JP6153058B2 - Lubricant supply device, process unit, image forming apparatus, and process unit manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lubricant supply device, a process unit and an image forming apparatus including the lubricant supply device, and a process unit manufacturing method.

  In image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, facsimiles, and multi-function machines, lubricant is supplied to a photoreceptor or an intermediate transfer belt by a lubricant supply device. It is going to plan.

  The lubricant supply device, for example, scrapes off the lubricant by a brush roller disposed between a photoreceptor to be supplied with a lubricant and a solid lubricant, and removes the scraped lubricant on the surface of the photoreceptor or the like. (Refer to Patent Document 1). Further, the lubricant is pressed to the brush roller side by a pressing means such as a spring, so that the lubricant is always held in contact with the brush roller even if the lubricant is scraped off and consumed. Yes.

  The amount of lubricant supplied by the brush roller varies depending on the pressing force pressing the lubricant against the brush roller, but also varies depending on the rotational speed of the brush roller. In general, when the rotation speed of the brush roller is slowed, the amount of lubricant scraped by the brush roller is reduced, and the amount of lubricant supplied is also reduced. For example, when a common drive source is used for the brush roller drive source and the photoconductor drive source, the brush roller rotation speed differs for models with different photoconductor linear speeds. The pressure must be set individually.

  Further, in a color image forming apparatus, the required amount of lubricant supplied may differ depending on the charging method of an image forming unit that forms a black image and an image forming unit that forms a color image. In this case, it is necessary to set the pressing force individually for the black image forming unit and the color image forming unit.

  However, in the configuration of the conventional lubricant supply device, it has not been possible to easily cope with it by changing the pressing force. For this reason, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of types of pressing means having different pressing forces for each model of the image forming apparatus and each image forming unit, and there is a problem that inventory management of parts and assembly work are complicated.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a lubricant supply device capable of easily changing the pressing force of the lubricant against the lubricant supply member, a process unit and an image forming apparatus provided with the lubricant supply device, and a process. A method for manufacturing a unit is to be provided.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a lubricant, a lubricant supply member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target, and a pressing unit that presses the lubricant against the lubricant supply member. The lubricant supply device includes a pressing force changing unit that changes a pressing force of the pressing unit, and the pressing unit biases the pressing member to press the lubricant against the lubricant supplying member. A first elastic body and a second elastic body, and the pressing force changing means includes a switching member attached to an end portion of the first elastic body and an end portion of the second elastic body. The switching member includes a first posture and a second posture in which a distance between an end portion of the first elastic body and an end portion of the second elastic body is longer than the first posture. It is configured to be switchable from at least one to the other .

  According to the present invention, the pressing force of the lubricant against the lubricant supply member can be easily changed by the pressing force changing means. Thereby, the adjustment operation of an appropriate pressing force is simplified, and the working efficiency is improved.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a process unit included in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of the lubricant supply apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, and is the front view seen from the direction orthogonal to both directions of the longitudinal direction of a lubricant, and the pressing direction of the lubricant with respect to a supply roller. (A) is a figure which shows the state which hold | maintained the switching member in the 1st attitude | position, (b) is a figure which shows the state which hold | maintained the switching member in the 2nd attitude | position. It is a front view of a switching member. It is a front view which shows the modification of a switching member. It is a figure for demonstrating an effect | action when the 1st bending part and 2nd bending part of a switching member are formed with the same circular arc. It is a figure for demonstrating an effect | action when the 2nd bending part and 3rd bending part of a switching member are formed with the same circular arc. It is a figure which shows the switching method of a switching member. It is a figure which shows the structure which provided the hole for switching operation of the switching member from the outside in the case. It is a figure which shows the structure which provided the cover member which plugs up a hole part in the case. It is a figure which shows the structure which provided the interference part for preventing incorrect attachment of a process unit, Comprising: (a) is a figure which shows the state at the time of trying to attach a process unit to the wrong location, (b) It is a figure which shows the state in the case of attaching a process unit to a regular location. It is a figure which shows the structure which accommodated the switching member so that it may not protrude from a hole, Comprising: (a) is the front view, (b) is the figure seen from the arrow Z direction in (a). It is a figure which shows embodiment at the time of applying this invention to the lubricant supply apparatus of another structure. It is a figure which shows the structure provided with only one spring.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same or it corresponds, The duplication description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted suitably.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a process unit (image forming unit) included in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes four process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1Bk as image forming units configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body 100. The process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1Bk have the same configuration except that they contain toners of different colors of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black corresponding to the color separation components of the color image.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each process unit 1Y, 1C, 1M, 1Bk includes a photoreceptor 2 as an image carrier that carries an image on the surface, a charging device 3 that charges the surface of the photoreceptor 2, and a photoreceptor. 2, a developing device 4 that forms a toner image on the surface 2, a cleaning device 5 that cleans the surface of the photoreceptor 2, and a lubricant supply device 6 that supplies a lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor 2.

