JP2012088492A - Lubricant supply device, process cartridge, intermediate cleaning unit, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lubricant supply device that prevents biased abrasion while uniforming pressure with time, which is to be applied to a lubricant supply member.SOLUTION: A lubricant supply device 44 includes: solid lubricant J; a supply member 161 that comes to contact with solid lubricant, and supplies lubricant that is chipped-off obtained by rubbing the solid lubricant to a lubricant supply target 100; first pressing means 162 that presses the solid lubricant to the supply member; and second pressing means 166 that presses the solid lubricant to the supply member. The first pressing means includes biasing means 163c, and a plurality of pressing members 163A that press respective symmetric positions relative to a contact center portion of the solid lubricant in receiving biasing force of the one biasing means; and the second pressing means includes means for pressing at the respective symmetric positions relative to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant.

Description

  The present invention relates to a lubricant supply device, a process cartridge, an intermediate cleaning unit, and an image forming apparatus.

  In the image forming apparatus, in order to protect the photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer belt and to reduce the friction coefficient, the solid lubricant is scraped off the photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer belt with a brush etc. in contact with the photosensitive member and the lubricant. A technique of applying to a body or an intermediate transfer belt is considered. In a well-known lubricant application mechanism using a compression spring, the contact force to the brush is weakened due to the decrease in lubricant and the pressure applied to the pressure member weakens with time.

  Conventionally, the problem of a decrease in pressure applied over time has been conventionally described as “a brush roller that contacts a solid lubricant and a solid lubricant, and supplies the lubricant removed by rubbing the solid lubricant to a lubricant supply target ( Supply member) and a lubricant supply device including a pressing mechanism that presses the solid lubricant in the contact direction with the brush roller. The pressing mechanism includes a spring (biasing means) and an urging force of one spring. As a technique that can be made uniform over time with a structure having a plurality of movable members (pressing members) that press the respective symmetrical positions with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant, for example (see Patent Document 1). Already known.

  However, since the pressure applied to the brush of the solid lubricant is made uniform over time, the sliding load on the end of the lubricant, the density unevenness of the solid lubricant, the difference in the amount of toner adhering to the brush, etc. When unevenness occurs at both ends in the longitudinal direction, it is shaved in the shape as it is, so uneven wear due to an increase in the resistance of the lubricant end due to the inclination of the lubricant cannot be suppressed.

  The technique of Patent Document 1 is similar to the present invention in that it does not decrease the applied pressure over time. However, the problem of suppressing uneven wear of the lubricant has not been solved.

  On the other hand, Patent Documents 2 to 4 disclose techniques for suppressing uneven wear by reducing the sliding resistance of the lubricant end, which is one of the causes of uneven wear. Patent Documents 2 to 4 are similar to the present invention in that the uneven wear is surely suppressed. However, the problem of suppressing uneven wear due to differences in the ease of scraping due to the difference in density in the longitudinal direction of the solid lubricant and differences in the amount of toner adhering to the brush cannot be solved.

  Further, in the case of the compression spring system that has been used conventionally, the partial wear is corrected, and the applied pressure on the side that has been shaved is smaller than that on the side that has not been shaved. However, the problem that the change in the applied pressure from the initial stage to the passage of time cannot be solved.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to prevent uneven wear while uniformizing the pressure applied to a lubricant supply member over time.

