JPS62124583A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To clean a blade by a simple mechanism and to improve the durability of the blade by providing a driving means, a rotating means, the blade, and a member which is provided corresponding to the blade and cleans the blade during the rotation of the rotating means. CONSTITUTION:When a copying machine is in used, a photosensitive body 2 rotates as shown by an arrow A and the blade 4 is pressed against the photosensitive body 2. A cleaning device 1 is so structured as to rotate around a shaft 7 by gravitation, and is positioned by a stopper 9, and the blade 4 is pressed against the photosensitive body 2 by the weight of he device itself. In this case, the press-contacting force of the blade 4 is constant because it is pressed against the photosensitive body 2 by its own weight and the press- contacting force is stable because it is supported by the stopper 9. In this state, a developer and foreign matter sticking on the surface of the photosensitive body 2 are removed by the blade 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning developer remaining on a photoreceptor by pressing a blade against the photoreceptor in a copying machine.

<Prior Art> Normally, a photoreceptor in a copying machine is charged, exposed to light by an optical device to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor, and a developing device forms a visible image on the fed paper. Transfer and peel off the paper from the photoreceptor. After that, the cleaning device removes the developer remaining on the photoreceptor.

As the above-mentioned cleaning device, for example, there is a means for cleaning the photoreceptor by pressing a blade against the photoreceptor. In order to remove the developer remaining on the photoreceptor after transfer, this cleaning device presses a blade made of an elastic member such as rubber against the photoreceptor to remove the developer.

However, since the blade is always in pressure contact with the photoreceptor when the copying machine is in use, developer and foreign matter adhere to the blade, resulting in poor cleaning and accelerated deterioration of the blade.

Purpose> The present invention solves the conventional drawbacks and provides a cleaning device that not only reliably removes foreign matter adhering to the blade, but also cleans the blade with a simple mechanism and improves the durability of the blade. The purpose is to provide

<Example> FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a general copying machine. As shown in the figure, the photoreceptor 2 is charged by a charging device 21, an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposure, and is made visible by a developing device 22.

Thereafter, the image is transferred by the transfer device 23 onto a sheet of paper fed from one of the paper feed cassettes 31, 32, and 83 at the transfer position. Next, the paper is removed from the peeling device 24 by the fixing roller 4
1, the image on the surface is fixed, and the paper is ejected. On the other hand, the developer remaining on the photoreceptor 2 is removed by a cleaning device 1, and the static electricity is removed by a static eliminator 25 from the photoreceptor 2.

By performing these steps, the next copying operation is started.

An embodiment of a cleaning device 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the photoreceptor 2 is rotatably provided around a shaft 3, and normally rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow. The blade 4, which is pressed against the photoreceptor 2 during use of the copying machine, is made of an elastic member such as rubber.

The blade 4 is held between one ends of two L-shaped support plates 5a and 5b. The other ends of the support plates 5a and 5b are integrally fixed to one side of the support member 6. The support member 6 is formed into an L-shape and is fixed to a shaft 7. A blade cleaner 8 is fixed to the side surface of the support member 6 facing the support plates 5a and 5b. The blade cleaner 8 is made of an elastic and deformable member, such as a thin stainless steel plate. The blade cleaner 8 has a free end opposite to the fixed end located near the tip 4a of the blade 4, and an upper part of the blade cleaner 8 has a force for blade cleaning.
A member 10 is provided to prevent the blade cleaner 8 from rising.

In the cleaning device 1 configured as described above, when a copying machine is used, the photoreceptor 2 rotates in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG.
The blade 4 is pressed against the photoreceptor 2. Therefore, the cleaning device 1 has a structure that rotates around the shaft 7 by its own weight, and is pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor 2 by its own weight as shown in the figure. 9 in the figure is the cleaning device 1lt.
This is a stopper that restricts rotation at a predetermined position due to the weight of the body. Therefore, the cleaning device 1 is positioned by the stopper 9, and the blade 4 is pressed against the photoreceptor 2 by its own weight.

In this case, since the blade 4 presses against the photoreceptor 2 by its own weight, the pressing force is constant, and since it is supported by the stopper 9, the pressing force is stable. Also, in this state, the photoreceptor 2
The developer and foreign matter adhering to the surface of the blade 4 are removed by the blade 4.