  The charging device 3 includes a charging roller 30 as a charging member disposed to face the photoreceptor 2, and a cleaning roller 31 disposed so as to contact the charging roller 30.

  The developing device 4 includes a developing case 40 that accommodates toner as a developer, a developing roller 41 as a developer carrying member that carries toner on the surface, and development as a regulating member that regulates the amount of toner on the developing roller 41. A blade 42 and two conveying screws 43 and 44 as conveying members for conveying the toner in the developing case 40 to the developing roller 41 are provided. The developing roller 41 is disposed so as to face the photoreceptor 2 through an opening formed in the developing case 40.

  The cleaning device 5 includes a cleaning blade 50 that contacts the photoreceptor 2 and removes residual toner on the photoreceptor 2, and a waste toner transport coil 51 that transports the removed toner to a waste toner bottle (not shown). .

  The lubricant supply device 6 includes a lubricant 60, a supply roller 61 as a lubricant supply member that supplies the lubricant 60 to the photoreceptor 2 that is a lubricant supply target, and a pressure that presses the lubricant 60 against the supply roller 61. Means 62, a case 63 for accommodating the lubricant 60 and the pressing means 62, and a leveling blade 64 as a lubricant leveling member for leveling the lubricant supplied to the photoreceptor 2 into a uniform thin layer. The supply roller 61 is in contact with the surface of the photoconductor 2, and is rotatable so that the surface of the supply roller 61 moves in the opposite direction (counter direction) to the surface movement direction of the photoconductor 2. Further, the supply roller 61 may be a brush roller having a large number of fibers disposed on its surface, or a urethane roller made of foamed polyurethane.

  The lubricant 60 is solid and is mainly made of zinc stearate. Specifically, the lubricant 60 is preferably one in which a lubricating oil additive mainly composed of zinc stearate is dissolved, has no side effects due to overcoating, and has sufficient lubricity. Zinc stearate is a typical lamellar crystal powder. A lamellar crystal has a layered structure in which amphiphilic molecules are self-organized, and when a shearing force is applied, the crystal breaks along the layers and is slippery. Accordingly, the surface of the photosensitive member 2 can be made to have low friction. That is, the surface of the photoconductor 2 can be effectively covered with a small amount of lubricant by the lamellar crystal that uniformly receives the shearing force and covers the surface of the photoconductor 2.

  In addition to the zinc stearate, the lubricant 60 includes stearic acid groups such as barium stearate, iron stearate, nickel stearate, cobalt stearate, copper stearate, strontium stearate, and calcium stearate. It can be used. In addition, the same fatty acid group zinc oleate, barium oleate, lead oleate, the same compound as stearic acid, zinc palmitate, barium palmitate, lead palmitate, the following compound similar to stearic acid May be used. In addition, caprylic acid, linolenic acid, corinolenic acid and the like can be used as the fatty acid group. In addition, waxes such as candelilla wax, canrunauba wax, rice wax, wax, coconut oil, beeswax, and lanolin can also be used. These easily become organic solid lubricants and have good compatibility with the toner. In addition to organic lubricants, those formed by mixing the above-described fatty acid groups with at least boron nitride as an inorganic lubricant can also be used.

