JPS63276081A - Copying machine with fiber trapping means - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention is not limited to xerographic copying machines, but also relates to a transfer area in which a developed toner image is transferred from a moving image bearing member to a copy sheet, and after image transfer. The present invention relates to an electrophotographic reproduction machine including means for cleaning residual toner particles from an image bearing member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Typically, in automatic xerography processes, an electrostatic latent image of the original document being reproduced is formed on an image bearing member. The electrostatic latent image is subsequently developed and visualized with fine toner particles. In reusable xerography, the developed toner image is generally transferred from the image bearing member to a copy sheet, such as paper or the like, and subsequently fused to the copy sheet, permanently retaining the original input information. recorded.

Although most of the toner particles making up the developed image are transferred to the copy sheet, a small amount of residual toner always remains on the surface of the image bearing member after the transfer process.

To restore the image bearing member to a condition suitable for reuse, remove residual I from the image bearing member before starting a new imaging cycle.
- must be cleaned or removed.

Cleaning the image bearing member can be carried out in a number of different ways. One promising method is U.S. Pat.
No. 60,836, a resilient blade is used to remove residual toner from an image bearing member. In this blade cleaning process, the blade edge moves between the residual toner particles and the surface of the image bearing member;
It is designed to release toner particles from the surface. Generally, residual toner is collected in chamber 2 and can be disposed of later or recycled and reused.

However, problems arise because the copy sheet can have free particles of debris on its surface. In particular, in the case of paper, the mechanism that feeds and transports the paper toward the transfer station, such as the friction-delay feeder often used in xerographic complete copying machines, rubs the paper and causes the paper fibers to break away from the surface. may fall off. These paper fibers and other debris subsequently tend to collect on the surface of the image bearing member, particularly in the transfer area, and are carried by the moving image bearing member to the cleaning blade where they become trapped between the image bearing member and the cleaning blade. , which may impair the toner cleaning ability of the cleaning blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect, the present invention provides a transfer area in which a developed toner image is transferred from a moving image bearing member to a copy sheet, and a transfer zone in which a developed toner image is transferred from a moving image bearing member to a copy sheet, and a transfer zone in which a developed toner image is transferred from a moving image bearing member to a copy sheet; An electrostatographic reproduction machine having means for cleaning particles disposed adjacent the image bearing member and between the transfer zone and the cleaning means while allowing residual toner to pass through. To provide a copying machine equipped with a trap means for catching paper fibers and other debris present on the surface of a member.

Thus, the ability of the cleaning means to remove residual toner from the image bearing member is not impaired by paper fibers and other debris because they are trapped before they reach the cleaning means.

Preferably, the trapping means comprises a strip-shaped pad of a pliable material such as polyurethane to which is suitably attached a woven layer, e.g. .

In xerographic technology, there has recently been a movement toward putting the photoreceptor in a cassette format in a single unit along with other processing means, such as a charging corotron, a developing device, a transfer corotron, and a cleaning device. An example of such a cassette is disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,985,436. Using cassettes of this type, it is possible to easily replace components of a xerographic complete copying machine that inevitably deteriorate with use. In particular, this applies to the photoreceptor, but also the corotron conductor, the developing device, and the cleaning device.

For these reasons, the present invention, as a second aspect, is designed to be removably installed within the main unit of the electrostatographic copying machine, which is the first aspect of the present invention.

The present invention provides a processing cassette in which an image holding member and a trap means are housed in a housing.

The method of incorporating the waste trapping means in the processing cassette has the advantage that when the processing cassette is replaced, the waste trapping means are also replaced with a new one at the same time.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The processing unit or processing cassette 1 shown in FIG. It is designed to be removably attached to the main equipment of

The processing cassette 1 consists of a housing 2 mainly made of polystyrene, which houses various processing means, in particular a development device 4, a cleaning blade 5 and a charging corotron 6, as well as an image carrier in the form of a belt photoreceptor 3. surrounding the parts.

As these treatment means are not directly relevant to the subject matter of the present invention, we merely point out here that a retractable cleaning blade suitable for the present application is the subject of pending British Patent Application No. 8618186; Further details will be omitted6
The belt photoreceptor 3 is an endless flexible belt with a photosensitive surface. In the configuration shown, the belt is held slack within the cassette when cassette 1 is removed from the main unit of the copier, but when the cassette is inserted into the main unit of the copier, the belt is taut and held taut as shown. is supported in the working position. This type of cassette is the subject of the above-mentioned pending British Patent Application No. 8609160. In operation, photoreceptor 3 moves in the direction of arrow 21 within the endless path.

A transfer charging device is housed within the cassette housing adjacent the belt photoreceptor 3 at the location where the toner image is transferred from the belt to the copy sheet. Since the method of transferring a 1-toner image is well known, further detailed explanation will be omitted. The transfer charging device 7, like conventional devices, is in the form of a corotron with a generally U-shaped outer shield 8 made of stainless steel, for example.

The corotron wire 9 spans the entire length of the shield 8 and is spaced from the wall in the usual manner.