In order to achieve the object, the present invention has the following configuration.
(1): a solid lubricant, a supply member that contacts the solid lubricant, and supplies the lubricant scraped by rubbing the solid lubricant to a lubricant supply target, and presses the solid lubricant against the supply member And a second pressing means for pressing the solid lubricant against the supply member. The first pressing means includes an urging means, and a single pressing means. A plurality of pressing members that receive the urging force of the urging means and press the respective symmetrical positions with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant;
The second pressing means has means for pressing at each symmetrical position with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant (claim 1). With a simple mechanism, the applied pressure applied at a symmetrical position with respect to the longitudinal center of the lubricant can be automatically adjusted with a simple configuration according to the size of the uneven wear, so that uneven wear is eliminated. Correction can be performed, and the lubricant applied to the photoreceptor and the intermediate transfer belt can be used up without uneven wear.
(2): In the lubricant supply device according to (1), the second pressing mechanism is disposed outside the first pressing member (claim 2). Since the second pressing mechanism is on the outside, the second pressing unit has a greater variation in the distance between the solid lubricant and the casing due to uneven wear than the first pressing unit. Therefore, it is possible to increase the pressure difference between the second pressing mechanisms arranged symmetrically in the longitudinal center. Therefore, it is possible to correct uneven wear and achieve a uniform cutting method.
(3): In the lubricant supply device according to (1) or (2), the first pressing member is configured to increase a pressing force with consumption of the solid lubricant, and the second pressing member is In addition, the pressure is reduced as the solid lubricant is consumed (claim 3). The simplest construction is to use a compression spring for the second pressing means. The compression spring decreases in pressure over time, but the first pressing means (arm type) can adjust the pressure from the initial stage to time.
(4): In the lubricant supply device according to (3), the resultant force of the pressing force of the first pressing member and the pressing force of the second pressing member is constant regardless of consumption of the solid lubricant ( Claim 4). The applied pressure can be made uniform from initial to time.
(5): In the lubricant supply device according to (3) or (4), the second pressing member is a spring (Claim 5).
(6) In the lubricant supply device according to any one of (1) to (5), the first pressing unit receives an urging unit and an urging force of the one urging unit. A plurality of pressing members that press the respective symmetrical positions with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant are provided. The second pressing means employs an arm system instead of a compression spring.
(7): At least the image carrier and the lubricant supply device according to any one of (1) to (6) are integrated with a process cartridge configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body. It was set as the structure hold | maintained (Claim 7).
(8): an image carrier, a charging unit for charging the image carrier, an exposure unit for exposing the image carrier to create an electrostatic latent image, and supplying toner to the image carrier for static A developing unit that visualizes the electrostatic latent image with toner, a transfer unit that transfers the visible image formed on the image carrier to a transfer target, and a cleaning that recovers toner remaining after transfer to the image carrier. An image forming apparatus including the means includes the lubricant supply device according to any one of (1) to (7).
(9): An intermediate cleaning unit provided in an intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus and including a cleaning member that cleans an intermediate transfer body after a visible image is transferred to a recording material by toner. The lubricant supply device according to any one of 6) is provided (claim 9).
(10) The intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus includes either or both of the process cartridge described in (7) and the intermediate cleaning unit described in (9).

  According to the present invention, uneven wear can be prevented while equalizing the pressure applied to the supply member of the lubricant over time.

It is a front view of the lubricant supply apparatus in an initial state. It is a front view of the lubricant supply apparatus in a time-dependent state. (A) is a characteristic diagram of the pressing means in which the pressing force increases over time, (b) is a characteristic diagram of the pressing means in which the pressing force decreases over time, (c) is the resultant force of the pressing force in (a) and (b). FIG. In a lubricant supply device, it is a figure explaining a gap with a uniform wear state when a solid lubricant is unevenly worn. (A)-(c) is a case where the solid lubricant is unevenly worn, and is a graph showing a change in the applied pressure of each pressing member on the side where the wear is large and a deviation from the uniform wear. (A)-(c) is a case where the solid lubricant is worn unevenly, and is a graph showing a change in pressure applied to each pressing member on the side where the wear is small and a deviation from the uniform wear. (A) is a front view of a lubricant supply device when two sets of arm-type pressing means are installed, and (b) is a partial side view. It is a schematic block diagram of a process cartridge. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[Example 1]:
(First pressing means):
1 and 2 show an example of the lubricant supply device 44 according to the present invention. The lubricant supply device 44 is an improvement of the lubricant supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1 by the present applicant. In FIG. 1, the solid lubricant J in an initial state that has not been shaved and the solid lubricant A brush roller 161 serving as a supply member for supplying the lubricant removed by contact and rubbing to the lubricant supply target 100 such as a photoreceptor or an intermediate transfer belt, and the solid lubricant J is pressed against the brush roller 161. And a pressing mechanism 162 as first pressing means.

