JPH09185302A - Image forming device and cleaning method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove welding on a drum without performing complicated operation, to prolong the life of a latent image carrier, and to obtain an excellent image by carrying a cleaning member by means of a transfer material carrying mechanism and making a difference between the carrying speed thereof and the circumferential speed of the latent image carrier, thereby cleaning the latent image carrier. SOLUTION: The cleaning member 14 capable of passing through is used in this image forming device, and when a user recognizes the welding on the photoreceptor drum 3 or when processing for a fixed number of paper is executed, the image forming device is set in a cleaning mode for removing welding and the cleaning member 14 is allowed to pass from a manual feeding tray, so that unnecessary substance such as the welding on the drum 3 is removed. The circumferential speed of a resist roller 1 out of the transfer material carrying mechanism is made lower than that of the drum 3, so that the carried cleaning member 14 rubs the surface of the drum 3 and the welding on the drum 3 is removed by the rubbing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a laser beam printer, and a cleaning method used in the image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A latent image carrier (hereinafter referred to as a photosensitive drum)
In an image forming apparatus that repeats the process of transferring a transferable toner image formed on the surface of a transfer material to a transfer material such as paper, remove the residual toner that remains on the photosensitive drum after transfer, each time it is transferred. Therefore, a cleaning blade made of an elastic material such as rubber is pressed against the latent image carrier to scrape off the residual toner, and is widely used.

As a means for charging the photosensitive drum, instead of the conventional corona discharge method, for example, a roller-shaped contact charging member (hereinafter referred to as a charging roller) is used, and the discharge current is reduced to generate ozone. The method of suppressing as much as possible is also widely used.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the charging roller is used, the toner, the paper powder, the talc (paper filler) and other substances are mixed and firmly adhered onto the photosensitive drum. However, a phenomenon called "drum fusion", in which a cleaning blade cannot completely remove and remains and grows and a solid image on the transfer material is removed, is apt to occur. The generation mechanism and characteristics of this phenomenon are as follows.

First, the mechanism of occurrence of the "drum fusion" phenomenon will be described. 1. First, talc on paper and glue on label paper adhere to the photosensitive drum. Talc has a cleavage property and becomes very thin, so it slips through the cleaning blade. In the label paper, the glue protruding from the boundary portion where the seal is peeled off firmly adheres to the drum. 2. The talc and the glue of the label paper serve as the core on which the toner, paper dust and the like are placed. 3. These are pressed against each other as they pass through the charging roller and are hardened further. Generally, in order to uniformly charge the charging roller, an alternating current component is superimposed on the applied voltage, and the surface layer of the charging roller has a smooth surface. AC component vibrates the charging roller,
Further, the adhesion of the toner is promoted by increasing the contact force of the smooth surface with the drum surface. 4. Then, by repeating the above 2 and 3, the fusion bond grows.

The characteristics of the "drum fusion" phenomenon are as follows. 1. This is particularly likely to occur with papers containing a large amount of filler (eg coated paper), label paper, etc. 2. It tends to occur as the temperature and humidity increase. This is because the core absorbs moisture and easily adheres to the drum, and the toner easily solidifies.

When the drum fusion occurs in this way, it is no longer possible to remove it with only the cleaning blade because of its strong adhesion. If the fusion bond grows and the image deterioration becomes remarkable, the user may have to replace the photosensitive drum even before the life of the photosensitive drum.

In the cartridge system in which the photosensitive drum, the developing device, the cleaning device and the charging member are integrated, the entire cartridge is replaced even when the toner remains in the hopper of the developing device or before the life of the cartridge. There could be a need.

Therefore, when drum fusion occurs, a method for removing it without performing a complicated operation has been required.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and a cleaning method capable of removing drum fusion without performing a complicated operation.

[0011]

The above object can be achieved by an image forming apparatus and a cleaning method according to the present invention. In summary, the present invention conveys at least a latent image carrier on which a latent image is formed, a contact type transfer member for transferring a toner image formed on the latent image carrier to a transfer material, and a transfer material. In an image forming apparatus having a transfer material conveying mechanism and a fixing device for fixing a toner image on the transfer material, wherein the cleaning member performs a cleaning operation by sliding on the latent image carrier, the cleaning member is The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the surface of the latent image carrier is cleaned by being conveyed by a transfer material conveying mechanism and making a difference between the conveying speed and the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier.

