JPH09237021A - Blade cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure stable cleaning performance for residual toner by arranging a sealing roll member having a smooth surface coming into contact with a powder carrier, on the upstream side in the moving direction of the powder carrier, of a blade member. SOLUTION: This blade cleaning device is constituted so that when toner 2 passes through the sealing roll 3, the toner 2 transferred to the sealing roll 3 is scraped by an auxiliary blade 4 arranged inside the cleaning device, to be recovered. The toner 2 after passing through the sealing roll 3 is scraped by a main blade 5 on the downstream side of the sealing roll 3. As a direction where a photoreceptor is extended, the photoreceptor is curved to the inside of the cleaning device, in a vertical direction, at the position of the sealing roll 3, so that the toner 2 scraped by the main blade 5 is surely recovered into the cleaning device. Since the first contact position of the cleaning device with the photoreceptor is the rotary sealing roll 3, the toner 2 in the cleaning device never leaks out.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic printing apparatus used in printers, copiers, facsimile machines and the like, and more particularly to a cleaning device for cleaning a photoconductor or a transfer body after transferring an image. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming process such as electrophotography, in which an image is formed on a photoconductor or an intermediate image forming body by using a fine powder called a toner, and the image is transferred onto a sheet to form a printed image, A cleaning device for cleaning the toner remaining on the photoconductor and the intermediate image forming body is required. Several configurations are known as the configuration of this cleaning device.

One is Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-100480 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
The brush cleaning method is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-67189 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-251882. In this method, as shown in FIG. 5, a member to be cleaned 1 such as a photosensitive member or an intermediate image forming member is rubbed with a conductive or semi-conductive cleaning brush 8 to which a voltage is applied, and This is a brush cleaning method in which the toner 2 remaining on the surface is removed by suction by an electric method. In this method, the toner scraped off by the cleaning brush is electrically collected by the collection roll 9, and the toner on the collection roll is scraped off by the blade 10 or the like for cleaning.

In the brush cleaning, in addition to the method of cleaning the toner by using an electric method, there is a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-
There is also known a method of collecting using a rotating brush and air suction as described in 199763 or the like. In this method, the toner is scraped off by rubbing the photosensitive member or the intermediate image forming member with a rotating brush, and is collected in the cleaning device by air suction.

As another method, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-42257
JP-A-57-171372 and JP-A-57-1952668
There is a roller cleaning method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. The methods described in JP-A-56-42257 and JP-A-57-171372 are used for magnetic toner, and by placing a magnetic substance inside the roller, the toner is rolled by magnetic force. It is a method of collecting on the surface. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-1952668 is disclosed as applicable to non-magnetic toner, and by applying a voltage to the roll, the toner on the surface of the photoconductor is electrically transferred to the roll. Is to be collected. However, since it is difficult to bring the roller into stable contact with the powder carrying member, it is difficult to recover the non-magnetic toner by the roller cleaning method, even compared with the brush cleaning device.

As another method, as shown in FIG.
A cleaning blade 7 made of an elastic material is abutted on a member to be cleaned 1 such as a photosensitive member or an intermediate image forming member described in JP-A-7-230236, JP-A-7-230239, etc. This is a blade cleaning method in which the toner 2 remaining on the surface at the tip is scraped off.

[0007]

In the brush cleaning device, the charged toner is electrically collected by the semiconductive cleaning brush 8, and the toner 2 collected by the cleaning brush 8 is electrically collected by the roll. However, there is a problem that the structure is complicated and a high-voltage power supply is required to recover the data. Further, the cleaning brush 8 needs to have a stable contact pressure and contact amount with the photoconductor 1 and the recovery roll 9, and when the resistance value is too high, the toner 2 cannot be electrically recovered, and when it is too low, the toner is discharged. It is required that the proper value be stably maintained in order to cause such as.

Further, in the brush cleaning device using air suction, an air suction mechanism is required, so that the device is complicated and the cost becomes higher.

Further, even in a roller cleaning device which does not use a brush, a power source is required, and when applied to non-magnetic toner or the like, it is difficult to ensure stability of cleaning performance. .

On the other hand, the blade cleaning method shown in FIG. 4 does not require a power source and the like, and the blade directly scrapes the surface of the member to be cleaned, so that stable cleaning performance can be ensured relatively easily. . However, in this configuration, since there is no force to restrain the toner 2 scraped from the toner carrier by the blade 7, the surface of the member to be cleaned 1 such as the photoconductor or the intermediate image forming body is positioned on the lower side in the gravity direction. If it is applied to a place to be cleaned, the scraped toner will be deposited on the member to be cleaned.

