JP2006235096A - Image forming apparatus and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image forming apparatus and an image forming system capable of appropriately preventing developer from adhering to the contact part of a seal member. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is equipped with: a developer moving body for moving the developer by rotating in a state where it carries the developer so as to transfer the developer to a medium; and a recovery part for recovering the developer remaining on the developer moving body without being transferred to the medium, and having a sealing member for appropriately preventing the leakage of the developer to the outside of the recovery part by coming into contact with the surface of the developer moving body at a contact part made of the same material as the surface of the developer moving body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system.

  Image forming apparatuses such as laser beam printers are already well known. Such an image forming apparatus includes, for example, a developer moving body that rotates and moves the developer while carrying the developer in order to transfer the developer to the medium, and a developer moving body that is not transferred to the medium. And a recovery unit for recovering the remaining developer.

And the said recovery part is provided with the sealing member, the said sealing member contacts the surface of a developer moving body in a contact part, the leakage of the collect | recovered developer to the exterior of a recovery part, Properly prevent
JP 2004-61858 A

  By the way, since the seal member contacts the surface of the developer moving body at the contact portion, the developer that has moved and reached the contact portion of the seal member by the rotation of the developer moving body adheres to the contact portion. there's a possibility that. When the developer adheres to the contact portion, the following problems may occur.

  For example, if the developer continues to adhere to the contact portion, the developer is accumulated between the contact portion and the developer moving body, and the accumulated developer may eventually fall out of the collection portion. is there. The recovery unit has a scraping blade for contacting the developer moving member and scraping the developer on the developer moving member, and the seal member is in contact with and separated from the developer moving member. When the seal member moves from the contact position to the non-contact position, the developer adhering to the contact portion may be disposed in the vertical direction as viewed from the scraping blade. In addition, there is a possibility that the developer drops downward and the dropped developer scatters after hitting the scraping blade and adheres to the developer moving body.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming system that appropriately prevent a developer from adhering to a contact portion of a seal member. There is to do.

  The main present invention includes a developer moving body that rotates and moves the developer in a state where the developer is carried to transfer the developer to the medium, and the developer moving body that is not transferred to the medium but is transferred onto the developer moving body. A recovery unit for recovering the remaining developer, and comes out of contact with the surface of the developer moving body at a contact part whose material is the same as the material of the surface. An image forming apparatus comprising: a recovery unit having a seal member for appropriately preventing leakage of the developer.

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A developer moving body that rotates and moves the developer while carrying the developer in order to transfer the developer to the medium, and a developer that remains on the developer moving body without being transferred to the medium The developer leaks out of the recovery part by contacting the surface of the developer moving body with a contact part whose material is the same as the material of the surface. An image forming apparatus comprising: a collection unit having a seal member for appropriately preventing the occurrence of the problem.
In such a case, an image forming apparatus that appropriately prevents the developer from adhering to the contact portion of the seal member is realized.

The seal member may have a plurality of layers, and the contact layer including the contact portion of the seal member may have conductivity.
In such a case, even when a part of the contact portion is charged, adhesion of the developer to the contact portion is appropriately prevented.

Moreover, the adjacent layer adjacent to the contact layer of the seal member may be a conductor.
In such a case, even when a part of the contact portion is charged, adhesion of the developer to the contact portion is more appropriately prevented.

Further, the developer moving body may be a belt-like developer moving belt, and the material of the seal member and the material of the developer moving belt may be the same material.
In such a case, one material can be used for two applications.

The recovery unit includes a scraping blade for contacting the developer moving body and scraping off the developer on the developer moving body, and the seal member is disposed on the developer moving body. It is good also as being located in the vertical direction upper side seeing from the scraping blade.
In such a case, the effect described above, that is, the effect of appropriately preventing the developer from adhering to the contact portion of the seal member is more effectively exhibited.

  An image carrier for carrying a latent image; and a developing device for visualizing the latent image carried on the image carrier as a developer image with a developer. May be an intermediate transfer member serving as an intermediate medium when the developer image on the image carrier is transferred to the medium.

Further, a developer moving body that rotates and moves the developer in a state where the developer is carried to transfer the developer to the medium, and is left on the developer moving body without being transferred to the medium. A recovery unit for recovering the developer, wherein the developer contacts the surface of the developer moving body at a contact portion whose material is the same as the material of the surface, and the developer moves out of the recovery unit. A recovery part having a seal member for appropriately preventing leakage of the liquid, and the seal member has a plurality of layers, and the contact layer of the seal member including the contact part is conductive. The adjacent layer adjacent to the contact layer of the sealing member is a conductor, the developer moving body is a belt-like developer moving belt, and the material of the sealing member and the developer The material of the moving belt is the same material, and the collection unit contacts the developer moving body. A scraping blade for scraping off the developer on the developer moving body, and the seal member can be brought into contact with and separated from the developer moving body, as viewed from the scraping blade. An image carrier for carrying a latent image, and a developing device for visualizing the latent image carried on the image carrier as a developer image with a developer. The image forming apparatus can also be realized in which the developer moving member is an intermediate transfer member serving as an intermediate medium when transferring the developer image on the image carrier to the medium.
In this way, the effects of the present invention can be achieved more effectively because all the effects described above can be achieved.

