JPH0588424A - Lubricating mechanism for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the durability of a drive transmitting means and the driving performance of an internal mechanism by supplying part of the oil supplied to a fixing means to the drive transmitting means of the internal mechanism. CONSTITUTION:A part of a silicone oil 24 applied to a heating roller 6 is heated by the action of a heater provided in the heating roller and a pressurizing roller 7 and evaporated, floating in a fixing device 5 as an oil mist. The oil mist is guided to a reader unit side through a duct 8 by a fan 9. A part of the oil mist is condensed there to lubricate a driving pulley 11 and a wire 14 wound on the driving pulley 11. Since the wire 14 is moved in accordance with the drive of an optical system, it is uniformly lubricated, and an idler pulley for supporting a second mirror base and a fixed pulley are also lubricated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lubrication mechanism for an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic apparatus or an electrostatic recording apparatus, in which oil is supplied to fixing means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image forming apparatus has an optical system as an internal mechanism. It also has drive transmission means (wires, pulleys, etc.) for driving the optical system. Then, the drive transmission means drives the optical system to perform a desired image forming operation.

On the other hand, the drivability of the optical system is ensured by applying a lubricant such as grease to the sliding portion of the drive transmission means during assembly.

[0004]

However, if the lubricant is applied during assembly, the workability is poor. Further, the lubricant scatters, deteriorates, or deteriorates with the passage of time, resulting in poor lubrication. As a result, the drivability of the optical system deteriorates, resulting in defective image formation.

Further, the drive transmission means is worn due to friction,
Since it is damaged and durability is reduced, replacement is unavoidable, and reliability is low in terms of maintenance.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a lubrication mechanism of an image forming apparatus capable of lubricating the drive transmission means during the image forming operation.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a fixing means to which oil is supplied and a drive transmitting means for driving an internal mechanism, wherein a part of the oil is A lubricating means for guiding the drive transmission means is provided.

[0008]

According to the operation of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, a part of the oil supplied to the fixing means during the image forming operation is guided to the drive transmitting means, and the drive transmitting means is lubricated by the oil.

[0009]

FIG. 1 shows an image forming apparatus of the present invention.
The reader unit 10 as an internal mechanism is housed above the inside of the apparatus main body 50A. Leader unit 10
Is for moving a light source, a mirror stand and the like (not shown), and has a drive pulley 11, an idler pulley 12, a fixed pulley 13, and a wire 14 hung on the pulleys 11 to 13. The drive pulleys 11 are fixed to both ends of the drive shaft 15 as shown in FIG.

A paper feed cassette 51 is mounted on the lower side surface of the apparatus main body 50A. Further, a photosensitive drum 1, a transfer corona charger 2, a transfer drum 3, and a developing device 52 are provided inside the apparatus main body 50A. A conveyance roller 53 is provided between the paper feed cassette 51 and the transfer drum 3.

A roller 54 is provided near the transfer drum 3.
The conveyor means 4 around which the belt 55 is wound is provided. Further, a fixing device 5 as a fixing means having a heating roller 6 and a pressure roller 7 is provided downstream of the conveying means 4. As shown in FIG. 2B, the heating roller 6 and the pressure roller 7 are parallel to the drive shaft 15.

FIG. 2A is a diagram for explaining the details of the fixing device 5.

In the fixing device having such a structure, a releasing agent is generally applied to prevent the toner or the transfer material from adhering to the roller. That is, the silicone oil 24 in the oil bottle 23 is pumped up by the solenoid pump 26 through the pipe 25 and stored in the upper oil pan 21. This oil penetrates into the oil felt 20 whose one end is immersed in the silicon oil 24 in the upper oil pan 21, and is applied to the heating roller 6 that rotates while being in contact with the other end of the oil felt 20.

The silicone oil 24 applied to the heating roller 6 adheres to the transfer material 19 or adheres to the pressure roller 7 and is scraped off by the rubber blade 27 into the lower oil pan 22 and returned to the oil bottle 23. It will be done.

