JPH11202706A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image formation device capable of eliminating the coating irregularities with a lubricity imparting agent to an image carrier and outputting images without density irregularities even in the case that a coating member for coating the image carrier with the lubricity imparting agent is new. SOLUTION: In this image formation device at least provided with the image carrier for carrying toner images for which electrostatic latent images are turned to apparent images, a cleaning device for removing residual toner on the image carrier, the solidified lubricity imparting agent for securing the lubricity of the surface of the image carrier and the coating member for grinding the lubricity imparting agent and coating the image carrier with it, since the lubricity imparting agent 37 turned to a powder shape is applied to the entire part with the possibility of being in contact with the image carrier of the coating member 25 before being installed in the image formation device, even when the coating member 25 for applying it is new, the coating irregularities of the image carrier with the lubricity imparting agent 37 is prevented and the density irregularities of the images outputted from the image formation device is prevented.

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 printer, and more particularly to a cleaning device for cleaning an image carrier of an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image bearing member such as a photoreceptor or an intermediate transfer member of an image forming apparatus, toner is once adhered for image formation and the image is transferred to a medium such as paper. There is a device for cleaning the surface of the image carrier by the next image forming cycle to remove residual toner and the like in the previous image forming. As the cleaning device, there are known a blade cleaning system in which the edge of a blade made of urethane rubber or the like is pressed against and toner is scraped off, a fur brush cleaning system using a bristle brush, and the like. In particular, the blade cleaning system is widely used as a cleaning device for an image carrier in an image forming apparatus because it can be manufactured at a low cost with a mechanically simple configuration. An image carrier and a cleaning device for such a conventional image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG.
The image carrier 1 which is a drum-shaped photoreceptor provided substantially at the center of the image forming apparatus, and the charging device 2 and the optical writing unit are arranged in the order of the rotation direction of the image carrier 1 as the image recording unit in the driving direction indicated by the arrow A. The apparatus includes a device 3, a developing device 4, a transfer device 5, a cleaning device 6, and the like. The image carrier 1 is driven in the direction of arrow A. At this time, the surface of the image carrier is uniformly charged by the charging device 2, and the surface of the image carrier is irradiated with laser light from the optical writing device 3. 1, an electrostatic latent image is formed. Subsequently, when the electrostatic latent image passes the position of the developing device 4, it is visualized by the developer. Then, the visualized image is transferred by the transfer device 5 to a sheet conveyed below the image carrier 1. In addition, the conveyance of the above-mentioned paper
Paper is supplied from a paper supply cassette (not shown) of the image forming apparatus to the image carrier 1 and the transfer device 5 from the left hand in FIG. It is transported to the right hand. And
The sheet on which the image is transferred by the transfer device 5 is conveyed to a fixing device (not shown), where the visible image is fixed by the fixing device, and is discharged to the outside (a sheet discharging unit (not shown)). On the other hand, the residual developer adhering to the surface of the image carrier 1 after the image is transferred is cleaned by the cleaning device 6, and the surface of the image carrier 1 is neutralized by a light neutralization device (not shown) to form the next image. Prepare for.

However, when minute toner or toner melted by heat or pressure is generated on the surface of the image carrier 1 during image formation in the image forming apparatus, the urethane rubber blade cannot remove the toner alone and gradually removes the image. A filming layer is formed on the surface of the carrier 1 by the remaining toner. Then, due to the filming layer on the surface of the image carrier 1, the ability to form and transfer an image formed on the image carrier 1 is reduced, and the quality of the image finally output from the image forming apparatus is deteriorated. . Further, since the filming layer is formed on the image carrier 1, the friction coefficient between the blade and the image bearing member 1 increases, so that the blade is liable to be entangled especially when a counter blade system is used. Become. With respect to such an increase in the coefficient of friction, for example, as shown in JP-A-57-17973, the solidified lubricity-imparting agent is ground into a powder form by grinding with a fur brush. It is known that a powdery lubricity-imparting agent is supplied to the surface of an image carrier with a fur brush to prevent an increase in the coefficient of friction of the surface of the image carrier. This Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57
In the cleaning device 6 shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning blade 7, the fur brush 8, and the solid lubricant imparting agent 9 are shown in FIG. The solid lubricity imparting agent 9 is powdered by the fur brush 8 and applied to the surface of the image carrier 1. The technique of supplying a powdery lubricity-imparting agent to an image carrier by using a fur brush prevents the friction coefficient between the blade and the image carrier from increasing or maintains the solid before powdering. This is an excellent technique in terms of extending the life of the lubricity imparting agent.

