JPS6385781A - Release mechanism for cleaning member in image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent service lifes of a cleaning member and a photosensitive body from being shortened, by constituting the titled mechanism so that contact with the cleaning member is released, and the cleaning member is separated from the surface of the photosensitive body, when a process unit is detached from the device body, and stored in a storage case. CONSTITUTION:The titled mechanism is provided with an operating piece 19b for abutting on a projection 42 of a storage case 41 and turning an axis of a cleaning member 18 to the direction for releasing the contact of a photosensitive body 7 with the cleaning member 18, against an energizing force from an energizing means 31, when a process unit 14 has been detached from a device body and has been housed in the storage case 41. Accordingly, when the process unit 14 is stored in the storage case 41, the cleaning member 18 is separated from the surface of the photosensitive body 7. In this way, the generation of permanent deformation of the cleaning member and variations in material quality of the photosensitive body in a contact part between the cleaning member 18 and the photosensitive body 7 is prevented, and the service lifes of the cleaning member 18 and the photosensitive body 8 is prevented from being shortened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a cleaning IIM in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, and particularly relates to a cleaning IIM for a photoreceptor, a cleaning device, and a current IIM! ! The present invention is applied to a cleaning member release mechanism of an electrophotographic copying machine, which has a structure in which the apparatus and the like are integrated into one unit and can be freely attached to and detached from the apparatus main body.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, electrophotographic copying machines have been equipped with, for example, a process unit that includes a photoreceptor drum, a developing device, a cleaning device, etc., and is configured to be able to be attached to and detached from the copying machine body. known (for example, JP-A-57-2
(See Publication No. 11181). In such electrophotographic copying machines, when changing the color of an image copied onto copy paper, the process unit is replaced with a process unit that has a developing device containing the desired toner color. When this time is reached, the process unit can be replaced with a new photosensitive drum and used again.

However, cleaning Im in the process unit
The cleaning blade is always in contact with the surface of the photoreceptor drum with a predetermined blade pressure, so if the cleaning blade is left unused (for example, with the process unit stored in a dedicated storage box), the blade may permanently deteriorate. Distortion may occur, the material of the drum may change at the contact point between the blade and the photoreceptor drum (drum cracking, etc.), and the life of the cleaning blade and photoreceptor may be shortened.

(Objective of the Invention) The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problem, and when a process unit is housed in a storage tube, the contact between the cleaning member is released and the life of the cleaning member and the photoreceptor is shortened. An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for releasing a cleaning member in an image forming apparatus that does not have a cleaning member.

(Structure of the Invention) The present invention provides a process unit that is detachably attached to an apparatus main body, and includes at least a photoconductor and a cleaning device that includes a cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the photoconductor and removes residual toner. In the image forming VAN,
A cleaning member is provided on a rotatably supported shaft, and a biasing means is provided for bringing the cleaning member into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor, and the process unit is removed from the apparatus main body and stored in a storage box. An operating piece is provided which rotates the shaft in a direction in which the cleaning member is released from contact with the photoreceptor by coming into contact with the protrusion of the storage box.

With this configuration, when the process unit is removed from the apparatus main body and placed in the storage box, the contact of the cleaning member is released and the cleaning member separates from the surface of the photoreceptor.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an electrophotographic copying machine in which a cleaning blade release mechanism of the present invention is adopted.

In FIG. 1, a contact glass 2 on which a document is placed is provided at the top of a housing 1 of an electrophotographic copying machine.
A document holder 3 is disposed above the contact glass 2. Inside the housing 1, a document irradiation lamp 4, a reflection plate 5, and a condensing lens assembly 6 are provided, and these constitute an optical system. Around the photoreceptor drum 7 that receives light from this optical system, there are a master ml device 8, a current i! An I-packing device 9, a transfer device 10, a static eliminating brush 11, a cleaning device 12, and the like are provided. The above photosensitive drum 7, referee W1 device 8, current -1ft
9 and the cleaning device 12 are installed in the unit case 13.
A process unit 14 is housed in the copying machine and is removable from the housing 1 of the main body of the copying machine.

The developing chamber 9 is composed of a toner hopper 15 which is equipped with a toner replenishment roller 15a and which stores toner, and a developing chamber PJ 16 which is equipped with a toner stirring roller 16a, a developing roller 16b, and the like. The cleaning device 12 includes a shaft 17 rotatably supported by a cleaning case 12a, and a photosensitive drum 7 attached to the shaft 17.
A cleaning blade 18 for removing residual toner, and an invasive IJJ member 19 (
(See Figure 2).

Developing device! 9 in the rotational direction of the photoreceptor drum 7, and the transfer @t! 10, on the upstream side in the copy paper transport direction, relatively near the periphery of the photosensitive drum 7, the copy paper is transferred to the transfer device! A conveyance roller 20 for conveying to t10 is provided,
Further, on the downstream side of the conveyance roller 20 in the copy paper conveyance direction, a conveyance roller 23 whose outer periphery is in contact with the peeling bat 22 via a guide plate 21 is provided. A paper feed tray 25 to which copy paper is sent out by a paper feed roller 24 is set on the upstream side of this transport 0-523 in the copy paper transport direction.

A conveyor belt assembly 26 is provided downstream of the neutralization brush 11 in the copy paper conveyance direction, and a heat roller 27 is provided.
I have a! i! FF27 is installed, and Kono fixed 1!
On the downstream side of IKffi27: 4; 11Jt: Mr
Paper output tray 2 receives copy paper via l -=/ 28
9 is set.

