JP7484644B2 - Cleaning device, drum unit and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a cleaning device, a drum unit, and an image forming apparatus.

Conventionally, cleaning devices that remove toner remaining on the surface of a photoconductor are known. For example, JP 2019-128393 A discloses a cleaning device that includes a rotating brush that collects residual toner adhering to the photoconductor, a collection roller that collects the residual toner from the rotating brush, a scraper that scrapes the residual toner off the collection roller, a support member that supports the scraper, a conveying screw that conveys the residual toner scraped off from the collection roller, and a housing. The support member is supported rotatably relative to the shaft of the collection roller.

JP 2019-128393 A

In the cleaning device described in JP 2019-128393 A, it may be difficult to ensure the rigidity of the support member. In this case, there is a concern that the support member may deform, causing the contact pressure of the scraper against the collection roller to become uneven.

The objective of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning device, drum unit, and image forming device that can prevent uneven contact pressure of the blade member against the recovery member.

A cleaning device according to one aspect of this disclosure includes a brush-shaped rotating body that collects and holds residual toner adhering to a photosensitive body from the photosensitive body, a collection member that is arranged in contact with the brush-shaped rotating body and collects the residual toner held on the brush-shaped rotating body from the brush-shaped rotating body, a blade member that scrapes off the residual toner collected by the collection member from the collection member, a support member that supports the blade member, and a transport member that is arranged below the collection member and transports the residual toner scraped off from the collection member by the blade member. , and a housing that accommodates the brush-shaped rotating body, the recovery member, the blade member, the support member, and the transport member, the housing has an inner surface that forms part of the discharge path for the residual toner scraped off from the recovery member, and a plurality of fixing parts that are spaced apart in an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the brush-shaped rotating body and for fixing the support member, each of the fixing parts having a shape that protrudes from the inner surface, the space between the fixing parts that are adjacent to each other forms the discharge path, and the support member is fixed to the plurality of fixing parts.

Also, a drum unit according to one aspect of this disclosure includes the cleaning device and the photoconductor, and the photoconductor is held in the housing.

An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of this disclosure includes the drum unit, a charging roller arranged in contact with the surface of the photoconductor and charging the surface of the photoconductor, an exposure device that forms a latent image by exposing an exposure portion of the surface of the photoconductor that is located downstream of the charging roller in the rotation direction of the photoconductor, and a developing device that is provided downstream of the charging roller in the rotation direction of the photoconductor and forms a toner image by supplying toner to the latent image.

This disclosure provides a cleaning device, drum unit, and image forming device that can prevent uneven contact pressure of the blade member against the recovery member.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drum unit. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the blade member and its vicinity. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the drum unit. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the drum unit. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blade member and a support member. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a blade member and a support member. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a housing, a blade member, and a support member. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a housing, a blade member, a support member, and a conveying member. 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views showing modified examples of the supporting manner of the blade member. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the fixing portion.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings referred to below, the same or equivalent components are given the same numbers.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. This image forming apparatus 1 is an MFP (Multifunctional Peripherals) equipped with multiple functions such as a copy function, a facsimile function, a printer function, and a scanner function.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming device 1 includes an image forming unit 10 (10Y, 10M, 10C, 10K), a transfer device 20, a paper feed tray 31, a fixing device 32, a paper discharge tray 33, and a toner supply device 35.

Image forming unit 10 forms a toner image (image) to be transferred to transfer device 20. Image forming unit 10Y, image forming unit 10M, image forming unit 10C, and image forming unit 10K form toner images having the colors yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), respectively, on transfer device 20.

The transfer device 20 has a primary transfer roller 21, an intermediate transfer belt 22, and a secondary transfer roller 23. The toner images of each color formed by the image forming unit 10 are superimposed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 22. The intermediate transfer belt 22 then transports the color toner images to the secondary transfer unit formed between the intermediate transfer belt 22 and the secondary transfer roller 23.

