JPH0697371B2 - Web cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a web cleaning device used in an image forming apparatus.

The web cleaning method is a method of cleaning a flat surface or a curved surface with a web of paper, cloth, non-woven fabric, plastics or the like. It is widely used for removing residual toner.

Especially, as for the method of removing the residual toner on the fixing roller of the fixing device, the removal efficiency of the residual toner is better in the web cleaning method than in the method of removing it by the blade, and the copy quality due to the residual toner remaining is reduced. It serves the purpose of prevention.

In particular, the amount of toner that does not fix well or the amount of residual toner that does not fix on the copy paper remains on the roller when high-speed copying is performed with a limited electric power (heat amount) using a heat roller type fixing device.

This unfixed toner can be scraped off with a blade to a certain extent, but if it gets too large, it forms a cluster of toner before the edge of the blade, which damages the fixing roller or drops on copy paper to improve copy quality. It was supposed to drop significantly.

On the other hand, in the web cleaning method, unfixed toner on the roller is wiped with a cleaning web (hereinafter referred to as a web), and the web is conveyed and wound up little by little. Never lowers.

However, the capacity (length) of the web is limited (usually 2 to 20 m).
The feed amount (usually 0.1 to 5 m / m per copy)
Even if the number is small, you have to change the web every tens of thousands of copies.

At present, this work requires the skill of handling the web, and in the case of a thermal fixing device, the fixing device itself is hot, which may cause burns. There has been proposed a web cleaning unit that can be replaced by itself.

Copier services include regular service that also serves as replenishment of consumables and irregular service for handling unexpected troubles. In the case of a heat fixing device, if the copier is continuously used without knowing that the web has been completely wound up, toner sticking to the fixing roller, toner falling on the copy paper, copy paper winding around the fixing roller, etc. occur, It may damage the fuser. In such a case, a sudden complaint will be made and the serviceman will be forced to be dispatched irregularly. In order to prevent such a sudden complaint, when the market determines that the web does not have until the next regular service even if the web is still remaining during the regular service (usually once every 1-2 months). It was also uneconomical to throw away a large amount of usable web and replace it with a new one. In particular, an aromatic polyamide-based non-woven fabric used for a heat fixing device (because heat resistance is required) is expensive and uneconomical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and to provide a web cleaning device which informs the user of the time to replace the web so as to prevent the trouble of the fixing device caused by the winding of the entire cleaning web.

The present invention relates to a cleaning web for cleaning an object to be cleaned, a winding motor in which the energization time for winding the cleaning web is proportional to the number of revolutions, an integrating means for accumulating the energizing time to the winding motor, and the integrating means. A web cleaning device, comprising: a display unit for displaying a shortage of the cleaning web when the integrated value of the unit reaches a predetermined value, and a reset unit for resetting the integrated value of the integrating unit.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a fixing device having a fixing roller as an object to be cleaned.

The fixing roller 10 supported so as to be rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure is rotatably supported by heat from a halogen heater 11 arranged axially in the fixing roller to heat the fixing roller and is pressed against the fixing roller 10. The copy paper, which is sent by the paper feed conveyor 16 under the pressure of the pressure rubber roller 12 and is inserted between the fixing roller 10 and the pressure rubber roller 12 through the guide 13 fixed to the case 23 that can be detached from the copying machine. The toner T on 17 is fixed on the copy paper 17. At this time, a very small amount of unfixed toner remains on the fixing roller 10, and the web 1 is rotated by a web pressing roller 4 as a pressure contact member rotatably supported to rotate in order to clean the fixing roller 10. It is pressed against the roller 10. The web 1 is made of non-woven fabric, paper, cloth, felt or the like for cleaning the residual toner on the roller.

The web 1 is first wound around a portion of the feeding shaft 5 which is rotatably supported by the reference numeral 2, and is gradually wound up by a winding shaft 6 which is rotationally driven, and is gathered by the portion of the reference numeral 3. go. The moving direction of the web 1 is opposite to the moving direction of the outer circumference of the fixing roller 10 at the portion in contact with the fixing roller 10.

The web 1 is housed in a case 7 together with a winding shaft 6, a feeding shaft 5, and a web pressing roller 4. The case 7 is made of a resin, for example, a heat-resistant resin such as a polycarbonate resin, so as not to be burned even if the copier user directly touches it, and is transparent so that the remaining amount of the web 1 can be seen at a glance. . The web pressing roller 4 is formed by winding a silicon sponge on a core metal in order to maintain heat resistance and a certain degree of softness.

The web 1 is impregnated with silicone oil as an offset preventing agent. This silicone oil is gradually coated on the fixing roller 10 with the movement of the web to prevent the copy paper 17 from being wrapped around the fixing roller 10.

In this way, the web 1 is stored in one case 7 and can be easily replaced as a cassette. The positioning of the cassette is determined by the pins 8 and 9 and the pin to be described later. The copy paper 17 is conveyed by the paper feed conveyor 16, guided by the guide 13 at the entrance of the fixing device, passes between the fixing roller 10 and the pressure rubber roller 12, and the toner is transferred. The image is fixed. Separation claw 14 of fixing roller 10
And the separation claw 15 of the pressure rubber roller 12 and the copy paper 17 are the fixing rollers.
The sheet 10 is prevented from being wound around the pressure roller 12 and the pressure rubber roller 12, and the sheet is discharged from between the sheet discharge rollers 18 which are driven to rotate in opposite directions through the fixed guide plates 21 and 22.

