JPH04329578A - Toner recovering device for fur brush - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a toner recovering device for fur brush capable of improving toner recovering ability. CONSTITUTION:The toner recovering device 32 for fur brush is the device which recovers toner from the fur brush 31 in the cleaning device 25 of a copying machine provided with a fur brush 31 used for cleaning a photosensitive body 20. This device 32 is provided with a recovering roller 34 and a flicker brush 35. The above-mentioned recovering roller 34 is provided with comb-shape projecting parts 39 in press-contact with the surface of the fur brush 31, and capable of rotating and, in addition, sliding in the axial direction. The above- mentioned flicker brush 35 is in press-contact with the recovering roller 34 and used for recovering toner.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to a toner collecting device, particularly a cleaning device for an image forming apparatus having a fur brush for cleaning a photoreceptor drum. Regarding a collection device.

0002

[Prior Art] For example, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine,
A cleaning device is provided to remove toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum after the transfer process. As this cleaning device, for example, a device that uses a fur brush to remove the toner on the photoreceptor drum is known (see JP-A-61-122678, JP-A-1-170976, and JP-A-1-295289). ). The tip of this fur brush is in contact with the photoreceptor drum and is rotatable.

[0003] In such a cleaning device, when the fur brush rotates with a potential of opposite polarity to that of the toner applied to the fur brush, the toner on the photoreceptor drum is scraped off and adheres to the fur brush. It looks like this.

Further, the cleaning device is provided with a toner collecting device for collecting toner adhering to the fur brush. A conventional toner collection device includes a collection roller that comes into pressure contact with the surface of the fur brush, and a blade that comes into pressure contact with the collection roller.

[0005] In such a toner collection device, the collection roller is given a higher potential than the fur brush.
Toner adhering to the fur brush is electrically attracted onto the collection roller. Further, the toner adsorbed by the collection roller is scraped off by a blade and collected.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional configuration,
Since the axial contact position between the collection roller and the fur brush is constant, toner fusion in the form of a stripe extending in the circumferential direction may occur on the outer circumferential surface of the collection roller, especially during long-term operation. In this fused portion, toner is not collected to the collection roller side, and toner collection performance deteriorates.

[0007]Furthermore, during operation, toner may get stuck inside the fur brush, causing the fur brush to become clogged. This clogging also deteriorates the toner collection performance of the collection roller. Therefore, it has already been done to prevent clogging of the fur brush by providing a flicker bar and hitting the fur brush with the flicker bar. However, even with this flicker bar, a sufficient effect to improve toner recovery performance has not been achieved.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toner collection device for a fur brush that can improve toner collection performance.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A toner collecting device for a fur brush according to the present invention is a cleaning device for an image forming apparatus having a fur brush for cleaning a photoreceptor drum. It is a device. This device includes a collection roller and a flicker brush.

The collecting roller has a comb-shaped outer peripheral portion that comes into pressure contact with the surface of the fur brush, and is rotatable and slidable in the axial direction. The flicker brush is used to collect toner and comes into pressure contact with the collection roller.

[0011]

[Operation] In the present invention, the collection roller slides in the axial direction while rotating while being in pressure contact with the surface of the fur brush. As a result, the toner adhering to the fur brush is collected by the collection roller.

[0012] At this time, the axial movement of the collection roller changes the axial contact position between the fur brush and the collection roller, so that it is possible to prevent streak-like toner fusion from occurring on the surface of the collection roller. Furthermore, the comb-shaped outer peripheral portion of the collection roller removes toner adhering to the inside of the fur brush, thereby preventing clogging of the fur brush. The toner taken out from the fur brush by the collection roller is collected by a flicker brush that is in pressure contact with the collection roller. In this way, toner recovery performance can be improved.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an example of a copying machine employing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a document table 12 is fixed to the upper surface of a copying machine main body 11, and a document presser 13 is arranged on the document table 12 so as to be openable and closable. Copying machine body 11
Paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 are removably attached to the right side of the paper. A paper discharge tray 18 from which copied sheets are discharged is mounted on the left side of the copying machine main body 11 in the figure.