Here, returning to FIG. 1, the description of the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be continued.
A plurality of toner bottles 7 can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body 100. Each toner bottle 7 contains toner of different colors, and the toner in the toner bottle 7 is transferred to the corresponding developing device 4 via a toner transfer pipe (not shown).

  Below each process unit 1Y, 1C, 1M, 1Bk, an exposure device 8 for exposing the surface of the photoreceptor 2 is provided. From the exposure device 8, a laser beam L (see FIG. 2) is irradiated to each photoconductor 2.

  On the other hand, a transfer device 9 is disposed above the process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1Bk. The transfer device 9 includes an intermediate transfer belt 10 composed of an endless belt as a transfer body, four primary transfer rollers 11 as primary transfer means, and a secondary transfer roller 12 as secondary transfer means. The intermediate transfer belt 10 is stretched by a plurality of support rollers, and when one of these is rotated as a drive roller, the intermediate transfer belt 10 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. Yes.

  The four primary transfer rollers 11 are in contact with the photoreceptor 2 via the intermediate transfer belt 10 respectively. As a result, the respective photoreceptors 2 and the intermediate transfer belt 10 are in contact with each other, and a primary transfer nip for transferring a toner image is formed therebetween. Each primary transfer roller 11 is connected to a power source (not shown) so that a predetermined direct current voltage (DC) and / or alternating current voltage (AC) is applied to the primary transfer roller 11.

  The secondary transfer roller 12 is in contact with one of the rollers that stretch the intermediate transfer belt 10 via the intermediate transfer belt 10. Thus, a secondary transfer nip for transferring a toner image is formed between the secondary transfer roller 12 and the intermediate transfer belt 10. Similarly to the primary transfer roller 11, the secondary transfer roller 12 is connected to a power source (not shown), and a predetermined DC voltage (DC) and / or AC voltage (AC) is applied to the secondary transfer roller 12. It has come to be.

  Further, an upper part of the image forming apparatus main body 100 is provided with a document reading unit 13 that reads image information of a document and a document transport unit 14 that transports the document to the document reading unit 13.

  On the other hand, at the lower part of the image forming apparatus main body 100, a paper feed tray 15 that stores paper P as a recording medium, a paper feed roller 16 that feeds the paper P from the paper feed tray 15, and the like are provided. In addition to plain paper, the recording medium includes cardboard, postcard, envelope, thin paper, coated paper (coated paper, art paper, etc.), tracing paper, OHP sheet, and the like.

  In the image forming apparatus main body 100, a conveyance path R for discharging the paper P from the paper feed tray 15 through the secondary transfer nip to the outside of the apparatus is disposed. In the conveyance path R, a registration roller pair 17 that is a timing roller pair is provided between the position of the paper feed roller 16 and the position of the secondary transfer roller 12. In the transport path R, a fixing device 18 for fixing the unfixed image transferred to the paper P is provided on the downstream side in the paper transport direction from the position of the secondary transfer roller 12. Further, at the end of the transport path R, a paper discharge roller pair 19 for discharging the paper P out of the apparatus is provided. Further, the image forming apparatus main body 100 is provided with a paper discharge tray 20 for stocking the paper P discharged outside the apparatus.

Hereinafter, an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus will be described.
When the image forming operation is started, the photoreceptors 2 of the process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1Bk are rotationally driven, and the surface of each photoreceptor 2 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the charging roller 30. Next, on the basis of image information read by the document reading unit 13 or image information obtained from a computer (not shown) or the like, the exposure device 8 irradiates the charged surface of each photoconductor 2 with laser light L, and each photoconductor. An electrostatic latent image is formed on 2. At this time, the image information to be exposed on each photoconductor 2 is monochromatic image information obtained by separating a desired full-color image into color information of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black.

  Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member 2 is supplied with toner by each developing device 4, whereby the electrostatic latent image is visualized (visualized) as a toner image. Specifically, in FIG. 2, after the toner carried on the developing roller 41 that rotates counterclockwise is regulated to a predetermined thickness by the developing blade 42, the toner is placed in the developing region between the developing roller 41 and the photoreceptor 2. Carried. Then, the toner is electrostatically transferred to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member 2 in this development area, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image.

