JPH03269476A - Cleaning device of electrostatic copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a brush from being clogged or improve toner recovering ability by providing a cover which covers a brush while a slight gap is left and projecting a flicker inside the cover at a position in the opposite direction from a photosensitive body. CONSTITUTION:The upper side of the brush 13 is covered with the cover 17 while the slight gap is left. The flicker 18 is projected inside the cover 17 at the position which is at about 60 deg. in the opposite direction from the photosensitive body 5 about a vertical line passing the brush 13. Toner sticking on the surface of the photosensitive body 5 is scraped off by the rotation of the brush 13 and toner sticking on the brush 13 is shaken away in its rotational tangential direction by abutting on the flicker 18 and discharged by an auger 15. Further, an air flow is generated in a housing 16 in the rotating direction of the brush 13, and a space 19 formed above the auger 15 operates as an air reservoir to suppress the air flow. Toner which is scattered to the upstream side of the flicker 18 is caught by the cover 17.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention supports a photoreceptor and a cleaning device in a frame to form a so-called cartridge, and the frame and the cartridge are moved in the drawing direction with respect to the main body of a copying machine. The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an electrostatic copying machine that is detachable.

[Conventional technology]

When the photoreceptor and the cleaning device are configured in the form of a cartridge, it is necessary to reduce the space of the cleaning device around the photoreceptor.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned cleaning device has a brush that rotates in contact with the photoreceptor, and this brush is used to scrape off toner adhering to the surface of the photoreceptor. In addition, the flicker is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the brush.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

When the photoreceptor and the cleaning device are configured in a cartridge shape, the installation position of the flicker becomes a problem. That is, even if a flicker is installed, if the flicker is not positioned appropriately, the brush may become clogged with toner or the toner adhering to the brush may not be collected properly.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and even when the space within the cleaning device is extremely small, the photoconductor and the cleaning device are configured in a cartridge-like manner, so that clogging of the brush can be prevented, and toner can be recovered. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device for an electrostatic copying machine that can improve its performance.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the electrostatic copying machine cleaning device according to the present invention includes a brush that contacts a photoreceptor, a flicker that contacts the outer circumference of the brush, and a flicker that is located below the brush. In an electrostatic copying machine cleaning device that includes an auger that discharges toner peeled off from the photoreceptor surface in a housing, a cover is provided to cover the upper side of the brush with a slight gap, and the inside of this cover is In addition, a flicker is provided protruding at a position of about 60 degrees in the direction opposite to the photoreceptor with respect to a vertical line passing through the center of the brush.

Further, an auger is provided in the direction in which the toner is splashed by flicker, and a space is provided above the auger.

Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the flicker is such that the upstream side surface thereof is 20 to 40 degrees to the tangent to the brush, the downstream side surface is 80 to 100 degrees to the brush tangent, and the tip is formed in a small arc shape. .

[For production]

The rotation of the brush scrapes off the toner on the surface of the photoreceptor. The toner adhering to the brush is then flicked off by a flicker and blown away in the tangential direction of the brush's rotation, and this toner is discharged by an auger. At this time, the toner scattered upstream of the flicker is captured by the upper cover.

The airflow generated by the rotation of the brush is suppressed in the space provided above the auger.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

Figure 3 schematically shows the configuration of a laser printer using an electrostatic copying machine, and shows the information transmitted from an external device (not shown) such as a computer or word processor connected to the outside of the laser printer. The image signal forms a latent image on a photoreceptor 5 by a laser beam 4 incident through an optical system 3 including a polygon mirror 2, and this latent image is developed in a developing device 6, and then supplied from a paper feed device 7. A transfer section 9 transfers the image onto the printed paper 8.

The paper 8 on which the toner image has been transferred is sent to a fixing device 11 by a transport 10, where it is heated and fixed, and then discharged.

12 is a cleaning device; this cleaning device 12
is a brush 13 that rotates and contacts the rotating photoreceptor 5;
, a doctor blade 14 located on the downstream side of the brush 13 and abutting against the surface of the photoreceptor 5 in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation thereof; an auger 15 for discharging the toner peeled off from the photoreceptor 5; It consists of a housing 16 etc. that houses the.