A computer and an image forming apparatus connectable to the computer, wherein the developer moving body rotates to move the developer while carrying the developer to transfer the developer to a medium; and A recovery unit for recovering the developer that has not been transferred to the medium and remains on the developer moving body, and the surface of the developer moving body is made of the same material as that of the surface. It is also possible to realize an image forming system having an image forming apparatus including a collecting unit having a sealing member for appropriately preventing leakage of the developer outside the collecting unit by contacting at a certain contact unit It is.
In such a case, an image forming system that appropriately prevents the developer from adhering to the contact portion of the seal member is realized.

=== Example of Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus ===
Next, an outline of a laser beam printer (hereinafter also referred to as a printer) 10 as an example of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating main components constituting the printer 10. In FIG. 1, the up and down direction (vertical direction) is indicated by an arrow. For example, the paper feed tray 92 is disposed at the lower part of the printer 10, and the fixing unit 90 is disposed at the upper part of the printer 10. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes a charging unit 30, an exposure unit 40, a YMCK developing unit 50, and a primary transfer unit along the rotation direction of a photoconductor 20 as an example of an image carrier. 60, an intermediate transfer member 70 as an example of a developer moving member (developer moving belt), and a photosensitive member cleaning unit 75, and further, a secondary transfer unit 80, and an intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 as an example of a recovery unit. A fixing unit 90, a display unit 95 which is a means for notifying a user and is a liquid crystal panel, and a control unit 100 which controls these units and operates as a printer.

  The photoreceptor 20 has a cylindrical conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is rotatable around a central axis. In the present embodiment, the photoreceptor 20 is indicated by an arrow in FIG. Rotate clockwise.

  The charging unit 30 is a device for charging the photoconductor 20, and the exposure unit 40 is a device for forming a latent image on the photoconductor 20 charged by irradiating a laser. The exposure unit 40 includes a semiconductor laser, a polygon mirror, an F-θ lens, and the like, and charges the modulated laser based on an image signal input from a host computer (not shown) such as a personal computer or a word processor. The irradiated photoconductor 20 is irradiated.

  The YMCK developing unit 50 converts the latent image formed on the photoconductor 20 into toner as an example of a developer contained in the developing device, that is, black (K) toner contained in the black developing device 51, magenta development. An apparatus for developing using magenta (M) toner stored in the device 52, cyan (C) toner stored in the cyan developing device 53, and yellow (Y) toner stored in the yellow developing device 54. is there.

  The YMCK developing unit 50 can move the positions of the four developing devices 51, 52, 53, 54 by rotating with the four developing devices 51, 52, 53, 54 mounted. Yes. That is, the YMCK developing unit 50 holds the four developing devices 51, 52, 53, 54 by four holding portions 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d, and the four developing devices 51, 52, 53, 54 is rotatable around the central axis 50a while maintaining the relative position thereof. Each time image formation for one page is completed, it is selectively opposed to the photoconductor 20, and is formed on the photoconductor 20 with the toner accommodated in each developing device 51, 52, 53, 54. The latent images are developed sequentially. Each of the four developing devices 51, 52, 53, 54 described above is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body, more specifically, the holding portions 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d of the YMCK developing unit 50. It is possible.

  The primary transfer unit 60 is a device for transferring a single color toner image formed on the photoconductor 20 to the intermediate transfer body 70. When four color toners are sequentially transferred in a superimposed manner, the full color toner is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 70. An image is formed.

  The intermediate transfer body 70 is an intermediate medium for transferring the toner image on the photoconductor 20 to a recording material (paper, film, cloth, etc.) as an example of the medium, and transfers the toner (toner image) to the recording material. For this purpose, the toner (toner image) is rotated while being carried to move the toner (toner image). The intermediate transfer member 70 is an endless belt that is stretched around a driving roller 71, a driven roller 72, and the like, and is driven to rotate at substantially the same peripheral speed as the photosensitive member 20. The material and structure of the intermediate transfer member 70 will be described in detail later.

