JPS6069677A - Fur brush cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a toner collecting efficiency by constituting so that a toner collecting roller can be rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in case a toner is collected. CONSTITUTION:A residual toner on a photosensitive body 1 is swept down by a fur brush 2, caught onto the fur brush 2 and struck down by a flicker bar 5. This floating toner is attracted to the circumferential surface of a collecting roller 6, passes through a blade 8, peeled off from the roller by a toner removing blade 9, and sent to a developing part by a collecting auger 10. On the other hand, a toner, a paper powder, etc. which have not been attracted to the collecting roller 6 are sent into a filter bag 11 and dumped. When this process is repeated, impurities 12 such as the paper powder, etc. are piled up between the collecting roller 6 and the blade 8, and a toner collecting efficiency drops, therefore, the impurities are removed by rotating in reverse the collecting roller 6, so that a toner passes through easily. In this way, a drop of the toner collecting efficiency is prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to electrophotographic image forming equipment such as copying machines, facsimile machines, printers, etc., and more specifically, to removing toner remaining on a photoconductor after transfer in the image forming equipment. The present invention relates to a fur brush cleaning device.

After the toner image is transferred to the copy paper, it remains on the surface of the photoreceptor 1
A fur brush cleaning device is known as a method for removing henna. This fur brush cleaning device has two methods: one uses a blower to store floating toner in a filter pack, and the other uses airflow generated by the rotation of the fur brush without using a blower to store floating toner in a filter pack. There is.

In these fur brush cleaning devices, residual 1
- In order to collect and reuse the toner, it is known to use a collection roller for toner absorption after the fur brush.

A blade is lightly abutted on this collection roller to allow the toner to pass through and prevent airflow from flowing into the toner collection section, but if foreign matter accumulates between this blade and the collection roller, the toner will not be collected. Efficiency is reduced7, more toner is stored in the filter pack, the life of the filter pack is shortened, and the filter pack becomes clogged, which causes a decrease in the number of airflow particles or prevents the generation of airflow. .

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and provide a fur brush cleaning device with high toner recovery efficiency.

The structure of the present invention will be described below based on one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the photoreceptor 2 is rotated by a fur brush in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the photoreceptor. The fur brush 2 is covered with a cover 3,
The cover 3 has another opening 4 in addition to the opening facing the photoreceptor.

A flicker cover 5 is provided at the edge of this opening 4 for scraping off toner adhering to the fur brush. A metal toner collection roller 6 that can be rotated in forward and reverse directions is disposed downstream of the opening 4, and is normally driven to rotate in the direction shown in the figure. A guide wall 7 is provided around the toner collection roller 6 to form an air flow path between the toner collection roller 6 and the collection roller. A high DC voltage is applied to this toner collection row.
Blade 8 for stopping and toner removal blade 9
A toner collecting auger 10 is located below the toner removing blade 9. Further, a filter bag 11 is provided downstream of the collection roller 6.

Next, the present invention will be explained in detail. The residual toner on the photoreceptor 1 is swept off by the fur brush 2, moves within the cover 3 while being captured on the fur brush, and is knocked off by the flicker bar 5 disposed at the edge of the opening 4. The fur brush 2 is desirably made of a material having a charging series with a polarity opposite to that of the toner.

At this point, the toner becomes suspended, and the airflow generated by the rotation of the fur brush or a blower (not shown) causes the toner to be suspended.
This floating toner is carried to the vicinity of the collection roller 6. A high voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner is applied to the collection roller 6, so that the floating toner can be easily attracted. Further, the guide wall 7 forming an air flow path with the collection roller 6 is grounded. Note that instead of applying a high voltage to the collection roller 6, the guide wall 7
A voltage having the same polarity as that of the toner may be applied to the toner, and the collection row 6 may be grounded. The blade 8, which is lightly pressed against the collection roller 6, allows the toner adsorbed by the collection roller 6 to pass therethrough, and prevents airflow from flowing into the 1-toner collection section consisting of the blade 9 and the collection auger 10. The toner on the collection roller 6 that has passed through the blade 8 is peeled off from the roller by a 1-ner thinning blade 9, and sent to a developing section or a 1-ner collection container by a toner collection auger 10. On the other hand, toner, paper powder, dust, etc. that are not absorbed by the collection roller 6 pass through the airflow passage between the collection roller 6 and the guide wall 7, and are sent to the filter bag 11, where they are stored and disposed of. be done.

As mentioned above, when this cleaning and toner recovery process is repeated, foreign matter such as paper dust and dirt accumulates between the recovery roller 6 and the blade 8, reducing the toner recovery efficiency. In the present invention, the toner collection efficiency is increased by reversing the collection roller. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the collecting roller 6 is reversed as shown in FIG. 3 in order to remove the attached foreign matter 12, and the foreign matter 12 is removed by the blade 8.
This makes it easier for toner to pass through. This contaminant 12 is sent into the filter pack 11 by the air current, or scraped off by the blade 9 and sent to the filter bag 11.

This reversal of the collection roller 6 is preferably performed either before or after the step of removing residual 1-toner on the photoreceptor, or both.
However, the blade 8 may also be reversed for a predetermined period of time during the residual toner removal process.
It is sufficient if it can be rotated in the opposite direction in order to remove debris that has accumulated between the two.

According to the present invention, a fur brush cleaning device with high toner recovery efficiency can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a fur brush cleaning device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views illustrating foreign matter accumulated on a toner collection roller and the operation for removing the foreign matter. 2...Fur brush, 5...Flicker bar 6...
- Toner collection roller, 8...Blade 9...Toner collection blade, 11...Filter pack. Patent applicant Ricoh Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A fur brush that has a fur brush that contacts the photoreceptor and rotates in rotation to remove toner remaining on the photoreceptor after the toner image is transferred, and a toner collection roller that adsorbs the toner removed by the fur brush. A fur brush cleaning device, characterized in that the toner collection roller can be rotated in a direction opposite to that when collecting toner.