  When the image forming operation is started, the intermediate transfer belt 10 is rotationally driven. Then, by applying a constant voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner or a voltage controlled by a constant current to each primary transfer roller 11, the primary transfer nip between each primary transfer roller 11 and each photoconductor 2. A transfer electric field is formed.

  Thereafter, when each color toner image on the photoconductor 2 reaches the primary transfer nip as the photoconductor 2 rotates, the toner image on each photoconductor 2 is generated by the transfer electric field formed in the primary transfer nip. Are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 10. Thus, a full-color toner image is carried on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 10.

  On the other hand, residual toner on each photoreceptor 2 that could not be transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 10 is removed by the cleaning device 5. Specifically, the residual toner on the photoreceptor 2 is removed by the cleaning blade 50 shown in FIG. 2, and the removed residual toner is transported to a waste toner bottle (not shown) by the waste toner transport coil 51. Thereafter, the lubricant is supplied (applied) to the surface of the photoreceptor 2 by the rotating supply roller 61, and the lubricant on the photoreceptor 2 is smoothed to a uniform thickness by the leveling blade 64.

  In the lower part of the image forming apparatus, the paper feed roller 16 starts to rotate, and the paper P is sent out from the paper feed tray 15 to the transport path R. The sheet P sent to the conveyance path R is timed by the registration roller pair 17 and is sent to the secondary transfer nip between the secondary transfer roller 12 and the intermediate transfer belt 10. At this time, a transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to the toner charging polarity of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 10 is applied to the secondary transfer roller 12, thereby forming a transfer electric field in the secondary transfer nip.

  Then, when the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 10 reaches the secondary transfer nip as the intermediate transfer belt 10 rotates, the transfer electric field formed in the secondary transfer nip causes a transfer on the intermediate transfer belt 10. The toner images are transferred onto the paper P all at once.

  Thereafter, the paper P is conveyed to the fixing device 18, and the toner image on the paper P is fixed to the paper P by the fixing device 18. Then, the paper P is discharged out of the apparatus by the paper discharge roller pair 19 and stocked on the paper discharge tray 20.

  The above description is an image forming operation when a full-color image is formed on a recording medium. A single-color image is formed using any one of the four process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1Bk, and 2 Two or three process units can be used to form a two or three color image.

Hereinafter, the lubricant supply device 6 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail.
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the lubricant supply device 6 according to the present embodiment, in which the longitudinal direction of the lubricant 60 (left-right direction in the figure) and the pressing direction of the lubricant 60 against the supply roller 61 (downward direction in the figure). It is the front view seen from the direction orthogonal to these two directions.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the pressing means 62 includes a pair of arm members 65 as pressing members that press the lubricant 60, and a pair of springs 66 as elastic bodies that bias the arm members 65. And. Each arm member 65 is arranged so as to be symmetrical with respect to the center in the longitudinal direction of the lubricant 60, and each arm member 65 is supported by a longitudinal lubricant holding member 68 that holds the lubricant 60. The shaft 67 can be rotated in the direction of arrow A in the figure. Each spring 66 is a tension spring, and is stretched between the arm members 65 in a state where the spring 66 is extended beyond the natural length. A spring 66 is hooked on one end side of each arm member 65, and one end portion side of each arm member 65 is pulled by the biasing force of the spring 66, so that the other end side of each arm member 65 comes into contact with the case 63, and the case 63 Is held in a pressed state. The lubricant holding member 68 and the lubricant 60 held on the lubricant holding member 68 are pressed toward the supply roller 61 by receiving a reaction force generated by pressing the case 63.

  When the lubricant 60 is consumed from the state shown in FIG. 3A and the amount thereof is reduced, the arm member 65 is rotated by the tensile force of the spring 66 as shown in FIG. As described above, the arm member 65 rotates as the lubricant 60 is consumed, so that the lubricant 60 is held in a state of being pressed against the supply roller 61.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the position of the hook portion B of the spring 66 with respect to the arm member 65 is set at a location that is difficult to displace even when the arm member 65 rotates, that is, in the vicinity of the support shaft 67. By doing so, the change in the distances D1 and D2 between the hook portions B before and after the rotation of the arm member 65 is reduced, so that the variation in the pressing force due to the consumption of the lubricant 60 can be minimized. It is.