  Also, a patch sensor 73 is provided as a density detection member for detecting the density of the toner image on the intermediate transfer body 70 in the vicinity of the intermediate transfer body 70 and an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 described later. The printer 10 executes a control operation for controlling the density of the image at a predetermined timing. At this time, the patch sensor 73 is used. That is, when the control operation is executed, a patch image (test pattern) as a toner image is developed, and the patch image is transferred to the intermediate transfer member 70. Then, the density of the patch image transferred to the intermediate transfer body 70 is detected by the patch sensor 73, and the density of the image is adjusted based on the detected density of the patch image.

  The photoconductor cleaning unit 75 is provided between the primary transfer unit 60 and the charging unit 30 and has a rubber photoconductor cleaning blade 76 in contact with the surface of the photoconductor 20. This is a device for scraping and collecting the toner remaining on the photoconductor 20 by the photoconductor cleaning blade 76 after the toner image is transferred onto the transfer body 70.

  The secondary transfer unit 80 is a device for transferring a single color toner image or a full color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 70 to a recording material.

  The intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 is an apparatus that is provided above the YMCK developing unit 50 and collects the toner that is not transferred to the recording material but remains on the intermediate transfer body 70. The intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 will be described in detail later.

  The fixing unit 90 is a device for fusing a single color toner image or a full color toner image transferred onto a recording material to the recording material to obtain a permanent image.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 100 includes a main controller 101 and a unit controller 102. An image signal and a control signal are input to the main controller 101, and in response to a command based on the image signal and the control signal. A unit controller 102 controls each of the units and forms an image.

Next, the operation of the printer 10 configured as described above will be described.
First, when an image signal and a control signal from a host computer (not shown) are input to the main controller 101 of the printer 10 via the interface (I / F) 112, the unit controller 102 based on a command from the main controller 101. The photosensitive member 20 and the intermediate transfer member 70 are rotated by the control. The photoconductor 20 is sequentially charged by the charging unit 30 at the charging position while rotating.

  The charged area of the photoconductor 20 reaches an exposure position as the photoconductor 20 rotates, and a latent image corresponding to image information of the first color, for example, yellow Y, is formed in the area by the exposure unit 40. . In the YMCK developing unit 50, a yellow developing device 54 that contains yellow (Y) toner is located at a developing position facing the photoconductor 20.

  The latent image formed on the photoconductor 20 reaches the development position as the photoconductor 20 rotates, and is developed with yellow toner by the yellow developing device 54. That is, the yellow developing device 54 visualizes the latent image carried on the photoreceptor 20 as a toner image with toner. As a result, a yellow toner image is formed on the photoreceptor 20.

  The yellow toner image formed on the photoconductor 20 reaches the primary transfer position as the photoconductor 20 rotates, and is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 70 by the primary transfer unit 60. At this time, a primary transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner (negative polarity in the present embodiment) is applied to the primary transfer unit 60. During this time, the photosensitive member 20 and the intermediate transfer member 70 are in contact with each other, and the secondary transfer unit 80 is separated from the intermediate transfer member 70.

  The above processing is sequentially executed for each developing device for the second color, the third color, and the fourth color, so that four color toner images corresponding to the respective image signals are transferred to the intermediate transfer member 70. It is transcribed and superimposed. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer member 70.

The full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer member 70 reaches the secondary transfer position as the intermediate transfer member 70 rotates, and is transferred to the recording material by the secondary transfer unit 80. The recording material is conveyed from the paper feed tray 92 to the secondary transfer unit 80 via the paper feed roller 94 and the registration roller 96. Further, when performing the transfer operation, the secondary transfer unit 80 is pressed against the intermediate transfer body 70 and a secondary transfer voltage is applied to the secondary transfer unit 80. Further, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member 70 without being transferred to the recording material is collected by the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85.
The full-color toner image transferred to the recording material is heated and pressed by the fixing unit 90 and fused to the recording material.

  On the other hand, after the primary transfer position has passed, the photosensitive member 20 collects the toner adhering to the surface thereof by the photosensitive member cleaning unit 75, and prepares for charging for forming the next latent image.

=== Overview of Control Unit ===
Next, the configuration of the control unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
The main controller 101 of the control unit 100 is connected to a host computer via an interface 112 and includes an image memory 113 for storing image signals input from the host computer. The unit controller 102 includes units of the apparatus main body (charging unit 30, exposure unit 40, YMCK developing unit 50, primary transfer unit 60, intermediate transfer member 70, photosensitive member cleaning unit 75, secondary transfer unit 80, intermediate transfer member cleaning. Unit 85, fixing unit 90, and display unit 95), and based on signals input from the main controller 101 while detecting the state of each unit by receiving signals from sensors included therein. Control each unit.

