JPH0126066B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a cleaner for an electrostatic recording device that improves cleaning performance and makes the device smaller and lower in cost.

[Prior art]

In conventional electrostatic recording devices, methods such as fur brush cleaning, blade cleaning, and web cleaning are used as a cleaning process to remove residual toner from the developing process.

Generally, in an electrostatic recording device, a multi-needle electrode that forms an electrostatic latent image is provided in contact with a dielectric belt, so even the slightest cleaning failure can cause toner to adhere to the multi-needle electrode, resulting in , resulting in a decrease in the quality of recorded images.

Therefore, since using the above cleaning method alone is insufficient to remove residual toner, it is possible to combine multiple of the above cleaning methods as a cleaner for an electrostatic recording device. For example, as shown in FIG. There is something to show. That is, in FIG. 1, the main cleaner 1 and the sub-cleaner 2 are combined. Main cleaner 1
is composed of a blade 3 made of rubber (polyurethane, etc.) and a seal film 4, and the sub-cleaner 2 is composed of a cleaning web (porous cloth) 5, a pressure roller 6, a guide pipe 7, and a winding shaft 8. There is.

In the above configuration, most of the toner 10 remaining on the dielectric belt 9 is mechanically scraped off by the edge of the blade 3, falls onto the seal film 4, and is collected. Next, the small amount of toner 10 that could not be scraped off by the main cleaner 1 is removed by pressing the cleaning web 5 onto the dielectric belt 9 with the pressure roller 6 so that the toner is embedded in the grains of the cloth, and the toner 10 is almost completely removed. It will be completely removed from the dielectric belt 9.

As described above, the cleaner shown in Figure 1 uses different types of cleaners in the main cleaner and sub-cleaner, so the residual toner on the dielectric belt is reliably removed, and the residual toner is removed by multiple needles. Adhesion to the electrodes can be prevented, and as a result, deterioration in the quality of recorded images can be prevented.

However, in the case of conventional cleaners for electrostatic recording devices, residual toner is removed using multiple cleaners, so multiple cleaner units are required, and especially when a fur brush, web cleaner, etc. are used in combination, the device becomes larger. , the cost will be higher.

[Object and structure of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and in order to improve cleaning performance by using only blades that can be miniaturized, a pair of blades whose contact directions with the dielectric belt surface are opposite to each other. The present invention provides a cleaner for an electrostatic recording device including a toner receiver for receiving toner scraped off by a blade.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the cleaner for an electrostatic recording device according to the present invention will be explained in detail.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a cleaner casing 11, a doctor blade 12 disposed in the upper part of the cleaner casing 11 and having one end in contact with the dielectric belt 9, and a doctor blade 1
a seal film 13 that receives the toner scraped off by the wiper blade 1; and a wiper blade 1 that is disposed below the seal film 13 and whose one end contacts the dielectric belt in a direction opposite to that of the doctor blade.
4, a seal film 15 for receiving the toner scraped off by the wiper blade 14, and a seal film 15 disposed at the lower part of the cleaner housing 11 to discharge the toner scraped off by the doctor blade 12 and the wiper blade 14. and a discharge device 16.

That is, in the present invention, size reduction is achieved by combining blades, and cleaning performance is improved by providing the blades in opposite directions. In other words, even if different types of cleaning methods, such as blade cleaning and web cleaning or blade cleaning and fur brush cleaning, are integrated into a device, it is extremely difficult to miniaturize the device, it is impossible to reduce costs, and it is difficult to combine blades. Even though
Merely providing multiple stages is not effective in improving cleaning performance.

Since both the doctor blade and the wiper blade scrape the surface of the dielectric belt, they must be made of a material that will not damage the dielectric belt, such as urethane rubber (hardness 70° to 80°). Suitably used. If the angle α between the doctor blade 12 and the dielectric belt 9 is too large, the blade may curl up, resulting in poor cleaning, so α is preferably about 20°. Further, the angle β formed by the wiper blade 14 with the dielectric belt 9 is preferably about 60° from the viewpoint of cleaning performance.

The seal films 13 and 15 are attached to the dielectric belt 9
This is used to prevent the toner scraped from the surface by the edges of the doctor blade 12 and the wiper blade 14 from being scattered inside the apparatus, and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film or the like is preferably used.

By arranging each of the above members, especially the doctor blade 12 and the wiper blade 14 as shown in FIG. 2, they fit within the same cleaner housing, and the size thereof becomes approximately the same as that of a single blade cleaner housing.

In the above structure, most of the residual toner on the rotating dielectric belt 9 is first scraped off by the wiper blade 14. Next, a small amount of toner remaining on the dielectric belt 9 is also scraped off by the doctor blade 12. The scraped off toner is collected by the seal films 13 and 15 and discharged from the discharge device 16. In this way, all of the toner remaining on the dielectric belt 9 is scraped off, and it is possible to prevent deterioration in image quality due to toner adhesion to the multi-needle electrode 17.

Next, FIG. 3 shows an example of an electrostatic recording device using the cleaner of the present invention. This electrostatic recording device drives a dielectric belt 9 in which a dielectric material is formed on the surface of an endless belt, a multi-needle electrode 17 arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the surface of the dielectric belt 9, and the dielectric belt 9. A developing device 19 that attaches toner according to the surface charge to the surface of the roller 18 and the dielectric belt 9.
, a transfer corotron 21 that transfers the toner attached to the surface of the dielectric belt 9 onto the recording paper 20, and a cleaner A of the present invention (see FIG. 2) that removes the toner attached to the surface of the belt 9 after the transfer is completed. ), a static eliminating corotron 22 disposed upstream of the cleaner A and removing electric charge from the dielectric belt 9;
It is composed of a fixing device 23 that fixes the image transferred to the recording paper 20.

In FIG. 3, the multi-needle electrode 1
A recording voltage is applied to the dielectric belt 7, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the dielectric belt 9. This latent image is
The toner is developed by the transfer corotron 21 and transferred onto the recording paper 20. The transferred toner image is fixed by a fixing device 23 to obtain a recorded image. On the other hand, residual toner is removed from the dielectric belt 9 by the doctor blade 12 and wiper blade 14 of the cleaner A, and the latent image is erased by the charge eliminating corotron 22 in the preceding stage.

In addition, even if the doctor blade and wiper blade are arranged in reverse in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
The purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the electrostatic recording device cleaner of the present invention includes a pair of blades whose contact directions with the dielectric belt surface are opposite to each other, and a toner receiver for receiving toner scraped off by the blades. Therefore, cleaning performance can be improved and the device can be made smaller and lower in cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional cleaner for electrostatic recording devices, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an example of an electrostatic recording device using the cleaner of the present invention. The configuration diagram shown. Explanation of symbols 1...Main cleaner, 2...Sub cleaner, 3...Blade, 4...Seal film, 5
... Cleaning web, 6 ... Pressure roller, 7 ... Guide pipe, 8 ... Winding shaft, 9 ... Dielectric belt, 10 ... Toner, 11 ... Cleaner housing, 12
...Doctor blade, 13...Seal film, 1
4...Wiper blade, 15...Seal film,
16... Discharge device, 17... Multi-needle electrode, 18... Roller, 19... Developing device, 20... Recording paper, 21... Transfer corotron, 22... Static elimination corotron, 23... Fixing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cleaner for an electrostatic recording device that removes residual toner on a dielectric belt and discharges it to the outside, wherein one end is disposed in contact with the surface of the dielectric belt, and the directions of contact are mutually disposed. A cleaner for an electrostatic recording device, comprising a pair of blades facing in opposite directions, and a toner sealing means for receiving toner scraped off by the blades.