It is preferable to have setting means for setting a cleaning mode for cleaning the surface of the latent image carrier. When set to the cleaning mode,
It is preferable that at least the peripheral speed of the pre-transfer transfer member included in the transfer material transfer mechanism is lower than the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. According to another aspect, when the cleaning mode is set, at least the peripheral speed of the fixing device becomes faster than the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. A setting unit for setting a cleaning mode for performing an operation for discharging the cleaning member after performing a cleaning operation for a predetermined time is preferable.

According to another aspect of the present invention, at least a latent image carrier on which a latent image is formed, a contact type transfer member for transferring the toner image formed on the latent image carrier to a transfer material, An image forming apparatus having a transfer material transporting mechanism for transporting a transfer material, wherein the cleaning member performs a cleaning operation by sliding on the latent image carrier, and the cleaning member suppresses a transport speed on a part of its surface. An image forming apparatus is provided which is provided with a member.

According to another aspect of the present invention, at least the latent image carrier, the contact type transfer member, the fixing device, and the transfer material transporting mechanism for transporting the transfer material are provided, and the cleaning member is the latent image. In the method of cleaning the latent image carrier in an image forming apparatus for cleaning by rubbing against a carrier, the cleaning member is carried by the transfer material carrying mechanism, and the carrying speed of the cleaning member by the transfer material carrying mechanism. And a peripheral speed of the latent image carrier are provided to provide a cleaning method.

Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, the cleaning member has at least a latent image carrier, a contact type transfer member, a fixing device, and a transfer material conveying mechanism for conveying the transfer material. In a method of cleaning the latent image carrier in an image forming apparatus that performs cleaning by rubbing against the latent image carrier, the cleaning member is provided with a conveyance speed suppressing member on a part of its surface, and the cleaning member is A cleaning method is provided in which a cleaning operation is performed when the speed of the cleaning member is suppressed after the transfer nip portion between the latent image carrier and the contact transfer member is reached.

During the cleaning operation, it is preferable that the conveyance speed suppressing member of the cleaning member is stopped by the transfer material feed port.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The image forming apparatus and the cleaning method according to the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 First, an image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
In, the photosensitive drum 3, which is a latent image carrier, rotates in one direction around its axis. The contact charging member 2 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 3, and a predetermined high voltage bias supplied from a high voltage power source (not shown) is applied to uniformly charge the surface thereof to a desired potential. Thereafter, the exposure device 7 exposes the surface according to the image signal, and a latent image is formed.

The developing device 5 is provided with a hopper 5d for storing and storing the developer 5c, a developing sleeve 5a as a developer carrying member, and a developing blade 5b as a developer regulating member, which is formed on the photosensitive drum 3. The developer 5c is supplied to the formed latent image to make it visible. A high voltage power source (not shown) is connected between the photosensitive drum 3 and the developing sleeve 5a so as to apply an appropriate developing bias.

The latent image on the photosensitive drum 3 thus visualized by the developer 5c is transferred onto the transfer material 8 by the transfer roller 4 which is a contact type transfer member. The transfer material 8 is fed from the cassette 11 by the paper feed roller 10, or is fed from the manual feed tray 12 by the paper feed roller 13, and the transfer roller 4 is synchronized with the visible image on the photosensitive drum 3 by the registration roller 1. Sent to.

The visible image formed by the developer transferred to the transfer material 8 is conveyed to the fixing device 9 together with the transfer material 8 and fixed by heat or pressure to form a recorded image.

On the other hand, the developer not transferred after the transfer and remaining on the photosensitive drum 3 is removed by the cleaning device 6 having the blade 6a. Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum is charged again by the contact charging member 2 and the above steps are repeated.

