 1 and the transfer roller 6.

  Thereafter, a fixing device 9 that fixes the transfer image of the recording medium P that has passed through the transfer nip portion, and a conveyance belt 8 that conveys the recording medium P to the fixing device 9 are disposed. The fixing device 9 includes, for example, a heat roller and a pressure roller, and fixes the toner image by heating and pressing the recording medium P.

  The cleaning device 7 removes and collects the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 after the toner image is transferred at the transfer nip portion, and prepares for the next image formation. The detailed configuration of the cleaning device 7 will be described later.

  Note that these apparatuses related to image formation are controlled by a control unit (not shown) and perform a series of image forming operations described below. An example of the image forming operation will be outlined.

  The photoreceptor 1 rotates at a predetermined process speed in the direction of arrow A shown in the figure, and the surface thereof is sequentially processed as follows according to the rotation.

  First, the surface of the photoconductor 1 is uniformly charged to a predetermined surface potential by the photoconductor charger 2, and then image information is exposed by the exposure device 3, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1. Form.

  Next, the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 1 is developed with a magnetic brush including toner and carrier by the developing roller 41 of the developing device 4, and a toner image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 1.

  The toner image is lowered in potential by the light neutralizer 5 in preparation for the next transfer.

  Next, the toner image on the photoreceptor 1 is transferred to the recording medium P at the transfer nip portion by applying a predetermined voltage to the transfer roller 6. A voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner is applied to the transfer roller 6, and the potential difference from the photoreceptor 1 is 300 V to 3 kV.

  The recording medium P is conveyed to the fixing device 9 in the direction of arrow B by the conveying belt 8, and the transferred toner image is fixed by pressure contact with the heat roller of the fixing device 9.

  The toner remaining on the photoreceptor 1 after being transferred to the recording medium P is removed and collected by the cleaning device 7. The collected toner is reused or discarded.

  The photoreceptor 1 whose surface has been cleaned enters the next image forming operation in accordance with the rotation thereof.

(Schematic configuration of the cleaning device)
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of the cleaning device 7 according to the present embodiment. An example of the schematic configuration and operation of the cleaning device 7 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 2, the cleaning device 7 includes a cleaning unit, a toner recovery unit, and a suction unit. The structure of each part is demonstrated in order.

<Cleaning part>
The cleaning unit removes residual toner on the surface of the photoreceptor 1, and includes a contact / separation mechanism that contacts or separates the cleaning blade 71 from the photoreceptor 1 and a scattering prevention member 103 for preventing toner scattering. .

  The contact / separation mechanism includes a support member 73, a support shaft 74, and a first power device (not shown) that rotates the support member 73 about the support shaft 74.

  By rotating the support member 73 around the support shaft 74, the cleaning blade 71 can be brought into contact with or separated from the photoreceptor 1.

  The support member 73 serves as an automatic replacement mechanism that automatically replaces the cleaning blade 71 with the second cleaning blade 71a. The support member 73 holds the cleaning blades 71 and 71a, the holding shaft 72a, and the holding shaft 72a. And a second power unit (not shown) that rotates the member 72.

  By rotating the holding member 72 around the holding shaft 72a, the second cleaning blade 71a can be moved to the holding position of the cleaning blade 71, and the cleaning blade 71 can be replaced with the second cleaning blade 71a.

  The power device that rotates the holding member 72 and automatically exchanges the power is preferably based on the power when the repulsive force of the spring is charged and released, for example.

  Further, the support member 73 includes a connection duct 102 a having a suction port 102 b on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive member from the position where the cleaning blade contacts the surface of the photosensitive member 1.

  As shown in the drawing, when the cleaning blade 71 is in contact with the photosensitive member 1 by the contact / separation mechanism, the connection duct 102a is not connected to the suction duct 102 of suction means described later.

  However, as will be described later, the connection duct 102a is configured to be connected to the suction duct 102 of the suction means when the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photoreceptor 1 by the contact / separation mechanism. .

  Further, in order to prevent toner scattering from the contact position of the cleaning blade 71 to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive member, it is desirable to have a scattering prevention member 103 disposed in contact with the photosensitive member at the position shown in the drawing. .

  In this embodiment, the second cleaning blade 71a is provided for replacement of the cleaning blade 71. However, a plurality of cleaning blades including the second cleaning blade 71a may be provided for replacement.