  Further, the lubricant supply device 6 according to the present embodiment includes a switching member 71 as a pressing force changing unit 70 that changes the pressing force of the pressing unit 62.

  The switching member 71 is interposed between the pair of springs 66, and is configured to be switchable from the first posture shown in FIG. 4A to the second posture shown in FIG. 4B. . Specifically, the switching member 71 has a first posture in which the end portion 66a of the spring 66 and the support portion (the end portion 66b of the other spring 66) that supports it are narrowed in the biasing direction of the spring 66 and connected. The second posture is such that the one end portion 66a of the spring 66 and the support portion are spread and connected in the biasing direction of the spring 66. As the material of the switching member 71, a resin material, a metal material, or the like can be applied, but a metal material is preferable in consideration of durability against a pulling force and an impact of the spring 66.

  The switching member 71 includes a first bent portion 71a and a second bent portion that function as two hook portions on which the one end portions 66a and 66b of both springs 66 are hooked in the state of the first posture shown in FIG. Part 71b. Further, the switching member 71 has a third bent portion 71c different from the two bent portions 71a and 71b. In the state of the 2nd attitude | position shown in FIG.4 (b), the 2nd bending part 71b and the 3rd bending part 71c function as two hook parts by which the one end parts 66a and 66b of both the springs 66 are hooked. It is like that.

  Further, one end portions 66a and 66b of each spring 66 to which the bent portions 71a, 71b and 71c are hooked are formed in an annular shape or an annular shape, respectively. For this reason, it is easy to perform removal work and hook work of each bending part 71a, 71b, 71c with respect to one end part 66a, 66b of each spring 66, and it has the composition excellent in workability.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first bent portion 71 a and the second bent portion 71 b are provided in a continuous manner on one end portion side (right end portion side in the drawing) of the switching member 71 in the longitudinal direction. The third bent portion 71c is an end portion side (left end portion side in the figure) opposite to the end portion where the first bent portion 71a and the second bent portion 71b are provided, that is, the first bent portion. At a position farther from the second bent portion 71b than 71a, the second bent portion 71b is provided continuously.

  Further, the end portions on the first bent portion 71a side and the end portion on the third bent portion 71c side are provided with drop prevention portions 71d and 71e for preventing the spring 66 from dropping off from these bent portions 71a and 71c. It has been. Specifically, the drop-off preventing portion 71d on the first bent portion 71a side is formed such that the end portion on the first bent portion 71a side is bent toward the second bent portion 71b side (right side in the drawing). ing. On the other hand, the drop-off prevention part 71e on the third bent part 71c side bends the end part on the third bent part 71c side toward the second bent part 71b side (right side in the figure), and further, the tip thereof The second bent portion 71b and the third bent portion 71c are formed to be bent toward the connecting portion 71f side (downward in the drawing). Further, as in the modification shown in FIG. 6, a drop-off prevention portion 71 e on the third bent portion 71 c side is formed by bending the tip so that the tip faces the third bent portion 71 c side (left side in the figure). Also good.

  As shown in FIG. 5, intervals E and F are formed between the tips of the drop-off prevention portions 71 d and 71 e and the connecting portion 71 f, and these intervals E and F are wire rods constituting the spring 66. It is larger than the diameter of the (coil). This is because the end portion of the spring 66 smoothly passes through the intervals E and F when the end portion on which the spring 66 is hooked moves between the second bent portion 71b and the third bent portion 71c. This is so that you can do it.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the 1st bending part 71a and the 2nd bending part 71b are formed with the same circular arc. By forming in this way, as shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the posture of the switching member 71 in a state where the spring 66 is hooked on the first bent portion 71a and the second bent portion 71b. Even if changes slightly, the distances H1 and H2 between the hooks G can be prevented from changing. That is, even if the attitude of the switching member 71 changes slightly, the amount of extension of each spring 66 does not change, so that the pressing force can be kept constant.