FIG. 2 shows the state when the tip 4a' of the blade 4 is cleaned. As shown in the figure, the photoreceptor 2 is rotated in the opposite direction (B
direction). Since the cleaning device 1 is configured to rotate around the shaft 7 in conjunction with this rotation, the support member 6 fixed to the shaft 7 also rotates in the direction of arrow C due to the rotation of the shaft 7. Due to the rotation of the support member 6, the support member 6
The support plates 5a, 5b and the blade cleaner 8 fixed to the blade cleaner 8 also rotate. Therefore, the blade 4 held between the support plates 5a and 5b is separated from the photoreceptor 2. As a result, the blade cleaner 8 is prevented from rising by the blocking member 10 provided above the blade cleaner 8. Since the blade cleaner 8 is made of an elastic member, the support member 6 rises, while the tip 8a of the blade cleaner 8 descends in the direction D using the blocking member IO as a fulcrum, and the tip of the blade 4 It touches near 4a. As a result, the vicinity of the tip 4a of the blade 4 is cleaned. When the photoreceptor 2 rotates in the inward direction again after cleaning, the cleaning device 1 descends by its own weight (rotates clockwise), and the blade 4 comes into pressure contact with the photoreceptor 2 as shown in FIG.

As described above, an example of the configuration for rotating the cleaning device 1' in one direction in relation to the rotation of the photoreceptor 2 is shown in FIG. In other words, while the photoreceptor 2 is rotating in the inward direction, the cleaning device 1 is not rotated and descends under its own weight and comes into pressure contact with the surface of the photoreceptor. As the photoreceptor 2 rotates in the B direction, the cleaning device 1 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure. As shown in the figure, a DC servo motor 11, for example, is used as a drive source for the photoreceptor 2. The shaft of the DC servo motor 11 is connected to the shaft 8 of the photoreceptor 2 by an IJ 12, a belt, a wire, or the like, and the rotation of the motor 11 is transmitted to the shaft 3. The DC servo motor II is a motor that can freely rotate in forward and reverse directions. A gear 18 is fixed to the shaft 3 of the photoreceptor 2. This gear 18 is interlocked with the gear 15 via a rotatably supported gear In. The shaft 7 is press-fitted into the gear 15 via a one-way clutch 16. Therefore, when the photoreceptor 2 is rotating in the A direction, the driving force of the DC servo motor 11 is not transmitted to the shaft 7 by the one-way clutch 16.

Further, when the photoreceptor 2 is rotating in the direction B, the driving force of the DC servo motor 11 is applied to the pulley 12, the shaft 3, and the gear 13.
, a gear 14, a gear 15, and a one-way clutch 16.
The shaft 7 rotates through the shaft. In this case, the photoreceptor 2
The angle at which the photoreceptor surface is rotated is, for example, approximately 7 fi. In addition, a thin plate with elasticity such as wood (thickness 0.1~
It is preferable that it be formed with about 0.8 cabinets). In addition, since the tip 8a of the blade cleaner 8 comes into direct contact with the blade 4, it is better to polish it to avoid damaging the blade 4. If necessary, apply Teflon coating, etc. to prevent further damage to the blade. It is being reduced.

Effects> As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible not only to reliably remove the developer and foreign matter adhering to the blade, but also to improve the durability of the blade, and to perform blade cleaning in a small space. A mechanism can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view during normal operation, FIG. 2 is a sectional view during blade cleaning, and FIG. 3 is a drive of the cleaning device. The perspective view of the means, FIG. 4, is a schematic diagram of a general copying machine. l: cleaning device, 2: photoconductor, 4 double blades, 8 double blade cleaners, 11: DC servo motor, 16: one-way clutch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A cleaning device equipped with a blade supported on the surface of a rotating photoreceptor and cleaning developer attached to the surface of the photoreceptor, comprising a driving means for rotating the photoreceptor; a rotating means that is interlocked with the drive of the means and transmits a driving force only in one direction of the photoreceptor; a blade supported by the rotating means; and a blade that is provided corresponding to the blade and that rotates the rotating means. A cleaning device comprising: a blade cleaning member that cleans the blade at times.