<Toner recovery unit>
The toner collection unit functions as a toner collection unit that collects the toner removed from the surface of the photoreceptor 1 by the cleaning unit, and includes a cleaning brush 75, a flicker shaft 76, a scraper 77, and a collection screw 78.

  The cleaning brush 75 is also arranged so as to contact the photoreceptor 1 upstream of the position where the cleaning blade 71 contacts the photoreceptor 1 in the rotation direction of the photoreceptor.

  The toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 71 in the cleaning section, that is, the toner scraped to the upstream side of the cleaning blade 71 falls on the rotating cleaning brush 75 or the bottom of the toner collecting section as it is.

  Toner adhering to the cleaning brush 75 or toner scraped off directly from the photoreceptor 1 by the cleaning brush 75 is dropped by the rotation of the cleaning brush 75 and falls to the collecting screw 78 or the flicker shaft 76 that also rotates. It is copied by.

  The flicker shaft 76 is, for example, a SUS roller, and the toner copied and adhered to the surface is scraped off by the scraper 77 disposed in contact with the rotation of the flicker shaft 76 and falls to the recovery screw 78 at the bottom. I will do it.

  The collected toner is conveyed by a collecting screw 78 at the bottom of the toner collecting unit, stored in a container (not shown), discarded, or supplied to the developing device 4 after appropriate processing and replenished. Reused as toner.

<Suction means>
The suction means includes a fan 100 for air suction, a suction duct 102, a filter 101, and a power source (not shown) for driving the fan 100.

  The purpose of the air suction by the suction means is to collect scattered toner in the cleaning device, and to suppress adverse effects on image formation due to leakage of the scattered toner and spills on the photoreceptor 1.

  Further, in order to prevent fusing or the like due to the temperature rise of the collected toner, it also functions as a cooling unit for the toner collecting unit.

  As shown in the drawing, the suction duct 102 opens above the cleaning unit.

  As will be described later, when the cleaning blade 71 is in contact with the photoreceptor 1 by the contact / separation mechanism in the cleaning unit, the suction duct 102 is not connected to the connection duct 102a of the cleaning unit.

  Therefore, the toner scattered when the toner is removed by the cleaning unit or the toner scattered when the toner is collected at the upstream toner collecting unit is sucked into the suction duct 102 together with the air flow from the toner collecting unit through the cleaning unit. It is.

  A filter 101 is disposed in the suction duct 102, and the scattered matter that has been sucked is collected.

  However, when the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photosensitive member 1 by the contact / separation mechanism in the cleaning unit, the suction duct 102 is connected to the connection duct 102a of the cleaning unit and sucks air from the suction port 102b. It will be.

  Accordingly, the flow of air suction, that is, scattered matter suction also changes, but details will be described later.

(Blade separation and toner scattering)
Here, apart from the present embodiment, the problem of blade separation and toner scattering in the prior art will be described first. Thereafter, problem solving in this embodiment will be described.

  3 to 5 are configuration diagrams of a conventional cleaning device, in which only the suction means and the connection duct are omitted from the cleaning device 7 of the present embodiment described above. Therefore, there is no air flow by the suction means, and the connection duct 102a is not connected to or disconnected from the suction duct 102 by the contact or separation of the cleaning blade 71 from the photosensitive member 1.

  The occurrence of the problem of blade separation and toner scattering in the prior art will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Problems in conventional cleaning devices>
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional cleaning device in a state where normal image formation is performed, that is, in a state where the cleaning blade 71 is in contact with the photoreceptor 1.

  In the state of FIG. 3, as in the present embodiment, the toner scraped and removed by the cleaning blade 71 falls to the upstream side, that is, the toner collecting portion, and the problem of toner scattering does not occur.

  However, the cleaning blade 71 in the cleaning unit has a service life, and is replaced after, for example, printing a predetermined number of sheets.

  The blade contact / separation mechanism and the automatic replacement mechanism as described above are also provided in the conventional cleaning device of FIGS.

  In such a case, when the blade edge portion that has been in contact with the photosensitive member 1 is separated, the toner may be scattered from the edge portion or may remain on the photosensitive member 1.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional cleaning device in a state where the blade is to be replaced, that is, in a state where the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photoreceptor 1.

  By rotating the support member 73 about the support shaft 74, the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photoreceptor 1. The photoreceptor 1 has stopped rotating.

  In this state, toner stays at the position where the cleaning blade 71 of the photosensitive member 1 is in contact and at the edge portion of the cleaning blade 71 which is separated.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional cleaning device in a state where the blade is started to be replaced, that is, in a state where the automatic replacement mechanism starts to work and the cleaning blade starts to move.