The present invention uses a cleaning member capable of passing a sheet through the image forming apparatus to fuse the image forming apparatus when the user recognizes fusion on the photosensitive drum or when a certain number of sheets are flown. It is characterized in that the cleaning mode for removing the deposit is set, and the cleaning member is made to pass a paper from, for example, a manual feed tray to remove the unwanted matter such as the fusion caused on the photosensitive drum.

In the present embodiment, in the transfer material conveying mechanism, at least the peripheral speed of the registration roller 1 is made slower than the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum 3, and the cleaning member conveyed slides on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3. This is characterized in that the fusion of the drum generated on the photosensitive drum is removed.

First, the shape, structure and material of the cleaning member that passes the paper in the cleaning mode will be described.

1: Shape of Cleaning Member The shape of the cleaning member may be, for example, a sheet-like member having a size similar to that of a normal paper. The length in the direction perpendicular to the paper passing direction must be at least as wide as the image area, and the length in the paper passing direction must be at least the distance from the nip portion of the registration roller to the nip portion of the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller. Is necessary.

2: Structure and Material of Cleaning Member As the cleaning member, for example, the following two-layer structure of a cleaning layer and a substrate is used.

2-1: Cleaning Layer The material of the cleaning layer is not particularly limited as long as it can be cleaned by rubbing, but is not limited to foam rubber or rubber having appropriate elasticity and high cleaning ability by rubbing. Felt materials are preferred. Examples of the foam rubber include polystyrene, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, silicone rubber, EPDM and the like. Examples of the felt material include wool felt, Teflon felt, and Nomex (a product name of DuPont; polyamide nonwoven fabric).

2-2: Substrate The substrate is made of a material that can be transported by a transfer material transport mechanism provided in the main body of the apparatus and that does not change its shape even when it rubs against the photosensitive drum. There is no particular limitation. Examples include resin sheets such as polyethylene terephthalate and cardboard.

Next, the cleaning mode setting method and the movement of the main part and the cleaning member in the image forming apparatus when the above-mentioned cleaning member is conveyed into the image forming apparatus in the cleaning mode will be described with reference to FIG.

Cleaning mode setting method: When cleaning the photosensitive drum, the user sets the cleaning member 14 at a predetermined position (in the present embodiment, the manual feed tray 12).
Then, the mode setting means 16 is operated.

The apparatus main body receives a signal from the mode setting means 16 via the CPU 17 and the rotation speed changing means 18, enters a cleaning operation state, the cleaning member 14 is automatically conveyed into the apparatus main body, and the photosensitive drum is cleaned. I do. After that, the cleaning mode is automatically ejected to the outside of the machine.

Movement of the main part in the image forming apparatus: During the cleaning mode, the members other than the registration roller 1 relating to the transfer material conveyance and the photosensitive drum 3 rotate at the same peripheral speed as in normal printing. The peripheral speed of the registration roller 1 is
The rotation speed changing means 18 sets the speed to about half the normal peripheral speed and drives it. No fixing voltage, developing bias or transfer bias is applied, and the fixing device 9 operates in the same manner as during normal image formation.

Movement of the cleaning member: The detailed flow of the cleaning member during transportation in the above-mentioned cleaning mode will be described below. 1: The cleaning member 14 is fed and nipped by the registration roller 1. 2: The conveyance speed of the cleaning member 14 is about half of the normal printing state. This is because the peripheral speed of the registration roller 1 is reduced to about half of the normal speed by the rotation speed changing means 18. 3: The cleaning member 14 is further conveyed and the leading end is nipped between the transfer roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 3. 4: The cleaning member 14 rubs the photosensitive drum 3 to perform cleaning. 5: The rear end of the cleaning member 14 passes through the registration rollers 1 to reach the normal conveyance speed, and then the paper is ejected.

FIG. 1 shows the above-mentioned four states. In this state, there is a difference between the conveying speed of the cleaning member 14 by the registration rollers 1 (about half of the normal speed) and the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum 3 (as usual), and the photosensitive drum 3 repeatedly moves. Rub with the cleaning member 14.
As a result, the fusion on the surface of the photosensitive drum is removed.

An example of the experiment in Example 1 will be shown below.