  The pressing mechanism 162 includes one urging unit 163c and a plurality of pressing members 163A that receive the urging force of the urging unit 163c and press the respective symmetrical positions with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant J. It is. The biasing means 163c is a tension spring and is hung on a part of the pressing member 163A to bias the two pressing members 163A toward each other.

  The solid lubricant J and the pressing mechanism 162 are accommodated in a rectangular box-shaped casing 165. The pressing member 163A is pivotally attached to a reinforcing lubricant support plate 164 to which the solid lubricant J is fixed at a fulcrum P. A position where the pressing member 163A is in contact with the casing 165 which is a contacted portion is defined as an action point Q. A portion that is part of the pressing member 163A and on which the urging means 163c is applied is defined as a force point W.

  The pressing mechanism 162 is configured such that each pressing member 163A is rotatable about a fulcrum P, and is an urging unit 163c according to a decrease in the solid lubricant J caused by sliding on the brush roller 161. The tension spring is extended, and each pressing member 163A has its free end rotated in the direction of rising by the urging force of the urging means 163A, and the action point Q where each pressing member 163A abuts the casing 165 is connected to the fulcrum P. The angle β1 between the direction of the extension line and the direction of the applied pressure f1 that is the pressing direction to the solid lubricant J changes, and the power point W of each pressing member 163A that receives the urging force by the one urging means 163c. The angle β2 formed by the extended line direction of the line connecting the fulcrum P and the direction of the applied pressure f1 changes, and the lubricant J is continuously pushed.

  In the pressing mechanism 162, the pressing force by the pressing member 163A and the change in the pressing force from the initial time to the time are such that the pressing force gradually increases from the initial time to the time as shown by a line 163A / L in FIG. The shape of the pressing member 163A and the setting of the spring are adjusted.

(Second pressing means):
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the second pressing means is composed of an extensible spring 166 and is arranged outside each pressing member 163A which is the first pressing means. Since the second pressing means is located outside the first pressing means, the second pressing means has a greater variation in the distance between the solid lubricant and the casing due to uneven wear than the first pressing means. . As a result, it is possible to increase the pressure difference between the second pressing means arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center. Therefore, as will be described later, it is possible to correct uneven wear and achieve a uniform cutting method.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the pressing force of the spring 166 is adjusted by the setting of the spring so that the pressing force gradually decreases from the initial time to the passage of time as indicated by a line 166 · L.

  The resultant force of each pressing force of the first pressing means and the second pressing means can be set so as to be substantially constant at all times, and in this example as well, a line 170 · L indicating the resultant force as shown in FIG. Is set to be substantially constant at the beginning and over time.

  1 and FIG. 2 in comparison, in FIG. 1 in the initial state, the applied force f1 by the pressing member 163A and the applied pressure f2 by the spring 166 are f2> f1 and the resultant force is F. 2, the magnitude of the resultant force F of both is the same as that in FIG. As a result, when it is normally worn uniformly in the longitudinal direction, a constant pressure can be applied from the beginning to the passage of time, and a uniform amount can be applied to the lubricant supply object 100.

  In this way, since the application of the lubricant to the lubricant supply target 100 can be made constant when the constant pressure is constant from the beginning to the lapse of time, when the lubricant supply target 100 is a photoconductor, charging by overcoating is performed. Photoconductor filming due to roller contamination or insufficient application can be prevented. However, it is not necessarily constant, and the pressurizing force can be reduced or increased with time as necessary.

(Correction method for uneven wear)
Since the present invention uses two types of pressing means, ie, a first pressing means and a second pressing means, whose aging characteristics are opposite to each other, if the lubricant is inclined in the longitudinal direction by such a configuration, The inclination cannot be restored by only the pressing mechanism 162 as the first pressing means. However, since the springs 166 as the second pressing means are arranged on both outer sides of the pressing mechanism 162, the inclination is corrected according to the inclination. It functions so that the pressing force acts on the tendency to.

  Since the pressing force is smaller on the side that is sharpened more than the side that is not shaved, the amount of shaving is smaller on the side that is more sharpened during uneven wear. On the other hand, since the pressure applied to the side that is cut less is larger than the side that is greatly cut, the amount of shaving on the side that is cut less is reduced during uneven wear, and the uneven wear is automatically corrected.