Inside the copying machine main body 11, an exposure device 19 for reading originals is provided at the top. This exposure device 19 is composed of a light source, a mirror, and the like. Further, a photosensitive drum 20 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed is arranged in the center of the copying machine main body 11. Around the photoreceptor drum 20, there are a main charging device 21 that charges the photoreceptor drum 20 to a predetermined charge, a developing device 22 that develops an electrostatic latent image, a transfer device 23 that transfers a toner image onto paper, and a photosensitive drum. a paper separating device 24 for separating paper from the photosensitive drum 20, a cleaning device 25 for removing residual toner on the photosensitive drum 20, and a photosensitive drum 2.
A static elimination lamp 26 for removing the electrostatic latent image on the 0 is disposed. Paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 and photosensitive drum 2
A paper feed conveyance path 27 and a paper ejection conveyance path 28 for conveying paper are provided between the image forming section and the image forming section constituted by the image forming section 0, etc., and on the downstream side of the image forming section, respectively. A fixing device 30 is arranged between the paper discharge conveyance path 28 and the paper discharge tray 18 to fix the transferred image on the conveyed paper.

The cleaning device 25 cleans the photosensitive drum 2.
a fur brush 31 for removing toner on the fur brush 31; a toner collecting device 32 for collecting toner adhering to the fur brush 31; and a screw for discharging the waste toner collected by the toner collecting device 32 to the outside. A conveyor 33 is provided. The toner collection device 32 includes a collection roller 34 and a flicker brush 35 that is pressed against the collection roller 34.

Details of the toner recovery device 32 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In these figures, the fur brush 31,
The collection roller 34 and the flicker brush 35 are mounted on side plates 36 and 36 disposed at both ends of the cleaning device 25 (FIG. 1).
37, respectively, so as to be rotatable. The fur brush 31 is constructed by planting conductive fibers such as metal fibers on the outer peripheral surface of a roller. The surface of the fur brush 31 is in pressure contact with the photosensitive drum 20. Furthermore, the tip of the flicker bar 35a is biting into the flicker brush 35.

The collection roller 34 has support shafts 34a, 3 at both ends.
4b. Each of the support shafts 34a and 34b passes through the side plates 36 and 37, respectively, and is supported by the side plates 36 and 37 so as to be freely slidable in the axial direction. In addition, the collection roller 3
4 has a body portion 38 having a larger diameter than both support shafts 34a and 34b. A plurality of comb-like disc-shaped protrusions 39 are formed on the outer periphery of the body 38 . The body portion 38 and the disc-shaped projection portion 39 are in pressure contact with the fur brush 31. Further, one end surface 38a of the body portion 38 is inclined.

A cover 40 is attached to the top of each side plate 36, 37. A pin 41 is attached to the cover 40 and extends downward through the cover 40. pin 4
1 is adapted to come into contact with an end surface 38a of the body 38.

Further, the support shaft 34a of the collection roller 34 has the following:
A coil spring 42 is installed in a compressed state. Both ends of the coil spring 42 are in pressure contact with the end surfaces of the side plate 36 and the body 38, respectively. Due to the spring force of this coil spring 42, the recovery roller 34 is always urged toward the pin 41 side. Note that a retaining ring 43 for preventing slipping off is attached to the end of the support shaft 34a.

[0020] The flicker brush 35 is connected to the collection roller 34.
This is to collect the toner on the top, and the collection roller 3
It is in pressure contact with 4. Although not shown, during the copying operation, the fur brush 31 is given a potential with a polarity opposite to that of the toner, and the collection roller 34 is given a potential that is even higher than the potential of the fur brush 31. .

Fur brush 31 and flicker brush 3
One of the spindles of No. 5 is similar to the spindle 34b of the collection roller,
They each extend through the side plate 37, and gears 44 and 46 are respectively attached to the ends of each support shaft. Also,
A gear 45 is attached to the end of the support shaft 34b. The gear 45 has a narrower tooth width than the gears 44 and 46, and meshes with the gears 44 and 46. Each gear 44
.about.46 are adapted to be rotated by a drive device (not shown).