  Further, with the same idea, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the second bent portion 71b and the third bent portion 71c may be formed by the same arc. In this case, even if the posture of the switching member 71 changes in a state where the spring 66 is hooked on the second bent portion 71b and the third bent portion 71c, the distances K1 and K2 between the hook portions J are different. Since the pressure does not change, it is possible to keep the pressing force constant.

Next, a switching method of the switching member 71 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9A, when the switching member 71 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing while the switching member 71 is in the first posture, each spring 66 is moved along with this rotation operation. The hooked end moves as shown in FIG. Specifically, with the rotation of the switching member 71, the end of the spring 66 (on the right side of the drawing) that is hooked on the first bent portion 71a moves to the second bent portion 71b side, The end of the spring 66 (on the left side in the figure) hooked on the second bent portion 71b moves to the third bent portion 71c side.

  Further, when the switching member 71 is rotated and the switching member 71 is rotated to a certain rotation angle, the switching member 71 is automatically rotated by the pulling force of the spring 66, and as shown in FIG. The switching member 71 is inverted and switched to the second posture. As described above, when the switching member 71 is switched to the second posture, the end of one (right side in the figure) of the spring 66 is hooked on the second bent part 71b, and the other (left side in the figure) spring 66 is The end is held in a state of being hooked on the third bent portion 71c.

  As described above, when the switching member 71 is switched from the first position to the second position, the interval between the hook portions of the springs 66 is changed from M1 shown in FIG. 4A to M2 shown in FIG. 4B. It spreads out. On the other hand, the length of the spring 66 itself contracts from N1 shown in FIG. 4 (a) to N2 shown in FIG. 4 (b). As a result, since the pulling force is reduced, the pressing force of the lubricant against the supply roller is also reduced. Thus, the pressing force can be easily reduced by switching the switching member 71 from the first posture to the second posture.

  As described above, in the lubricant supply device, it is necessary to vary the pressing force for pressing the lubricant according to the difference in the configuration such as the rotation speed of the supply roller and the charging method of the image forming unit. However, in the present invention, regardless of the difference in configuration, when the process unit is manufactured, the switching member 71 is held in the first posture in advance in all the process units so that the same pressing force (high pressing force) is obtained. Set it. Then, after assembling the lubricant supply device or in the final process of the process unit, the switching member 71 is switched to the second posture as necessary to reduce the pressing force.

  For example, when there is a possibility that the lubricant supply device is mounted on a model in which the rotation linear speed of the supply roller is fast and a model in which the supply roller is slow, the switching member 71 is held in the first posture in advance in manufacturing the lubricant supply device. Leave it in a state. That is, regardless of which model the lubricant supply device is mounted on, the pressing force for pressing the lubricant is set to a high state corresponding to the model having a low rotation speed. When the lubricant supply device is mounted on a model having a low rotation speed, it is mounted as it is without switching the posture of the switching member 71. On the other hand, when the lubricant supply device is mounted on a model having a high rotational speed, the pressing force may be low, so the switching member 71 is switched to the second posture to reduce the pressing force.

  Contrary to the above, the switching member 71 may be held in the second posture in advance, and may be switched to the first posture as necessary to increase the pressing force.

  Further, the switching of the switching member 71 may be performed according to a difference in charging method between an image forming unit that forms a black image and an image forming unit that forms a color image. When the switching member 71 is held in advance in either the first posture or the second posture, and the required lubricant supply amount varies depending on the charging method, the switching member 71 is switched to the other posture, It is possible to change to an appropriate pressing force.

  It is desirable that the switching operation of the switching member 71 can be performed from the outside even after the process unit is completed. For example, by configuring the case 63 (see FIG. 2) of the lubricant supply device 6 to be removable from the outside, the switching member 71 can be switched from the outside after the process unit is completed. As a result, the pressing force can be easily changed even in the market or the user.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a hole 72 for switching the switching member 71 from the outside may be provided in a portion corresponding to the location where the switching member 71 of the case 63 is accommodated. In this case, it is not necessary to remove the case 63 during the switching operation of the switching member 71, so that the switching operation is further simplified.