  Consider the case where the solid lubricant J is unevenly worn with a gradient that tends to increase in thickness as it goes to the right as shown in FIG. The level of the line segment OO is a shape line of the solid lubricant J assuming that uniform wear is performed under the same aging condition without being in the uneven wear state of FIG. δave indicates the distance from the casing surface to each pressure position on the line segment OO, and each distance has the same value. The pressure position distance Lb between the two springs 166 is larger than the pressure position distance La between the two pressing members 163A, and the pressure position distance La occupies an intermediate position within the pressure position distance Lb. ing.

The inclination angle θ of the solid lubricant J due to uneven wear is represented by the inclination angle of the upper surface line of the lubricant support plate 164 with respect to the line segment OO with respect to the line segment OO.
The intersection of the upper surface of the lubricant support plate 164 with respect to the line segment OO is O1
The distance from the intersection O1 to the fulcrum P of the right pressing member 163A is La1
The distance from the intersection O1 to the center of the right spring 166 is La2
The distance from the intersection O1 to the fulcrum P of the left pressing member 163A is La2
The distance from the intersection O1 to the center of the left spring 166 is Lb2.
The amount of deviation of the left pressing member 163A from the line segment OO is δa1
The amount of deviation of the left spring 166 from the line segment OO is δb1
The amount of deviation of the right pressing member 163A from the line segment OO is δa2.
The amount of deviation of the left spring 166 from the line segment OO is δb2.
When
・ Δa1 = La1 ・ tanθ
・ Δb1 = Lb1 ・ tanθ
Here, since Lb1> La1, δb1> δa1, and similarly, δa2 = La2 tanθ
・ Δb2 = Lb2 ・ tanθ
Here, since Lb2> La2, δb2> δa2.

  The above-mentioned δb2> δa2 shows a tendency that the actual wear amount with respect to uniform wear decreases as the solid lubricant J moves toward the right end side, and the above-mentioned δb1> δa1 increases with respect to the uniform wear toward the left end side of the solid lubricant J. Indicates that the actual wear amount is excessive. Further, since the right end spring 166 has a smaller deflection amount than the specified amount, the spring force of the right end side 163 </ b> A is kept higher than that of the right end side spring 166 by the Hooke's law. The weak spring force (f2> f1) is maintained, and the right end side of the solid lubricant J tends to be able to correct the wear amount.

  Since the left end side spring 166 has a larger deflection amount than the prescribed amount, the spring force is weaker than that during uniform wear according to the Hooke's law, and the left end side pressing member 163A is stronger than the left end side spring 166. The force is maintained (f2 <f1), and the left end side of the solid lubricant J tends to be able to correct the wear amount.

  As described above, the spring 166 serving as the second pressing unit is located outside the pressing member 163A serving as the first pressing unit, so that the inclination angle θ of the solid lubricant J due to uneven wear causes the second pressing unit 163A. The deviation δb from the lubricant shape in the case of uniform wear is larger than the deviation δa of the first pressing means.

  Depending on the amount of deviation, the pressing force of each pressing means is as shown in the graphs of FIGS. FIG. 5 shows a case where the solid lubricant is unevenly worn, and shows a change in pressure applied to each pressing member and a deviation from the uniform wear on the side where the wear is large. FIG. 6 shows a case where the solid lubricant is unevenly worn. Thus, the change in the pressing force of each pressing member on the side where the wear is small and the deviation from the uniform wear are shown.

In FIG. 5, the vertical axis represents the applied pressure, and the horizontal axis represents the deviation between the uniform wear state and the uneven wear state at the time (consumer consumption) and the pressed position. The straight line that descends to the right in FIG. 5A indicates the change in the pressure of the spring 166 over time, and indicates that the pressure decreases with time.
The black circles indicate the pressing force of the spring 166 in the state of FIG. 4, and the pressing force level at the distance δave on the vertical axis (through the intersection of the vertical line of the distance δave and the inclined line of the pressing force is parallel to the horizontal axis. It is below the auxiliary line k), indicating a tendency that the applied pressure is small and the amount of wear is automatically corrected.