  By rotating the holding member 72 around the holding shaft 72a, the second cleaning blade 71a is moved to the holding position of the cleaning blade 71, and the cleaning blade 71 is replaced with the second cleaning blade 71a.

  At this time, the toner staying at the edge portion of the cleaning blade 71 tends to be scattered toner. The scattering toner 104 is illustrated in the drawing.

  If the photosensitive member 1 is scattered upstream from the blade contact position, it can be dealt with by starting cleaning after replacing the blade, but if it is scattered downstream, it cannot be dealt with by ordinary cleaning. The same applies to the toner staying on the photoreceptor 1.

  As described above, when the blade is separated, not only toner scattering to the upstream side from the blade contact position of the photosensitive member, which can be dealt with by normal cleaning processing, but also toner scattering to the downstream side can occur. For this reason, processing that normally takes unnecessary time, such as reverse rotation processing of the photosensitive member, is required.

  In this embodiment, since a separate suction unit is provided, the problem is solved by changing the air suction path between the state where the cleaning blade is in contact with the photosensitive member and the state where the cleaning blade is separated from the photosensitive member. doing.

  In other words, by adopting a configuration in which suction is performed from the upstream side of the contact position in the blade contact state and from the downstream side of the contact position in the blade separation state, it is possible to prevent scattered objects when the blade is separated. The image is collected without adversely affecting the normal image forming operation, and image defects due to scattered objects can be suppressed.

  The problem solving in the cleaning device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 in response to the problem of blade separation and toner scattering in the conventional cleaning device.

<Problem solving in the cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram illustrating the cleaning device according to the present embodiment in a state where normal image formation is performed, that is, in a state where the cleaning blade 71 is in contact with the photosensitive member 1.

  In the state of FIG. 6, as in the conventional cleaning device described above, the toner scraped and removed by the cleaning blade 71 falls to the upstream side, that is, the toner recovery unit. Does not occur.

  In the figure, the air flow by the suction means is indicated by broken-line arrows, and the toner scattered when removed by the cleaning unit or the scattered toner generated at the time of collection by the toner collecting unit upstream thereof is collected by the toner. The air is sucked into the suction duct 102 along with the flow of air through the cleaning section.

  However, the cleaning blade 71 in the cleaning unit has a time to be replaced, and the blade contact / separation mechanism and the automatic replacement mechanism are provided in the cleaning device according to the present embodiment of FIGS. 6 to 8. Is the same.

  In such a case, when the blade edge portion that has been in contact with the photosensitive member 1 is separated, the toner is scattered from the edge portion or remains on the photosensitive member 1 in the same manner.

  FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing the cleaning device according to the present embodiment in a state where the blade is to be replaced, that is, in a state where the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photoreceptor 1.

  By rotating the support member 73 about the support shaft 74, the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photoreceptor 1. The photoreceptor 1 has stopped rotating.

  In this state, toner stays at the position where the cleaning blade 71 of the photosensitive member 1 is in contact and at the edge portion of the cleaning blade 71 which is separated.

  The above is the same as the conventional cleaning device shown in FIG. However, the difference is that the air flow as shown by the broken line arrow is caused by the suction means to suck the scattered toner.

  Moreover, as will be described below, in the blade separation state shown in FIG. 7, the air flow is different from that at the time of blade contact in FIG.

  That is, when the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photoreceptor 1 by the contact / separation mechanism, the suction duct 102 is connected to the connection duct 102a of the cleaning unit, and air is sucked from the suction port 102b.

  Therefore, when the blade is in the separated state, suction is performed from the downstream side of the contact position of the cleaning blade 71 of the photoreceptor 1.

  FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing the cleaning device according to the present embodiment in a state in which the blade is started to be replaced, that is, in a state in which the automatic replacement mechanism starts to work and the cleaning blade starts to move.

  By rotating the holding member 72 around the holding shaft 72a, the second cleaning blade 71a is moved to the holding position of the cleaning blade 71, and the cleaning blade 71 is replaced with the second cleaning blade 71a.

  At this time, the toner staying at the edge portion of the cleaning blade 71 is likely to be scattered toner as in the conventional cleaning device.

  However, as shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning blade 71 is separated from the photoreceptor 1 by the contact / separation mechanism, and the suction duct 102 is connected to the connection duct 102a of the cleaning unit, and air suction is performed from the suction port 102b. (See dashed arrows).