[0004]

However, the lubricity-imparting agent has the effect of preventing an increase in the coefficient of friction of the surface of the image carrier, and at the same time, the lowering of the friction coefficient of the surface of the image carrier, the more the lubricity-imparting agent becomes. On the surface of the applied image carrier, it is inevitable that the amount of toner adhered to the image carrier is reduced in the developing section where the toner is adhered. Also,
By using the solidified lubricity-imparting agent, the solidified lubricity-imparting agent is made into a powder with a fur brush and applied to the surface of the image carrier to extend the life of the lubricity-imparting agent. Therefore, for example, when the applying member for grinding and applying the lubricity-imparting agent is new, such as when the image forming apparatus is introduced or when the fur brush is replaced, the image carrier may be used for the first image forming. As a result, the lubricity-imparting agent cannot be uniformly applied on the top. In this case, a region where the lubricity-imparting agent is applied and a region where the lubricity-imparting agent is not applied occur on the surface of the image carrier, and the toner formed on the image formed on the surface of the image carrier for the reason described above. There are places where the amount of adhesion is high and places where the amount is small,
The uneven toner adhesion appears as density unevenness in the formed image. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, even when a new coating member for applying a lubricity imparting agent, eliminates uneven application of the lubricity imparting agent to the image carrier,
It is an object to provide an image forming apparatus capable of outputting an image without density unevenness.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, there is provided an image carrier for carrying a toner image obtained by visualizing an electrostatic latent image, and an image carrier on the image carrier. At least a cleaning device for removing residual toner, a solidified lubricity-imparting agent for ensuring lubricity on the surface of the image bearing member, and an application member for grinding and applying the lubricity-imparting agent to the image bearing member. In the image forming apparatus, the application member applies the powdery lubricity imparting agent to an entire portion of the application member having a possibility of coming into contact with the image carrier before being installed in the image forming apparatus. The coating member for applying the lubricating agent to the image carrier is coated with the powdery lubricating agent before being installed in the image forming apparatus. The new coating member Even, it is possible to prevent to prevent the uneven application of the lubricity imparting agent to the image carrier, the density unevenness of the image output from the image forming apparatus.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image recording unit of an image forming apparatus including a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 includes a drum-shaped image carrier 10 substantially at the center of the image forming apparatus main body, as in FIG. 5 of the related art. In this image recording section, an arrow A is displayed around the image carrier 10.
The charging device 11, the developing device 12, the transfer device 13, the cleaning device 15, and the light removing device 16 are provided in the order of the driving directions indicated by. Further, an optical writing device 17 is provided at the upper left of the image carrier 10. At the time of image recording, the paper P is conveyed from a paper cassette (not shown), and the image carrier 10
Is transported to the lower side. On the other hand, the image carrier 10
In this case, the surface is uniformly charged by the charging device 11, and the surface is irradiated with laser light from the optical writing device 17 to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier 10. . The electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier 10 is visualized by the developer when passing through the position of the developing device 12. The visualized image on the image carrier 10 is transferred onto a sheet P conveyed below the image carrier 10 by the transfer device 1.
3 is transferred. After the image is transferred to the paper P, the paper P is transported from the transfer device 13 to a fixing device (not shown), and the image visualized by the fixing device and transferred to the paper P is fixed and discharged to the outside. On the other hand, the image carrier 10
After the image transfer by the transfer device 13, the residual developer adhered to the surface of the image carrier 10 is cleaned by the cleaning device 15. After the cleaning, the surface of the image carrier 10 is discharged by irradiating light from the light discharging device 16 to prepare for the next image formation. Here, the cleaning device 15 described above is used.
Will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2, which is a view showing a configuration of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the cleaning device shown in FIG.
A box-shaped cleaning case 19 that is long in the axial direction 0 is provided. The cleaning case 19 has a shape in which the image carrier 10 side is opened in accordance with the surface shape of the image carrier, and a cleaning blade 20 is disposed inside the cleaning case 19 on the charging device 11 side. The cleaning blade 20 has a plate shape along the axial direction of the image carrier 10, and has a base end attached to a blade holder 21 and a distal end facing the image carrier 10 as shown in FIG. 2. One end of the cleaning blade 20 is protruded and pressed against the surface of the image carrier 10.
In the cleaning case 19, a rotary brush 25 is disposed at a position upstream of the cleaning blade 20 in the rotation direction A of the image carrier 10. At a further upstream position of the rotating brush 25, a developer conveying screw 26 is rotatably arranged. The rotating brush 25 is formed by attaching bristles made of a large number of conductive materials to a peripheral surface of a core 25a to form a cylindrical brush portion 25b, and is rotatably supported around the core 25a in a direction indicated by an arrow B in the figure. Is done. Then, the bristle tip of the brush portion 25b is brought into contact with the surface of the image carrier 10, while the bristle tip is brought into contact with a cleaning bias roller 27 described later on the opposite side of the image carrier. The cleaning bias roller 27 is rotatably supported in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2, and the lower end of a cleaning blade 28 described below is pressed against the outer periphery thereof. The upper end side of the cleaning blade 28 in FIG. 2 is screwed to the upper side of the cleaning case 19 by a blade holder 29. In the cleaning device 15, the cleaning blade 2 described above is used.
8, a cleaning bias roller 27, and a rotating brush 25 are provided with a brush cover 30 for preventing the developer from scattering.
Covered by