  The straight line rising to the right in FIG. 5 (b) shows the change of the pressing force of the pressing member 163A with time, and indicates that the pressing force increases with time. The black circles indicate the pressing force of the pressing member 163A in the state of FIG. 4, and the pressing force level at the distance δave on the vertical axis (through the intersection of the vertical line of the distance δave and the inclined line of the pressing force and parallel to the horizontal axis) Slightly above the auxiliary line k).

  FIG. 5 (c) is a composite of FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). Each straight line in each figure is overlapped, and a line passing through the intersection and parallel to the horizontal axis indicates the resultant force. Also, the black circles indicate the resultant force of the pressure applied by the spring 166 and the pressure applied by the pressing member 163A on the side of the large wear amount in the state of FIG. 4, and the pressure level (distance) at the distance δave on the vertical axis. Since it is below the auxiliary line k) passing through the intersection of the vertical line of δave and the inclination line of the pressing force and parallel to the horizontal axis, the pressing force of the spring 166 and the pressing force of the pressing member 163A are shown in FIG. Regardless of the state of (b), automatic correction is performed with a tendency to reduce the amount of wear.

  6A indicates a change with time in the pressing force of the spring 166, and indicates that the pressing force decreases with time. The black circles indicate the pressing force of the spring 166 in the state of FIG. 4, and the pressing force level at the distance δave on the vertical axis (through the intersection of the vertical line of the distance δave and the inclined line of the pressing force is parallel to the horizontal axis. Above the auxiliary line k).

  The straight line rising to the right in FIG. 6 (b) shows the change of the pressing force of the pressing member 163A with time, and indicates that the pressing force increases with time. The black circles indicate the pressing force of the pressing member 163A in the state of FIG. 4, and the pressing force level at the distance δave on the vertical axis (through the intersection of the vertical line of the distance δave and the inclined line of the pressing force and parallel to the horizontal axis) Slightly below the auxiliary line k).

  FIG. 6C is a combination of FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B. Each straight line in each figure is overlapped, and a line passing through the intersection and parallel to the horizontal axis indicates the resultant force. Also, the black circles indicate the resultant force of the pressure applied by the spring 166 and the pressure applied by the pressing member 163A on the small wear amount side in the state of FIG. 4, and on the vertical axis is higher than the pressure applied level at the distance δave. Therefore, the entire pressing force of the spring 166 and the pressing force of the pressing member 163A are automatically corrected with a tendency to increase the wear amount regardless of the state of FIG.

  As described above, even in FIGS. 5C and 6C, uneven wear tends to be automatically corrected. The fluctuation of the pressing force due to the partial wear of the second pressing means by the spring 166 is larger than the fluctuation of the first pressing means by the pressing mechanism 162. In addition, the applied pressure on the side that is more worn due to uneven wear can be reduced and the applied pressure on the side with less wear can be increased, so even if uneven wear occurs, it is automatically applied to ensure uniform wear. Correction is applied.

  Thus, automatic correction is applied to the tendency to increase wear on the side with low wear, and the tendency to reduce wear on the side with high wear, and automatic correction is always applied so that the surface of the lubricant is in a uniform wear state.

[Example 2]:
(Two pressing means are arm type lubricant applicators)
In Example 1, although the 2nd press means was comprised with the spring, the 2nd press means can also be implemented by an arm system similarly to the 1st press means. 7A and 7B showing an example, the configuration of the pressing mechanism 162 'as the second means can be the same as the configuration of the pressing mechanism 162 as the first pressing means. However, the pressure characteristic by the pressing mechanism 162 ′ is configured to show the same pressure force characteristic as in the spring 166 in the above example.

[Example 3]:
Example of incorporating the lubricant supply device into the process cartridge:

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge 45 that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body.
The process cartridge 45 includes a charging unit 41 for charging the photosensitive member 1 around the photosensitive member 1 serving as an image carrier as a lubricant supply target 100, a developing unit 42 for supplying toner to the photosensitive member 1a, and the lubrication according to the present invention. The unit is integrated with the agent supply device 44, the cleaning means 43 for collecting the toner remaining on the photoreceptor 1a, and the like. Note that a region between the charging unit 41 and the developing unit 42 is an area irradiated with laser light for exposure.

