JP2003241601A - Electrophotographic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a belt photoreceptor from vibrating by preventing the deformation of the belt photoreceptor due to sucking, and then, to obtain a stable image. <P>SOLUTION: As for the electrophotographic printer provided with the belt type photoreceptor and a brush for cleaning the photoreceptor by sucking with rotation in contact with the photoreceptor, toner is separated from the sucked air including the toner, thereafter, the air is returned near the brush. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus using an electrophotographic system. 2. Description of the Related Art An example of a conventional printing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, printing is performed as follows. The belt photoconductor 1 is transported by the plurality of rollers 2. In the transported process, the belt photoconductor 1 is charged by the charger 3, and light is emitted by the exposure device 7.
To form a latent image. The developing device 4 causes the toner 14 to adhere to the latent image formed on the belt photoconductor 1 and develops the latent image. Since a high voltage is applied to the wire of the transfer corotron 5 by a high-voltage power supply (not shown), the wire performs corona discharge, and charges having a polarity opposite to that of the toner 14 are generated.
By being added to the continuous paper 6, the toner 14 on the belt photoconductor 1 is transferred to the continuous paper 6. The residual toner 14 on the belt photoreceptor 1 after the transfer is removed by the cleaner 12. A cleaning device 12 scrapes off toner 14 on the belt photoreceptor 1 with a rotating brush 11 and
14 scraped off by the blower 10 connected by
Aspirate. Most of the sucked toner 14 is collected in the toner collecting box 9 by the cyclone 8. The remaining toner 14 that could not be removed by the cyclone 8 is
Is removed. The air from which the toner 14 has been removed as described above is exhausted from the blower 10. In the above-described conventional electrophotographic printing apparatus, when the suction force of the blower 10 is increased to improve the cleaning performance, the belt photoreceptor 1 is deformed by suction. There is a problem that the image is deteriorated by generating the vibration of the belt photoreceptor 1. [0005] The above object is achieved by separating the toner from the sucked air and returning the toner to a position near the suction section. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1, the same parts as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the present invention, the housing outlet 1 of the suction part is returned by the hose 16 which returns the air discharged from the blower 10.
7 is returned. By returning the sucked air to the vicinity of the suction section, the belt photoconductor 1 is not deformed by the suction. As a result, vibration of the belt photoconductor can be prevented, and a stable image can be obtained. According to the present invention, since the belt photoconductor can be prevented from being deformed by suction, the vibration of the belt photoconductor can be prevented, and a stable image can be obtained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a conventional printing apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 is a belt photoreceptor, 3 is a charger, 4 is a developing machine, 5 is a transfer corotron, 6 is continuous paper, 7 is an exposure device, and 12 is a cleaning machine.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. An electrophotographic printing apparatus having a belt-shaped photoreceptor and a brush that contacts the photoreceptor and cleans the photoreceptor by suction and rotation. Wherein the toner is separated from the brush and air is returned to the vicinity of the brush.