JPH0124313B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cleaning brush for printing devices such as electrophotographic devices and electrostatic recording devices, and more particularly to a cleaning brush position adjustment device for adjusting the position of the cleaning brush.

The present invention will be explained below using an electrophotographic apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an electrophotographic apparatus.

In the figure, 1 is a photosensitive drum on which a latent image is formed, 2 is a latent image forming means using, for example, a laser beam, to form a latent image on the photosensitive drum 1, and 3 is a means for supplying developer powder to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. Developing means for visualizing the latent image on the photosensitive drum, 4 a transfer means for transferring the visible image on the photosensitive drum 1 onto recording paper, 5 removing developer powder remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 after transfer. It is a cleaning brush.

Next, the printing process of the electrophotographic apparatus will be explained.

First, a latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 by the latent image forming means 2. Next, the latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 is visualized by the developing means 3. Next, the visible image on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred to recording paper by the transfer means 4. After the transfer, the visible image remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 is removed by a cleaning brush 5.

Printing by an electrophotographic apparatus is performed by sequentially repeating the above steps. Here, the cleaning brush 5 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 to perform cleaning. Therefore, the tip of the cleaning brush 5 is worn down due to wear. Therefore, the cleaning brush 5 whose tip wears out over time cannot always maintain a constant cleaning effect. Furthermore, it is necessary to replace the cleaning brush 5 at predetermined intervals, but the current situation is that the replacement timing also depends on intuition based on human experience.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, to realize a device that can always obtain the desired cleaning effect and accurately know when to replace the cleaning device.

The object of the present invention is to provide a latent image forming medium on which a latent image is formed, a latent image forming means to form a latent image on the latent image forming medium, and a latent image forming means to make the latent image on the latent image forming medium visible by supplying developer powder. A developing device for forming an image, a transfer device for transferring a visible image on the latent image forming medium to a recording paper, and a cleaning brush for removing developer powder remaining on the latent image forming medium after the transfer. In a printing device, means for detecting the position of the tip of the brush with respect to the cleaning brush, and a position for adjusting the position of the cleaning brush with respect to the latent image forming medium by moving a rotating shaft of the cleaning brush using an output from the means. This is achieved by providing a cleaning brush position adjusting device characterized by being provided with an adjusting means.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, one embodiment of the brush position adjustment device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a brush position adjustment device according to the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a photosensitive drum, 5 is a cleaning brush, 6 is a threaded portion having a flange 7 in the center, and a right-hand screw 8 screwed into the frame 12 and a left-hand screw 9 screwed into the sensor block 11 on the side. 10 is a block that holds down a bearing 13 that is inserted into the flange 7; 11 is a sensor 1;
4 is attached to the sensor block, 12 is the frame, 13 is the bearing of the cleaning brush 5, and 14 is a pressure sensor attached to the sensor block 11, which detects the contact pressure of the cleaning brush 5 and outputs a detection signal (symbol A in the figure). , 15 is a limit switch that informs the limit of the amount of movement of block 10, 16
Reference numeral 17 indicates an adjusting means for adjusting the threaded portion 6 based on a detection signal (symbol A in the figure) from the sensor 14, and 17 is a rotating shaft of the cleaning brush 5.

Next, the operation will be explained.