  In general, an image forming apparatus has a complicated structure, and it is often difficult to easily replace each constituent means. However, an integrated process cartridge 45 as in this embodiment is used. Thus, operability and maintenance at the time of replacement can be improved.

  In FIG. 8, the lubricant supply device 44 is arranged on the upstream side of the cleaning blade 43a with respect to the rotation direction of the photoreceptor 1a indicated by the arrow 46. The process cartridge 45 includes all of the photosensitive member 1a, the charging unit 41, the developing unit 42, the cleaning unit 43, and the like in addition to the lubricant supply device 44, but is not limited thereto, and the photosensitive member 1 and the charging unit 41 are not limited thereto. It is sufficient if at least one of the developing means 42 and the cleaning means 43 and the lubricant supply device 44 are provided.

[Example 4]:
Example in which the lubricant supply device of the present invention is incorporated in an image forming apparatus:

  FIG. 9 is an example of a color image forming apparatus configuration diagram. The image forming apparatus is an apparatus that forms one image from four color toners of yellow (hereinafter Y), cyan (hereinafter C), magenta (M), and black (K). The image forming apparatus includes four photoconductors 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K as image carriers, which are driven to rotate in the direction of arrow A in the figure while being in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 31.

  Next, a process for obtaining a color image will be described with reference to FIG. From the left in the figure, toner is supplied to the developing means 42 for each color by a predetermined supply amount from a toner bottle 10 that supplies toner filled with yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toners by a transport path (not shown). The transfer paper 20 is fed out by the paper feed roller 21 and conveyed to the nip between the secondary transfer roller 34 and the intermediate transfer belt 31.

  On the other hand, the photosensitive member 1 uniformly charged in advance by the charging unit 41 is exposed and scanned with the laser beam Lb from the writing unit 25, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive member. Each electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing means 42 for each color, whereby yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toner images are formed on the surfaces of the photoreceptors 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K.

  Next, a voltage is applied to the transfer roller 32, and the toner on each photoconductor 1 is sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 31. At this time, the image forming operation for each color is executed while shifting the timing from the upstream side toward the downstream side so that the toner image is transferred to the same position on the intermediate transfer belt 31. The intermediate transfer belt 31 includes an image carrier that carries a toner image and is a lubricant supply target. The image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 31 is conveyed to the position of the secondary transfer roller 34, sent out from the paper feed roller 21, and secondarily transferred to the transfer paper 20 restarted from the registration rollers.

  The transfer paper 20 on which the toner images of the respective colors are transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 40 and thermally fixed, and is discharged by a paper discharge roller 46. The residual toner on the photosensitive member 1 is cleaned by the respective cleaning means 43, and the residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 31 is cleaned by the intermediate cleaning means 33. These waste toners are disposed in the cleaning means. The toner is discharged to a waste toner container provided in the image forming apparatus by the toner conveying screw.

  In the color image forming apparatus of this example, the configuration around each of the four photoconductors 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K may be a configuration in which the process cartridge described with reference to FIG. 8 is arranged, or may not be a process cartridge. In addition, the charging unit 41, the developing unit 42, and the cleaning unit 43 (including the cleaning blade 43a and the lubricant supply device 44), which are each element of the process cartridge, may be individually assembled to the image forming apparatus main body.

  Further, the present invention can be applied in the same manner to the cleaning means of the photoconductor not only in the intermediate transfer type color image forming apparatus as in this example but also in the direct transfer type image forming apparatus. The present invention can be similarly applied to a so-called tandem type or direct transfer type color image forming apparatus.

  In this example, the intermediate transfer belt 31 is formed of an image carrier, and the intermediate cleaning unit 33 has the same configuration as the cleaning unit 43 in the photosensitive member 1 in order to protect the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31. . As shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate cleaning unit 33 is disposed to face the support roller 47 that supports the intermediate transfer belt 31. Opposite to the intermediate transfer belt 31 on the support roller 47, the cleaning blade 33a corresponding to the cleaning blade 43a, and the lubricant supply device 44 on the upstream side of the cleaning blade 33a in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 31. A lubricant supply device 48 is provided. The lubricant supply device 48 can also have all the features of the lubricant supply device 44 according to the present invention.

