JPS6191680A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prolong the life of an image carrier by bringing a scraper member into contact with a cleaning roller, adhering a beltlike lubricous member of nylon, etc., which is charged electrostatically to the same polarity with toner by friction against an elastic roller to the front end of the scraper, and pressing the surface of nylon against the roller. CONSTITUTION:The scraper member 13 is so arranged that the nylon adhered to the front end of the scraper member 13 is pressed against an elastic material roller 12 by using such an elastic body thin plate of stainless steel that the beltlike member 15 of nylon, 'Teflon(R)', etc., which has a lubricous surface and is charged to the same polarity with toner by friction against the elastic roller 1. The elastic body roller 12 is made of synthetic resin; when positive toner is used, the beltlike member 15 of nylon, etc., which is charged positively by friction against the synthetic resin is used and when negative toner is used, 'Teflon(R)' is used and charged negatively. Consequently, the beltlike member 15 adhered to the scraper B has the same polarity with the toner, which is prevented from sticking.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Scope of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an image carrier in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic device, a printer, or a micro device. The present invention relates to a cleaning device for removing by rubbing toner, paper dust, scrap products, and other substances adhering to the surface of an image carrier.

[Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventional cleaning devices use an elastic roller and a cleaning device for cleaning electrophotography using liquid development. Sponge rubber is used as a material, and if it is directly applied to dry developing electrophotography, toner, paper powder, corona products, etc. will stain the surface of the sponge rubber, so the toner cannot be completely recovered. The photosensitive drum is scraped by toner and the like that adhere to the surface of the photosensitive drum without being removed, which adversely affects the image.

Therefore, in order to scrape off the toner adhering to the p-coat, a means called a scraper is sometimes used in which a thin plate of elastic material such as stainless steel, phosphor bronze, aluminum, mylar, or glass is brought into pressure contact with the roller.

Since this scraper member is in pressure contact with a cleaning roller that rotates at high speed, toner, paper powder, etc. are likely to fuse even if there is a slight scratch on the roller contact part of the scraper member, and these fused substances There is a risk of damaging the roller and further damaging the surface of the image carrier with which the damaged roller comes into pressure contact and rubs.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and at the same time makes it possible to efficiently remove deposits on the surface of an image carrier, thereby significantly extending the life of the image carrier.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrophotographic apparatus embodying the present invention. 1 is a photosensitive drum, which is uniformly charged by a charging means 2 and then irradiated with a light image 7 corresponding to the document to form an electrostatic latent image;
Thereafter, the toner image developed by the developing means 3 is transferred to a transfer member 4 such as paper by the transfer means 5. After the transfer, a small amount of toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is cleaned by a cleaning hand R6 in preparation for the next cycle.

FIG. 2 shows the cleaning device.

In the figure, 11 is a cleaning blade made of urethane rubber, 12 is a cleaning roller whose inner layer is made of silicone sponge rubber, and whose outer layer is made of a solid layer of silicone rubber. This cleaning roller 12
has a relative speed with respect to the photosensitive drum 1, and has the effect of rubbing away adherents such as residual toner, paper dust, and corona products adhering to the surface of the drum 1. The cleaning roller 12 used here has a hardness of 20 to 50 degrees (A8KFiR (3
A material with a constant surface weight S 00 gr ) was used.

The deposits hfIIm removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and the residual toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 11 are transported on the surface of the cleaning roller 12, scraped off by the scraper member 13, and the waste toner is transferred to the transport screw 14. and transported to storage means (not shown).

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a scraper member.

This scraper member 13 is made of stainless steel or phosphor bronze with a band-shaped member 15 made of a material such as nylon or Teflon with a smooth surface and which is charged with the same polarity as the toner due to frictional charging with the elastic roller 12 attached to the tip. ·aluminum·
Using a thin elastic plate such as Mylar plastic, the scraper member 13 is arranged so that the tip of the scraper member 13 is in pressure contact with the elastic roller 12 such as nylon or Teflon bonded to the tip. Here, the elastic roller 12 is made of synthetic rubber,
When the toner is a positive toner, it is used as a band-shaped member 15 made of nylon or the like that is positively charged by frictional f-electricity with synthetic rubber;
Further, when the toner is a negative toner, the band-shaped member 15 is made of Teflon or the like which becomes negatively charged due to frictional charging with synthetic rubber. As a result, the strip-shaped member 15 made of nylon, Teflon, etc., adhered to the scraper 13 is charged with the same polarity as the toner, and toner is prevented from adhering to the strip-shaped member 15 due to electrostatic force, and the strip-shaped member 15 made of nylon, Teflon, etc. is always charged with the same polarity as the toner. The smooth surface of the button should be in contact with the elastic roller.
At the same time, it prevents toner etc. from fusing to the scraper member, and it also eliminates damage to the elastic roller and removes deposits on the photosensitive drum with great efficiency, significantly extending the life of the photosensitive drum. becomes.

In addition, instead of gluing a band-shaped member made of smooth material such as nylon or Teflon to the tip of the scraper member, the smoothness of the surface of the tip of the scraper member can be controlled by forming a coating layer thereof. is also possible.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the cleaning device of the present invention, a scraper member is brought into contact with the cleaning roller, and the tip of the scraper member is made of smooth and elastic material such as nylon or Teflon. By adhering a belt-like member made of a material that is charged with the same polarity as the toner through frictional charging, and pressing the smooth surface of the material such as nylon or Teflon into contact with the roller, damage to the cleaning roller is prevented and the image carrier is Obtain the effect of significantly extending lifespan.

A brief explanation of the eastern surface Figure 1 is a schematic side view of an electrophotographic device; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning device; FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a scraper member.

In the figure, 11...Cleaning blade 12...Cleaning roller 13...Scraper part 14... Conveyance screw

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A cleaning device that develops a latent image on an image carrier with a dry developer, transfers the developed image to a transfer material, and then cleans the surface of the image carrier, which includes an elastic roller as a cleaning means. As a means for scraping off the deposits on the roller, there is a scraper in which a band-shaped member made of a material with a smooth surface and which is charged to the same polarity as the toner by frictional charging with the elastic roller is adhered to the tip of a thin elastic plate. A cleaning device characterized in that the tip of the scraper is pressed into contact with an elastic roller to remove deposits adhering to the roller. (2) The cleaning device according to claim (1), wherein the material of the elastic thin plate is stainless steel, phosphor bronze, aluminum, plastic, or the like. (3) The cleaning device according to claim (1), wherein the material of the band-shaped member is nylon, Teflon, or the like.