JPH10104959A - Transfer device of image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To keep the high positional precision between a transfer roller and a cleaning member to stably keep the cleaning performance by mounting the cleaning member on a support member supported by the transfer roller. SOLUTION: A cleaning blade 49 whose end is pressed onto the circumference of a transfer roller is mounted on the lower surface of a guide member 39. A sheet to be carried to the nipping position between a photoreceptor drum 7 and the transfer roller pressed the transfer roller downward according to the thickness. According to this, the transfer roller is moved in the direction separating from the photoreceptor drum against the energizing force of a spring 38. The guide member 39 mounted on the rotating shaft of the transfer roller is also moved together with the transfer roller. Thus, the relative distance between the blade 49 mounted on the guide member 39 and the circumferential surface of the transfer roller can be kept constant, and the cleaning performance of the circumferential surface of the transfer roller can be stabilized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer device of an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a transfer device of an image forming device for transferring a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum onto a sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile, for example, an electrostatic latent image based on image data is formed on a photosensitive drum by a laser scanning unit. A developing unit, a transfer roller and the like are provided adjacent to the photosensitive drum. The electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum is visualized as a toner image by a developing roller provided in a developing unit. The transfer roller is supported movably with respect to the photosensitive drum in accordance with the thickness of the paper conveyed between the photosensitive drum and the state of the surface of the photosensitive drum. It is urged toward the photosensitive drum so as to have a gap corresponding to one sheet of paper with the drum peripheral surface. Further, the transfer roller is charged with a polarity opposite to that of the toner on the photosensitive drum, and the toner on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum is attracted from the back surface of the paper onto the paper supplied to the gap between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller. To transfer the toner image.

Some of such transfer rollers include a cleaning device for removing toner, paper dust and the like attached to the surface. As the cleaning device, it is conceivable to provide a thin plate-shaped cleaning blade such that its tip is in pressure contact with the peripheral surface of the transfer roller. For example, as shown in JP-A-58-184153, a cleaning blade is fixed to a toner collection box, and the toner collection box is arranged such that the tip of the cleaning blade is pressed against the peripheral surface of the transfer roller. Exists. Also, JP-A-61-233762 discloses that
The cleaning blade is biased by a spring such that the tip of the cleaning blade is pressed against the peripheral surface of the transfer roller.

[0004]

The tip of the cleaning blade is pressed against the surface of the transfer roller with a predetermined pressing force in order to scrape off foreign matters such as toner and paper powder attached to the surface of the transfer roller. If the pressure contact force at the tip of the cleaning blade is strong, there is a problem that the surface of the transfer roller is damaged or rotation of the transfer roller is defective.
Further, when the pressure contact force at the tip of the cleaning blade is weak, there is a problem that cleaning efficiency of the transfer roller surface is deteriorated. Accordingly, positioning accuracy is required between the cleaning blade and the transfer roller in order to maintain a predetermined pressing force.

However, as described above, the transfer roller can move forward and backward with respect to the photosensitive drum, and the pressure of the cleaning blade changes as the transfer roller moves. In particular, in the case where the cleaning blade is attached to the toner collection box described above, the toner collection box and the transfer roller are independently attached, and the relative position between the tip of the cleaning blade and the surface of the transfer roller is changed as the transfer roller moves. Changes and cleaning performance is not stable.

Further, even when the cleaning blade is biased by a spring, the tip of the cleaning blade moves following the movement of the transfer roller, but it is impossible to maintain a constant pressure contact force. Yes, cleaning performance cannot be stabilized. A similar problem is involved when a cleaning roller or a cleaning brush is used instead of the cleaning blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer device of an image forming apparatus capable of maintaining good positional accuracy between a transfer roller and a cleaning device and obtaining stable cleaning performance.

[0008]

A transfer device of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a transfer roller, a support member, and a cleaning member. The transfer roller is rotatable with the photosensitive drum. The support member is supported by the transfer roller. The cleaning member is mounted on the support member, and the cleaning is performed with the leading end abutting on the peripheral surface of the transfer roller.
In this case, since the cleaning member is attached to the support member supported by the transfer roller, it is possible to maintain good positional accuracy between the cleaning member and the transfer roller.

A bearing member that supports the transfer roller and is movable in a direction of moving the transfer roller forward and backward with respect to the photosensitive drum, and biases the bearing member in a direction approaching the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum. A configuration further including an urging means can be adopted. In this case, the transfer roller is allowed to advance and retreat with respect to the photosensitive drum according to the thickness of the sheet conveyed between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller. Position accuracy can be maintained high.