On the other hand, a partition wall 56 is provided inside the apparatus main body 50A to partition the reader unit 10 and its lower part. Further, the partition wall 56 is provided with a pair of ducts 8 that connect the side of the reader unit 10 and the upper side of the fixing device 5, and a fan 9 is provided in each of the ducts 8. The duct 8 and the fan 9 constitute the lubricating means of the present invention. The duct 8 and the fan 9 are provided below the corresponding pair of drive pulleys 11.

A guide 57 and a paper discharge roller 58 are provided downstream of the fixing device 5.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
The driving force of the reader unit 10 is transmitted to a light source, a mirror, etc., and moves to illuminate a document on a document table glass (not shown). The image light thus obtained is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 1 to form a latent image. This latent image is visualized by the toner of the developing device 50B.

In synchronization with this, the transfer material 19 is conveyed from the paper feed cassette 51 toward the transfer drum 3 and is electrostatically adsorbed. After the visible image on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred to the transfer material 19, the transfer material 19 is conveyed to the fixing device 5 by the conveying means 4.

The visible image is fixed on the transfer material 19 when passing between the heating roller 6 and the pressure roller 7, and
The sheet is discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 50A by the sheet discharge roller 58.

During the above-mentioned operation, a part of the silicone oil 24 applied to the heating roller 6 is heated by the action of the heater arranged in the heating roller 6 and heated by the pressure roller 7 to be evaporated to become an oil mist. And is floating in the fixing device 5. This oil mist is ducted by fan 9
It is introduced into the leader unit 10 side through the inside.

A part of the oil mist is condensed here to lubricate the drive pulley 11 and the wire 14 wound around the drive pulley 11. Since the wire 14 moves as the optical system is driven, it is evenly lubricated, and further lubricates the idler pulley 12 and the fixed pulley 13 that support the second mirror base.

As described above, according to the present invention, a part of the silicone oil 24 supplied to the fixing device 5 is supplied as oil mist to the reader unit 10 for lubrication.
Since it does not affect the assembly workability at all and is supplied as needed, there is no fear of insufficient lubrication due to deterioration or the like. Therefore, the durability of the pulleys 11, 12, 13 and the wire 14 is improved, the moving performance of the optical system is good, and a stable image forming function can be maintained.

In the present embodiment, a partition plate 31 having a hole serving as a path for the wire 14 is arranged between the optical system and the vicinity of the drive shaft 15, and a position facing the partition plate 31 is provided. An exhaust port 30 is provided on the side plate of the apparatus main body 50A. Therefore, there is no fear that the floating oil mist adheres to the optical system mirror or the like in the reader unit 10 and adversely affects the image formation. The excess oil mist is discharged from the exhaust port 30.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment. The fan 9 is provided inside the exhaust port 30 provided on the side wall of the apparatus main body 50A. As a result, the oil mist floating in the fixing device 5 is sucked through the duct 8 and sprayed onto the drive pulley 11 located at the discharge end of the duct 8, and the same lubricating effect as in the above-described embodiment is obtained.

Further, by the suction action of the fan 9, the oil mist in the fixing device 5 is introduced into the fixing system drive transmission means, and at the same time, the suspended matter in the optical system unit 10 is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 30, and the optical system. It also has the effect of cleaning the air in the unit 10.

[0026]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, a part of the oil supplied to the fixing means is supplied to the drive transmission means side for lubrication, so that the assembly workability is completely eliminated. It is not affected and is supplied as needed, so there is no risk of insufficient lubrication due to deterioration or the like. Therefore, the durability of the drive transmission means is improved, the driving performance of the internal mechanism is good, and a stable image forming function can be maintained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2A is a front sectional view showing the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a main part of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing a main part of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Fixing device 8 Duct 9 Fan 11 Drive pulley 14 Wire 24 Silicon oil

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having a fixing means to which oil is supplied and a drive transmitting means for driving an internal mechanism, wherein a lubricating means for guiding a part of the oil to the drive transmitting means is provided. The lubrication mechanism of the image forming apparatus.