JPH02158790A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To initiate the leading edge of a cleaning blade and to always carry out normal cleaning by reversely rotating a photosensitive body at a fixed time at a non-recording period. CONSTITUTION:The photosensitive body 4 is reversely rotated at a fixed time at a non-recording period by turning on a switch reversely rotating the photosensitive body 4. By this reverse rotation of the photosensitive body 4, residual toner 17 accumulating on the leading edge of the bottom surface of the cleaning blade 12 and paper powder 18 are taken by the photosensitive body 4 and moves or drops downward, and then, they moves toward a recovering shaft 14 along the inner surface of a sealing member 19 and are recovered in a recovering tank 15. Thus, the leading edge of the cleaning edge 12 can be returned to an initial condition, thereby the occurrence of the cleaning failure is prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an electrostatic recording device that uses a cleaning blade to remove toner remaining on a photoreceptor after transfer.

Prior to explaining the prior art invention, the image forming process of an example of a laser printer as an example of a transfer type electrostatic recording device will be explained with reference to FIG.

The recording paper 2 fed out from the paper feeding device 1 is fed to a transfer section along the photosensitive drum 4 at a timing determined by a pair of registration rollers 6. The photosensitive drum 4 is driven to rotate in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in the figure, and the photosensitive drum 4
The photoreceptor is uniformly banded and irradiated with laser light from the laser writing optical system 6 to form a static tS image on the photoreceptor. This electrostatic latent is developed into a toner image by the developing device 7, and is transferred to the transfer paper fed to the transfer position by the action of the transfer charger 8, and the transfer paper is separated from the photoreceptor drum 4 (not shown). The image is fixed by the fixing device, recording is completed, and the image is discharged outside the machine.

On the other hand, toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 4 after transfer is removed by a cleaning device 9 in preparation for the next image formation. As shown in the figure, the cleaning device 9 has a cleaning blade 12 whose tip abuts against the photoreceptor drum 4 with a constant pressure, and the remaining toner and paper powder on the photoreceptor drum 4 are wiped off by this blade, and the cleaning blade 12 is cleaned with a rectangular cross section. Collection shaft 1 having
4, the toner is collected in a toner collection tank 15 formed within the cleaning device housing 16 and stored therein.

Now, in the cleaning device having the above configuration, when the cleaning blade 12 repeatedly wipes off the residual toner 17 and paper dust 18 on the photoreceptor drum 4 as shown in FIG. Residual toner and paper dust accumulates on the bottom surface over time, solidifies, and becomes stuck between the tip of the cleaning blade 12 and the photoreceptor drum 4. A gap is created between the leading edge and the surface of the photoconductor drum 40, and some of the residual toner on the photoconductor drum passes through the gap, resulting in poor cleaning and the problem that the recording paper becomes stained during the next printing. I had something to do.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that solves the above-mentioned problems of cleaning devices having a cleaning blade and can prevent residual toner and paper dust from accumulating and coagulating on the tip of the cleaning blade. do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention makes it possible to reverse the photoreceptor forward and backward, and also includes a switch for reversing the photoreceptor, and by pressing the switch, controls the photoreceptor to be reversed for a certain period of time during non-recording. It is characterized in that it is provided with a control means.

Function: Since the cleaning device of the present invention is configured as described above, when a switch for reversing the photoreceptor is pressed, the photoreceptor is reversed for a certain period of time during non-recording, and this causes deposits to be deposited on the lower surface of the tip of the cleaning blade. The toner and paper dust that is present will fall downward, allowing the tip of the cleaning blade to return to its initial state.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the photoreceptor is reversed for a certain period of time during non-recording according to the present invention. As shown by θ in the figure, the above-mentioned fixed time period is such that the point at which the tip of the cleaning blade 12 of the photoreceptor drum 4 comes into contact is provided at the edge of the bottom of the housing 16 of the cleaning device facing the photoreceptor drum 4. It is sufficient that the time is longer than the time needed to reverse the angle required to move the sealing member 19 to the contact point with the photoreceptor. Due to this reversal of the photoreceptor, the residual toner 17 and paper dust 18 that have accumulated on the lower end of the cleaning blade 14 are carried by the photoreceptor 4, move or fall downward, and are collected along the inner surface of the sealing member 19. It moves toward the shaft 14 and is collected in the collection tank 15.

In order to rotate the photoreceptor in the forward and reverse directions, a C motor is used as the photoreceptor drive motor, which is capable of forward and reverse rotation. The switch for reversing the motor can also be used as a switch that is pressed to cause the recording device to perform a recording operation. Fig. 2 is a control block diagram in which the photoconductor drive motor is controlled to reverse for a certain period of time when the machine starts up by pressing the main switch of the recording device, and Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the control flow. . The configuration and operation flow are clear from the diagram, so a detailed explanation will be omitted, but the device is reset by turning on the main switch, and the C
The PU starts up, the CPU is initialized, and a photoconductor drive motor reverse rotation signal is output. As a result, the photoreceptor drive motor
After the photoreceptor is reversed for a time T which is longer than the time required to reverse the photoreceptor by θ shown in the figure, it becomes ready for forward rotation and waits for a print signal.

As a switch for reversing the photoreceptor, use the print command switch for producing one image, and after the specified number of images have been printed, the photoreceptor drive motor is rotated in the reverse direction for the above-mentioned fixed time T. You can do it like this.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the control flow. In response to the print command, the motor forward rotation signal is turned on, the motor rotates forward, and the specified number of sheets (1 to N) are printed. Then, a reverse rotation signal is sent to the photoreceptor drive motor in response to a signal detecting the ejection of the last print paper to the outside of the machine, and after rotating in reverse for a time T, the motor reverse rotation signal is turned off and the motor is stopped.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, the photoreceptor rotates in reverse for a certain period of time when not recording, so that the toner and paper dust accumulated on the tip of the cleaning blade are removed, and the tip of the cleaning blade is initialized, so that it always operates normally. Cleaning is performed, which has the effect of improving reliability and extending the life of the cleaning device.

Also, by pressing a switch for causing the recording device to perform a recording operation by reversing the photoconductor, the K! By controlling the IJ, the cleaning blade can be automatically cleaned in a timely and appropriate manner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a control block diagram of an embodiment in which the photoconductor is reversed by pressing the main switch of the recording device, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the control flow, and FIG. A flowchart of the control flow, FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the essential parts of an example of a known laser printer, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the cleaning device in detail. 4... Photosensitive drum 9... Cleaning device 12... Cleaning blade 14... Recovery shaft 15... Toner recovery tank 16... Cleaning device housing 17...
Residual toner 18...Paper dust (1 other person) Figure 1 Figure 3] 6 Figure 2 Kuchimitomi〒=ko■

Claims (1)

[Claims] A cleaning blade having a tip abutting the photoconductor;
After transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor to recording paper,
In a cleaning device for an electrostatic recording device that removes toner remaining on the surface of a photoreceptor with the cleaning blade, the photoreceptor can be rotated forward and backward, and a switch for reversing the photoreceptor, and when the switch is pressed, A cleaning device comprising a control means for controlling a photoconductor to rotate in reverse for a certain period of time during non-recording.