The following is a detailed description of the portion covered by the brush cover 30 with reference to FIG. The brush cover 30 is made of resin, and the upper end mounting plate portion 30a extends substantially vertically along the cleaning blade 28, and the lower end brush cover 30 extends along the outer shape of the cleaning bias roller 27 and the rotating brush 25. It is formed extending obliquely. Then, the mounting plate portion 30a is mounted on the upper side of the cleaning case 19. Here, the cover 30b
As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 30 protrudes obliquely to the upper side of the rotating brush 25 to form a storage recess 30 c inside thereof. The storage recess 30c is reinforced by bonding a reinforcing plate 31 to the inner surface thereof with a double-sided tape (not shown). Then, an elongated thick plate-shaped solid lubricity imparting agent 35 is disposed on the inner surface of the storage recess 30c and the inner surface of the reinforcing plate 321. The solid lubricity imparting agent 35 is adhered to and held by the support plate 36 with a double-sided tape (not shown).
The supporting plate 36 is bent at one end thereof into a U-shape to hold the holding portion 36.
a is provided. Then, the solid lubricant imparting agent 35 is stored in the recess 3.
0c, the solid lubricity imparting agent 35 is guided by the storage recess 30c and the reinforcing plate 31 via the support plate member 36 so that the edge of the locking portion 36a hits the lower end surface of the storage recess 30c. The imparting agent 35 has its own weight and the brush portion 25
b. When the rotating brush 25 is replaced with a new one in the configuration of the cleaning device, the powdery lubricity imparting agent shown in FIG. 4 is a view showing the configuration of the rotating brush of one embodiment of the present invention. Use a new rotary brush 25 in which 37 is applied to the brush portion 25b in advance.

By using the rotating brush 25 of the present invention at the time of replacing the rotating brush, even if the rotating brush 25 is new, a powdery lubricant can be uniformly applied to the image carrier 10 and the No density unevenness on the image formed on the carrier 10 appears. Further, according to the experiment of the inventor, for example, if 5 mg of the powdery lubricity-imparting agent per rotating brush 25 adheres to the brush portion 25b, no problem such as unevenness occurs on the formed image. The residual developer scraped off the image carrier in order to clean the surface of the image carrier 10 with the cleaning blade 20 is transported as waste developer by the developer transport screw 26 and collected (not shown). It is collected in a tank or reused in the developing device 12. In the present embodiment, the rotating brush for powdering and applying the solid lubricity imparting agent in the image carrier cleaning device has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the solid lubricity imparting agent is powdered and applied. It can be implemented when all brushes to be replaced are replaced.

[0010]

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the application member for applying the lubricity-imparting agent is replaced, the rotating brush to which the powdery lubricity-imparting agent is applied is used. Even when the application member for applying the solid lubricity imparting agent is in a new state, uneven application of the powdered solid lubricity imparting agent can be prevented, and density unevenness in an image formed by the image forming apparatus. Can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a recording unit in an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a cleaning device in a recording unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a configuration of a main part of the cleaning device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cleaning brush according to an embodiment of the present invention in the cleaning device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram around an image carrier in an electrophotographic apparatus including a conventional cleaning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 10 image carrier, 2, 11 charging device, 3, 17 ...
Optical writing device, 4, 12 developing device, 5, 13 transfer device, 6, 15 cleaning device, 7, 20 cleaning blade, 8, 25 rotating brush, 9, 35 solid lubricant imparting agent, 16 ... optical neutralizer, 19 ... cleaning case, 21 ... blade holder, 25a ... core, 2
5b: brush part, 26: developer conveying screw, 27: cleaning bias roller, 28: cleaning blade, 30
... brush cover, 30a ... mounting plate part, 30b ... cover part, 30c ... storage concave part, 31 ... reinforcement plate, 36 ... support plate material, 37 ... powdery lubricity imparting agent

Claims (2)

[Claims] An image carrier for carrying a toner image obtained by visualizing an electrostatic latent image; a cleaning device for removing residual toner on the image carrier; and a device for ensuring lubricity of the surface of the image carrier. In an image forming apparatus having at least a solidified lubricity-imparting agent and an application member for grinding and applying the lubricity-imparting agent to the image carrier, the application member is provided before being installed in the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus, wherein the powdery lubricity imparting agent is applied to an entire portion of the application member having a possibility of coming into contact with the image carrier. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the lubricity imparting agent applied to the application member is 5 mg or more.