  In addition, when the hole 72 is provided in the case 63 as described above, a lid member that closes the hole 72 as shown in FIG. 11 in order to prevent the lubricant and toner from scattering from the hole 72. 73 may be provided. In this case, the switching member 71 can be switched by removing the lid member 73 from the case 63. Further, by forming the lid member 73 from a transparent material, the switching state of the switching member 71 can be visually recognized from the outside with the lid member 73 closed.

  Further, the color and shape of the lid member 73 may be varied according to the switching state of the switching member 71. In this case, since the switching state of the switching member 71 can be easily grasped by confirming the difference in the color, shape, etc. of the lid member 73, the lubricant set to a pressing force different from the target pressing force. Incorrect mounting such as mounting of a supply device or a process unit is less likely to occur.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12A, when an attempt is made to attach the lubricant supply device or the process unit to the wrong attachment location or model, the projection-like shape that interferes with the frame provided in the image forming apparatus main body 100 is used. You may provide the interference part 74 in the cover member 73 (refer the location shown with the code | symbol Q). Thereby, it becomes possible to prevent erroneous mounting of the lubricant supply device or the process unit.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the correct mounting location of the lubricant supply device or the process unit or Enables mounting on models.

  By the way, in the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the right end portion of the switching member 71 in the drawing is held in a state of protruding from the hole portion 72 to the outside. As described above, when the end portion of the switching member 71 protrudes to the outside, there is a possibility that the mounting space for the process unit becomes large or the protruding end portion may interfere with other process units or the like. It is desirable to accommodate the end portion in the case 63. However, here, the end of the switching member 71 interferes with the outer periphery of the spring 66 on the right side of the drawing, so that it is difficult to store the end in the case 63.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, a portion 71 g of the switching member 71 that is disposed to face the outer periphery of the spring 66, that is, a portion that may interfere with the spring 66 is arranged along the outer peripheral shape of the spring 66. It may be deformed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13 (b) viewed from the direction of arrow Z in FIG. 13 (a), the portion 71g disposed opposite to the outer periphery of the spring 66 of the switching member 71 is replaced with the other portion. By being bent so as to be inclined, it is formed so as to follow the outer peripheral shape of the spring 66. Thereby, since the switching member 71 can be accommodated in the case 63, interference with other units can be avoided and space saving can be achieved. Note that the angle at which the switching member 71 is bent so as to be inclined may be selected in accordance with the outer diameter of the spring 66.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a lubricant supply device having another configuration.
Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the lubricant supply device 6 shown in FIG. 14 is provided with a support shaft 67 that rotatably supports each arm member 65 in the case 63 instead of the lubricant holding member 68. ing. Then, the one end portion side of each arm member 65 is pulled by the biasing force of the spring 66, so that the other end side of each arm member 65 is on the surface opposite to the side holding the lubricant 60 of the lubricant holding member 68. It abuts and presses. Other than that, it is the same structure as embodiment shown in FIG. Also in the lubricant supply device 6 having such a configuration, it is possible to easily reduce the pressing force by providing the switching member 71 similar to the above between the pair of springs 66 and switching the switching member 71.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the present invention can be applied to a configuration including only one spring 66. Specifically, in the configuration shown in FIG. 15, a long support member 75 is used instead of one of the springs 66 used in the above embodiment. In this case, the biasing force (tensile force) of one spring 66 is obtained by connecting the pair of arm members 65 by the support member 75, the spring 66, and the switching member 71 interposed therebetween. The two arm members 65 are pulled to apply a pressing force to the lubricant 60. As described above, the support portion that supports the end portion of the spring 66 opposite to the end portion that is hooked on the arm member 65 may be the support member 75 that does not apply an urging force. Also in this case, it is possible to easily reduce the pressing force by switching the switching member 71 in the same manner as described above. In particular, in this case, as compared with the case where two springs 66 are used, since there is no accumulation of biasing force tolerances of the springs 66, there is an advantage that variation in biasing force can be reduced.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the lubricant supply member (only according to the rotational speed of the supply roller, the charging method of the image forming unit, etc.) can be changed by simply switching the attitude of the switching member. It is possible to easily change the pressing force of the lubricant against the supply roller. Thereby, the adjustment operation of an appropriate pressing force is simplified, and the working efficiency is improved.