=== Configuration Example of Intermediate Transfer Member Cleaning Unit 85 ===
Next, a configuration example of the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining materials of the upper seal 220 and the intermediate transfer body 70. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the surface layer 414 of the upper seal 220 is in contact with the surface layer 414 of the intermediate transfer body 70. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the contact / separation mechanism 300. 3 and 6, as in FIG. 1, the arrows indicate the vertical direction (vertical direction).

  The intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 is for recovering the toner that is not transferred to the recording material but remains on the intermediate transfer body 70. The intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 is an intermediate medium as an example of the case 202, the toner storage unit 205, and the scraping blade. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer body cleaning blade 210, an upper seal 220 as an example of a seal member, a toner receiving portion 235, and the like.

  The case 202 cooperates with the upper seal 220 to appropriately prevent the collected toner from leaking out of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85. Inside the case 202, a toner storage portion 205 and a toner receiving portion 235 are formed, and an intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is provided.

  The intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 has a function of coming into contact with the intermediate transfer body 70 and scraping off the toner on the intermediate transfer body 70 (that is, toner that moves as the intermediate transfer body 70 rotates). The intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is a rubber blade having a thickness of about 2 mm. The intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is disposed so that the tip thereof faces the upstream side in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member 70. The contact portion 210a with which the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 contacts the intermediate transfer member 70 is positioned below the center axis of the driven roller 72 described above in the vertical direction.

  Further, the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 is configured to be able to contact and separate from the intermediate transfer body 70. That is, the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is fixed to the rotation shaft 302 via the blade support metal plate 212 that supports the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210, and the rotation shaft 302 has a first rotation position and a second rotation position. The intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 reciprocates between the contact position and the non-contact position. FIG. 3 shows both the contact position (right side in FIG. 3) and the non-contact position (left side in FIG. 3) of the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210. The contact / separation mechanism 300 of the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 will be described in detail later.

  The toner storage unit 205 is for storing the toner scraped off by the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210. The toner storage unit 205 is formed at a lower portion of the case 202 and includes a screw unit 207 that can rotate around a central axis. The screw unit 207 is rotated so that the toner stored in the toner storage unit 205 is provided in front of the screw unit 207 in a waste toner box (not shown) (in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 3). ). That is, the toner storage unit 205 and the waste toner box serve as a primary storage unit and a secondary storage unit of toner, respectively.

  The toner receiving unit 235 has a function of receiving toner that has not been stored in the toner storage unit 205 and has moved to the opposite side of the toner storage unit 205 when viewed from the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210. The toner receiving portion 235 is formed in the lower portion of the case 202 and on the side opposite to the toner containing portion 205 (the photoconductor 20 side) when viewed from the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210.

  The upper seal 220 comes into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 at the contact portion 220a, and appropriately prevents the collected toner from leaking out of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85. The upper seal 220 is a sheet-like member having a thickness of about 120 μm. The upper seal 220 is positioned on the upper side in the vertical direction when viewed from the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210, and is arranged so that the tip thereof faces the downstream side in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer body 70.

  Further, the upper seal 220 is configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the intermediate transfer body 70 as with the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210. That is, the upper seal 220 is fixed to the rotating part 320 via a seal support member 222 that supports the upper seal 220, and the rotating part 320 is between the first rotating position and the second rotating position. By reciprocatingly rotating, the upper seal 220 reciprocates between the contact position and the non-contact position. In the present embodiment, the upper seal 220 is moved in conjunction with the movement of the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 (described later in detail), and the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is in contact with the contact. When moving from the position to the non-contact position, the upper seal 220 moves from the contact position to the non-contact position, and when the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 moves from the non-contact position to the contact position. Further, the upper seal 220 moves from the non-contact position to the contact position. FIG. 3 shows both the contact position (the right side in FIG. 3) and the non-contact position (the left side in FIG. 3) of the upper seal 220. The contact / separation mechanism 300 of the upper seal 220 will be described in detail later.

  The material of the upper seal 220 is the same as the material of the intermediate transfer body 70. Here, materials of the upper seal 220 and the intermediate transfer body 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper seal 220 and the intermediate transfer member 70 have a structure including three layers, that is, a base layer 410, an intermediate layer 412, and a surface layer 414.

  The base layer 410 is a layer that is the basis of the upper seal 220 and the intermediate transfer body 70. The base layer is made of a PET film and has a thickness d1 of about 100 μm.

  The intermediate layer 412 is an adjacent layer located between the base layer 410 and the surface layer 414 and adjacent to both the base layer 410 and the surface layer 414. This intermediate layer 412 is a tin vapor deposition layer formed by vapor-depositing tin on the base layer 410, and the thickness d2 thereof is 1 μm or less. Since the intermediate layer 412 is made of tin, the intermediate layer 412 is a conductor.

