JPH0745088Y2 - Fixing unit cleaning device for electrophotographic apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a fixing unit for fixing an image on a transfer sheet after transfer in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine.

[Prior Art] FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure of an electrophotographic apparatus.

In this electrophotographic apparatus, a sheet feeding cassette case 2 is provided in an electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 which can be opened and closed, a sheet feeding roller 3 for feeding out one sheet of transfer sheet stored in the cassette case 2 one by one, and a sheet feeding roller 3. The photoconductor drum 4 for transferring the toner image onto the paper sent out by the paper roller 3, the fixing unit 7 including the heat roller 5 and the press roller 6 as the fixing roller for fixing the image on the paper after the transfer, and the fixing unit 7. Plural pairs of paper discharge rollers for sending the passed paper to the discharge unit 8 provided at the upper portion of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1.
9 and 10 are provided respectively.

The paper in the paper feed cassette case 2 is sent out one by one by the paper feed roller 3, the toner image is transferred by the photosensitive drum 4 and the like, and then the paper is nipped by the heat roller 5 and the press roller 6 to form an image. After being fixed, the sheet is discharged to the discharge section 8 by the discharge rollers 9 and 10.

The heat roller 5 accommodates a heater 5A therein, and the heat of the heater 5A melts the toner on the paper and fixes the image on the paper by the pressure with the press roller 6, but the surface is unfixed by the unfixed toner. Get dirty. For this reason,
Conventionally, a cleaning member 11 such as a felt contacting the surface of the heat roller 5 is attached inside the main body cover 1 to clean the surface of the heat roller 5.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Usually, since the cleaning member 11 for cleaning the surface of the heat roller 5 is formed of felt or the like,
It is necessary to replace the device several times before it reaches the end of its life.

However, when replacing the cleaning member 11, since the cleaning member 11 is mounted inside the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1, the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 must be opened, and the replacement work is extremely difficult. It is both troublesome and time consuming.

Moreover, when the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 is opened and the cleaning member 11 is replaced, in addition to a high-heat portion such as the heat roller 5 and a dangerous portion such as a high-pressure portion and a photosensitive layer in the vicinity, a member requiring attention to dirt Therefore, it is extremely dangerous and caution is required for the operator to replace the cleaning member 11. Therefore, in order to protect the operator, safety measures were taken to cover these dangerous parts.
This inevitably leads to higher costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing unit cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus, which solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and can easily and safely replace a cleaning member without increasing the cost.

[Means for Solving the Problems] Therefore, according to the present invention, in an electrophotographic apparatus in which a fixing unit including a fixing roller for fixing an image on a transfer sheet after transfer is provided in an openable / closable electrophotographic apparatus main body cover, A through hole is provided in the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover at a position corresponding to the fixing roller, and a cleaning member that comes into contact with the fixing roller is accommodated in the through hole so as to be detachably attached from the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover. An elastic pressing member for pressing the fixing roller against the fixing roller is provided on the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover.

[Operation] When replacing the cleaning member, after the elastic pressing member is elastically deformed, the cleaning member is removed from the through hole from the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover, and a new cleaning member is stored in the through hole. The elastic pressing member may be elastically returned.

Therefore, since the cleaning member can be replaced from the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover, that is, the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover does not have to be opened unlike the conventional case, the cleaning member can be easily and safely replaced. .

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Although only the fixing unit is shown in these drawings, the other portions are the same as those in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fixing unit cleaning device of this embodiment,
FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. In these drawings, the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 has a rectangular through hole 21 at a position corresponding to the fixing roller in the fixing unit 7, that is, the heat roller 5.
Is formed along the lengthwise direction of the heat roller 5 and penetrates the inside and outside of the heat roller 5, and spring accommodation recesses 22A, 22B are formed on both sides of the through hole 21.

The spring storage recesses 22A, 22B are formed by first recesses 23A, 23B formed outward from the center of both ends of the through hole 21 and in the longitudinal direction of the through hole 21, and the first recesses 23A, 23B. A second recess 24 formed at the right angle from the tip to the longitudinal direction of the through hole 21.
A, 24B, third recesses 25A, 25B formed from the tips of the second recesses 24A, 24B at right angles to the second recesses 24A, 24B and outward, and the third recesses 25A, 25B. The second recess 24 is formed at a right angle from the tip of the recess 25A, 25B to the third recess 25A, 25B.
A, 24B and fourth recesses 26A, 26B formed in the same direction.

In the through hole 21, a cleaning member 31 that is in contact with the surface of the heat roller 5 is removably housed from the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1, and the cleaning member 31 is pressed against the surface of the heat roller 5. Both ends of a spring 41 as an elastic pressing member are housed and held in the spring housing recesses 22A, 22B.

