JPH06308870A - Cleaning device for electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily attach a sealing member to a fixed position on a recovering tank. CONSTITUTION:A pair of supporting members 21 are arranged on the recovering tank 11, the sealing member 22 having elasticity and flexibility is stuck to the supporting members 21 and they are fixed in the vicinities of both side surfaces of the recovering tank 11 by a fixing bolt 23, respectively and support the sealing member 22 in a shielding position. The sealing member 22 elastically contacts with a photosensitive drum 1 and simultaneously, shields each side end part vicinity of a cleaning blade 12, a supporting plate 13 and a shield sheet 15 and a gap with respect to a port for recovering 11a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus, which removes and collects a developer remaining on a photoconductor after completion of transfer in the electrophotographic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an electrophotographic apparatus equipped with a cleaning device.

Reference numeral 1 is a photosensitive drum which rotates in the direction A, 2 is a charger, 3 is a laser optical system, 4 is a developing device, 5 is a transfer device,
6 is a fixing device, 7 is a static eliminator, and 10 is a cleaning device.

As the photosensitive drum 1 rotates, the charger 2 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and then the laser optical system 3 scans the photosensitive drum 1 with the laser beam L to form an electrostatic latent image. To form. The developing device 4 transfers toner, which is a developer, to the photosensitive drum 1 to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image, and the toner image is transferred to the recording paper P by the transfer device 5 and further fixed. It is fixed by 6.

On the other hand, after the transfer is completed, the residual toner adhering to the photosensitive drum 1 is peeled off by the cleaning device 10 and stored inside the cleaning device 10. After the cleaning is completed, the charge is neutralized by the charge eliminator 7 on the photosensitive drum 1, and then an image is formed again.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing an example of a conventional cleaning device.

A collection port 11 is provided at a position facing the photosensitive drum 11.
A recovery tank having an opening a, a cleaning blade 12 for elastically contacting the vicinity of the tip with the photosensitive drum 1, and a support 13 fixed to the recovery tank 11 for supporting the cleaning blade 12 so as to project from the recovery port 11a. A plate, 14 is a conveyance brush that rotates in association with the photoconductor drum 1 by a mechanism (not shown), and is in sliding contact with the photoconductor drum 1, the upper surface of the cleaning blade 12 and the top surface of the shielding sheet 15, and 15 is one end on the outer surface of the recovery tank 11. This is a shielding sheet that is fastened to the vicinity of the portion and makes the leading end contact the photosensitive drum 1.

The cleaning blade 12 is made of urethane rubber, for example, and is flexible, and is held in a state of being slightly bent by elastically contacting the photosensitive drum 1. Further, the shielding sheet 15 is formed of a flexible film-like sheet.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the main part of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the main part taken along the section line B shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a seal member formed of, for example, a sponge and having elasticity and flexibility, and the pair of seal members 16 are disposed in the recovery tank 11 to recover both side ends of the cleaning blade 12 and the support plate 13. The gap with the mouth 11a is shielded, and the vicinity of both ends of the shielding sheet 15 is held together with the photosensitive drum 1. The seal member 16 is a recovery tank.
11 is attached to the inner surface of the cleaning blade 12 and is attached so as to make elastic contact with the side end surfaces of the cleaning blade 12 and the support plate 13. The elastic member that contacts the photosensitive drum 1 between the vicinity of the tip of the cleaning blade 12 and the shielding sheet 15. The contact surface 16a is provided. Here, the elastic contact surface 16a is configured to elastically deform along the surface of the photosensitive drum 1.

Next, the cleaning operation of the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning device 10 will be described.

After the transfer is completed, the residual toner adhering to the photosensitive drum 1 passes under the shield sheet 15 of the cleaning device 10 and moves to the contact position between the cleaning blade 12 and the photosensitive drum 1. At this time, since the flexible shielding sheet 15 exerts almost no force on the residual toner, the residual toner is allowed to pass to the contact position without being peeled off from the photosensitive drum 1.