Figures 2 (a), (b), and (C) are a sectional view of the cleaning device, a side view of the cleaning device, and a perspective view of the operating member for explaining the cleaning blade release mechanism that is a feature of the present invention. 3 is a perspective view of the process unit and a partially cross-sectional perspective view of the dedicated storage box,
Moreover, FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a state in which this process unit is housed in a dedicated storage box.

In each of the above figures, one end of the cleaning blade 18 is attached to the shaft 17 by a pin 18a via a mounting member 18b, and the operating member 19 is the tip of the shaft 17 that protrudes outside from the side surface of the cleaning case 12a. an engaging piece 19a that is attached to the cleaning case 12H and that is engaged with the other end of a spring (biasing means) 31 that is brought into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor drum 7 with a predetermined blade pressure and whose one end is locked to the cleaning case 12H; , and an operating piece 19b that rotates the shaft 17 in a direction to release the blade pressure, as will be described later.

The cleaning blade 18 comes into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor drum 70 by the spring 31 engaged with the engagement piece 19a of the actuation member 19, and when the back surface of the actuation piece 19b is pushed in the direction in which the shaft 17 rotates counterclockwise, The cleaning blade 18 separates from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 7. At both ends of the cleaning case 12a, seal portions 112b are provided to catch toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 18 so that the toner does not leak outside, and toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 18 remains on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 70. A sealing member 12C is provided to prevent leakage to the outside.

The cleaning unit 1if2ff12 is housed in a unit case 13 as shown in FIG. However, the unit case 13 houses other process units such as the photosensitive drum 7, the band IR device 8, and the developing device 9 as described above. The unit case 13 is provided with an opening 13a in its upper part for irradiating the original image from the condensing lens assembly 6 onto the photosensitive drum 7, and a handle band 13b used when carrying the unit. A fan-shaped operating hole 13 is provided at the side to allow the tip of the operating piece 19b' of the operating member 19 to protrude to the outside and to be able to move by a predetermined angle a.
c and a handle 13d.

In the dedicated storage box 41 in which the unit case 13 is stored, the back surface of the actuation piece 19b protruding from the actuation hole 13C of the unit case 13 comes into contact with the inside thereof, and the blade pressure (contact) of the cleaning blade 18 is released. A protrusion 42 for rotating the shaft 17 is provided.

Next, for example, in order to change the color copied on copy paper, the process unit 14 attached to the housing 1 of the copying machine body is removed, and the operation of the cleaning blade 18 when stored in the dedicated storage box 41 is performed. explain.

The unit case 13 of the process unit 14 is removed from the main body housing 1, and the unit case 13 is stored in the dedicated storage box 41 so that the back surface of the operating piece 19b contacts and presses the protrusion 42 of the dedicated storage box 41. This results in
The back surface of the actuating piece 19b is pressed to rotate the shaft 17 counterclockwise. Therefore, the blade pressure of the cleaning blade 18 is released, and the tip of the blade 18 is separated from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 7. In this state, the process unit 14 is stored in the dedicated storage box 41.

In this way, since the cleaning blade 18 is stored with the blade pressure released, permanent deformation of the blade 18 may occur or a change in the drum material at the contact portion between the blade 18 and the photoreceptor drum 7 may occur. It is prevented from doing so.

In the above embodiment, a cleaning blade was used as the cleaning member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a cleaning brush or the like may also be used. Furthermore, although the above embodiment is employed in an electrophotographic copying machine, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be employed in other image forming apparatuses, such as facsimile machines.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus including a process unit configured to be detachably attached to the apparatus main body, the process unit is removed from the apparatus main body and stored in the storage box. By providing an actuation piece that contacts the protrusion of the storage box and rotates the axis of the cleaning member in a direction to release the cleaning member from contact with the photoreceptor against the urging force of the urging means, When the process unit is stored in the storage box, the cleaning member is separated from the surface of the photoreceptor, which prevents permanent deformation of the cleaning member and changes in the photoreceptor material at the contact area between the cleaning member and the photoreceptor. This prevents the lifespan of the members and photoreceptor from being shortened.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an electrophotographic copying machine adopting a cleaning blade release v4 mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2(a) is a sectional view of the cleaning device provided in this electrophotographic copying machine, FIG. 2(b) is a side view of this cleaning device, and FIG. 2(C) is a sectional view of the cleaning device provided in this electrophotographic copying machine. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an operating member, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a unit case of a process unit provided in this electrophotographic copying machine, and a storage box that stores this process unit, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a storage box in which this process unit is stored. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Housing (apparatus main body), 7... Photosensitive drum (l!1 light body), 12... Cleaning device, 14
...Process unit, 17...Shaft, 18...Cleaning blade (cleaning member), 19b...
- Operating piece, 31... Spring (biasing means), 41... Storage box, 42... Projection.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an image forming apparatus in which a process unit having at least a photoconductor and a cleaning device equipped with a cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the photoconductor and removes residual toner is removably attached to the main body of the apparatus, A cleaning member is provided on the movably supported shaft, and
A biasing means for bringing the cleaning member into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor is provided on the shaft, and when the process unit is removed from the apparatus main body and stored in the storage box, the cleaning member comes into contact with a protrusion of the storage box. A mechanism for releasing a cleaning member in an image forming apparatus, characterized in that an operating piece is provided for rotating the shaft in a direction to release the shaft from contact with the photoreceptor.