JPS63298384A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a small-sized and low-cost device by arranging a water- absorbent sponge roll so that it is brought into contact with the surface of a photosensitive drum and rotating this roll to absorb and remove liquid remaining toner. CONSTITUTION:At least one water-absorbent sponge roll 3 is so provided that it is brought into contact with the surface of a photosensitive drum 1 to be cleaned, and this sponge roll 3 is rotated. Then, the sponge roll 3 is rotated in the direction of an arrow A, namely, the part contacting with the photosensitive drum 1 is rotated in the same direction at a peripheral speed lower than that of the photosensitive drum and is brought into contact with liquid remaining toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and absorbs and removes it. Thus, this liquid remaining toner does not flow toward both ends of the photosensitive drum 1, and it is unnecessary to provide complicated toner recovery mechanisms in both ends of the photosensitive drum 1, and the small-sized and low-cost cleaning device is obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a photosensitive drum of an electrophotographic recording device used in a copying machine, a printer, etc., and particularly to a cleaning device for a photosensitive drum of an electrophotographic recording device using a liquid development method. The present invention relates to a cleaning device.

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 4, this type of apparatus has a cleaning blade 2 pressed against a photosensitive drum 1 and a toner collection mechanism (not shown) disposed at both ends of the photosensitive drum. The residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is scraped off by a cleaning blade 2 which is in pressure contact with the photosensitive drum 1 which rotates, and the scraped residual toner is flowed toward both ends of the blade and collected at both ends.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with this configuration, there is a problem that the residual toner collection mechanism becomes complicated and the machine becomes large, and the photosensitive drum and blade stick together due to dried residual toner. was there.

The above problem arises for the following reasons. In other words, when a liquid development method is used, most of the residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum is liquid, and the residual toner scraped off by the blade accumulates one after another on the upstream side of the blade, so the collected residual toner overflows on both sides of the blade and flows down from both ends of the photosensitive drum.

Therefore, it is essential to provide a toner collection mechanism at this position. Moreover, a complicated mechanism is required to completely collect the scraped liquid residual toner so that it does not remain inside the machine.

Further, if the blade is left in pressure contact with the photosensitive drum after recording is completed, the residual toner accumulated on the blade dries, causing the blade to stick to the photosensitive drum. If you decide to remove the blade from the photosensitive drum after recording, you will need a mechanism to release the blade, which will increase the size of the machine, and when the blade is released, the toner accumulated on the blade will flow and contaminate the photosensitive drum again. Put it away.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that can clean residual toner on a photosensitive drum without using a complicated toner collection mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides at least one water-absorbing sponge roller in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum to be rubbed, and rotates the sponge roller. It has the following configuration.

According to the above-described structure, the water-absorbing sponge roller absorbs, collects, and removes the residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum, so that the residual toner does not flow toward both ends of the photosensitive drum, and the residual toner remains on both ends of the photosensitive drum. A collection mechanism is no longer required, and a leaning device that is small and inexpensive can be obtained.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a cleaning/cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a photosensitive drum, and 3 is arranged so as to be in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to be cleaned. The water-absorbent sponge roller 4 is a roller drive motor that rotates the sponge roller 3. The roller drive motor 4 rotates the sponge roller 3 in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the photosensitive drum 1 as indicated by an arrow A, that is, in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the photosensitive drum 1 indicated by an arrow B, so that the contact portion between the sponge roller 23 and the photosensitive drum 1 is the same. The photosensitive drum 1 is rotated at a circumferential speed that is slower than the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum 1 so as to move in the direction. A device (not shown) for performing a known electrophotographic process is arranged around the photosensitive drum 1, and a liquid developing device using liquid toner is arranged as a developing device. There is.

The operation of the cleaning device configured as described above will be described below.

When image recording starts, the photosensitive drum 1 rotates in the direction of arrow B, and image recording is performed by a known electrophotographic process. That is, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by a charger, an electrostatic latent image is formed by an exposure device, the electrostatic latent image is made visible by liquid toner, and the toner image is printed on recording paper. is transferred to the recording paper and fixed on the recording paper. After the transfer, the surface of the photosensitive drum moves to the sponge roller 3 position. This sponge roller 3 is rotated by a roller drive motor 4 in the direction of arrow A, with the contact portion of the swivel and the photosensitive drum in the same direction, and at a circumferential speed that is slower than the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum. It comes into contact with the liquid residual toner and absorbs and removes it. Here, the reason why the circumferential speeds of the sponge roller 3 and the photosensitive drum 1 are made different is that if the sponge roller simply absorbs the residual toner on the photosensitive drum, there is a possibility that the toner will not be collected completely. This is to allow the sponge roller to scrape off and absorb the residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum. Also, the reason why the sponge roller 3 is rotated so that the contact portion with the photosensitive drum moves in the same direction is because if the sponge roller 3 were rotated in the opposite direction, the relative speed at the contact portion between the sponge roller 3 and the photosensitive drum would be too large. This is because the sponge roller 3 does not rotate smoothly. With this configuration, the sponge roller 23 can satisfactorily absorb and remove residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum. Note that a squeezing mechanism (not shown) for the collected residual toner is provided near the sponge row 23 to prevent the sponge row 23 from being saturated with the collected residual toner. .

