JPH06175433A - Seal structure for electrophotographic recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely prevent floating toner or the like from sticking to a transmittable seal window while avoiding lowering the degree of transmission light through the transmittable window with a simple structure. CONSTITUTION:In a seal structure for an electrophotographic recording device in which an area where a photosensitive medium 1 and a visual image forming means 3 are arranged is separated from an area where an optical latent image forming means 2 is arranged, by means of a partition member 5, and a transmittable seal window 6 is formed in a part of the partition wall 5, which corresponds to a light beam path onto the photosensitive medium 1 in the optical latent image forming means 2, a transmittable seal window 6 is composed of a transmittable insulating member 7 fitted in a window opening 5a of the partition member 5, and a conductive wire 8 laid in the longitudinal direction of the transmittable insulating member 7 and is applied by a voltage applying means 9 with a voltage having the same charge polarity as that of the photosensitive medium 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying machine or a printer for writing an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive member with a light beam corresponding to an image signal, developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner and transferring it to a recording medium. The present invention relates to a seal structure of an electrophotographic recording device, which is premised on such an electrophotographic recording device and which effectively prevents contamination of an optical latent image forming unit irradiated with a light beam due to floating toner or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as an electrophotographic recording apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer to which an electrophotographic method is applied, for example, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a drum-shaped photoconductor 11, a charger 12 that charges the photoconductor 11 in advance, and an exposure system 13 that writes an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an image of an original 21 on the charged photoconductor 11. A developing device 14 for developing the electrostatic latent image written on the photoconductor 11 with toner, and a transfer device 15 for transferring the toner image formed on the photoconductor 11 to the recording paper 22 side.
A sheet peeling device 16 that removes the charge of the recording paper 22 and peels the recording paper 22 from the photoconductor 11, a cleaner 17 that removes the residual charge on the photoconductor 11, and a toner image transferred to the recording paper 22. And a fixing device 18 for fixing In such a type, the exposure system 13 includes, for example, an exposure lamp 13a for exposing and scanning the original 21 on the platen 20, mirrors 13b to 13g for guiding the reflected light from the original 21 to the photoconductor 11 side, and the original 21. Forming lens 13 for forming an image of the reflected light on the photoconductor 11
However, if these optical components are contaminated with floating toner or dust in the electrophotographic recording apparatus, there is a concern that the performance of forming an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 11 may deteriorate. In the above, a partition panel 25 partitions the area where the photoconductor 11 and the developing device 14, the cleaner 17 and the like are arranged from the area where the exposure system 13 is arranged. A seal structure is adopted in which the transparent seal window 30 is provided at a position corresponding to the light beam path.

However, in such a seal structure, the transparent sheet window 30 has the transparent glass plate 3
Since No. 1 is attached to the window opening 26 of the partition panel 25 through the window frame holder 32, it is possible to avoid a situation in which floating toner or the like adheres to the surface of the transparent glass plate 31 and reduces the amount of transmitted light. Instead, the troublesome work of regularly cleaning or replacing the transparent glass plate 31 is required. In particular, when the relative positional relationship between the transparent seal window 30 and the photoconductor 11 approaches as the electrophotographic recording apparatus becomes compact, the amount of toner adhering to the transparent glass plate 31 rapidly increases, The technical problems described above have become serious. As shown in FIG. 9, this phenomenon is caused by the charger 1 after a part of the residual toner 27 on the photoconductor 11 has passed through the cleaner 17 such as the blade 17a.
2 is charged, a potential difference is generated between the charged residual toner 27 on the photoconductor 11 and the transparent glass plate 31 that is naturally charged by air friction and then spontaneously discharges. 28 is a transparent glass plate 31
It is considered that they are moved and adhere to the transparent glass plate 31 side along the line of electric force directed toward.

As a means for solving such a technical problem, a transparent electrode (not shown) is formed on the entire surface of the transparent glass plate 31 on the side surface of the photoreceptor 11, and a voltage having the same polarity as the toner is applied to the transparent electrode. However, a technique has been already provided to prevent the floating toner and the like near the transparent glass plate 31 from being repelled and removed to prevent the floating toner and the like from adhering to the transparent glass plate 31 (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-195341). Gazette).