At the contact position, the residual toner is separated from the photosensitive drum 1 by the edge of the cleaning blade 12 and accumulated near the contact position. In the vicinity of this contact position, the cleaning blade 1
2, shielded by the shielding sheet 15 and the pair of sealing members 16. As a result, the residual toner accumulated near the contact position is prevented from leaking to the outside, and is further conveyed from the photosensitive drum 1 toward the toner storage portion 11b by the conveying brush 14 which rotates in conjunction with the photosensitive drum 1. Be transported to.

[0014]

However, it is very difficult to position the seal member 16 at a predetermined position and attach it to the inner surface of the recovery tank 11 with an adhesive or a double-sided tape. The position is likely to vary. When the mounting position of the seal member 16 varies, the residual toner separated from the photosensitive drum 1 leaks to the outside,
The fixed state becomes unstable, and the recovery tank 11 to the seal member
16 may fall out.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus in which a seal member can be easily attached to a predetermined position of a recovery tank.

[0016]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first means of the present invention is a cleaning blade for abutting the vicinity of the tip of a photosensitive member to remove residual developer,
A recovery tank having a developer recovery port formed at a position facing the photoconductor, a support plate that supports the cleaning blade and projects from the recovery port, and is fixed to the recovery tank and faces the tip of the cleaning blade. In a cleaning device of an electrophotographic apparatus, comprising: a shielding sheet that makes the vicinity of the tip end contact the photoconductor at a position, a support member attached to the recovery tank, and the recovery port supported by the support member. And a seal member that shields a gap between the cleaning blade, the support plate, and the vicinity of each side end portion of the shielding sheet and is in contact with the photoconductor.

Further, the second means is that the support member is
When the cleaning blade is deformed, the cleaning blade is elastically deformed corresponding to the deformation of the cleaning blade.

Further, the third means is characterized by including a fixing member for fixing the support member to the recovery tank and fixing the support plate to the recovery tank.

Further, the fourth means is characterized in that the seal member has a pressure contact surface which is in pressure contact with the cleaning blade, the support plate, the shielding sheet and the photoconductor.

[0020]

According to the first means, the support member and the seal member supported by the support member support the seal member at a predetermined position by the support member attached to the recovery tank, and prevent the photosensitive member from being exposed. The peeled residual developer is retained inside the seal member near the contact position between the photosensitive member and the cleaning blade, and the cleaning blade,
The gap between the side edges of the support plate and the shielding sheet and the recovery port is shielded.

Further, according to the second means, the support member elastically deformed in response to the deformation of the cleaning blade causes the support member to bring the seal member to a predetermined position with respect to the cleaning blade even if the cleaning blade is deformed. To support.

Further, according to the third means, by the fixing member for fixing the supporting plate to the recovery tank together with the supporting member,
The fixing member fixes the supporting member and the supporting plate at the same time.

Further, according to the fourth means, the sealing member is provided with the cleaning blade, the supporting plate, the shielding sheet, and the pressure contact surface that is in pressure contact with the photosensitive member, so that the sealing member has the cleaning blade, the supporting plate, the shielding sheet and the photosensitive member. Surface contact with.

[0024]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, the members corresponding to the members described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the cleaning device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a supporting member and a sealing member in this embodiment.

A pair of support members 21, a seal member 22 and a fixing bolt 23 are arranged in the recovery tank 11, and the support members 21 are made of, for example, resin and have elasticity.
An insertion hole 21a penetrates near the fixed end. A seal member 22 having the shape shown in FIG. 2 is attached to one support member 21, and a seal member 22 formed in a shape symmetrical to the seal member 22 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the other support member 21. It is worn. Since the operation and effect of the pair of seal members 22 are exactly the same, only the seal member 22 having the illustrated shape will be described in order to simplify the description. The seal member 22 is made of, for example, a sponge, has elasticity and flexibility, and can be easily deformed. The seal member 22 has elastic contact surfaces 22a to 22c.

The fixing bolt 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 21a of the one support member 21 and the insertion hole near one end of the support plate 13 and is screwed into the screw hole of the recovery tank 11 to thereby provide one support member. The support plate 13 is screwed to the recovery tank 11 by screwing 21 to the recovery tank 11 and further screwing the other supporting member 21.