  The surface layer 414 is a layer located on the surfaces of the upper seal 220 and the intermediate transfer body 70. The surface layer 414 is a (semi) conductive paint applied to the intermediate layer 412 and has a thickness d3 of about 20 μm. Further, the surface layer 414 is a contact layer that contacts each other when the upper seal 220 contacts the intermediate transfer body 70. That is, when the upper seal 220 is in contact with the intermediate transfer body 70, the surface layer 414 of the upper seal 220 is in contact with the surface layer 414 of the intermediate transfer body 70 as shown in FIG. In other words, the contact portion 220 a of the upper seal 220 is included in the surface layer 414 of the upper seal 220, and the contacted portion 70 a of the intermediate transfer body 70 is included in the surface layer 414 of the intermediate transfer body 70. Therefore, the upper seal 220 is brought into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 at the contact portion 220a whose material is the same as that of the surface.

<<< Contact Timing of Intermediate Transfer Member Cleaning Blade 210 and Upper Seal 220 >>>
Here, the contact timing of the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 and the upper seal 220 will be described.

  As described above, the primary transfer unit 60 sequentially transfers the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive member 20 to the intermediate transfer member 70, whereby the four color toner images are transferred to the intermediate transfer member 70 in an overlapping manner, A full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer member 70. The full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer member 70 reaches the secondary transfer position as the intermediate transfer member 70 rotates, and is transferred to the recording material by the secondary transfer unit 80.

  The intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 immediately before the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 70 without being transferred to the recording material reaches the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 as the intermediate transfer body 70 rotates. The upper seal 220 comes into contact with the intermediate transfer body 70 and comes into contact with the intermediate transfer body 70. When the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 finishes scraping off the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 70, the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 and the upper seal 220 are separated from the intermediate transfer body 70 and are moved by the primary transfer unit 60. In preparation for the next transfer of each color toner image on the photoreceptor 20.

<<< About the contact / separation mechanism 300 >>>
As described above, the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 and the upper seal 220 are configured to be able to contact and separate from the intermediate transfer member 70. Here, an example of the contact / separation mechanism 300 between the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 and the upper seal 220 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 shows a state in which the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is in contact with the intermediate transfer member 70 and the upper seal 220 is in contact with the intermediate transfer member 70. 6 shows a state in which the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 and the upper seal 220 are separated from the intermediate transfer body 70.

The contact / separation mechanism 300 includes the rotation shaft 302, the lever 306, the cam 310, the tension spring 314, the rotation unit 320, the torsion spring 324, and the like described above.
The rotation shaft 302 is a shaft that can reciprocate between the first rotation position (the position shown in the state A) and the second rotation position (the position shown in the state B). As described above, the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is fixed to the rotating shaft 302 via the blade support metal plate 212.
A lever 306 is fixed to the rotating shaft 302 at one end thereof. Therefore, the lever 306, the rotation shaft 302, and the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 are configured to rotate integrally. Further, the lever 306 rotates to contact and press the rotating unit 320 to rotate the rotating unit 320.
The cam 310 is in contact with the lever 306 to rotate the lever 306, the rotation shaft 302, and the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210, and is rotated by a drive source (not shown).
The tension spring 314 is a biasing member that biases the lever 306 clockwise in FIG. One end 314 a of the tension spring 314 is connected to the other end of the lever 306, and the other end 314 b is connected to a spring hook 316 provided in the case 202.

The rotation unit 320 can reciprocally rotate between a first rotation position (position shown in the state A) and a second rotation position (position shown in the state B) around the shaft 320a. Yes, as described above, the upper seal 220 is fixed to the rotating portion 320 via the seal support member 222. Therefore, the rotation unit 320 and the upper seal 220 are configured to rotate integrally.
The torsion spring 324 is a biasing member that biases the rotating portion 320 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. The torsion spring 324 is attached to the shaft 320 a, one end 324 a is connected to the rotating part 320, and the other end 324 b is connected to a spring hooking part 326 provided in the case 202. .

  The contact / separation mechanism 300 configured as described above makes the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 and the upper seal 220 contact and separate from the intermediate transfer body 70 as follows.

  That is, when the driving source rotates the cam 310 in the state A in which the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 is in contact with the intermediate transfer body 70 and the upper seal 220 is in contact with the intermediate transfer body 70, the cam 310 is The lever 306 is pressed against the lever 306. The lever 306 pressed by the cam 310 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6 against the biasing force of the tension spring 314 and moves to the position shown in the state B.

  Further, since the lever 306 and the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 are fixed to the rotation shaft 302, the rotation shaft 302 and the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 are counterclockwise in FIG. Rotate in the direction. As a result, the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 moves away from the intermediate transfer body 70 and moves to the non-contact position shown in the state B.