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned type, since the transparent electrode is laminated on the transparent glass plate 31, the transparent seal window 3 is inevitable.
The transmittance of 0 decreases, and the output of the exposure lamp 13a is increased, the aperture of the imaging lens 13h is increased, and the photosensitive member is increased in order to compensate for the decrease in the amount of transmitted light due to the decrease of the transmittance. It is necessary to take measures such as improving the sensitivity of No. 11, which causes a technical problem that the cost is greatly increased. Further, in forming the transparent electrode on the entire surface of the transparent glass plate 31, from the viewpoint of ensuring the uniformity of the amount of transmitted light, it is necessary to uniformly attach or print the transparent electrode.
In order to obtain the uniform film thickness of the transparent electrode, for example, in the case of the sticking method, it is necessary to carry out the sticking in a vacuum environment at the time of sticking, and in the printing method, It is necessary to perform a polishing process after printing, and in any method, it is necessary to perform an inspection after performing a uniformizing process of the film thickness of the transparent electrode. For this reason, the number of assembling steps is significantly increased, and also from this point, there is a technical problem that an increase in cost cannot be avoided.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above technical problems, and has a simple structure and effectively avoids a reduction in the amount of light transmitted through a transparent seal window, while preventing the occurrence of floating toner or the like. To provide a seal structure of an electrophotographic recording device capable of surely preventing adhesion to a transparent seal window.

[0007]

That is, the present invention is
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a photoconductor 1, an optical latent image forming unit 2 for writing an electrostatic latent image Z on the photoconductor 1 with a light beam according to image information, and the photoconductor 1 The electrostatic latent image Z formed on the toner image is developed by the toner T and transferred to the recording medium 4. The visible image forming means 3 is provided. A partition member 5 separates the formation area of the forming means 2 from each other, and a transparent seal window 6 is provided at a position corresponding to the light beam path of the optical latent image forming means 2 to the photoconductor 1 in the partition member 5. In the sheet structure of the electrophotographic recording apparatus, the transparent insulating member 7 attached to the window opening 5a of the partition member 5, the transparent insulating member 7 disposed along the longitudinal direction of the transparent insulating member 7, and the voltage applying means 9 And the conductive wire 8 to which a voltage having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the photoconductor 1 is applied, constitutes the transparent seal window 6. Those were Unishi.

In such a technical means, the transparent insulating member 7 may be appropriately selected from glass, resin, or the like, and when it is attached to the window opening 5a, it is attached via a window frame holder. Alternatively, it may be attached directly.

As for the conductive wire 8, a conductive wire material (discharge wire, conductive thin film electrode layer, conductive tape such as copper foil tape, etc.) is attached to the transparent insulating member 7 by sticking or printing. It should be provided in. In this case, the conductive line 8 may be provided at least along the longitudinal direction of the transparent insulating member 7, either on the photosensitive member 1 side of the transparent insulating member 7 or on the optical latent image forming means 2 side. Of course, if the transparent insulating member 7 has a structure in which a plurality of insulating single layers are laminated, it may be interposed between the insulating single layers, or in the case of the resinous transparent insulating member 7, It may be integrated into the inside at the time of molding. However, from the viewpoint of manufacturing, it is preferable to provide the conductive wire 8 on the surface of the transparent insulating member 7. Further, from the viewpoint of effectively preventing the conductive wire 8 from being contaminated, the transparent insulating member 7 Optical latent image forming means 2
It is preferably provided on the side.

Further, when the optical latent image forming means 2 is an analog exposure system, the light-transmitting region of the light-transmitting seal window 6 is sufficiently wide, so that the conductive line 8 is provided in the light-beam transmitting region. Even if the amount of transmitted light is reduced only a little, the performance of forming an electrostatic latent image is hardly affected, and the conductive wire 8 can be provided at any position of the transparent insulating member 7. When the optical latent image forming means 2 is a digital exposure system, the light-transmitting area of the light-transmitting seal window 6 is narrowed. Therefore, when the conductive line 8 is provided in the area through which the light beam directly passes, There is a concern that the performance of forming an electrostatic latent image may be affected. From this point, the transparent seal window 6
It is necessary to provide the conductive line 8 at a position other than the light beam transmitting region of the above.

Further, from the viewpoints of minimizing the decrease in the amount of transmitted light of the light beam and effectively avoiding the defective application of the voltage due to the breakage of the conductive wire 8 or the like, the voltage applying means 9 is connected. It is preferable to dispose a pair of conductive wires 8 along the longitudinal window opening edge of the transparent insulating member 7 and to connect the tip ends thereof to each other.

Further, the voltage applying means 9 may be independently provided, but from the viewpoint of cost reduction, for example, it is designed to be shared with the voltage applying means of the charging means of the photoconductor 1. It is preferable. Further, the voltage application timing of the voltage application means 9 may be appropriately selected such that it is interlocked with ON / OFF of the power supply of the electrophotographic recording apparatus.