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of a cleaning device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as a means for driving the sponge roller 3 provided in contact with the photosensitive drum 1, a gear 6 provided at the end of the photosensitive drum 1, a gear 7 meshing with this gear 6, and a holding gear 7 are used. An intermediate shaft 8, a pulley 9 attached to the intermediate shaft 8, a belt 11 connecting the boots held at one end of the sponge roller 3, and the like are provided, and the sponge roller is driven by the photosensitive drum 1 as a driving source. 3 is driven to rotate. Here, the diameters of the gear 6.7 and the pulleys 9 and 1o are set so that the circumferential speed of the sponge roller 3 is smaller than the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum 1. In this embodiment as well, when image recording starts and the photosensitive drum 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow B, the sponge roller 3 rotates in the direction of the arrow A at a circumferential speed that is slower than the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum 1. The remaining toner on the surface can be absorbed and removed while removing the remaining toner. In this embodiment, since the drive source of the sponge roller 3 is a photosensitive drum, a dedicated drive motor for the sponge roller 3 is not required, and a leaning device that is smaller and cheaper can be obtained.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of a cleaning device according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, two sponge rollers 3a, 3 are placed in contact with the photosensitive drum 1.
b, and its driving means include a gear 6a provided at the end of the photosensitive drum 1, a gear 7a attached to the sponge roller 3a on the upstream side with respect to the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum l, and meshing with the gear 6a; sponge roller 3a
pulley 9a attached to the other sponge roller 3b
Pulley 10a and pulley 9a attached to.

A belt 11 and the like connecting the rollers 10a are provided, and the sponge rollers 3a+3b are driven to rotate using the photosensitive drum 1 as a driving source. Here, the diameter of the gear 6a17a is set so that the sponge roller 3a on the upstream side rotates at the same circumferential speed as the photosensitive drum 1, and the diameter of the pulleys 9a and 10a is set as follows.
The peripheral speed of the sponge roller 3b on the downstream side is set to be smaller than the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum 1. In addition, in the figure, 14 is a holding body that holds the sponge rollers 3a and 3b, 15 is a hinge that rotatably holds this holding body I4,
16 is a frame to which the hinge 15 is attached, and the holding body 1
4 relative to the frame 16, the sponge rows 23a and 3b can be separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum 1.

In this embodiment as well, image recording starts and the photosensitive drum l
When the sponge rollers 3a and 3b rotate in the direction of arrow B, the two sponge rollers 3a and 3b simultaneously rotate in the direction of arrow A, that is, so that the contact portions with the photosensitive drum 1 move in the same direction. The sponge roller 3a on the upstream side rotates at the same circumferential speed as the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and absorbs the liquid residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The sponge roller 3b on the downstream side rotates at a peripheral speed slower than the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum 1, and scrapes off residual toner still remaining on the photosensitive drum. In this way, residual toner is reliably removed. In this embodiment as well, a squeezing mechanism (not shown) for squeezing out residual toner absorbed by the sponge rollers is provided at a position in contact with the sponge rollers 3a and 3b.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention involves disposing a water-absorbing sponge roller in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum and rotating the roller in order to remove residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum. With this structure, the liquid residual toner can be absorbed and removed, and the residual toner scraped by the blade does not flow out to both sides of the blade as in the case of a conventional cleaning blade, so it is possible to remove the liquid residual toner. This has the advantage that a complex toner collection mechanism is not required at both ends of the drum, and a leaner device that is small and inexpensive can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a cleaning device according to another embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a cleaning device according to another embodiment. Schematic perspective view FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional cleaning device. 1... Photosensitive drum, 2... Cleaning blade,
3.3a, 3b...Sponge roller, 4...Roller drive motor, 6.6a, 7,7a...Gear, 8...
Intermediate shaft, 9, 9a* 10, 10a...Pulley, 11
···belt. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person1-
m-Photosensitive drum 3-11 Cleaning roller Li---Roller drive motor Fig. 1 6.7-Gear 2nd rI! J

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) A cleaning device comprising at least one water-absorbing sponge roller provided in contact with the surface of a photosensitive drum to be cleaned, and means for rotating the sponge roller. (2) The sponge roller is configured to move in the same direction as the photosensitive drum at the contact portion with the photosensitive drum and to rotate at a circumferential speed that is slower than the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum. The cleaning device according to scope 1. (3) The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for rotating the sponge roller uses a photosensitive drum as a driving source. (4) Two sponge rollers are provided, and the sponge roller on the upstream side with respect to the moving direction of the photosensitive drum moves in the same direction as the photosensitive drum at the contact part with the photosensitive drum, and at the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum. The sponge roller on the downstream side rotates in the same direction as the photosensitive drum at the contact portion with the photosensitive drum and at a circumferential speed that is slower than the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum. Claim 1:
Cleaning device as described in section. (5) The cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the means for rotating the sponge roller uses a photosensitive drum as a driving source.