The specifications of the image forming apparatus are as follows.

Toner: 1-component magnetic toner is used Process speed: 30πmm / sec Photosensitive drum: OPC photoconductor, outer diameter φ30 Transfer roller: Conductive urethane sponge, outer diameter φ20 Registration roller: CR rubber, outer diameter φ8 Fixing roller: PFA , Outer diameter φ30 The specifications of the cleaning member are as follows.

Width 215 mm × length 290 mm × thickness 0.3
mm polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 0.
Nomex (polyimide non-woven fiber manufactured by DuPont) of about 5 mm is adhered with a double-sided tape so that the total thickness is about 0.8 mm.

An image forming apparatus having such specifications is set at a temperature of 3
When a durability test with coated paper was performed in an environment of 2.5 ° C. and humidity of 85%, toner fusion occurred on about 6000 sheets. Note here, the occurrence level of fusion, expressed in fusion number per unit area 1 cm ² as fused density became 30 / cm ² at this time.

Therefore, the effect of removing fusion by using the cleaning member having the above-mentioned specifications was confirmed. At that time, the relationship between the rotation speed of the registration roller and the thickness of the cleaning member was also examined.

Relationship between the peripheral speed of the registration roller and the fusion removal effect: FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the peripheral speed of the registration roller and the fusion removal effect in this embodiment. In this experiment, by using a photosensitive drum whose fusing density was 30 particles / cm ² at the beginning, how much the fusing was improved was changed by changing the peripheral speed ratio of the resist roller to the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum. It is compared with. The total thickness of the cleaning member is 0.8 mm as described above.

From the results of this experiment, it is understood that the removal ability is enhanced as the peripheral speed ratio of the registration roller is smaller than 1, and most of the fusion can be removed if the peripheral speed ratio is less than half.

Relationship between cleaning member thickness and fusion removal effect: FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the cleaning member thickness and fusion removal effect in this embodiment. The peripheral speed of the registration roller is half the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum.

From the results of this experiment, it can be seen that the thicker the cleaning member is, the higher the removal capability is, and if it is 0.8 mm or more, most of the fusion can be removed.

This experiment merely shows a state in which Nomex is bonded to polyethylene terephthalate as an example of the cleaning member. Therefore, when the process speed of another structure and the conditions such as using a cleaning member are different, it is necessary to determine the rotation speed of the resist roller and the thickness of the cleaning member required to remove the fusion by similar experiments.

Further, in this embodiment, the cleaning member may be impregnated with an organic solvent such as alcohol (ethanol) in order to enhance the fusion removal effect.
According to this, the alcohol dissolves and loosens the fusion substance, and the removal from the photosensitive drum can be more effectively performed. As an actual use example, an appropriate amount of alcohol is impregnated into the cleaning member immediately before an operator such as a user passes the cleaning member through the paper. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, a layer 22 composed of a polyethylene film or the like for preventing evaporation of alcohol and contamination of the cleaning layer is provided on the cleaning layer 21 impregnated with alcohol,
An example of the user is to pass the paper after removing the evaporation and stain prevention layer.

The results of confirming the effect when impregnated with alcohol are shown below.

Cleaning Member Specifications: (Comparative Example) The Nomex used in Example 1 was used to provide a cleaning layer having a thickness of 0.1 mm, and a base layer having a thickness of 0.3 mm provided below the cleaning layer.

(Impregnated Example) The above cleaning member was impregnated with ethanol at 10 cc.

Experimental conditions: A photosensitive drum having a fusion density of 30 particles / cm ² was used.

Cleaning member thickness: 0.4 mm Register roller peripheral speed: 1/2 of photosensitive drum peripheral speed Experimental results: (Comparative example) 11 pieces / cm ² (Impregnated example) From the results of 4 pieces / cm ² , it became clear that the effect of removing the fusion is higher when the organic solvent is impregnated.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to remove the fusion by providing a difference between the conveying speed of the cleaning member and the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum in the transfer nip portion.

As a result, the user can extend the service life of the photosensitive drum by the simple operation of passing the cleaning member through the sheet even if the photosensitive drum is fused.

In this embodiment, the purpose of using the cleaning member is to remove the fusion on the photosensitive drum. However, between the conveying speed of the cleaning member and the peripheral speed of the roller described in this embodiment. It goes without saying that the method of making a difference and rubbing is also effective for removing unnecessary substances such as paper powder and toner adhering to the fixing roller and the transfer roller.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The feature of this embodiment is that the cleaning member 14 conveyed by making the peripheral speed of the fixing roller 9 faster than the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum 3 in the transfer material conveying mechanism rubs the surface of the photosensitive drum. However, this is to remove the drum fusion generated on the photosensitive drum.

The movements of the main parts in the image forming apparatus and the cleaning member in the cleaning mode in this embodiment will be described below. The cleaning mode setting method is exactly the same as in the first embodiment.

Movement of main parts in the image forming apparatus: The registration roller 1, the member relating to the transfer material conveyance, and the photosensitive drum 3 continue to rotate at a constant speed during the cleaning mode.
However, the peripheral speed of the fixing roller 19 is about twice the normal peripheral speed. At this time, the charging voltage, the developing bias, and the transfer bias are not applied. The fixing roller operates in the same manner as in normal printing except that the peripheral speed changes.

Movement of the cleaning member: A detailed flow of the cleaning member in the cleaning mode will be described below. 1. The cleaning member is fed and passes through the transfer nip portion. 2. The cleaning member contacts both the transfer nip portion and the fixing roller portion. 3. The transport speed of the cleaning member is about twice the normal speed. This is because the frictional force of the fixing roller is larger than the frictional force of the photosensitive drum, and the peripheral speed of the fixing roller is about twice the normal conveying speed. 4. Clean by rubbing against the photosensitive drum. 5. The cleaning member passes through the transfer nip portion and is ejected at a transport speed that is about twice the normal speed.

FIG. 6 shows four states in the cleaning mode described above. In this state, there is a difference between the transport speed of the cleaning member 14 (about twice the normal speed) and the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum (normal). In accordance with the difference, the photosensitive drum rotates while being rubbed on the cleaning member, and the fusion on the surface of the photosensitive drum is rubbed off.

The following is an example of an experimental example in this embodiment.

The specifications of the image forming apparatus are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Cleaning member specifications: Nomex (manufactured by DuPont, polyimide non-woven fiber) having a thickness of about 0.5 mm is adhered to one side of polyethylene terephthalate having a width of 215 mm × a length of 800 mm × a thickness of 0.3 mm by a double-sided tape. The total thickness should be about 0.8 mm.

The fusion removal effect when the above cleaning member was used was examined.

Relationship between the peripheral speed of the fixing roller and the fusing removal effect:
The experiment method is the same as in Experiment 1 except that the peripheral speed of the fixing roller is changed instead of the registration roller.

As a result, considering the peripheral speed ratio of the conveying speed of the cleaning member and the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum, the same relationship as in the first embodiment is established, and the peripheral speed of the fixing roller is twice the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum. With the above, most of the fusion could be removed.

The cleaning member thickness and the results of the alcohol impregnation experiment were also similar to those of the first embodiment.

In the structure of this embodiment, the conveying speed of the cleaning member is about 4 times faster than that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in order to perform cleaning for the same time, the length of the cleaning member itself in the traveling direction is the same as that of the first embodiment. It was found that the cleaning can be performed in a shorter time than in the case of Example 1 because the area that rubs against the surface of the photosensitive drum increases per unit time, although it is more necessary than in the case of 1.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to remove the fusion by providing a difference between the conveying speed of the cleaning member and the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum in the transfer nip portion.

As a result, the user can extend the service life of the photosensitive drum by the simple operation of passing the cleaning member through the sheet even if the photosensitive drum is fused.

In the first and second embodiments, the rotational speeds of the registration roller and the fixing roller are changed.
Similar effects can be obtained even if the peripheral speed difference is provided by other members such as rollers involved in the conveyance, or members specially provided for controlling the conveyance speed of the cleaning member.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The feature of this embodiment is that the cleaning member is stopped in the middle of the conveyance by providing the conveyance suppressing portion at the end of the cleaning member which can be conveyed by the transfer material conveying mechanism, whereby the cleaning member and the photosensitive drum are separated from each other. There is a difference in peripheral speed, and the cleaning member rubs the surface of the photosensitive drum, thereby removing the drum fusion generated on the photosensitive drum.

The cleaning member, the cleaning mode setting method and the cleaning mode in this embodiment will be described below.

Cleaning mode setting method: When cleaning the photosensitive drum, the user places the cleaning member 15 at a predetermined position (in the present embodiment, the manual feed tray 12 in FIG. 8) and operates the mode setting means 16. .

At this time, the user also sets the cleaning time at the same time in accordance with the drum fusion state. The main body receives a signal from the mode setting means 16 via the CPU 17 and the rotation speed changing means 18, enters a cleaning operation state, and the cleaning member is automatically conveyed into the main body of the image forming apparatus for cleaning. After that, the cleaning mode is automatically ejected to the outside of the machine.

Cleaning member specifications: An example of the cleaning member is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning member used in this embodiment has a cleaning layer 21 on a part of the base layer 20 (a position where the cleaning member comes into contact with the photosensitive drum when the cleaning member is stopped), and a rear portion in a traveling direction indicated by an arrow. The conveyance restraining members 23 were adhered to the end positions with double-sided tape.

The base layer is 215 mm wide × 290 mm long × 0.3 mm thick polyethylene terephthalate, and the cleaning layer is 215 mm wide × 70 mm long × 0.5 m thick.
m Nomex (made by DuPont, polyimide-nonwoven fabric fiber) of about m in width 215 mm x length 30
mm × 10 mm thick plastic was used.

Next, the movement of the main part and the cleaning member in the image forming apparatus when the above-mentioned cleaning member is conveyed into the image forming apparatus when the cleaning mode is set will be described.

Movement of main parts in the image forming apparatus: No charging voltage, developing bias or transfer bias is applied. Fixing does not rotate and does not heat.

Cleaning Mode: FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the rotating direction of the conveying member and the conveying direction of the cleaning member in the cleaning mode in this embodiment. In FIG. 9, + means the normal conveyance direction and the rotation direction, − means the opposite direction, and 0 means the stop. 1. The cleaning member is fed and conveyed as usual (t1). 2. When the rear end of the cleaning member collides with the sheet feeding port, the cleaning member stops (t2). 3. At the time point of 2 above, the rotation speed of the transport system such as the registration rollers is stopped (t3). 4. Cleaning is performed by rubbing against the photosensitive drum (t
4). 5. The sheet is discharged by reversing the rotation of the conveying system such as the registration rollers (t5).

FIG. 8 shows the three states in the cleaning mode described above. In this state, there is a difference between the conveying speed of the cleaning member (stop) and the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum (normal). During that time, the photosensitive drum rotates while being rubbed by the cleaning member many times, and the fusion on the surface of the photosensitive drum is scraped off.

The configuration of the image forming apparatus experiment used in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment.

Relationship between rotation time and fusing removal effect: Experimental condition: A photosensitive drum having a fusing density of 30 particles / cm ² was used.

Cleaning member thickness: 0.8 mm Experimental result: Fusing could be removed in a cleaning time of 4 seconds or more. Further, the thickness of the cleaning member and the result of the alcohol impregnation experiment were similar to those in the case of Example 1.

In the case of the structure described in the present embodiment, the cleaning time can be arbitrarily set, and the user can arbitrarily set the cleaning time according to the degree of fusion.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the fusion member can be removed by fixing the rear end of the cleaning member and providing the peripheral speed difference in the transfer nip portion. As a result, the user can extend the service life of the photosensitive drum by a simple operation of passing the cleaning member even when the photosensitive drum is fused.

In this embodiment, only the case where the conveyance restraining member is provided at the rear end of the cleaning member has been described, but the same effect can be obtained by changing the conveying speed by changing the shape of a part of the cleaning member. Can be obtained.

[0090]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the cleaning member is conveyed by the transfer material conveying mechanism, and there is a difference between the conveying speed and the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. By cleaning the latent image bearing member by doing so, the drum fusion can be removed without performing a complicated operation, the life of the latent image bearing member can be extended, and a good image can be obtained. It is possible to obtain a cleaning member, a cleaning method, and an image forming apparatus including the cleaning member.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which a cleaning member slides on a photosensitive drum according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus in which the present invention is implemented.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between peripheral speed ratio and fusion removal.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between cleaning member thickness and fusion removal.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cleaning member.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a cleaning member is slidingly rubbed in Example 2.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a cleaning member according to a third exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where a cleaning member is rubbing in Example 3;

FIG. 9 is a timing chart regarding a transport system and a cleaning member according to the third exemplary embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Registration Roller (Transfer Material Conveying Member) 3 Photosensitive Drum (Latent Image Carrier) 9 Fixing Roller (Fixing Device) 12 Manual Paper Feeding 14 Cleaning Member 16 Mode Setting Means 18 Rotation Speed Changing Means 23 Conveyance Speed Suppressing Member

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A latent image carrier on which at least a latent image is formed, a contact type transfer member for transferring the toner image formed on the latent image carrier to a transfer material, and a transfer material transfer for transferring the transfer material. An image forming apparatus having a mechanism and a fixing device for fixing a toner image on a transfer material, wherein the cleaning member performs a cleaning operation by sliding on the latent image carrier. An image forming apparatus which is conveyed by a mechanism, and cleans the surface of the latent image carrier by providing a difference between the conveyance speed and the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising setting means for setting a cleaning mode for cleaning the surface of the latent image carrier. 3. When the cleaning mode is set, at least the peripheral speed of the pre-transfer transfer member included in the transfer material transfer mechanism is slower than the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. The image forming apparatus according to item 2. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the cleaning mode is set, at least the peripheral speed of the fixing device is higher than the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. 5. The image according to claim 1, further comprising setting means for setting a cleaning mode for performing an operation for discharging the cleaning member after performing a cleaning operation for a predetermined time. Forming equipment. 6. A latent image carrier on which at least a latent image is formed, a contact type transfer member for transferring the toner image formed on the latent image carrier onto a transfer material, and a transfer material transfer for transferring the transfer material. An image forming apparatus having a mechanism and performing a cleaning operation by a cleaning member slidingly rubbing against the latent image carrier, the cleaning member is provided with a conveyance speed suppressing member on a part of its surface. A characteristic image forming apparatus. 7. A latent image carrier, a contact type transfer member, a fixing device, and a transfer material transporting mechanism for transporting a transfer material, the cleaning member slidingly rubs the latent image carrier. In the method of cleaning the latent image carrier in an image forming apparatus that performs cleaning, the cleaning member is transported by the transfer material transport mechanism, the transport speed of the cleaning member by the transfer material transport mechanism, and the latent image carrier A cleaning method, characterized in that cleaning is performed by giving a difference to the peripheral speed. 8. The cleaning method according to claim 7, wherein at least the peripheral speed of the pre-transfer conveying member included in the transfer material conveying mechanism is lower than the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. 9. The cleaning method according to claim 7, wherein at least the peripheral speed of the fixing device is higher than the peripheral speed of the latent image carrier. 10. The cleaning method according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning member is discharged after performing a cleaning operation for a predetermined time. 11. A latent image carrier, a contact type transfer member, a fixing device, and a transfer material transporting mechanism for transporting a transfer material, the cleaning member slidingly rubs the latent image carrier. In the method of cleaning the latent image carrier in an image forming apparatus that performs cleaning, a transport speed suppressing member is provided on a part of the surface of the cleaning member, and the cleaning member includes the latent image carrier and the contact transfer member. After the transfer nip portion is reached, the cleaning operation is performed when the speed of the cleaning member is suppressed. 12. The cleaning method according to claim 11, wherein, during the cleaning operation, the conveyance speed suppressing member of the cleaning member is stopped by the transfer material feed port.