A support member 21 attached to the recovery tank 11
Supports the sealing member 22 in the shielding position. At the shielding position, the seal member 22 causes the elastic contact surface 22a to project from the inside of the recovery tank 11 through the recovery port 11a, and the cleaning blade 1
Hold it on the same surface as the bottom surface of 2. The elastic contact surface 22a elastically contacts the photosensitive drum 1 outside the cleaning blade 12 and holds the vicinity of the end of the shielding sheet 15 together with the photosensitive drum 1. As a result, the residual toner deposited on the photosensitive drum 1 near the contact position with the cleaning blade 12 is retained in the area inside the pair of support members 21,
It is possible to prevent the residual toner from leaking from the vicinity of the contact position, and also to prevent it from leaking from the gap between the shielding sheet 15 and the recovery port 11a.

Further, the seal member 22 has the elastic contact surface 22b on the upper surface of the cleaning blade 12 and the elastic contact surface 2b at the shielding position.
2c is elastically contacted with the upper surface of the support plate 13, and the cleaning blade 12 and the side end surfaces of the support plate 13 and the recovery port 11
It is inserted in the gap with a and becomes compressed in this gap. As a result, the gap between the cleaning blade 12 and the side end surfaces of the support plate 13 and the collection port 11a is reliably shielded, so that the residual toner can be prevented from leaking from the collection tank 11 through this gap.

Further, since the seal member 22 is supported at the shielding position by the support member 21 by fixing the support member 21 to the recovery tank 11, the seal member 22 is attached to the recovery tank 11 in comparison with the case where it is attached. Can be facilitated and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first means of the present invention, the residual developer which is attached to the recovery tank supports the seal member at a predetermined position and is separated from the photosensitive member. Is held inside the seal member in the vicinity of the contact position between the photoconductor and the cleaning blade, and the gap between the cleaning blade, the supporting plate and the side end portions of the shielding sheet and the recovery port is shielded,
The seal member can be easily fixed at a predetermined position, and the residual developer separated from the photoconductor can be prevented from leaking and scattering to the outside.

Further, according to the second means, even if the cleaning blade is deformed, the supporting member supports the seal member at a predetermined position with respect to the cleaning blade, thereby affecting the variation in the deformation amount of the cleaning blade. It is possible to reliably prevent the leakage of the residual developer without receiving it.

Further, according to the third means, since the fixing member fixes the supporting member and the supporting plate at the same time, the number of steps for assembling can be reduced.

Further, according to the fourth means, the sealing member is brought into surface contact with the cleaning blade, the support plate, the shielding sheet and the photosensitive member, so that the sealing ability of the sealing member is improved and the leakage of the residual development is ensured. It can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of a cleaning device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support member and a seal member in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an electrophotographic apparatus provided with a cleaning device.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing an example of a conventional cleaning device.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the cleaning device shown in FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the main part taken along the line BB shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Photosensitive drum, 10 ... Cleaning device, 11 ... Recovery tank, 11a ... Recovery port, 12 ... Cleaning blade, 13 ... Support plate, 15 ... Shielding sheet, 21 ... Support member, 22 ... Sealing member, 23 ... Fixing bolt .

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning blade for abutting the vicinity of the tip of a photosensitive member to remove residual developer, a recovery tank having a developer recovery port formed at a position facing the photosensitive member, and a support for the cleaning blade. Cleaning of the electrophotographic apparatus including a support plate protruding from the recovery port, and a shielding sheet that is fixed to the recovery tank and contacts the vicinity of the tip of the photoconductor at a position facing the tip of the cleaning blade. In the device, a support member attached to the recovery tank, and supported by this support member,
An electrophotographic apparatus comprising: a seal member that shields a gap between the recovery port and the side edges of the cleaning blade, the support plate, and the shielding sheet, and that is in contact with a photoconductor. Cleaning device. 2. The cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member is configured to elastically deform in response to the deformation of the cleaning blade when the cleaning blade deforms. 3. The cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing member that fixes the support member to the recovery tank and fixes the support plate to the recovery tank. . 4. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seal member has a pressure contact surface that is in pressure contact with the cleaning blade, the support plate, the shielding sheet, and the photosensitive member. Cleaning device.