  Further, when the lever 306 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6, the lever 306 eventually comes into contact with the rotating unit 320 and presses the rotating unit 320. The rotating part 320 pressed by the lever 306 rotates clockwise in FIG. 6 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 324 and moves to the position shown in the state B (second rotating position).

  Further, since the upper seal 220 is fixed to the rotation unit 320, the upper seal 220 also rotates clockwise in FIG. 6 as the rotation unit 320 rotates. As a result, the upper seal 220 moves away from the intermediate transfer member 70 and moves to the non-contact position shown in the state B.

  On the other hand, when the driving source rotates the cam 310 in the state B in which the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 and the upper seal 220 are separated from the intermediate transfer body 70, the lever 306 is driven by the biasing force of the tension spring 314. 6 Turn clockwise. As the lever 306 rotates, the rotation shaft 302 and the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 also rotate clockwise in FIG. 6, and eventually the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 contacts the intermediate transfer member 70. Contact (moves to the contact position shown in state A). Further clockwise rotation of the lever 306, the rotation shaft 302, and the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 is restricted by the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 coming into contact with the intermediate transfer member 70.

  When the lever 306 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 6, the rotating unit 320 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 6 by the urging force of the torsion spring 324. As the rotation unit 320 rotates, the upper seal 220 also rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6, and the upper seal 220 eventually contacts the intermediate transfer body 70 (contact shown in state A). Move to position). The case 202 is provided with a stopper 328 for restricting the rotation of the rotating unit 320 when the upper seal 220 comes into contact with the intermediate transfer body 70. Further counterclockwise rotation is restricted by the stopper 328.

=== Effectiveness of Printer etc. According to the Present Embodiment ===
As described in the section of the problem to be solved by the invention, the upper seal 220 comes into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 at the contact portion 220a. The toner that reaches the contact portion 220a may adhere to the contact portion 220a. When toner adheres to the contact portion 220a, the following problems may occur.

  For example, if the toner adheres to the contact portion 220a, the toner is accumulated between the contact portion 220a and the intermediate transfer member 70, and the accumulated toner eventually falls outside the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85. There is a risk of it. Further, the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 according to the present embodiment has an intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210 that contacts the intermediate transfer body 70 and scrapes off the toner on the intermediate transfer body 70. Since the seal 220 is configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the intermediate transfer body 70 and is positioned on the upper side in the vertical direction when viewed from the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210, the toner attached to the contact portion 220a When the upper seal 220 moves from the contact position to the non-contact position, it may drop downward, and the dropped toner may scatter and adhere to the intermediate transfer body 70 after hitting the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210. There is.

  In the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the upper seal 220 contacts the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 at the contact portion 220a whose material is the same as the material of the surface (that is, the upper seal 220). The material of the contact portion 220a and the surface material of the intermediate transfer body 70 are the same material). This appropriately prevents the toner from adhering to the contact portion 220a, and as a result, the occurrence of the above-described problem is avoided.

  The above will be further described while comparing the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 according to the present embodiment (this example) and the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 according to the comparative example. In the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 according to the comparative example, the upper seal 220 is brought into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 at a contact portion 220a whose material is different from that of the surface.

  As described above, the toner on the intermediate transfer body 70 moves with the rotation of the intermediate transfer body 70 and reaches the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220, but immediately before the toner reaches the contact portion 220a, The contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220 and the surface of the intermediate transfer member 70 are rubbed. In the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 according to the comparative example, the material of the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220 and the material of the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 are different materials, and the positional relationship between the two in the charging column is Since they are separated from each other, the contact portion 220a is charged when both of them rub. Therefore, after that, when the toner reaches the contact portion 220a, the toner is attracted to the contact portion 220a by the Coulomb force (normally charged toner and reversely charged toner charged to a polarity opposite to that of the normally charged toner). One of them is attracted), and adhesion of the toner to the contact portion 220a is promoted.

  On the other hand, in the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 according to this example, the material of the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220 and the material of the surface of the intermediate transfer member 70 are the same material, and the positional relationship between the two in the charge train is Since they match, the contact portion 220a is less likely to be charged even if both sides rub. Therefore, even if the toner reaches the contact portion 220a after that, adhesion of the toner to the contact portion 220a is appropriately prevented.

  Further, in the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 according to this example, the surface layer 414 including the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220 has conductivity, so that the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220 and the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 are provided. Even if a part of the contact portion 220a (hereinafter, also referred to as a charging portion) is charged by the rubbing, the charge is appropriately dispersed in the contact portion 220a or the surface layer 414. Therefore, charging of the charging unit is weakened, and even when a part of the contact part 220a is charged, adhesion of toner to the contact part 220a is appropriately prevented.