The paper feed tray 31 is provided as a storage section for storing paper S as a recording medium. A plurality of sheets of paper S are stored in the paper feed tray 31. In this embodiment, the paper feed tray 31 is provided in two vertical levels. However, one or three or more vertical levels of paper feed trays 31 may be provided.

The paper S stored in the paper feed tray 31 is transported by various rotating rollers to the secondary transfer section between the intermediate transfer belt 22 and the secondary transfer roller 23. The color toner image carried by the intermediate transfer belt 22 is transferred to the surface of the paper S in the secondary transfer section. The color toner image is fixed to the surface of the paper S by the fixing device 32. The paper S on which the image has been formed by the above process is discharged to the paper discharge tray 33.

The toner supply device 35 supplies toner (developer) to the developing device 300 of the image forming unit 10. This toner contains a treatment agent (lubricant, abrasive, etc.) to extend the life of the photoconductor 110. The toner supply device 35 is provided vertically between the intermediate transfer belt 22 and the paper discharge tray 33. However, the location of the toner supply device 35 in the image forming device 1 is not particularly limited.

Here, we will explain the details of the image forming unit 10. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the image forming unit 10 has a drum unit 100, an exposure device 200, and a development device 300.

The drum unit 100 has a photoconductor 110, a cleaning device 120, a charging roller 130, and a cleaning roller 140.

The photoreceptor 110 is rotatable around a rotation axis 112 (see FIG. 3). The surface 110S (see FIG. 3) of the photoreceptor 110 forms a photosensitive layer that rotates in response to the rotation of the rotation axis 112.

The cleaning device 120 removes residual toner adhering to the surface 110S of the photoconductor 110. Details of the cleaning device 120 will be described later.

The charging roller 130 charges the surface 110S of the photoreceptor 110 to a predetermined potential. The charging roller 130 is disposed so as to be in contact with the surface 110S of the photoreceptor 110.

The cleaning roller 140 cleans the charging roller 130. The cleaning roller 140 is arranged so as to be in contact with the surface of the charging roller 130.

The exposure device 200 forms a latent image by exposing (irradiating with a laser or the like) the exposure section 110S1 (see Figures 1 and 3) located on the surface 110S of the photoconductor 110 downstream of the charging roller 130 in the rotation direction of the photoconductor 110. In this embodiment, the exposure device 200 is disposed below the photoconductor 110.

The developing device 300 is provided downstream of the charging roller 130 in the rotation direction of the photoconductor 110. The developing device 300 forms a toner image by supplying toner to the latent image. This toner image is transferred to the transfer device 20 at a transfer section 110S2 (see Figures 1 and 3) located downstream of the developing device 300 in the rotation direction of the photoconductor 110 on the surface 110S of the photoconductor 110. In this embodiment, a developing roller is used as the developing device 300.

Now, the cleaning device 120 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning device 120 has a brush-like rotating body 121, a collection member 122, a blade member 123, a support member 124, an auxiliary plate 125, a transport member 126, a cleaning blade 127, an attachment member 128, and a housing 129.

The housing 129 contains the brush-like rotating body 121, the recovery member 122, the blade member 123, the support member 124, the auxiliary plate 125, the transport member 126, the cleaning blade 127, and the mounting member 128. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 129 holds the photoconductor 110, the charging roller 130, and the cleaning roller 140 with the photoconductor 110, the charging roller 130, and the cleaning roller 140 exposed.

The housing 129 has an inner surface 129a, multiple fixing portions 129b, ribs 129c, an attachment portion 129d, an outlet 129e, a guide surface 129f, and a positioning portion 129g.

The inner surface 129a forms part of the discharge path (path indicated by arrows AR1 and AR2) for the residual toner scraped off from the recovery member 122.

The multiple fixing parts 129b include five fixing parts 129b. Each fixing part 129b is a portion for fixing the support member 124. Each fixing part 129b has a shape that protrudes from the inner surface 129a. As shown by the arrow AR1 in FIG. 12, a discharge path is formed between adjacent fixing parts 129b. As shown in FIG. 10, each fixing part 129b is arranged at intervals in the axial direction parallel to the rotation axis 121a of the brush-like rotating body 121. In this embodiment, the multiple fixing parts 129b have a central fixing part 129b1 and an outer fixing part 129b2.

