JPH08194426A - Photoreceptor in electrophotographic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a photoreceptor in an electrophotographic apparatus having a weight member, which is easy to be inserted and surely and continuously keeps the photoreceptor at a prescribed position, in the inside. CONSTITUTION: Regarding a photoreceptor in an electrophotographic apparatus to remove a toner adhering to the surface by sliding a cleaning member on the surface of the photoreceptor having a weight member in the inside, a spiral rib 54 with relatively large outer diameter than the inner diameter of the photoreceptor or formed intermittently is formed in the outer circumference of the weight member 50 in the insertion direction to the photoconductor 3 and the spiral rob is made of a friction member having at least elastically deformable property.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photoconductor in an electrophotographic apparatus in which a toner adhering to the surface of a photoconductor drum is removed by a cleaning member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 9 shows a process unit including a photoconductor in a conventional electrophotographic apparatus (for example, laser printer).

In this figure, 1 is a photoconductor unit, and 2 is
Is a developing unit. The photoconductor unit 1 includes a photoconductor drum 3 and a cleaning device 4. Usually, the photosensitive drum 3 is made of aluminum alloy and is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a photosensitive layer is formed on the surface thereof.

In the above laser printer, an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 3 formed by a laser beam emitted from an exposure unit (not shown) is transferred to the toner supplied from the developing unit 2. After developing, the toner image is transferred onto the paper sent from the paper feeding section through the transport roller by a transfer device (not shown), and is fixed by the fixing device.
After the transfer, the toner T remaining on the photosensitive drum 3 is peeled off by the cleaning blade 5 made of silicone rubber which is in sliding contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 3.

By the way, in the above-mentioned photosensitive drum 3, since the cleaning blade 5 is brought into sliding contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 3, at the contact point G between the blade 5 and the photosensitive drum 3. The generated frictional force is directly transmitted to the blade 5, and the blade 5 vibrates by itself. This self-excited vibration is transmitted to the photosensitive drum 3, and the photosensitive drum 3 resonates. Therefore, a resonance sound (abnormal sound) is likely to occur during rotation. When such a resonance sound is generated, the user feels uncomfortable. Generally, in a laser printer, other operating noises are small, and the resonance noise is apt to be a particular nuisance.

For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the weight member 6 is incorporated in the photosensitive drum 3 to absorb the vibration and reduce the resonance sound.

The weight member 6 is entirely made of a rubber material, and the weight member 6 is provided with a cutout portion 7. When the weight member 6 is attached to the photoconductor drum 3, the weight member 6 is narrowed in the direction of the cutout portion 7 to be smaller than the inner diameter of the photoconductor drum 3, and then the weight member 6 is attached to the photoconductor drum 3. Has become.

[0008]

As described above, the photosensitive drum of the conventional laser printer has a structure in which a weight member is incorporated in the photosensitive drum to reduce resonance noise.

However, the shape of the notch of the weight member is shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), when the cutout surfaces are parallel,
There was a problem that the holding force in the photosensitive drum was weakened and the weight member moved in the photosensitive drum.

Further, when the weight member is attached to the photosensitive drum, as shown in FIG. 10, since the entire inner diameter of the photosensitive drum and the outer shape of the weight member are inserted into contact with each other, they are difficult to insert. was there.

The shape of the notch of the weight member is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the V-shaped cutout surface can surely keep being held at a predetermined position in the photosensitive drum, but when the weight member is attached to the photosensitive drum, the inner diameter of the photosensitive drum is increased. Since the entire circumference and the outer shape of the weight member come into contact with each other and are inserted, there is a problem that it is too hard to insert. Further, there is a problem that the hardness of the rubber material which is the weight member and the shape of the notch portion need to be strictly controlled, and the insertion work has complicated aspects such as temperature (low temperature) control and alcohol coating. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a photoconductor in an electrophotographic apparatus incorporating a weight member that can be easily inserted and can be surely held at a predetermined position. And

[0013]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the photosensitive member in the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention has a cleaning member slidably contacted with the surface of the photosensitive member containing a weight member, and this surface is In a photoconductor in an electrophotographic apparatus for removing toner adhering to the photoconductor, the outer peripheral surface of the weight member in the inserting direction into the photoconductor has a spiral rib or an interrupted outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the photoconductor. The spiral ribs formed in a specific manner are provided, and the spiral ribs are formed by at least an elastically deformable friction member.

[0014]

In the above structure, when the weight member is rotated and inserted, the ribs of the weight member are formed in a spiral shape in the insertion direction (I direction), so that the insertion force F1 is F.
2, the component force of F3 works. Due to this component force F2, the weight member can be inserted into the photoconductor drum by a lighter pressure input than the conventional one, and the insertion force F1 acts as a position holding force of the weight member in the photoconductor drum.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the entire structure of a laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the appearance is such that a bottom cover-21, a top cover 22, a front cover 23, and a cover. -Par cassette 24.

A display panel 25 is arranged on the left side of the front cover 23 and is a consumable item such as a toner car.
When replacing the ridge, as shown in FIG. 5, the front cover 23 is manually opened upward and then opened.

FIG. 6 shows a sectional shape of a side surface of the laser printer, in which the paper P stored in the paper cassette 24 is fed into the inside of the apparatus by the pickup roller 31. Next, the front end of the paper P is sent to the transfer unit 33 by the feeder 32, and the photoconductor drum 3 of the process unit 35 including the photoconductor unit 39 and the developing unit 34 is irradiated from the optical unit 37. An electrostatic latent image is formed by the laser beam B thus formed, and this electrostatic latent image is developed as a toner image by a toner supplied from the developing roller 41, and then the toner is transferred by the transfer unit 33. The image is transferred from the photoconductor drum 3 to the paper P.