The upper end of the shield 8 has extensions to and tt on the left and right sides, respectively, as seen in the drawing. The extension 10.11 serves as a guide member and forms a path followed by the copy sheet as it passes through the transfer area of the cassette for the purpose of transferring the toner image to the copy sheet. An opening 14 is provided between the right-hand extension 11 of the corotron shield 8 and the main part of the cassette housing to allow copy sheets to enter the processing cassette. The opening 14 is in the form of a slot extending over the entire width of the cassette and is relatively narrow, for example 2 mm wide. Like ε, the slot is wide enough to allow copy sheets to enter the cassette, but properly protected from damage, contamination, and exposure to light to extend the useful life of the photoreceptor. Narrow enough to prevent.

The path followed by the copy sheet as it passes through the cassette for image transfer is shown in FIG. 1 by arrow 22. The outer wall portion 15 of the main part of the cassette housing is
It is shaped to deflect and guide an approaching copy sheet toward the aperture 14. Further, at the right end of the extension portion 11 of the corotron shield 8, an adjacent platform portion 1 is provided.
It has a descending lip 16 inclined at an obtuse angle with respect to 7.

Thus, the lowering lip 16 also serves to guide the approaching copy sheet to the aperture 14.

It should be noted that although the copy sheet feeding means constitutes a part of the main apparatus of the copying machine as in a normal copying machine, it is omitted here for the sake of clarity of the drawing.

When the copy sheet enters the cassette, it is placed on the belt photoreceptor 3.
and the white portion 17 of the extension 11 of the corotron shield, which acts as a sheet guide.

The belt photoreceptor 3 moves in the direction of the arrow 21, and during the movement, in order to prevent paper fibers accumulated on the belt surface during image transfer from being carried to the cleaning blade 5,
It is collected on the upstream side of the trap 25.

The trap 25 consists of a strip-shaped pad 26 made of polyurethane foam that extends transversely to the direction of movement of the belt photoreceptor 3 and is fixed to the top of the housing 2 with adhesive. On the surface of the pad 26, adjacent to the photoreceptor 3, a layer 27 of velor (a pile fabric with relatively long pile and dense growth) is heat-bonded. The velor features a soft pile arranged to lightly brush the surface of the photoreceptor 3, thus acting as a fiber trap while allowing toner to pass through so that the cleaning blade 5 removes toner from the photoreceptor 3. can be removed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fiber trap 25 does not extend the entire width of the photoreceptor belt 3. This allows the bead of toner on the surface of the photoreceptor to move around the edge of the trap 25 and thus remain on the outer surface of the photoreceptor 3. If the trap 25 extends the entire width of the photoreceptor,
Beads of developer or toner may bulge over the edge of the photoreceptor belt and into the interior of the belt and contact the belt support and drive mechanism, especially as they travel with the belt.

From the above description, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the fiber trap need not necessarily have a velor surface, but may have another woven layer on its surface having a napped surface arranged to brush the surface of the image holding member. Also, the fiber trap does not necessarily have to have a woven surface, but may simply consist of a pad of flexible material, such as open-celled polyurethane foam. It is also clear that the invention is not limited to Qt-) wraps, but that multiple trap configurations may also be used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows 1! according to the present invention! FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■--■ in FIG. 1; Explanation of symbols 1... Processing cassette, 2... Housing, 3...
... Photoreceptor belt, 4... Developing device, 5... Cleaning blade, 6... Charging corotron, 7...
Charging device for transfer, 8... Outer shield, 9... Corotron wire, to, it... Extension portion, 14...
・Opening, 15...Outer wall part, 16...
Descending lip, 17... Platform portion, 21... Belt moving direction, 22... Sheet moving direction, 25...
Trap, 26... Strip-shaped pad, 2
7...Velour layer.

Claims (9)

[Claims] (1) An electrostatographic reproduction machine having a transfer zone in which a developed toner image is transferred from a moving image bearing member to a copy sheet and means for cleaning residual toner particles from the image bearing member after image transfer. adjacent the image bearing member, between the transfer area and the cleaning means, for trapping paper fibers and other debris present on the surface of the image bearing member, while allowing residual toner to pass through. An electrostatographic copying machine characterized in that it is provided with fiber trapping means. (2) An electrostatographic copying machine according to claim 1, wherein said trapping means comprises a pad of pliable material. (3) An electrostatographic copying machine according to claim 2, wherein said flexible material is comprised of polyurethane foam. (4) The pad is provided with a woven fabric layer having a fluffed surface arranged to lightly brush the surface of the image holding member. electrostatographic copying machine. (5) The copying machine according to claim 4, wherein the woven fabric is velor. (6) The trapping means is in the form of a strip extending transversely to the direction of movement of the image holding member. Photocopy machine. (7) The electrophotographic copying machine according to claim 6, wherein at least one end of the strip is shorter than the width of the image holding member. (8) A processing cassette configured to be detachable from the main unit of an electrostatographic copying machine, and containing an image holding member and a trap means inside the housing. (9) The processing cassette according to claim 8, wherein the trap means is fixed to an inner wall of the housing.