  Further, in the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 according to this example, the adjacent layer (that is, the intermediate layer 412) adjacent to the surface layer 414 of the upper seal 220 is a conductor, so that the above-described charge dispersion is further promoted. Is done. Therefore, adhesion of toner to the contact portion 220a is more appropriately prevented.

=== Other Embodiments ===
The image forming apparatus and the like according to the present invention have been described above based on the above embodiment. However, the above embodiment of the present invention is for facilitating understanding of the present invention and limits the present invention. is not. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, a full color laser beam printer has been described as an example of the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention can be applied to various image forming apparatuses such as a monochrome laser beam printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile.

  In the above-described embodiment, the intermediate transfer body 70 that rotates and moves the toner in a state where the toner is carried to transfer the toner to a recording material as a medium is used as the developer moving body. The intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 for collecting the toner that has not been transferred to the recording material and remains on the intermediate transfer body 70 has been described as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the developer moving body is a photoconductor 20 that rotates and moves the toner in a state where the toner is carried in order to transfer the toner to an intermediate transfer body 70 as an intermediate medium. The photosensitive member cleaning unit 75 may be a unit that collects toner remaining on the photosensitive member 20 without being transferred to the photosensitive member 70. In such a case, the present invention can also be applied to laser printers other than the intermediate transfer type.

  In the above embodiment, the upper seal 220 has a plurality of layers, and the contact layer (surface layer 414) including the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220 has conductivity. However, the contact layer (surface layer 414) may be an insulator.

  In the above embodiment, the adjacent layer (intermediate layer 412) adjacent to the contact layer (surface layer 414) of the upper seal 220 is a conductor. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The layer (intermediate layer 412) may be a semiconductor or an insulator.

In the above-described embodiment, the developer moving body is a belt-shaped intermediate transfer belt, and the material of the upper seal 220 and the material of the intermediate transfer belt are the same material. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Not a thing. For example, the developer moving body does not necessarily have a belt shape. Further, the developer moving body is belt-shaped, but both may be made of different materials.
However, the above embodiment is more efficient in that one material can be used for two applications.

  In the above embodiment, the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 85 has the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210 that contacts the intermediate transfer member 70 and scrapes off the toner on the intermediate transfer member 70, and has an upper seal. Although 220 can be moved toward and away from the intermediate transfer body 70 and is positioned on the upper side in the vertical direction when viewed from the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper seal 220 may be positioned on the lower side in the vertical direction when viewed from the intermediate transfer member cleaning blade 210.

When the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85 has the configuration according to the above-described embodiment, the contact portion 220a is made of the same material as that of the surface of the intermediate transfer body 70 as the material of the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220. When the upper seal 220 moves from the contact position to the non-contact position, the toner adhering to the toner drops downwards, and after the dropped toner hits the intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210, the toner adheres to the intermediate transfer body 70. Problem, can be prevented.
Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the above-described effect, that is, the effect of appropriately preventing the toner from adhering to the contact portion 220a of the upper seal 220 is more effectively exhibited. The embodiment is more effective.

=== Configuration of Image Forming System etc. ===
Next, an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of the image forming system. The image forming system 700 includes a computer 702, a display device 704, a printer 706, an input device 708, and a reading device 710. In this embodiment, the computer 702 is housed in a mini-tower type housing, but is not limited thereto. The display device 704 is generally a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a plasma display, a liquid crystal display device, or the like, but is not limited thereto. As the printer 706, the printer described above is used. In this embodiment, the input device 708 uses a keyboard 708A and a mouse 708B, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the reading device 710 uses a flexible disk drive device 710A and a CD-ROM drive device 710B. However, the reading device 710 is not limited to this. For example, an MO (Magneto Optical) disk drive device or a DVD (Digital Versatile) is used. Disk) etc. may be used.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the image forming system shown in FIG. An internal memory 802 such as a RAM and an external memory such as a hard disk drive unit 804 are further provided in a housing in which the computer 702 is housed.

  In the above description, the example in which the printer 706 is connected to the computer 702, the display device 704, the input device 708, and the reading device 710 to configure the image forming system has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. For example, the image forming system may include a computer 702 and a printer 706, and the image forming system may not include any of the display device 704, the input device 708, and the reading device 710.

  For example, the printer 706 may have a part of the functions or mechanisms of the computer 702, the display device 704, the input device 708, and the reading device 710. As an example, the printer 706 includes an image processing unit that performs image processing, a display unit that performs various displays, a recording medium attachment / detachment unit for attaching / detaching a recording medium that records image data captured by a digital camera or the like. It is good also as a structure to have.