The cleaning member can be constituted by a cleaning blade or a cleaning roller. Further, as a support member, a transport guide that guides a sheet between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller can be used.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a copying machine to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Copier 1
An exposure unit 5 for reading the original is provided above the exposure unit. The exposure unit 5 includes a light source, a mirror, a lens unit, and the like. Further, an image forming unit 6 for forming a toner image of the read original is provided at the center of the copy 1.

The image forming section 6 has a photosensitive drum 7 on the surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed. Around the photosensitive drum 7, a charging device 8, a developing device 9, a transfer roller 10, and a cleaning device 11 are arranged. A paper feed unit 12 is provided below the copying machine 1. The paper feeding unit 12 includes a bypass table 13 provided on the right side of FIG.
And three paper cassettes 14, 15, 16 arranged vertically below the copier 1 and a large paper cassette 17
And a paper feeder 18 for transporting the paper stored in the paper feed cassettes 14 to 17 to the image forming unit 6. Downstream of the image forming unit 6 in the sheet conveyance direction, a sheet discharge conveyance path 19 for conveying the sheet to the left side in FIG. 1 of the apparatus, a fixing device 20 for fusing and fixing the toner image on the sheet, A discharge roller 21 for discharging paper and a paper discharge tray 22 for receiving paper are provided.

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the photosensitive drum 7 and the transfer roller 10. The photoconductor drum 7 is composed of a drum tube made of aluminum or the like. The photoconductor 31 is provided with an organic photoconductor layer formed by applying a coating solution for the photoconductor by dip coating. And a contact portion 32 in which the photosensitive element layer is omitted and the drum tube is exposed.

The transfer roller 10 is mounted on a rotating shaft 33 and is rotatable adjacent to the photosensitive drum 7. Driven rollers 34 are attached to both ends of the rotating shaft 33 in the length direction. The driven roller 34 is
A gap holding member 3 made of a hard synthetic resin having excellent wear resistance and heat resistance, such as POM, PC, and PBT, and having a radius (for example, 0.3 mm) larger than that of the transfer roller 10 for one sheet.
Five. The outer peripheral surface of the gap holding member 35 constitutes a contact surface that comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 7 and has an annular concave groove having a semicircular cross section at the center. An O-ring 36 is fitted in the annular groove of the gap holding portion 35.

The O-ring 36 is made of synthetic rubber such as nitrile rubber (nitrile butadiene rubber: NBR) or urethane rubber which has a large friction coefficient and can be elastically deformed. The O-ring 36 is configured such that the outermost periphery thereof protrudes outward from the contact surface of the gap holding member 35 in a normal state. It can be elastically deformed to have the same diameter as the surface.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rotating shaft 33 of the transfer roller 10 is rotatably supported by a bearing member 37. The bearing member 37 is configured such that the transfer roller 10
Is mounted on the copying machine 1 so as to be able to advance and retreat. The bearing member 37 is urged by a spring 38 in a direction in which the transfer roller 10 approaches the photosensitive drum 7.

A guide member 39 for guiding a sheet to a nip position between the transfer roller 10 and the photosensitive drum 7 is rotatably mounted on the rotation shaft 33 of the transfer roller 10. The guide member 38 is a sheet for guiding a sheet from a support portion 40 rotatably attached to the rotation shaft 33 of the transfer roller 10 and a pair of transport rollers 41, 41 to a nip position between the photosensitive drum 7 and the transfer roller 10. And a guide surface 42.

The paper guide surface 42 is provided in the length direction of the photosensitive drum 7 and the transfer roller 10, and has a width at least larger than the width of a paper on which an image is formed.
Further, the guide member 39 has swing guide portions 43 on both sides in the width direction of the paper guide surface 42. The swing guide 43 is
A pressing portion 44 that protrudes above the outer periphery of the transfer roller 10 and contacts the contact portion 32 when the photosensitive drum 7 moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3, and a positioning portion 45 that is positioned below and protrudes laterally And

At a position corresponding to the positioning portion 45 on the copying machine 1 side, a position regulating member 46 having a regulating pin 47 is provided.
The restriction pin 47 and the positioning portion 45 are provided.
Are engageable. The guide member 39 includes a spring 48
3 and the positioning portion 45 is positioned at a predetermined position by engaging the regulating pin 47.