Further, when cleaning is performed at a position where the surface of the member to be cleaned 1 such as the photosensitive member or the intermediate image forming member as shown in FIG. 4 is parallel to the direction of gravity, the scraped toner 2 is the member to be cleaned 1 In order to fall along the surface of the film, a structure is used in which a film sheet 11 that captures the film is provided. With this configuration, there is a risk that the photosensitive member 1 and the toner 2 remaining on the surface of the intermediate image forming member when coming into the cleaning device may come into contact with the film sheet 11 and fall. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to weaken the contact pressure of the film sheet 11 to the member to be cleaned 1. However, if the contact state of the film sheet 11 is made too weak, the toner 2 scraped off by the cleaning blade 7
May leak to the outside of the cleaning device. In this way, the blade cleaning method is used for the member to be cleaned 1
When used at a position where the surface of the toner is parallel to the direction of gravity, the toner 2 easily leaks from the cleaning device.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems, and proposes a blade cleaning device which can be constructed at a relatively low cost.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of a blade cleaning device which can be constructed at a relatively low cost, a roller-shaped member that contacts a member to be cleaned instead of a film sheet that contacts the surface of the member to be cleaned lightly. Use members. The existing roller-shaped member is a conductive or semi-conductive roll that is electrically insulated from other members or has a potential almost equal to the surface potential of the existing powder carrier. The cleaning member 1 is pressed and driven. By providing a scraping blade or a film on the inner side of the cleaning device of the driven roller, the toner adhered on the roller is also collected in the device.

In the above structure, since the seal roll that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned such as the photoconductor or the intermediate image forming member is used, the higher the film sheet system is, the lighter contact with the surface of the photoconductor or the intermediate image forming member is required. No need for precise mounting. Further, since the toner is completely contacted with each other, there is no fear that the toner scraped by the blade leaks out of the cleaning device.

Further, since the seal roll is a conductive or semi-conductive roll which is in an electrically insulated state from other members or which has a potential substantially equal to the surface potential of the existing powder carrier,
There is no possibility of being charged even when it comes into contact with the toner or the photoconductor, causing discharge, damaging the member to be cleaned, and scattering the toner.

Further, since it is composed only of the seal roll and the blade, the structure is simple and inexpensive, and stable cleaning performance can be provided.

Further, when the member to be cleaned such as the photosensitive member is a belt, the member to be cleaned can be wound around the seal roll, so that the tension direction of the member to be cleaned can be changed in the concave direction. As a result, the belt member to be cleaned can be set in the tension direction in which the blade cleaning can be directly performed, and the blade can be stably cleaned even when the photoconductor is on the lower side or the lateral direction in the gravity direction. A cleaning device can be provided.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In the electrophotographic process, a photoconductor is uniformly charged by a charger, and an exposure device performs exposure according to an image signal to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor. Visualize the latent image and transfer it to paper or an intermediate transfer body. It is necessary to clean the toner remaining on the photosensitive member after transfer on the photosensitive member before recharging, and the present invention provides a toner image on a photosensitive belt used in such a general electrophotographic process. The present invention relates to a device for cleaning residual toner on a carrier.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of a blade cleaning device which has been conventionally used. In the configuration of this figure, the surface of the photosensitive member, which is the member to be cleaned 1, is parallel to the direction of gravity, and the toner 2 scraped off by the blade 7 falls along the surface of the photosensitive member and is captured. A film sheet 11 is provided. With this configuration, there is a risk that the toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor upon entering the cleaning device may come into contact with the film sheet 11 and fall. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to weaken the contact pressure of the film sheet 11 to the photosensitive member, which is the member to be cleaned 1, or the intermediate image forming member. However, if the contact state of the film sheet 11 is made too weak, the toner 2 scraped off by the cleaning blade 7 may leak to the outside of the cleaning device. As described above, when the blade cleaning method is used at the position where the surface of the photoconductor or the intermediate image forming body is parallel to the gravity direction, the toner 2 easily leaks from the cleaning device.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a cleaning device structure of the present invention which can solve this problem. The cleaning device shown in the figure comprises a seal roll 3, an auxiliary blade 4 and a main blade 5. Since the seal roll 3 is conductive and does not become charged, it does not become charged even if it comes into contact with the photoconductor or the charged toner 2 for a long period of time, and discharge or the like occurs to damage the photoconductor. There is no risk of cleaning failure. However, when the toner 2 passes through the seal roll 3, the toner 2 may migrate to the seal roll 3. In this embodiment, the toner 2 transferred to the roll is collected by scraping it with the auxiliary blade 4 arranged inside the cleaning device. The toner 2 that has passed through the seal roll 3 is
It is scraped off by the main blade 5 on the downstream side of the seal roll 3. At the position of the seal roll 3, the stretching direction of the photoconductor is bent from the vertical direction to the inside of the cleaning device, so that the toner scraped off by the main blade 5 is reliably collected inside the cleaning device. Further, since the position where the cleaning device and the photoconductor first contact is the rotating seal roll 3, the toner 2 inside the cleaning device is
However, it does not leak to the outside of the cleaning device.