  The image forming system realized in this way is a system superior to the conventional system as a whole system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating main components constituting the printer. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the printer 10 in FIG. 1. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 85. FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining materials of an upper seal 220 and an intermediate transfer body 70. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state where a surface layer 414 of an upper seal 220 is in contact with a surface layer 414 of an intermediate transfer body 70. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an approach / separation mechanism 300. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of an image forming system. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming system illustrated in FIG. 7.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Laser beam printer 20 Photoconductor 30 Charging unit 40 Exposure unit 50 YMCK developing unit 50a Center axis 51 Black developing device 52 Magenta developing device 53 Cyan developing device 54 Yellow developing device 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d Holding part 60 Primary transfer unit 70 Intermediate transfer body 70a Contacted portion 71 Drive roller 72 Driven roller 73 Patch sensor 75 Photoconductor cleaning unit 76 Photoconductor cleaning blade 80 Secondary transfer unit 85 Intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 90 Fixing unit 92 Paper feed tray 94 Paper feed roller 95 Display Unit 96 cashier roller
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Control unit 101 Main controller 102 Unit controller 112 Interface 113 Image memory 202 Case 205 Toner accommodating part 207 Screw part 210 Intermediate transfer body cleaning blade 210a Contact part 212 Blade support sheet metal 220 Upper seal 220a Contact part 222 Seal support member 235 Toner receptacle Part 300 contact / separation mechanism 302 rotating shaft 306 lever 310 cam 314 tension spring 314a one end 314b other end 316 spring hooking part 320 rotating part 320a shaft 324 torsion spring 324a one end 324b other end 326 spring hooking part 328 stopper 410 intermediate layer 412 414 Surface layer 700 Image forming system 702 Computer 704 Display device 706 Printer 708 Input device 708A Bodo 708B mouse 710 reader 710A flexible disk drive device 710B CD-ROM drive device 802 internal memory 804 hard disk drive unit

Claims (8)

A developer moving body that rotates and moves the developer while carrying the developer to transfer the developer to the medium;
A recovery unit for recovering the developer that has not been transferred to the medium and remains on the developer moving body, and the surface of the developer moving body is made of the same material as that of the surface. A collection unit having a seal member for appropriately preventing leakage of the developer outside the collection unit by contacting at a certain contact unit;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The sealing member has a plurality of layers,
An image forming apparatus, wherein a contact layer of the seal member including the contact portion has conductivity. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
An image forming apparatus, wherein an adjacent layer adjacent to the contact layer of the seal member is a conductor. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the developer moving body is a belt-like developer moving belt, and the material of the seal member and the material of the developer moving belt are the same. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The collection unit
A scraping blade for coming into contact with the developer moving body and scraping off the developer on the developer moving body;
The image forming apparatus, wherein the seal member is detachable from the developer moving body and is located on the upper side in the vertical direction when viewed from the scraping blade. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An image carrier for carrying a latent image, and a developing device for visualizing the latent image carried on the image carrier as a developer image with a developer,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the developer moving member is an intermediate transfer member serving as an intermediate medium when transferring the developer image on the image carrier to the medium. A developer moving body that rotates and moves the developer while carrying the developer to transfer the developer to the medium;
A recovery unit for recovering the developer that has not been transferred to the medium and remains on the developer moving body, and the surface of the developer moving body is made of the same material as that of the surface. A collection unit having a seal member for appropriately preventing leakage of the developer outside the collection unit by contacting at a certain contact unit;
With
The seal member has a plurality of layers, and the contact layer of the seal member including the contact portion has conductivity.
An adjacent layer adjacent to the contact layer of the seal member is a conductor,
The developer moving body is a belt-like developer moving belt, and the material of the seal member and the material of the developer moving belt are the same material,
The collection unit has a scraping blade for coming into contact with the developer moving body and scraping the developer on the developer moving body, and the seal member is in contact with the developer moving body. Can be separated, and is located on the upper side in the vertical direction when viewed from the scraping blade,
An image carrier for carrying a latent image, and a developing device for visualizing the latent image carried on the image carrier as a developer image with a developer, the developer moving body, An image forming apparatus comprising: an intermediate transfer member serving as an intermediate medium when transferring the developer image on the image carrier to the medium. Computer and
An image forming apparatus connectable to the computer, wherein the developer moving member rotates and moves the developer in a state where the developer is carried to transfer the developer to the medium, and is not transferred to the medium. A recovery unit for recovering the developer remaining on the developer moving body, wherein the developer moving body has a contact portion whose material is the same as the material of the surface. An image forming apparatus comprising: a recovery unit that includes a seal member for appropriately preventing the developer from leaking out of contact with the recovery unit;
An image forming system.

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