JPS5882285A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a toner from being scattered to a device main body, by attaching and detaching freely an image carrier and a cleaning means as one body to and from the image forming device main body, and controlling the press-fixing of the cleaning means to the image carrier. CONSTITUTION:A cleaning device 13 forms a process unit 14 together with a photosensitive drum 3 as an image carrier, and the drum 3 and the device 13 are attached and detached freely as one body to and from the image forming device by this unit 13 to prevent scattering of the toner to the image forming device due to attachment and detachment. A cleaning blade 6 is supported by a supporting pin 17 provided on a shaft 18 of the device 13, and the turning direction of the shaft 18 is changed in accordance with attachement or detachment of the device to or from the image forming device by a female screw 19 of the shaft 18 and a male screw 20 of the device main body, and the blade 16 is brought into contact with the drum 3 only when the device 13 is attached to the image forming device, and thus, a wasteful wear is considerably prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus capable of stably forming images over a long period of time.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various image forming apparatuses have been put to practical use in which a latent image is formed on the surface of an image carrier such as an electrophotographic photoreceptor, and after development and transfer, the surface is cleaned and reused.

Conventional apparatuses generally have a structure in which the cleaning device and the image carrier are separately attached and detached from the apparatus main body, and when either one is attached or detached, there is a risk of toner scattering.

In addition, in order to reduce wear and tear on the image bearing member that is pressed into contact with the cleaning means, some devices have a configuration in which the cleaning means is separated from the surface of the image bearing member when not being cleaned. There was a risk that the particles could be scattered inside the aircraft and cause contamination inside the aircraft.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a novel and excellent image forming apparatus. , an image forming apparatus whose surface is cleaned and reused (in an image forming apparatus, the image bearing member holding means is integrally removable from the apparatus body; and means for pressing the contacting means against the surface of the image carrier.

Hereinafter, the details of the present invention will be explained using different examples with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side, cross-sectional view of a specific example image forming apparatus based on the present invention.

1 is a document table, which is a moving type that first moves to the left in the figure and then moves to the right to scan the original on the document table; 02 is an optical system such as a short focus imaging element array; , 3 is a photosensitive drum, 04 is a corona discharger, and 5 is a developing device. 6 is a feeding roller that sends the supplied transfer material;
7 is.

A timing roller 8 is a corona discharger for transfer. 9
1 is a guide member for transporting and guiding the transfer material after the transfer is completed;
0 is a fixing device, and 11 is a discharge roller. Reference numeral U denotes a cleaning device having a specific configuration which will be described in detail later, and together with the photosensitive drum 3 constitutes a process unit 14 which is detachable from the main body of the device. In the illustrated example, the process unit 14
has a corona discharger 4 and a developing device 5 in addition to the above. 1
5 is a translucent sealing member for sealing the opening for the optical system 2 in the housing (Process Units) 14 Normally, transparent glass or the like is used, but if necessary, various color filters can be delivered. Ru.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the above-mentioned No. 1@Sawa device, with the bug omitted, the photoreceptor drum 3 held in the old capital, and the cleaning device U.
etc. are shown only.

The operation of the illustrated device will be explained below.

The original on the original platen l, which has moved to the left, is sent to the right at a speed synchronized with the peripheral speed of the photoreceptor drum 3, and is reflected onto the surface of the photoreceptor beam 3 by the optical system 2 by the reflected light imager 5. *To be admired.

The surface position of the photoreceptor drum carrying the developed images is placed on the transfer corona discharge device 8, and the transfer corona discharge l! The developed images are transferred onto the transfer material by the 80 action. After the transfer is completed, the transfer material is fixed in a fixing device and discharged outside the machine.

On the other hand, the surface of the photoreceptor drum is cleaned by the cleaning device 13 and tends to be reused. However, in the illustrated device, the cleaning means is housed in the common housing as the process unit 14 as described above, so that it cannot be removed. There is no risk of developer (toner) scattering into the transfer material feeding path.

do.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a specific example cleaning device applied to the device of the present invention.