[0013]

According to the above-mentioned technical means, the charge polarity of the photoconductor 1 is applied to the conductive wire 8 provided along the longitudinal direction of the transparent insulating member 7 of the transparent seal window 6 by the voltage applying means 9. When a voltage having the same polarity as that of the conductive wire 8 is provided on the transparent insulating member 7 either on the side of the optical electrostatic latent image forming unit 2 or on the side of the photosensitive member 1 or inside, the transparent insulating member 7 is formed. The entire side surface of the photoconductor 1 is charged with the same electric charge as the residual toner T or the floating toner T on the photoconductor 1. Therefore, there is almost no potential difference between the residual toner T or floating toner T on the photosensitive member 1 and the transparent insulating member 7, and the residual toner T or floating toner T on the photosensitive member 1 is not transparent.
It does not move and adhere to the side.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of a seal structure of an electrophotographic recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The electrophotographic recording apparatus in this embodiment has the same configuration as that of FIG. 8, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
2 and 3, the permeable seal window 30 includes guide channels 41, 4 having U-shaped cross-sections on both side edges in the longitudinal direction of the slit-shaped window opening 26 having one end of the partition panel 25 opened.
2 is mounted so that the recesses face each other, and the permeable seal window unit 50 is slid along one of the guide channels 41 and 42 from one end opening side of the window opening 26. When the transparent seal window unit 50 slides along the guide channels 41 and 42 to a predetermined position, the seal window unit 50 is fixed by a locking tool (not shown) so as not to separate from the window opening 26. It has become.

In this embodiment, the transparent seal window unit 50 has a transparent glass plate 51 fitted and fixed to a rectangular opening edge portion 52a of a resin window frame holder 52 having a long rectangular opening. Then, the grip 53 for gripping is provided so as to project from one end side in the longitudinal direction of the window frame holder 52. In this embodiment, the conductive wire 55 is provided on the side of the exposure system 13 of the transparent glass plate 51. The conductive wire 55 has a conductive thin film electrode layer formed by screen printing across the transparent glass plate 51 and the window frame holder 52, and extends along the longitudinal window opening edge of the transparent glass plate 51. Longitudinal conductive wire portions 55a, 55 of
b, connecting conductive wire portions 55c, 55d for connecting one end side and the other end side of the longitudinal conductive wire portion 55a, 55b to each other at a portion facing the window frame holder 52, and one connecting conductive wire portion The lead-out conductive wire portion 55e extends from the center of the portion 55c to one end side in the longitudinal direction of the window frame holder 55. Particularly, in this embodiment, the longitudinal conductive wire strip portion 5 is formed.
The distance d between 5a and 55b is the width of the light beam transmission region of the exposure system 13 in the transparent seal window 30 (1 in this embodiment).
It is secured to be slightly larger than 0 mm). Further, a connecting electrode 56 is provided at one longitudinal end of the window frame holder 52 so as to communicate with the lead-out conductive wire strip portion 55e.

On the other hand, at the rear end of the window opening 26 of the partition panel 25, a transparent seal window unit 50 is provided.
There is provided a supply electrode 61 that comes into contact with the connection electrode 56 when it is attached to a DC power source 62 (+ V1 = 1500V in this embodiment) via a drive switch 63. Has been done. In particular, in this embodiment, the DC power source 62 is also used to apply a voltage to the charger 12 that charges the photoconductor 11, and the drive switch 63 is linked to the on / off switch of the electrophotographic recording apparatus. Has become.

Next, the performance of the seal structure of the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to this embodiment will be evaluated. In this embodiment, the transparent seal window 30 is provided by mounting the transparent seal window unit 50 in the window opening 26 of the partition panel 25. In this state, when the drive switch 63 is turned on, as shown in FIG.
A direct current voltage V1 (+ 1500V) is applied to a and 55b, and a charge Q1 is applied to the side surface of the transparent glass plate 51 on the exposure system 13.
An electric field is created by At this time, the transparent glass plate 5
A weak electric current i corresponding to the dielectric constant of the electric field 1 flows in 1 and an electric field due to the charge Q2 is also formed on the side surface of the transparent glass plate 51 on the photoreceptor 11. This means that when the charging voltage of the transparent glass plate 51 on the side of the photoconductor 11 is measured by the electrostatic probe 70, it is V2 (+1000 to 1300V in this embodiment).
This is also supported by the fact that the results were obtained. In the transparent seal window having such an action, no potential difference occurs between the transparent glass plate 51 and the residual toner or floating toner on the photoconductor 11 which is close to the transparent glass plate 51, and the residual glass remains. Toner and floating toner are transparent glass plate 51
It is thought that it will not move and adhere to the side. Actually, when the floating toner adhesion state of the transparent glass plate 51 was measured for several hours, it was confirmed that the partition panel 25 around the transparent seal window 30 was contaminated by the floating toner to some extent. No stain due to floating toner was confirmed on the plate 51.

Further, in this embodiment, when the amount of transmitted light is compared between the embodiment and the comparative example using the transparent seal window 30 without the conductive wire 55 as a comparative example, the amount of transmitted light of both is not different at all. confirmed.