First, in one embodiment of the present invention, the sensor 1
4 is the rotation axis 17 of the cleaning brush 5.
The amount of movement is twice as large as the amount of movement. This is because the amount of wear on the tip of the cleaning brush 5 is detected by the sensor 14, and when the rotating shaft 17 of the cleaning brush 5 is moved, the amount of movement of the rotating shaft 17, that is, the amount of wear on the tip of the cleaning brush 5 is set to "1". Then, the amount of movement of the sensor 14 to detect the height of the tip of the cleaning brush 5 is the sum of the amount of movement of the rotating shaft 17 and the amount of wear on the tip of the cleaning brush 5, that is, "2".
This is because.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, the cleaning brush 5 is detected by the sensor 14.
The amount of wear on the tip of the ear is detected. Next, sensor 1
4 outputs a detection signal A when the amount of wear at the tip of the cleaning brush 5 exceeds a specified amount of wear.
Next, the detection signal A from the sensor 14 is
6 is input. Next, the screw 6 is rotated to the right by the adjusting means 16. By rotating the threaded part 6 to the right, the flange 7 presses the block 10 with the right-hand thread 8 of the threaded part 6, moves the bearing 13, and moves the cleaning brush 5 onto the photosensitive drum 1.
move towards. Further, the sensor block 11 is moved in the direction of the flange 7 by the left-hand thread 9 of the threaded portion 6, and the sensor 14 is also moved in the direction of the flange 7. Here, if the amount of movement of the flange 7 by the right-hand screw 8 when the threaded part 6 is rotated one turn in the right direction is "1", the sensor block 11 also moves by "1" together with the threaded part 6. Further, the left-hand screw 9 moves the sensor block 11 by "1" in the direction of the flange 7. Therefore, by rotating the threaded portion 6 one turn in the right direction, the sensor block 11 and the sensor 14 advance by "2". Therefore, the amount of movement of the sensor 14 is twice the amount of movement of the rotating shaft 17 of the cleaning brush 5. Also, the rotating shaft 1 of the cleaning brush 5
By making the distance from 7 to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 equal to the distance from the rotating shaft 17 to the sensor 14, the above-mentioned configuration does not change and can always be kept constant.

By employing the above configuration, the contact state between the cleaning brush 5 and the photosensitive drum 1 is always maintained constant.

That is, a constant cleaning effect can always be obtained from when the cleaning brush 5 is attached to when it is replaced. Further, by providing the limit switch 15, the operator can know the limit of the amount of movement of the cleaning brush 5. Therefore, the cleaning brush 5 can be replaced accurately, and the cleaning brush 5 can be used up to its usage limit, so the usage time of the cleaning brush 5 can be significantly extended, and the time required to replace the cleaning brush 5 can be greatly extended. Costs can be saved.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to always obtain a constant cleaning effect and to know exactly when it is time to replace the cleaning brush.

In the above embodiment, the position adjustment of the sensor and cleaning brush is performed in an integrated manner, but the present invention is not limited to this. Similar effects can be obtained even if each adjustment is performed using separate adjustment means.

In addition, by using separate adjustment means for each,
The contact pressure of the cleaning brush can be set at will by the operator, and adjustments can be made more easily to obtain the desired cleaning effect.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a pressure sensor is used as a sensor for detecting the position of the tip.
The present invention is not limited to this, and it is of course possible to apply an optical sensor or the like that uses light.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an electrophotographic apparatus. FIG. 2 shows a brush position adjustment device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a photosensitive drum, 2 is a latent image forming means, 3 is a developing means, 4 is a transfer means, 5 is a cleaning brush, 6 is a threaded part, 7 is a flange, 8 is a right-hand thread, 9 is a left-hand thread, 10 is a block, 11 is a sensor block, 12 is a frame, 13 is a bearing, 14
1 is a sensor, 15 is a limit switch, 16 is an adjusting means, and 17 is a brush shaft.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A latent image forming medium on which a latent image is formed, a latent image forming means for forming a latent image on the latent image forming medium, and a developing means for making the latent image on the latent image forming medium visible by supplying developer powder. , a printing device comprising: a transfer means for transferring the visible image on the latent image forming medium to a recording paper; and a cleaning brush for removing developer powder remaining on the latent image forming medium after transfer; means for detecting the position of the tip of the brush with respect to the cleaning brush; and position adjustment means for adjusting the position of the cleaning brush relative to the latent image forming medium by moving the rotating shaft of the cleaning brush based on the output from the means. A cleaning brush position adjustment device characterized by: