JPH09237010A - Cleaning device for fixing roller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove a load on a driving part by merely restraining a cleaning web on a feeding shaft side, without fixing, and easily separating the cleaning web from a feeding shaft, even if the cleaning web comes to an end. SOLUTION: A tongue piece 5a is integrally formed with the cleaning web 5, at the center of the end part (termination) on the side of a feeding roller 3b, of the cleaning web 5. On the other hand, a slit 6 receiving the tongue piece 5a is formed in the vicinity of the center on the periphery of the feeding roller 3b. The tongue piece 5a is engaged with the slit 6, to be held only by the frictional force between them, in <5, state where the tongue piece 5a is merely inserted into the slit 6, without being fixed. Therefore, when the feeding roller 3b is rotated in the state where the tongue piece 5a is inserted into the slit 6, the tongue piece 5a is held without falling off the slit 6 by the frictional force and the cleaning web 5 can be wound on the feeding roller 3b.

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 a fixing roller in an electronic copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine or the like, and more particularly to a surface of a fixing roller while winding a cleaning web wound around a delivery shaft on a winding shaft. And a cleaning device for cleaning the fixing roller by bringing the fixing roller into sliding contact with the cleaning device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electronic copying apparatus or the like, generally, in order to increase the adhesive force of a toner image transferred onto a recording paper surface, after the toner image is transferred, a heating fixing roller is used to fuse the toner onto the recording paper by heating. A fusion method is used. In this case,
If the toner adheres to the surface of the fixing roller and accumulates, so-called offset to other places on the recording paper or transfer of the toner to the pressure roller side may occur, which may cause malfunction, so cleaning the fixing roller. It has been practiced to provide a cleaning device that does this.

As this type of cleaning device, there is known a cleaning device for cleaning the fixing roller by winding the cleaning web wound around the feeding shaft and slidingly contacting the surface of the fixing roller while winding the cleaning web around the winding shaft. The cleaning web slowly cleans the fixing roller while being wound on the winding shaft side. However, when all the cleaning webs are wound on the winding shaft side, it is necessary to replace the cleaning web.

[0004] Conventionally, as a method of notifying the replacement time of the cleaning web, a detected portion by a notch is formed in front of the end of the cleaning web, and this is detected and displayed to notify the replacement time of the cleaning web. There is one (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-1327).
No. 70). In addition, there is a system in which when the rotation of the delivery shaft is stopped is detected and notified, the replacement time of the cleaning web is notified (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-21).
No. 4885, Sankaihei 1-153567).

[0005]

However, conventionally,
Even if the user is informed that the remaining amount of the cleaning web is low by the above method, the replacement work may not be performed.In such a case, the cleaning web is fixed on the delivery shaft side. Therefore, a large load is applied to the drive unit on the winding shaft side, which causes a problem that the drive unit is damaged.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the cleaning web is not fixed to the delivery shaft side but simply locked, and the cleaning web is easily separated from the delivery shaft even when the cleaning web reaches the end. The purpose is to remove the load.

Further, according to the present invention, when the cleaning web is separated from the feeding shaft, all the cleaning web not wound on the winding shaft side is controlled to be wound on the winding shaft side, and the cleaning web end portion is controlled. The purpose is to prevent defective cleaning in the vicinity.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning device for a fixing roller, wherein a cleaning web wound around a delivery shaft is wound around a winding shaft and slidably contacts a surface of the fixing roller. In the cleaning device for cleaning the fixing roller, the tongue piece is extended to the end of the cleaning web on the delivery shaft side, and the tongue piece is inserted into the peripheral surface of the delivery shaft to perform the cleaning. It is characterized in that a slit for locking the end portion of the web to the feeding shaft is formed.

A fixing roller cleaning device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a sensor for detecting that rotation of the delivery shaft has stopped. When the sensor detects that the rotation of the delivery shaft has stopped, the above-mentioned sensor is used. A feature is that control is performed so that the drive on the winding shaft side is stopped after all the cleaning webs are wound on the winding shaft side.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a fixing roller cleaning device of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a fixing roller, 2 is a pressure roller, 3a is a take-up roller, 3
Reference numeral b is a feeding roller, 4 is a pressing roller, 5 is a cleaning web, and 7 is a drive unit. The toner image transferred onto the recording paper is fixed by passing the recording paper after the toner transfer between the fixing roller 1 and the pressure roller 2.
That is, the fixing roller 1 is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heating means (not shown), the toner on the recording paper is melted by the heat of the fixing roller 1, and the pressure of the fixing roller 1 and the pressure roller 2 causes the toner to be pressed and fused on the recording paper. To be done.

The cleaning device for the fixing roller 1 comprises the take-up roller 3a, the feeding roller 3b, the pressing roller 4, the cleaning web 5 and the driving section 7. The cleaning web 5 is stretched over the fixing roller 1 and between the take-up roller 3 a and the feeding roller 3 b, and is brought into contact with the surface of the fixing roller 1 by the pressing roller 4. The cleaning web 5 is impregnated with oil, and the cleaning web 5 is wound from the feeding roller 3b side to the winding roller 3a side so that the cleaning web 5 is brought into sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller 1 rotating in the direction opposite to the feeding direction. To remove toner, dust, etc. adhering to the surface of the fixing roller 1. The winding of the cleaning web 5 is performed by rotating the winding roller 3a by the driving force of the driving unit 7.

A tongue piece 5a is formed integrally with the cleaning web 5 at the center of the end (end) of the cleaning web 5 on the delivery roller 3b side. In the present embodiment, the tongue piece 5a is formed by cutting off the both end sides of the cleaning web 5 leaving the central portion at the end thereof. However, the tongue piece may be formed separately from the cleaning web 5, and the terminal end portion thereof may be bonded and fixed.

On the other hand, a slit 6 for receiving the tongue piece 5a is formed near the center of the peripheral surface of the feeding roller 3b. The slit 6 has a slit length slightly longer than the width of the tongue 5a, and the slit width is also formed slightly thicker than the thickness of the tongue 5a. The slit 6 is formed so as to penetrate the feeding roller 3b, and the tongue piece 5
It is arranged that a is sufficiently inserted into the slit 6.
The tongue piece 5a is not fixed to the slit 6 but is simply inserted, and is engaged and held only by the frictional force between the two. Therefore, tongue 5
With a being inserted into the slit 6, the feeding roller 3b
When is rotated, the tongue piece 5a is held by the frictional force without coming out of the slit 6, and the cleaning web 5 can be wound around the delivery roller 3b. On the other hand, when the cleaning web 5 is pulled out from the feeding roller 3b by the rotation of the take-up roller 3a and reaches the end thereof as shown in FIG. Being rolled up. In addition,
In the present embodiment, the end (starting end) of the cleaning web 5 on the take-up roller 3a side is taken up by the take-up roller 3a.
On the other hand, it is fixed with an adhesive or the like, but it can be configured in the same manner as the delivery roller side.

In the initial state, the cleaning web 5 is wound around the feeding roller 3b side, and the starting end thereof passes between the fixing roller 1 and the pressing roller 4 and the winding roller 3b.
It is fixed to a and is installed above the fixing roller 1. When the fixing roller 1 heats and fixes the recording sheet conveyed to the fixing section, the take-up roller 3a is rotated by the driving force of the driving section 7, and the cleaning web 5 is rotated.
Are fed in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the fixing roller 1, and the pressure roller 4 works to make sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller 1.
The cleaning web 5 is always attached to the surface of the fixing roller 1.
The new surface of the toner comes into sliding contact with the toner adhered to the fixing roller 1,
Dust and the like are effectively removed, and so-called offset on the recording paper and transfer to the pressure roller 2 side are prevented.

When most of the cleaning web 5 is taken up by the take-up roller 3a, and the state shown in FIG. 1 is reached, the tongue piece 5a of the cleaning web 5 comes out of the delivery roller 3b and is disengaged. In this way, even when the cleaning web 5 reaches the end and the rotation of the take-up roller 3a is continued, the cleaning web 5 is not fixed to the feeding roller 3b, so that the driving unit 7 is not loaded. . After that, the cleaning web 5 is entirely wound around the winding roller 3a and replaced.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a sensor 8 is added to the first embodiment. The sensor 8 detects the rotation of the feeding roller 3b, and detects that the cleaning web 5 has all been fed from the feeding roller 3b by detecting that the rotation of the feeding roller 3b has stopped. . When the sensor 8 detects that the take-up roller 3b has stopped rotating when the take-up roller 3a is driven, the sensor 8 sends a control signal to a control unit (not shown). Upon receiving the control signal, the control unit drives the take-up roller 3a for a period in which the cleaning web 5 is completely taken up by the take-up roller 3a and then stops the drive. As a result, the take-up roller 3 that has completely taken up the cleaning web 5
It is prevented that a rotates idly. As the sensor 8, various sensors such as a rotary encoder that can detect the rotation of the feeding roller 3b can be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the tongue piece and the slit are formed near the center of the cleaning web.
The present invention does not particularly limit the formation position, and the present invention may be configured by providing these on both sides of the cleaning web.

[0018]

As described above, in the fixing roller cleaning device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cleaning web is delivered by the frictional force between the tongue formed on the end of the cleaning web and the slit of the delivery shaft. Since the cleaning web is held on the shaft side and not fixed, the cleaning web is not pulled by the delivery roller at the end of the cleaning web and does not become a load for rotating the take-up roller. The effect is that it can be prevented.

In addition to the effect of the first aspect, the fixing roller cleaning device of the second aspect removes all the cleaning webs on the take-up axis side when the sensor detects that the rotation of the payout axis has stopped. By controlling to stop this after winding up, all the cleaning web is wound up on the winding shaft side, and in that state the idleness of the winding roller disappears, so that the end of the cleaning web becomes the fixing roller. There is an effect that it is possible to prevent an accident such that the surface comes into contact with and damages the surface.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a fixing roller cleaning device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a fixing roller cleaning device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fixing Roller 2 Pressure Roller 3a Winding Roller 3b Feeding Roller 4 Pressing Roller 5 Cleaning Web 5a Tongue 6 Slit 7 Drive Part 8 Sensor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning device for cleaning a fixing roller by winding a cleaning web wound around a payout shaft on a take-up shaft and slidingly contacting the surface of a fixing roller to clean the fixing roller. A fixing roller characterized in that a tongue piece is extended to an end portion, and a slit for locking the end portion of the cleaning web to the feeding shaft is formed by inserting the tongue piece on the peripheral surface of the feeding shaft. Cleaning device. 2. A sensor for detecting that the rotation of the feeding shaft is stopped, and when the sensor detects that the rotation of the feeding shaft is stopped, all the cleaning webs are wound around the winding shaft. 2. The fixing roller cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the control on the winding shaft side is stopped after the take-up operation.