The photoreceptor 5 is supported by a frame (not shown) that is integrally constructed with the housing 16 of the cleaning device 12, and the photoreceptor 5 and the cleaning device 12 are configured in the form of a cartridge, and are separated from the main body of the copying machine. It is removable in the direction of the drawer.

The cleaning device 12 will be further explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The brush 13 is called a day star per brush, and the upper side of the brush 13 is covered with a cover 17 with a slight gap, for example, about 1 m. A brush 13 is placed inside this cover 17.
A flicker 18 is protruded at a position about 60 degrees away from the photoreceptor 5 with respect to a vertical line passing through the photoreceptor 5 .

The cross-sectional shape of the flicker 18 is such that the angle α1 of the upstream side surface in the rotating direction (arrow) of the brush 13 is 20 to 40 degrees with respect to the tangent to the brush 13, and the angle α2 of the downstream side surface is set to 20 to 40 degrees.
The angle is 80 to 100 degrees with respect to the tangent line of 3, and the tip has a small arc shape.

One space facing the upper side of the auger 15 is provided above the auger 15.

The auger 15 has a flexible structure, and in order to prevent deformation of the auger 15, an auger holder 20 is provided on the housing 16 so as to protrude from the housing 16 and face the upper side of the auger 15.

Further, a lower cover 21 is disposed opposite to the bottom of the brush 13 with a slight gap, for example, a gap of 0.5 degrees.

In the above configuration, the rotation of the brush 13 scrapes off the toner adhering to the surface of the photoreceptor 5. The toner adhering to the brush 13 is removed by coming into contact with the flicker 18 and is blown away in the tangential direction of the rotation, and this toner is discharged by the auger 15.

At this time, the flicking effect of the flicker 18 on the brush 13 was good, and the brush 13 was not clogged.

Further, due to the rotation of the brush 13, an airflow is generated in the housing 16 in the rotational direction of the brush 13, but the space 19 formed above the auger 15 acts as an air pocket, and the airflow is suppressed.

Toner scattered upstream of the flicker 18 is captured by the upper cover 17.

In addition to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present inventors have
The experiment was conducted using an experimental machine as shown in the figure.

That is, the first experimental machine shown in Fig. 4 has an upper cover with a gap of 1.5 mm, and a flicker
8 is provided directly above the brush 13, and a housing wall 16a is provided directly above the auger 15.The second experimental machine shown in FIG.
A housing wall is provided directly above the auger 15.

In both of the above experimental machines, the brush 13 became clogged. Furthermore, an air current was generated within the housing 16, and the toner formed into a cloud and flowed back toward the photoreceptor 5 side.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, even when the photoreceptor 5 and the cleaning device 12 are configured in a cartridge shape and the space inside the cleaning device 12 is extremely small, clogging of the brush 13 can be prevented.

Furthermore, since the airflow within the housing 16 of the cleaning device 12 is suppressed by the space 19 provided above the auger 15, the toner cloud does not leak from the cleaning device 12, improving the toner recovery ability. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show embodiments of the present invention.
2 is a sectional view showing the entire cleaning device, and FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the electrostatic copying machine. FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views showing the configurations of different experimental machines according to embodiments of the present invention. 5 is a photoreceptor, 12 is a cleaning device, 13 is a brush,
14 is a doctor blade, 15 is an auger, 16 is a housing, 17 is a cover, 18 is a flicker, and 19 is a space.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A brush that contacts the photoreceptor, a flicker that contacts the outer periphery of the brush, and an auger located below the brush that discharges toner peeled off from the surface of the photoreceptor by the brush are housed in a housing. In a cleaning device for an electrostatic copying machine, a cover is provided that covers the upper side of the brush with a small gap, and a A cleaning device for an electrostatic copying machine characterized by having a flicker protruding at a position of about 60 degrees. (2) The cleaning device for an electrostatic copying machine according to claim (1), wherein an auger is provided in a direction in which toner is splashed by flicker, and a space is provided above the auger. (3) The cross-sectional shape of the flicker is such that the angle of the upstream side is 20 to 40 degrees to the tangent to the brush, and the angle of the downstream side is 80 to 100 degrees to the tangent of the brush, and the tip is a small circle. A claim characterized in that it is formed in an arc shape (
1) A cleaning device for an electrostatic copying machine as described above.