Even if the photoconductor is a drum as shown in FIG. 2 and the photoconductor cannot be bent by the seal roll 3, by disposing the seal roll 3 of the present invention, the film of FIG. Unlike the sheet 11, the toner 2 does not have to be leaked to the outside of the cleaning device.

The toner 2 collected in the cleaning device by the auxiliary blade 4 and the main blade 5 is transferred by the spiral transfer mechanism 6 which rotates the shaft having spiral blades.
It is transported and collected in a waste toner box or the like.

When the photosensitive member or the intermediate image forming member which is the member to be cleaned 1 is a belt as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the contact amount between the belt and the seal roll 3 is further increased by increasing the winding amount around the seal roll 3. Be sure, seal roll 3
It is possible to enhance the sealing ability of the toner 1. As another measure for ensuring stable contact between the photoconductor or the intermediate image forming body and the seal roll 3, a method of using a roll having elasticity of the photoconductor, the intermediate transfer body or the seal roll 3 may be considered.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a metallic roll is used as the seal roll 3. Depending on the physical properties of the photoconductor and intermediate image forming body, discharge etc. may occur at the time of contact,
This may cause the residual toner 2 to scatter. Such a case can be easily solved by taking measures such as covering the surface of the seal roll with a thin resistance layer. Also, it is possible to easily take measures by connecting a resistance or capacitance component to the seal roll itself and grounding it. These measures also have the effect of suppressing the adsorption of toner to the seal roll.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention in which the cleaning device is arranged above the photoconductor. FIG.
The cleaning device of No. 1 comprises a seal roll 3, a main blade 5 and an auxiliary blade 4, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. The toner 2 that has moved from the photosensitive member to the surface of the seal roll 3 is scraped and collected by the auxiliary blade 4 arranged inside the cleaning device. The toner 2 that has passed through the seal roll 3 is scraped off by the main blade 5 at a position above the seal roll 3, and falls onto the spiral transport mechanism unit 6 that rotates a shaft having spiral blades provided inside the seal roll 3. Then, it is collected in the discharged toner box.

Since the seal roll 3 in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is driven by ensuring sufficient contact with the member to be cleaned 1 such as the photosensitive member or the intermediate image forming member, the seal roll 3 is particularly important. The cleaning device of the invention does not require drive means. However, a more stable sealing effect can be secured by disposing a driving means on the seal roll 3 and providing a slight speed difference with the member to be cleaned 1.

[0028]

According to the present invention, it is possible to secure a stable cleaning performance for residual toner regardless of the direction of arrangement on the photoconductor or the intermediate image forming body, and at the same time, the cleaning device is simple and inexpensive. Can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of cleaning a belt member of the present invention from a side surface.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of cleaning the drum member of the present invention from the side surface.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of cleaning the belt member of the present invention from the upper surface.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional blade cleaner.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional brush cleaner.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... To-be-cleaned member, 2 ... Toner, 3 ... Seal roll, 4 ... Auxiliary blade, 5 ... Main blade, 6 ... Spiral conveyance mechanism, 7 ... Cleaning blade, 8 ... Cleaning brush, 9 ... Recovery roll, 10 ... Blade, 11 ...
Film sheet.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printing method in which a fine powder such as toner is used to form an image on a powder carrier such as a photoconductor or an intermediate image forming body, and the image is transferred onto a recording sheet such as paper to record an image. A printing device having a process, in a cleaning device for cleaning powder remaining on an existing powder carrier, in addition to a blade member that comes into contact with the surface of the existing powder carrier and scrapes off the remaining powder, In order to prevent the existing powder scraped off by the blade from leaking out of the cleaning device,
A cleaning device characterized in that a roll member for sealing having a smooth surface which is in contact with the powder carrier is disposed upstream of the blade member in the moving direction of the powder carrier. 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the existing powder carrier has a flexible member such as a belt or its surface such as an elastic roll. A cleaning device which is a member and is arranged such that the already-sealed rolls in the cleaning device for the already-supported powder carrier are arranged in contact with each other so as to deform the already-supported powder carrier. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the already-sealed roll is configured so as to be electrically insulated from other members and has a potential substantially equal to the surface potential of the already-made powder carrier. A cleaning device characterized in that