A cleaning blade 16 is disposed at the opening of the housing/guenite top of the cleaning device 13,
It engages with the support pin 17 at approximately the upper center. Support pin 17
is attached to the shaft 18.

A female-threaded connector 19 is provided at the rear end of the shaft 18, that is, the right end in the figure, and a male-threaded connector 20 is delivered to the corresponding position of the image forming apparatus. 21 is a toner receiver delivered to the lower part 11 of the cleaner opening, 22 and 23 are sealing members at the opening side end, and 24 is an upper cover that covers the upper part of the blade 16. - The illustrated cleaning device 13 is the aforementioned process unit) 14
Direction of mark (i.e., toward the back of the device)
The connector 20 and the connector 19 provided in the main body of the apparatus are finally connected for a distance of Km. By the connection inside this connector, the shaft 18 rotates in the direction of the arrow 1 and is supported at one point by the photoconductor 17, making uniform pressure contact with the surface of the photoconductor drum.On the other hand, when leaving the device, it rotates in the direction opposite to the arrow 1. When the cleaning blade is moved, the pressing operation of the cleaning blade against the surface of the photoreceptor drum is released.
Unnecessary wear and tear on the surface of the photoreceptor drum can be effectively prevented. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a different structure of the cleaning device according to the present invention. In the drawing, the opening side is omitted because the cleaning device is viewed from the rear side, but the cleaning blade is supported by a support bin and the support bin is fixed to the shaft, which is the same as in FIG. 3.

3 Cleaning device for shaft 18 <cam members 25 and 26 are fixed on the outside of both side plates of the housing, and levers 27.
28 was pivotally supported by pins 29 and 30 so as to be swingable. 31 is a guide groove for levers 27 and 28 provided in the main body of the device. When the cleaning device 13 is moved in the direction of arrow 3' in accordance with the mounting operation of the process unit, one end of the lever 28 provided on the back side of the side plate of the cleaning device first comes into contact with the wide opening 32 of the guide groove 31. It is gradually guided upward into a narrow groove. This action causes the cam 26 at one end of the shaft 18 to
is rotated in the b' direction to set the cleaning blade in pressure contact with the photoreceptor drum. When the cleaning device is further moved to the back and the lever 27 on the front side plate is similarly guided to the guide groove 31, the opposite end of the shaft 18 rotates in the direction of the cam 254%C and is securely fixed by the nine levers 27 for cleaning. The setting of the play r° to the pressure contact state is completed.

On the other hand, the pressure contact release of the cleaning blade is accomplished by the reverse procedure to the above, and the pressure contact release is completed by the detachment operation of the cleaning device and the process unit.

In the above variant example, only the cleaning blade approaches and separates from the surface of the photoreceptor drum, but the cleaning device itself, which holds the cleaning member constant, approaches and separates from the surface of the image carrier such as the photoreceptor drum. In this case, the cleaning device may be moved and supported with respect to the process unit housing not only at the upper side similar to the case of the blade, but also at the side or at the lower side. In addition, whether it is a cleaning member or a device, the mode of movement thereof is not limited to simultaneous movement, but it goes without saying that it may also include parallel movement.

As described above in detail in the specific examples, the apparatus of the present invention does not cause scattering of the staining agent, and there is little risk of damage to the image bearing member, so that stable image formation is possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a concrete example of a drawing device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same cleaning device, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a different example of the cleaning device. In the figure, l: document table 2, 28 optical system, 3: photoreceptor drum (
gR carrier), 4: Four-wheel discharger. 5: Current equipment, 6: Feeding roller, 7: Timing roller,
8: Corona discharger for transfer, 13: Cleaning device. -4“

Claims (1)

[Claims] 11) Forming a latent image on the surface of the image carrier, and after transferring the image,
In the image forming apparatus in which the surface is cleaned and reused, the image bearing member and the cleaning means are integrally detachable from the apparatus body. An image forming apparatus comprising: means for pressing a cleaning means against the surface of an image carrier when the apparatus is mounted on the apparatus main body.