Further, in this embodiment, the longitudinal conductive wire portions 55a, 55b and the connecting conductive wire portions 55c, 55 are temporarily assumed.
Even if any one of d is cut off, a voltage is applied to the longitudinal conductive wire portions 55a and 55b from the other side energization path. Therefore, the charged state of the side surface of the photoconductor 11 of the transparent glass plate 51 is charged. Remains stable. Therefore, the reliability of the effect of preventing the adhesion of floating toner or the like to the transparent seal window 30 is improved.

The method of disposing the conductive wire 55 of the transparent seal window unit 50 is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment. For example, when the exposure system 13 is an analog exposure system as shown in FIG. 8, a conductive line 55 may be provided along the central longitudinal direction of the transparent glass plate 51 as shown in FIG. . In this case, the transmitted light amount of the light beam is reduced by the area occupied by the conductive wire 55, but the width of the light beam transmission region of the transparent seal window 30 is, for example, 10 mm, and the conductive wire 55 is used.
If the width dimension is 0.1 mm, the 1/100 transmitted light amount only decreases, and there is substantially no effect. In addition, the transparent glass plate 51 has two glass plate members 51a, 5a.
In the type in which 1b is laminated, the glass plate materials 51a,
The conductive wire 55 may be interposed between the 51b. Further, instead of the transparent glass plate 51, the transparent resin plate 5
When 1'is used, the conductive wire 55 may be integrally incorporated in the permeable resin plate 51 'during molding.

[0021]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the conductive wire is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the transparent insulating member of the transparent seal window, and the conductive wire is exposed to light. A voltage with the same polarity as the body's charging polarity is applied to charge the entire surface of the side surface of the photosensitive member of the transparent insulating member with the same polarity as that of the floating toner. It is possible to reliably prevent the floating toner and the like from adhering to the transparent seal window while effectively avoiding a decrease in the light amount.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if a conductive wire is provided on the transparent insulating member on the side of the optical latent image forming means, floating toner or the like is formed on the entire side surface of the photosensitive member of the transparent insulating member. Since it is possible to charge electric charges of the same polarity,
In this aspect, it is possible to more effectively prevent the conductive wire from being contaminated.

Further, according to the invention of claim 3, a pair of conductive wires connected to the voltage applying means are arranged along the longitudinal window opening edge of the transparent insulating member, and their tip portions are mutually connected. Since it is connected to, it is possible to minimize the decrease in the amount of transmitted light of the light beam, and it is possible to effectively avoid the improper application of voltage due to cutting of the conductive wire, etc. It is possible to improve reliability with respect to the effect of preventing adhesion of toner and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a seal structure of an electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a middle arrow B in FIG. 1A.
It is an arrow view seen from the direction.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory sectional view showing a seal structure of the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view schematically showing a seal window unit and its mounting portion according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of the transparent seal window according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory sectional view showing a transparent seal window unit according to a modification.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a transparent seal window unit according to another modification.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a permeable seal window unit according to still another modification.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a seal structure of a conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for analyzing a toner adhesion phenomenon on a transparent seal window of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Photosensitive body, 2 ... Optical latent image forming means, 3 ... Visualizing means, 4 ... Recording medium, 5 ... Partition member, 5a ... Window opening part, 6
... Transparent sealing window, 7 ... Transparent insulating member, 8 ... Conductive wire,
9 ... Voltage applying means, T ... Toner, Z ... Electrostatic latent image

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shinichi Ogawa 2274 Hongo, Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A photoconductor (1), an optical latent image forming means (2) for writing an electrostatic latent image (Z) on the photoconductor (1) with a light beam according to image information, and a photoconductor ( 1) The electrostatic latent image (Z) formed on the recording medium (4) is developed with toner (T).
And a visible image forming means (3) for transferring to
A partition member (5) separates the area where the visible image forming means (3) is arranged from the area where the optical latent image forming means (2) is arranged. Of the partition members (5), the optical latent image forming means is formed. In the sheet structure of the electrophotographic recording apparatus having the transparent seal window (6) at a position corresponding to the light beam path to the photoconductor (1) of (2), the transparent seal window (6) is a partition. Material (5)
Insulating member (7) attached to the window opening (5a) of the
And a conductive wire (8) arranged along the longitudinal direction of the transparent insulating member (7) and to which a voltage having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the photoconductor (1) is applied by the voltage applying means (9). A seal structure for an electrophotographic recording apparatus, which is configured by: 2. The electrophotographic record according to claim 1, wherein the conductive wire (8) is arranged on the side of the optical latent image forming means (2) of the transparent insulating member (7). Device sealing structure. 3. A pair of conductive wires (8) connected to the voltage applying means (9) according to claim 1 or 2, arranged along the longitudinal window opening edge of the transparent insulating member (7). A seal structure for an electrophotographic recording apparatus, which is provided and whose tips are connected to each other.