On the lower surface of the guide member 39, a cleaning blade 49 whose leading end is pressed against the peripheral surface of the transfer roller 10 is attached. The cleaning blade 49 is formed of a material such as stainless steel or a hard synthetic resin into a thin plate shape,
It has at least the same width as the transfer roller 10. The transfer roller 10 is urged toward the photosensitive drum 7 by a spring 38, and the O-ring 36 is elastically deformed, so that the peripheral surface thereof is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the contact portion 32 of the photosensitive drum 7. At this time, at the same time, the peripheral surface of the gap holding member 35 comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the contact portion 32 of the photosensitive drum 7, and the gap between the peripheral surface of the transfer roller 10 and the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 7 is reduced by one sheet. (0.3m
m). The O-ring 36 made of a material having a large friction coefficient is elastically deformed and the photosensitive drum 7
, The driven roller 34 rotates with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 7, and the transfer roller 10 rotates at the same time.

The paper conveyed to the nip position between the photosensitive drum 7 and the transfer roller 10 presses the transfer roller 10 downward according to its thickness. In response, the transfer roller 10 moves away from the photosensitive drum 7 against the urging force of the spring 38. At this time, the guide member 39 attached to the rotation shaft 33 of the transfer roller 10 also moves together with the transfer roller 10. Therefore,
The relative distance between the cleaning blade 49 attached to the guide member 39 and the peripheral surface of the transfer roller 10 can be kept constant, and the cleaning performance of the peripheral surface of the transfer roller 10 can be stabilized.

The photosensitive drum 7 can be removed from the copying machine 1 by moving in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 during maintenance. When the photosensitive drum 7 is moved rightward in the figure, as shown in FIG.
2 comes into contact with the pressing portion 44 of the guide member 39 and presses the guide member 39 downward. Accordingly, the guide member 39 rotates clockwise around the support portion 40 against the bias of the spring 48. Further, when the photosensitive drum 7 is moved rightward in the figure, the photosensitive drum 7 can be removed from the image forming section through the state of FIG. 6 as shown in FIG. At this time, the pressing force from the photosensitive drum 7 is released from the guide member 39, and the guide member 39 returns to the position where the positioning portion 45 and the regulating pin 47 are engaged by the urging force of the spring 48. When the photosensitive drum 7 is mounted, similarly, the contact portion 32 reaches the mounting position while pressing and pressing down the pressing portion 44 of the guide member 39.

Accordingly, the guide member 39 for guiding the sheet to the nip position between the photosensitive drum 7 and the transfer roller 10 can be accurately positioned, and the photosensitive drum 7
At the time of attachment and detachment, the guide member 39 is pushed down so that work can be performed efficiently. [Other Embodiments] (A) The present invention can be applied to a copier, a printer, a facsimile, or the like in which the exposure unit 5 includes a laser scan unit. (B) The driven mechanism between the photosensitive drum 7 and the transfer roller 10 may be one utilizing the meshing of gears. (C) The present invention can be applied to a contact-type image forming apparatus in which the transfer roller 10 contacts and rotates around the photosensitive drum 7.

[0024]

In the transfer device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, since the cleaning member is attached to the support member supported by the transfer roller, the positional accuracy between the transfer roller and the cleaning member can be maintained high, and the cleaning performance can be improved. Can be kept stable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional configuration diagram of a copying machine to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a photosensitive drum and a transfer roller.

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a guide member.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation when the photosensitive drum is attached and detached.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation when the photosensitive drum is attached and detached.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an operation when the photosensitive drum is attached and detached.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier 5 Exposure part 6 Image formation part 7 Photoreceptor drum 10 Transfer roller 32 Contact part 33 Rotating shaft 34 Follower roller 37 Bearing member 38 Spring 39 Guide member 43 Swing guide part 44 Press part 45 Positioning part 46 Positioning regulating member 47 regulating pin 48 spring 49 cleaning blade

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A transfer device of an image forming apparatus for transferring a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum onto a sheet, comprising: a transfer roller rotatable with the photosensitive drum; and a transfer roller supported by the transfer roller. A transfer device for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a supporting member to be cleaned; and a cleaning member attached to the supporting member and having a leading end abutting on a peripheral surface of the transfer roller to perform cleaning. 2. A bearing member which supports the transfer roller and is movable in a direction in which the transfer roller advances and retreats with respect to the photosensitive drum, and a direction in which the transfer roller approaches a peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum. 2. The transfer device of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an urging means for urging the bearing member. 3. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a cleaning blade. 4. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning member is a cleaning roller. 5. The transfer device of an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support member is a conveyance guide for guiding a sheet between said photosensitive drum and a transfer roller.