JPH0360780A - Drum washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely wash the inner peripheral surfaces of the end parts of drums by providing brushes for washing inner peripheral surfaces and nozzles for discharging a washing liquid. CONSTITUTION:The brushes 3 for washing the inner peripheral surfaces are fitted into the bottom end parts of the drums D while the drums are kept rotated. The drums D are further lowered while the drums are kept rotated. The washing liquid in a washing tank 1 is discharged from discharge ports 4a of the respective nozzles 4. The drums D are lowered down to the position where the bottom ends thereof are not immersed in the washing liquid 2. Brush hair groups 5 come into sliding contact with the inner peripheral surfaces of the rotating drums D at this time. The bottom end faces of the respective drums D are washed by using the washing liquid discharged from the nozzles 4. The carry over of stains to the ensuing stage is prevented in this way.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a drum cleaning device used for cleaning drums such as aluminum tubes used for photosensitive drums of image forming apparatuses.

(Prior Art) Photosensitive drums used in image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copying machines and printers are manufactured by applying a photosensitive substance to the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum tube. In order to apply the photosensitive material to a uniform thickness, the aluminum tube is cleaned before the photosensitive material is applied to remove foreign substances such as metal powder and oils and fats adhering to its surface.

As a method for cleaning aluminum tubes, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 108558/1983, there is a method of cleaning aluminum tubes by ultrasonically vibrating a cleaning solution in which the aluminum tubes are immersed. Are known.

However, with this method, the aluminum tube must be immersed in the cleaning solution for a long time in order to completely remove foreign substances that are firmly attached to the tube, which reduces work efficiency. There are drawbacks.

Therefore, the applicant installed a plurality of cleaning brushes having ring-shaped bristles in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank, and while the cleaning liquid was vibrated by ultrasonic waves, the aluminum tube was rotated. By passing the inside of the brush bristles up and down while sliding the brush bristles against the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum tube, foreign matter adhering to the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum tube is efficiently and reliably removed in a short time. (Utility Application No. 63-14311).

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) With such a drum cleaning device, foreign matter such as metal powder adhering to the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum tube can be effectively removed. However, it is not possible to remove foreign matter such as metal powder adhering to the lower end surface of the aluminum tube or the inner peripheral surface of the lower end.

In the next coating process, the cleaned aluminum tube is immersed vertically in a coating solution containing a photosensitive substance, and the coating solution is applied to its outer peripheral surface. At this time, the coating liquid in which the aluminum tube is immersed is
In order to apply the coating liquid to a uniform thickness on the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum tube, the coating liquid is constantly passed through from below to above so that the surface of the coating solution does not shift when the aluminum tube is immersed. , causing an overflow. Therefore, if metal powder, etc. adheres to the lower end surface of the aluminum tube or the inner peripheral surface of the lower end, the coating liquid flowing from below will move the metal powder, etc. to the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum tube. Hey, aluminum! There is a risk of it adhering to the outer circumferential surface. In this way, if foreign matter such as metal powder adheres to the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum tube, the coating liquid is applied thinly to that area, so a photosensitive layer is formed to a uniform thickness on the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum tube. Can not do it. A photoreceptor drum manufactured in this manner cannot form a desired image.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a drum cleaning device that can reliably clean the inner peripheral surface of the drum end and the end surface of the drum.

The purpose of the pond of the present invention is to provide a drum cleaning device in which there is no fear that foreign matter removed from the drum will re-adhere to the drum.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The drum cleaning device of the present invention includes a group of annular brush bristles that fit into the lower end of a vertically supported drum and come into sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface and lower end surface of the lower end of the drum. The above-mentioned object is achieved by comprising brushes for cleaning the inner circumferential surface, each having a brush, and a nozzle for discharging a cleaning liquid toward the group of brush bristles.

(Example) Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to examples.

The drum cleaning device of the present invention is suitable for cleaning the outer peripheral surface of the drum on which the photosensitive layer is formed when manufacturing a photoreceptor drum in which a photosensitive layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum made of an aluminum tube. used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drum cleaning device of the present invention includes a plurality of inner circumferential surface cleaning brushes 3 disposed in a cleaning tank 1 containing a cleaning liquid 2, and each inner circumferential surface cleaning brush 3. It has a plurality of nozzles 4 respectively disposed on each inner circumferential surface cleaning brush 3 for refining, respectively. The inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 is placed above the cleaning liquid 2 in the cleaning tank l.
For example, they are arranged in two rows of four.

As the drum cleaning liquid used for the photosensitive drum, for example, a degreasing cleaning liquid such as dichloromethane is suitably used.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 has, for example, four disc-shaped spacers 6 stacked vertically so that each brush is in a horizontal state. . The lowermost spacer 6 is larger than the other spacers 6.
It has a large outer diameter. At the outer periphery of each spacer 6,
A recessed fitting part 7 whose upper part is cut out so that its lower part protrudes outward is formed over the entire circumference. The fitting portions 7 of each spacer 6, including the fitting portion 7 of the lowest spacer 6, have the same outer diameter, so that the lower part of the lowest spacer 6 protrudes outward. There is.