After that, the paper P is sent forward, and the toner image is fixed on the paper P by the fixing unit 38 and discharged to the outside of the apparatus.

The process unit 35 is the developing unit 3
4 and the photoconductor unit 39 are combined. The photoconductor unit 39 includes a photoconductor drum 3 and the photoconductor drum 3
A charging brush 40 for charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 and a cleaning blade 5 for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 are attached.

Further, in the developing unit 34, a developing roller 41 for contacting with the photosensitive drum 3 for developing and a toner supplying roller 42 for supplying a toner to the developing roller 41. A developing blade 43 for forming a thin layer of toner and an agitator 44 for stirring the toner are attached.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the photosensitive drum 3
The residual toner T adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 by the cleaning blade 5.
The cleaning blade 5 is composed of a silicone rubber blade 5a and a blade stay 5b.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the photosensitive drum. Weight members 50 according to the present invention, which are distributed to the central portion of the photosensitive drum 3 and are respectively inserted, and one end portion of the photosensitive drum 3. The drum gear 51 is attached and the drum bush 52 is attached to the other end. The weight member 50 may be one or plural.

1 and 2 show a state in which the weight member 50 is inserted into the photosensitive drum 3. The weight member 50 is shown in FIG.
Is made of a rubber member, and has a main body portion 53 having a substantially cylindrical outer shape and a longitudinal surface of the main body portion 53, and a rib 54 formed in a spiral shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section. A groove 55 is formed between 54.

Further, the diameter D1 of both ends of the main body portion 53
Is smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the photosensitive drum 3, and the diameter D3 of the outer peripheral surface of the spiral rib 54.
Are formed to be slightly larger than the inner diameter D2 of the photosensitive drum 3.

The weight member 50 is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 1, but may be any structure having spiral ribs formed on the outer peripheral surface of the weight member. For example, FIG. 3 (A)
In FIG. 3B, the material is a rubber material and the notch portion 60a is provided in the weight member 60. In FIG. 3B, the portion where the spiral rib is formed is the rubber material, and the core of the weight member 61 is shown. The material 61b is made of an iron material and is provided with a notch portion 61a, and as shown in FIG. 3C, a weight member 62 having a spiral rib 54a formed intermittently.
May be.

Next, the procedure for inserting the weight member 50 of the above embodiment into the photosensitive drum 3 will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the weight member 50
The end 50a of the weight member 50 is inserted into the opening 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 by moving the end 50a of the weight 50 in the I direction.

Next, when the weight member 50 is inserted in the direction of arrow K shown in FIG. 2, the rib 54 of the weight member 50 is formed in a spiral shape in the insertion direction (I direction), so that the spiral member 50 is spirally formed. The lead angle J coincides with the insertion direction (I direction) of the position rotated clockwise by the angle J from the direction orthogonal to the rib 54 of the spiral. Therefore, the weight member 5
When 0 is rotated and inserted, the spiral rib 54
The component forces of F2 and F3 act on the insertion force F1.

The inserting force F1 acts as a frictional resistance in the inserting direction, that is, a breaking force, but the component force F2 acts in the rotating direction of the spiral rib, so that the weight member 50 causes the weight member 50 to act on the photosensitive member. It becomes possible to press fit into the drum 3, and the position of the weight member 50 in the photoconductor drum 3 is not displaced due to the breaking force F1.

Therefore, the weight member 50 is attached to the photosensitive drum 3
Conventionally, when it is inserted into the work place, the ambient temperature of the work place is set to a low temperature, and the inside of the photoconductor drum 3 is coated with an alcohol. It can be inserted at room temperature or without applying alcohol.

[0032]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, since the spiral ribs are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the weight member incorporated in the photoconductor, the weight of the photoconductor drum is the same as that of the conventional weight member. Different from the structure in which the inner surface and the outer surface of the weight member are brought into surface contact with each other to be inserted, an effect of being able to provide a weight member with less influence of dimensional accuracy can be provided.

Further, the insertion work can be performed at room temperature, and the insertion work can be performed without applying the alcohol to the inner surface of the photosensitive drum. Further, since the insertion force is lower than that of the conventional weight member, even an operator with weak force can insert the force.

As a result, the weight member can be easily inserted into the photosensitive drum, the insertion workability can be improved, and the photosensitive drum can be reliably held at a predetermined position. Play.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a weight member is inserted into a photosensitive drum according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a force relationship of an inserting force of a weight member into a photosensitive drum in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the weight member in the same embodiment, (A) Second embodiment. (B) Third embodiment. (C) Fourth embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an overall structure of a laser printer in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a top cover of the laser printer in the embodiment is opened.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the overall structure of a laser printer according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a sliding contact state of the cleaning blade with the photosensitive drum in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a photosensitive drum in the example.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a process unit including a photoconductor in a conventional electrophotographic apparatus, and (A) a cross-sectional view showing a part of the process unit including the photoconductor. (B) Sectional drawing which shows a weight member.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a weight member is inserted into a photosensitive drum according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing another weight member in the related art, and FIG. 11 (A) is a plan view showing a state before being inserted into the photosensitive drum. FIG. 6B is a plan view showing a state where the photosensitive drum is inserted.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 ... Photoconductor (photosensitive drum), 5 ... Cleaning member (cleaning blade), 50 ... Weight member, 54 ... Spiral rib.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cleaner is provided on the surface of a photoconductor containing a weight member.
In a photoconductor in an electrophotographic apparatus for sliding a contacting member to remove a toner adhering to the surface, an outer peripheral surface of the weight member in the inserting direction into the photoconductor is
A spiral rib having an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the photosensitive member or a spiral rib formed intermittently is provided, and the spiral rib is formed of at least an elastically deformable friction member. And a photoconductor in an electrophotographic apparatus.