[Example 5]:
Other examples of image forming apparatuses

  In an intermediate transfer type color image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus including any one of a process cartridge incorporating the lubricant supply device according to the present invention and an intermediate cleaning unit incorporating the lubricant supply device according to the present invention is configured. Or an image forming apparatus including both of them can be configured.

100 Lubricant supply target 1a Photoconductor 20 Transfer paper 21 Feed roller 31 Intermediate transfer belt 32 Transfer roller 33a Cleaning blade 34 Secondary transfer roller 40 Fixing unit 41 Charging means 42 Developing means 43 Cleaning means 44 and 48 Lubricant supply device 45 Process cartridge 46 Discharge roller 42 Developing means 43 Cleaning means 43a Cleaning blade 47 Support roller 100 Lubricant supply target 161 Brush roller 162 Pressing mechanism (first pressing means)
163c Energizing means 163A Pressing member 163A / L, 166 / L, 170 / L
Line 164 Lubricant support plate 165 Casing 166 Spring (second pressing means)
A Arrow J Solid lubricant k Auxiliary line La Pressurized position distances La1, La2, Lb1, Lb2 Distances δa1, δa2, δb1, δb2 Deviation OO Line segment O1 Intersections O2-O2, O3-O3, O4-O4 ,
O5-O5 Pressure level P Support point Q Action point W Force point β1 Angle θ Inclination angle δave Distance

JP 2007-293240 A JP 2007-219506 A JP 2007-298948 A JP 2009-265586 A

Claims (10)

Solid lubricant,
A supply member that contacts the solid lubricant and rubs the solid lubricant to supply a lubricant supply target; a first pressing means that presses the solid lubricant against the supply member; and In a lubricant supply device comprising a second pressing means for pressing a solid lubricant against the supply member,
The first pressing means includes an urging means and a plurality of pressing members that receive the urging force of one of the urging means and press the respective symmetrical positions with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant. ,
The lubricant supply device, wherein the second pressing means has means for pressing at each symmetrical position with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant. The lubricant supply device according to claim 1, wherein
The lubricant supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second pressing means is disposed outside the first pressing member. The lubricant supply device according to claim 1 or 2,
The first pressing member has a configuration in which the pressing force increases with consumption of the solid lubricant, and the second pressing member has a configuration in which the pressing force decreases with consumption of the solid lubricant. Lubricant supply device. The lubricant supply device according to claim 3, wherein
The lubricant supply device according to claim 1, wherein a resultant force of the pressing force of the first pressing member and the pressing force of the second pressing member is constant regardless of consumption of the solid lubricant. In the lubricant supply device according to claim 3 or 4,
The lubricant supply device, wherein the second pressing member is a spring. The lubricant supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The first pressing means includes an urging means and a plurality of pressing members that receive the urging force of the one urging means and press the respective symmetrical positions with respect to the contact center portion of the solid lubricant. A lubricant supply device characterized by the above.   A process cartridge comprising at least an image carrier and the lubricant supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 integrally held and detachable from an image forming apparatus main body. . An image carrier, charging means for charging the image carrier, exposure means for exposing the image carrier to create an electrostatic latent image, and supplying toner to the image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image A developing unit that forms a visible image with toner; a transfer unit that transfers a visible image formed on the image carrier to a transfer target; and a cleaning unit that collects toner remaining on the image carrier after transfer. In the image forming apparatus,
An image forming apparatus comprising the lubricant supply device according to claim 1. In an intermediate cleaning unit provided in an image forming apparatus of an intermediate transfer system and provided with a cleaning member for cleaning an intermediate transfer body after transferring a visible image by toner to a recording material,
An intermediate cleaning unit comprising the lubricant supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, comprising either or both of the process cartridge according to claim 7 and the intermediate cleaning unit according to claim 9.

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