  Therefore, the suction is performed from the downstream side of the cleaning blade contact position of the photosensitive member.

  If the photosensitive member 1 is scattered upstream from the blade contact position, it can be dealt with by starting cleaning after blade replacement. In addition, as described above, even if scattered from the blade contact position of the photoreceptor 1 to the downstream side, the scattered matter can be sucked and collected by the air suction flow as shown in FIG. (Shown as scattering toner 104). The same applies to the toner staying on the photoreceptor 1.

  Further, as already described, for scattering from the blade contact position of the photosensitive member 1 to the downstream side, it is more effective to provide the scattering preventing member 103 made of PET or the like in contact with the photosensitive member 1. It is desirable.

  Since the cleaning device according to the present embodiment is provided with a separate suction unit, it can be used to change the air suction path between the state in which the cleaning blade is in contact with the photosensitive member and the state in which the cleaning blade is separated. The problem of toner scattering to the downstream side due to the blade separation is addressed.

  That is, according to the cleaning device and the image forming apparatus including the cleaning device according to the present embodiment, the cleaning blade, the toner collecting unit on the upstream side, and the suction unit that sucks the scattered toner are sucked. The means sucks from the upstream side of the cleaning blade when the cleaning blade is in contact with the photosensitive member, and sucks from the downstream side of the cleaning blade when the cleaning blade is separated from the photosensitive member. To do.

  As a result, in the process of toner removal and recovery by the cleaning blade, image defects due to scattered objects from the cleaning blade are suppressed, and normal images are also displayed against scattered objects when the cleaning blade is separated by replacement or the like. It is possible to collect without adversely affecting the forming operation.

  In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment is an illustration and restrictive at no points. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photoconductor 2 Photoconductor charger 3 Exposure apparatus 4 Developing apparatus 6 Transfer roller 7 Cleaning apparatus 8 Conveyor belt 9 Fixing apparatus 71 Cleaning blade 71a Second cleaning blade 72 Holding member 72a Holding shaft 73 Support member 74 Support shaft 75 Cleaning brush 76 Flicker shaft 77 Scraper 78 Recovery screw 100 Fan 101 Filter 102 Suction duct 102a Connection duct 102b Suction port 103 Scatter prevention member 104 Scatter toner

Claims (6)

A cleaning blade for removing toner on the photoreceptor;
A contact / separation mechanism that holds the cleaning blade and contacts or separates the cleaning blade from the photoreceptor;
A toner collecting unit disposed upstream of the cleaning blade in the rotation direction of the photoconductor, and collecting the toner removed by the cleaning blade;
A suction means for sucking toner scattered by the toner removing operation by the cleaning blade and the toner collecting operation by the toner collecting means;
The suction means is
When the cleaning blade is in contact with the photoreceptor by the contact / separation mechanism, the scattered toner is sucked from the upstream side in the rotation direction of the photoreceptor with respect to the contact position of the cleaning blade. And
When said cleaning blade is in a state of being spaced apart from the photosensitive member by the contact and separation mechanism, said from the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive member, attracts toner scattered against contact position of the cleaning blade ,
The contact / separation mechanism has a connection duct having a suction port on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photoconductor with respect to the contact position of the cleaning blade,
The connecting duct is
When the cleaning blade is in contact with the photoconductor by the contact / separation mechanism, it is not connected to the suction means,
The cleaning device is connected to the suction means when the cleaning blade is separated from the photosensitive member by the contact / separation mechanism . The contact / separation mechanism holds a second cleaning blade,
The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism that replaces the cleaning blade with the second cleaning blade when the cleaning blade is in a state of being separated from the photoconductor. The cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein the contact / separation mechanism holds a plurality of cleaning blades including the second cleaning blade in addition to the cleaning blade. Replacement of the cleaning blade in the contact / separation mechanism is as follows:
The cleaning blade is held at the contact position with the photoconductor to release the repulsive force of the charged spring, and the holding position of the second cleaning blade is replaced with the holding position of the cleaning blade. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein An anti-scattering member that is disposed in contact with the photoconductor downstream of the cleaning blade in the rotation direction of the photoconductor and suppresses the scattering of the toner removed by the cleaning blade. Item 5. The cleaning device according to any one of Items 1 to 4 . A cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and develops the latent image formed on a photosensitive member, an image forming apparatus and forming a toner image.

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