Next, the effects of the above embodiment will be explained. In the copying machine main body 11, an image read by an exposure device 19 is formed on a photoreceptor drum 20 as an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 22 to become a toner image. On the other hand, paper feed cassettes 14 and 15
from either of the photosensitive drums 2 via the paper feed conveyance path 27.
Paper is conveyed at 0. The paper conveyed to the photoreceptor drum 20 is transferred to the photoreceptor drum 2 by the transfer device 23.
The toner image on 0 is transferred. The paper onto which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photoreceptor drum 20 by a paper separation device 24 and conveyed to a fixing device 30 via a paper discharge conveyance path 28, where the transferred toner image is fixed. The paper with the image fixed thereon is discharged from the fixing device 30 to the paper discharge tray 18 . Thereby, it is possible to obtain paper on which a predetermined image is formed.

After the toner image is transferred by the transfer device 23, the toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 20 is moved to the cleaning device 25 as the photoreceptor drum 20 rotates.
It is removed there.

Next, the toner removal operation by the cleaning device 25 will be explained. During the copying operation, the fur brush 31, collection roller 34, and flicker brush 35 are rotated by a drive device (not shown) via gears 44, 45, and 46. Further, at this time, the fur brush 31 is given a potential with a polarity opposite to that of the toner, and the collection roller 34 is given a potential higher than that of the fur brush 31.

Therefore, in the cleaning device 25, the charged fur brush 31 cleans the photosensitive drum 20.
The toner adhering to the surface of the screw conveyor 33
It is thrown off to the side. Also, the toner is Fur Brush 3.
1 and separates from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 20. The toner attracted by the fur brush 31 is attracted to a collection roller 34 to which a higher bias voltage than the fur brush 31 is applied.

While the collection roller 34 is rotating, the end surface 38a of the body 38 is pressed against the pin 41 by the spring force of the coil spring 42. For this reason, the collection roller 34
It reciprocates in the axial direction while rotating. This axial movement of the collection roller 34 causes the collection roller 34 and the fur brush 31 to
Since the axial contact position with the collecting roller 34 changes, formation of a streak-like toner fused portion on the surface of the collecting roller 34 is prevented. This improves toner recovery performance. Further, since the comb-like protrusions 39 of the collection roller 34 collect the toner inside the fur brush 31 while moving in the axial direction, the fur brush 31 is less likely to be clogged, and the toner collection performance is improved.

The toner collected by the collection roller 34 is collected by a flicker brush 35 that is in pressure contact with the collection roller 34. The toner attached to the flicker brush 35 is removed from the screw conveyor 3 by the flicker bar 35a.
It is scraped off to the 3rd side. The screw conveyor 33 discharges the fallen toner to the outside of the cleaning device 25.

[0028]

[Other Embodiments] (a) In the embodiment described above, the collection roller 34 integrally had the support shafts 34a, 34b and the body portion 38, but the application of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which one support shaft is provided and rotatably supported by the side plates 36 and 37, and a roller having the same shape as the body portion 38 is fitted onto this support shaft. In this case, a key or the like is used to make the roller slidable in the axial direction with respect to the support shaft, but not rotatable. Here, due to the rotation of the spindle, the roller rotates and reciprocates in the axial direction.

(b) Cylindrical flicker brush 35
Instead, a brush-like collection brush may be used.

Effects of the Invention In the toner collecting device for a fur brush according to the present invention, since a collecting roller having a comb-teeth-shaped outer peripheral portion and slidable in the axial direction is provided, toner collecting performance can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional side view of a copying machine that employs a toner recovery device as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective partial view of the toner recovery device.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional front partial view of the toner recovery device.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 Photoreceptor drum 25 Cleaning device 31 Fur brush 32 Toner collection device 34 Collection roller 35 Flicker brush 39 Protrusion

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning device for an image forming apparatus having a fur brush for cleaning a photoreceptor drum, wherein a toner collecting device for the fur brush collects toner from the fur brush, wherein the surface of the fur brush is A toner collection device for a fur brush, comprising: a collection roller having a comb-shaped outer circumferential portion that is in pressure contact with the collection roller and is rotatable and slidable in the axial direction; and a flicker brush for toner collection that is in pressure contact with the collection roller.