The separating claws 14, 15, the guide plates 21, 22, the discharge rollers 18, etc. are mounted on the discharge unit main body 28, and are discharged when the fuser case 23 is pulled out toward the front side in the drawing from the rail 19 that is sliding in. The paper unit main body 28 is opened in the direction of the arrow around the pin 20 pivotally attached to the machine frame so as not to damage the fixing roller 10 and the like.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the web cassette used in the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main part of the fixing device. A heat-resistant felt (aromatic polyamide felt) is placed at the end of the feed-out shaft 5 supported on both end plates of the case 7 (not shown) to prevent the feed-out shaft 5 from loosening due to friction with the case 7. I'm braking. A gear 30 is fixed to the end of the take-up shaft 6 of the web 1 which is supported by both end plates of the case 7, and the gear 30 is fixed to the shaft of the hoisting motor 24 shown in FIG. It's a match.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the fixing unit is pulled out from the main body.

When removing the web cassette from the fuser unit, the holes 32, 33 (case 3) of the case 7 are passed through the holes of the side plate 31 of the fuser.
Remove the positioning pins 25 and 26 on the front side that are fitted in the figure). The locating pins 25 and 26 are provided with mold knobs so that the operator does not feel hot when removing them. The used web cassettes that have been exchanged can be collected together by a service person, and the webs inside can be replaced with new ones for reuse.

The reset button 27 of the web attached to the main body of the electronic copying apparatus is pressed when the web cassette is replaced with a new one so as to memorize that a new web has entered the main body of the machine. Web 1 is a motor for a certain time for each copy
24 is energized and rolled up.

Since the entire length of the web and the rotation speed of the web winding motor 24 are constant, it is possible to know the remaining amount of the web 1 from the total of the energizing times of the web winding motor 24.

When the web 1 becomes less than a certain amount, "no web" is displayed on the machine operation unit. When the display appears, a new copy is not accepted after a certain time.

The user or service person sees the "no web" indication, replaces the web cassette with a new one, and presses the reset button 27 on the web.

This is shown in Fig. 5 as an example of the circuit. The rotation time timer of the web winding motor 24 and the timer for storing the total time after reset are in the microcomputer. In addition, it has a separate power supply (for example, a mercury battery or a Ni-Cd battery) so that the memory will not be erased and keeps the microcomputer alive.

A non-volatile memory (for example, a magnetic bubble memory or the like) can be used in this portion instead of the separate power source.

The web winding motor 24 may be anything as long as the total energization time and the total number of revolutions are proportional. (For example, induction motor, step motor, etc.) FIG. 6 shows an example of the flow chart.

As described above, a cleaning web for cleaning the object to be cleaned, a winding motor in which the energization time for winding the cleaning web is proportional to the number of revolutions, and an accumulating means for accumulating the energization time to the winding motor, Since the web cleaning device is characterized in that it has display means for displaying a shortage of the cleaning web when the integrated value of the integrating means reaches a predetermined value, and reset means for resetting the integrated value of the integrating means, The web can be replaced easily and the replacement time can be shortened. When the object to be cleaned is, for example, a heat fixing roller at the time of replacement, it is safe because the heated part does not touch the hand, and the replacement work can be performed directly. When a reset button that operates by replacing the web cassette is provided, the time to replace the web is displayed regardless of the operating conditions to prevent equipment damage and copy quality deterioration without the web, and the user is also easy to use. Can be handled.

The present invention can also be applied to an image bearing member having a photosensitive member or a photosensitive layer as a member to be cleaned. The present invention relates to a cleaning web for cleaning an object to be cleaned, a winding motor whose rotation speed is proportional to the energization time for winding the cleaning web, and an integrating means for integrating the energization time to the winding motor. Since the web cleaning device is characterized in that it has display means for displaying a shortage of the cleaning web when the integrated value of the integrating means reaches a predetermined value, and reset means for resetting the integrated value of the integrating means When the remaining amount of the web is low and insufficient, the means for displaying the shortage of the cleaning web indicates the shortage of the cleaning web, and it is possible to prevent the damage to the equipment without the cleaning web, the deterioration of the function, and the malfunction. There is an effect that can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a fixing device, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the operation of FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the attachment, FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram of the web drive motor, and FIG. 6 is an example of a flow chart for controlling the electrophotographic copying machine in the present invention. 1 ... web, 2,3 ... symbol, 4 ... web pressing roller, 5 ... feeding shaft, 6 ... winding shaft, 7 ... case, 8,9 ... pin, 10 ... fixing roller, 11 …… Halogen heater, 12 …… Pressurized rubber roller, 13 …… Guide, 14,15
...... Separating claw, 16 …… Paper feed conveyor, 17 …… Copy paper, 18
…… Paper ejection rollers, 19 …… Rail, 20 …… Pins, 21,22…
… Guide plate, 23 …… Case, 24 …… Motor, 25, 26 ……
Pins, 27 ...... Reset button, 28 ...... Paper ejection unit body, 29, 30 ...... Gear, 31 ...... Side plate, 32, 33 ...... Hole, T ......
toner.

Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-48-54945 (JP, A) JP-A-55-156160 (JP, A) JP-A-56-138774 (JP, A) JP-A-54-12971 (JP , A) JP 54-60647 (JP, A) JP 50-57237 (JP, A) JP 51-5023 (JP, A) JP 53-88735 (JP, A) JP 51-149032 (JP, A) JP-A-50-93657 (JP, A) JP-A-53-112748 (JP, A) Actually developed S57-199250 (JP, U) JP-B-55-44383 (JP, A) B2)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning web for cleaning an object to be cleaned, a winding motor having a rotation speed proportional to an energization time for winding the cleaning web, and an accumulating means for accumulating the energization time to the winding motor. A web cleaning apparatus comprising: a display unit that displays a shortage of a cleaning web when the integrated value of the integrating unit reaches a predetermined value; and a reset unit that resets the integrated value of the integrating unit.