The cleaning member 31 is integrally attached to a holder 32 removably accommodated in the through hole 21 and a lower surface side of the holder 32, that is, an inner surface side of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 by a double-sided tape or an adhesive. The felt 33 is in contact with the surface of the heat roller 5. On the upper surface side of the holder 32, that is, on the outer surface side of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1,
A plurality of ribs 34 are integrally formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction.

The spring 41 includes a pressing portion 42 extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper surface of the cleaning member 31 and a third recess 25A, 25B bent from both ends of the pressing portion 42 along the spring storage recesses 22A, 22B. And locking portions 43A and 43B that are spirally swung. As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the spiral portion of each locking portion 43A, 43B is formed on the outer circumference of the shaft 44A, 44B supported in parallel with the pressing portion 42 in the third recess 25A, 25B. Holds swiveling along.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When replacing the cleaning member 31, the pressing portion of the spring 41
With 42, the pressing portion 42 of the spring 41 is rotated about the shafts 44A and 44B as fulcrums to the state of the chain double-dashed line in FIG.

In this state, the rib 34 of the cleaning member 31 is pinched from the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 and the cleaning member 31 is removed from the through hole 21. Here, after the new cleaning member 31 is stored in the through hole 21, the pressing portion of the spring 41 is pressed.
When the hand is released from 42, the spring 41 elastically returns to the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, so that the pressing portion 42 of the spring 41 presses the felt 33 of the cleaning member 31 against the surface of the heat roller 5.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the through hole 21 is provided at a position corresponding to the heat roller 5 of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1, the cleaning member 31 is detachably accommodated in the through hole 21, and the cleaning member 31 is also included. Since the spring 41 that presses against the surface of the heat roller 5 is provided, if the spring 41 is elastically deformed, the cleaning member 31 can be detached from the outer side of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 and stored.

Therefore, unlike the conventional case, the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover does not have to be opened, so that the cleaning member 31 can be replaced easily and safely. Moreover, since the heat roller 5 can be seen from the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1 by removing the cleaning member 31, it is possible to directly visually confirm the dirt on the heat roller 5. Of course,
Since it is not necessary to have strict safety measures for covering various dangerous parts in order to protect the operator, it is possible to prevent cost increase.

Further, since the spring 41 is separated from the portion of the pressing portion 42 and the spiral portion of the locking portions 43A, 43B held by the shafts 44A, 44B, the pressing portion 42 with the shafts 44A, 44B as a fulcrum. It can be greatly rotated. That is, since the pressing portion 42 can be rotated to a position outside the portion of the through hole 21,
The cleaning member 31 can be easily removed and stored.

Since the holder 32 of the cleaning member 31 is provided with the rib 34, the cleaning member 31 can be easily removed from the through hole 21 and stored by grasping the rib 34.

Further, since the cleaning member 31 and the spring 41 do not project from the outer surface of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover 1, there is no problem even if they are used as the discharging section 8.

In the above embodiment, the elastic pressing member is composed of the substantially U-shaped spring 31 having spiral portions on both end sides, but the cleaning member 31 can be normally pressed against the heat roller 5,
Any shape may be used as long as it can be elastically deformed to a position where it is removed from the through hole 21 when the cleaning member 31 is replaced.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a through hole is provided at a position corresponding to the fixing roller of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover, the cleaning member is detachably accommodated in the through hole, and the cleaning member is also provided. Since the elastic pressing member that presses against the surface of the fixing roller is provided, if the elastic pressing member is elastically deformed, the cleaning member is removed from the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover without opening the cover one by one, Can be stored and replaced.

Therefore, when replacing the cleaning member, there is no possibility that the operator's hand touches a high-heat part or a high-voltage part such as a fixing roller built in the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover to cause a burn or an electric shock. Therefore, it is not necessary to take strict safety measures for protecting various dangerous parts in order to protect the operator, and the cost increase can be prevented. As a result, the cleaning member can be replaced easily and safely without increasing the cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention.
The drawing is a sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view showing a conventional electrophotographic apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electrophotographic apparatus main body cover, 5 ... Heat roller (fixing roller), 7 ... Fixing part, 21 ... Through hole, 31 ... Cleaning member, 41 ... Spring (elastic pressing member).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An electrophotographic apparatus main body cover that can be opened and closed,
In an electrophotographic apparatus provided with a fixing unit including a fixing roller for fixing an image on a transfer sheet after transfer, a through hole is provided at a position corresponding to the fixing roller of the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover, and the fixing roller is provided in the through hole. A cleaning member that contacts with the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover is detachably accommodated from the outside, and an elastic pressing member that presses the cleaning member against the fixing roller is provided on the electrophotographic apparatus main body cover. A fixing unit cleaning device for an electrophotographic device.