  In the past, it has been necessary to prepare a plurality of types of pressing means having different pressing forces for each type of image forming apparatus and each image forming unit, but by adopting the present invention, a spring constituting the pressing means. Etc. can be used in common. Thereby, inventory management of parts, assembling work, etc. can be simplified, and the cost required for these can be reduced.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, Of course, a various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a lubricant supply device that supplies a lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor has been described as an example. However, the lubricant is supplied to the surface of a belt member such as an intermediate transfer belt. The present invention can be similarly applied to the lubricant supply device. Further, the image forming apparatus provided with the lubricant supply device according to the present invention is not limited to the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and may be other copiers, printers, facsimiles, or complex machines thereof.

1Y, 1C, 1M, 1Bk Process unit 2 Photoconductor 6 Lubricant supply device 60 Lubricant 61 Supply roller (lubricant supply member)
62 Pressing means 63 Case 66 Spring (elastic body)
70 pressing force change means 71 switching member 71a 1st bending part 71b 2nd bending part 71c 3rd bending part 72 hole

JP 2007-293240 A

Claims (9)

In a lubricant supply device comprising a lubricant, a lubricant supply member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target, and a pressing means that presses the lubricant against the lubricant supply member,
A pressing force changing means for changing the pressing force of the pressing means;
The pressing means includes a pressing member that presses the lubricant against the lubricant supply member, and a first elastic body and a second elastic body that urge the pressing member,
The pressing force changing means includes a switching member attached to an end portion of the first elastic body and an end portion of the second elastic body,
The switching member includes at least a first posture and a second posture in which a distance between an end portion of the first elastic body and an end portion of the second elastic body is longer than the first posture. A lubricant supply device configured to be switchable from one to the other . The first elastic body and the second elastic body are tension springs,
The switching member includes two hook portions for hooking an end portion of the first elastic body and an end portion of the second elastic body in the state of the first posture, and the switching member in the state of the second posture. Two hook portions for hooking an end portion of the first elastic body and an end portion of the second elastic body;
The lubricant supply device according to claim 1, wherein an interval between the hook portions in the second posture is longer than an interval between the hook portions in the first posture . The switching member includes a first bent portion and a second bent portion that are provided continuously with each other, and a second bent portion at a position farther from the second bent portion than the first bent portion. The lubricant supply device according to claim 2, further comprising a third bending portion provided in a continuous manner . The lubricant supply device according to claim 3, wherein the first bent portion and the second bent portion, or the second bent portion and the third bent portion are formed by the same arc . A case for accommodating at least the lubricant, the first elastic body, and the second elastic body;
The lubricant supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a hole for switching the switching member from outside is provided in the case . A portion of the switching member disposed to face the outer periphery of the first elastic body or the second elastic body is deformed along the outer peripheral shape of the first elastic body or the second elastic body. The lubricant supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . In a process unit comprising at least a photoconductor and a lubricant supply device for supplying a lubricant to the photoconductor, and configured to be detachable integrally with the image forming apparatus main body,
A process unit comprising the lubricant supply device according to claim 1 as the lubricant supply device . An image forming apparatus comprising the lubricant supply device according to claim 1 . Lubricant, a lubricant supply member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target, a lubricant supply device that includes a pressing unit that presses the lubricant against the lubricant supply member, and the lubricant supply target A process unit manufacturing method comprising at least a photosensitive member and configured to be detachable integrally with the image forming apparatus main body.
The pressing means includes a pressing member that presses the lubricant against the lubricant supply member, and a first elastic body and a second elastic body that urge the pressing member,
When assembling the lubricant supply device, a switching member is attached to the end portion of the first elastic body and the end portion of the second elastic body, and the switching member is connected to the first posture and the first posture. The distance between the end of the elastic body and the end of the second elastic body is held in either one of the second positions, which is longer than the first position, and the pressing means is pressed. Holding the pressure in a predetermined state,
After assembling the lubricant supply device, the switching member is switched to the other posture to change the pressing force of the pressing means .

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