A group of ring-shaped brush bristles 5 is provided in the insertion portion 7 of each spacer 6.
An annular support member 5a that supports the is inserted in a replaceable manner. Each support member 5a supports the inner peripheral portion of a group 5 of brush bristles arranged radially. The bristles of the lowermost brush bristle group 5 are longer than the bristles of the other brush bristle groups 5, and the tips of their outer peripheral portions reach the lower outer peripheral surface of the lowermost spacer 6 that protrudes outward. ing. The uppermost brush bristle group 5 comes into sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface at a height of about 30 mm from the lower end surface of the drum.

A truncated conical cap member 8 is placed on the upper surface of the uppermost spacer 6, and the cap member 8 and each spacer 6 are concentrically connected by three vertical bolts 9. . A through hole 14 having a rectangular cross section is inserted through the cap member 8 and each spacer 60 at a precise position.

Each of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brushes 3 having such a configuration is installed in the cleaning tank 1.
On each support shaft 11 vertically installed at the bottom of the
The respective through holes 14 are slidably fitted and supported. A push spring 10 is fitted onto each support shaft 11, and each inner circumferential surface cleaning brush 3 is urged upward.

The cap member 8 on the top of each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 includes:
Annular nozzles 4 are each supported. Each nozzle 4 has its discharge port 4a facing the uppermost bristle group 5 from above in order to discharge the cleaning liquid toward the uppermost bristle group 5. Then, as shown in FIG.
After the cleaning liquid 2 inside is circulated in the circulation path 15 by the pump 12 and passed through the filter 13, it is discharged from the discharge port 4a of each nozzle 4 and sprayed onto each brush bristle group 5.

The ejection opening 4a of each nozzle 4 may be continuous in an annular shape, or a plurality of ejection openings may be arranged in an annular manner. Each nozzle 4 is provided with an ultrasonic oscillator,
The cleaning liquid discharged from each nozzle 4 may be vibrated ultrasonically.

The operation of the drum cleaning device having such a configuration is as follows. For example, eight drums D to be cleaned are supported substantially vertically in an alignment similar to the alignment of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brushes 3 disposed in the cleaning tank l, and are lowered integrally. be done. Then, while each drum D is being rotated, the inner circumferential surface cleaning brush 3 is fitted into the lower end portion thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, each drum D is placed on the lowermost brush electrolyte 5 of each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3, and further,
It is lowered while rotating. At this time, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 1 is filtered by the filter 13 and then discharged from the discharge port 4a of each nozzle 4.

As a result, each drum D lowers each inner circumferential surface cleaning brush 3 against the biasing force of the push spring 1o.

Each drum D is lowered to a position where its lower end is not immersed in the cleaning liquid 2 in the cleaning tank 1. At this time, the brush bristles 5 in the upper three stages of each inner surface cleaning brush 3 are in sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the rotating drum D, and the inner circumferential surface of each drum D is cleaned by the brushes discharged from the nozzle 4. At the same time, the lower end surface of the rotating drum D, on which the lowermost brush bristles group 5 is placed, is cleaned using the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 4. The cleaning liquid discharged toward the bristle group 5 also removes foreign matter adhering to the bristle group 5 from the bristle group 5.

After that, each cleaned drum D is lifted up as one,
The fitted state with each inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3 is removed. Then, it is transferred to the next step, a photosensitive layer forming step.

After the drum D is cleaned in this way, the drum D to be cleaned next is transported, and the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the drum is cleaned by the group of bristles 5 of the inner circumferential surface cleaning brush 3. By constantly discharging clean cleaning liquid from the nozzle 4 until the lower end of the next drum D is fitted to the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush 3, not only the drum D is being cleaned, but also Drum D
Even when the brush bristle group 5 is not being cleaned, foreign matter adhering to the brush bristle group 5 is removed, and re-adhesion of foreign matter to the drum D is reliably prevented.

In the above explanation, the drum of the object to be cleaned is an aluminum tube used for the photoreceptor drum of an image forming apparatus. good.

(Effects of the Invention) In the drum cleaning device of the present invention, the inner peripheral surface and lower end surface of the lower end of the vertically supported drum are cleaned by each group of bristles of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush. Therefore, there is no risk that dirt on the inner peripheral surface and lower end surface of the lower end of the drum will be carried into the next process.

Therefore, if the aluminum tube used for the photoreceptor drum is cleaned by the cleaning device of the present invention, the photosensitive layer can be coated with a uniform thickness by immersing the aluminum tube in a coating solution containing a photosensitive substance. can be formed.

In addition, since the bristles of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush are soaked with clean cleaning liquid, foreign substances such as metal powder and oil removed from the drum by each group of bristles of the inner peripheral surface cleaning brush are removed from the drum. There is no risk of it re-adhering to the surface.

4. No.7j! "Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an example of the drum cleaning device of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of essential parts of the brush for cleaning the inner circumferential surface, and FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of the brush for cleaning the inner circumferential surface.

l...Cleaning tank, 2...Cleaning liquid, 3...Inner peripheral surface cleaning brush, 4...Nozzle, 5...Brush bristle group, 13
...filter, D...drum.

that's all

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Fitted into the lower end of a vertically supported drum,
A drum cleaning device comprising: an inner circumferential surface cleaning brush each having an annular group of brush bristles in sliding contact with an inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the drum and a group of annular brush bristles in sliding contact with the lower end surface of the drum; and a nozzle for discharging a cleaning liquid toward the group of brush bristles. .