The central fixing portion 129b1 is disposed in the center of the housing 129 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the three fixing portions 129b disposed in the center of the axial direction out of the five fixing portions 129b constitute the central fixing portion 129b1.

The outer fixing portion 129b2 is disposed outside the central fixing portion 129b1 in the axial direction. The amount of protrusion of the outer fixing portion 129b2 from the inner surface 129a is different from the amount of protrusion of the central fixing portion 129b1 from the inner surface 129a. The amount of protrusion of the outer fixing portion 129b2 from the inner surface 129a is determined according to the warping direction of the inner surface 129a. In this embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the outer fixing portion 129b2 from the inner surface 129a is greater than the amount of protrusion of the central fixing portion 129b1 from the inner surface 129a. However, the amount of protrusion of the outer fixing portion 129b2 from the inner surface 129a may be set to be smaller than the amount of protrusion of the central fixing portion 129b1 from the inner surface 129a.

The ribs 129c are provided on the upper part of each fixing portion 129b. As shown in FIG. 11, the upper end portion 129c1 of the rib 129c has a shape in which the dimension in the axial direction gradually increases toward the bottom.

The mounting portion 129d is a portion for mounting the mounting member 128. The mounting portion 129d is provided below the fixing portion 129b. The mounting portion 129d has a shape that protrudes from the inner surface 129a.

The discharge port 129e constitutes part of the discharge path. As shown in FIG. 12, the discharge port 129e is formed below the portion 129j where the brush-shaped rotating body 121 and the recovery member 122 are supported. As shown in FIG. 13, the conveying member 126 is inserted through the discharge port 129e.

The guide surface 129f guides the residual toner scraped off from the recovery member 122 toward the discharge port 129e. As shown in FIG. 12, the guide surface 129f is provided between the inner surface 129a and the discharge port 129e. The guide surface 129f has a shape that gradually moves away from the inner surface 129a as it moves toward the downstream side of the discharge path.

The positioning portion 129g is a portion that determines the position of the support member 124. The positioning portion 129g protrudes from the inner surface 129a. The positioning portion 129g is provided between the central fixing portion 129b1 and the outer fixing portion 129b2. The positioning portion 129g determines the position of the support member 124 in the axial direction relative to the inner surface 129a and in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

The brush-like rotating body 121 is arranged so as to be in contact with the surface 110S of the photoreceptor 110. Specifically, the brush-like rotating body 121 is arranged so as to be in contact with a portion of the surface 110S of the photoreceptor 110 that is downstream of the transfer section 110S2 in the direction of rotation of the photoreceptor 110. While rotating relative to the photoreceptor 110, the brush-like rotating body 121 collects and retains residual toner adhering to the surface 110S of the photoreceptor 110 from the photoreceptor 110.

The recovery member 122 is disposed so as to be in contact with the brush-shaped rotating body 121. The recovery member 122 recovers residual toner held by the brush-shaped rotating body 121 from the brush-shaped rotating body 121. The recovery member 122 is disposed so as to bite into the brush-shaped rotating body 121 by a predetermined amount. In this embodiment, a recovery roller is used as the recovery member 122. The gap between the recovery member 122 and the inner surface 129a is set to a size that allows the toner to pass through. This gap may be approximately 0.1 mm. In this embodiment, this gap is set to approximately 1 mm.

The blade member 123 scrapes off the residual toner collected by the collection member 122 from the collection member 122. As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the blade member 123 is formed in a thin plate shape. The blade member 123 is made of metal, urethane rubber, or the like. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the blade member 123 is supported at an angle that gradually moves away from the inner surface 129a as it moves downward. The blade member 123 is supported at an angle at which the upper end of the blade member 123 is pressed against the surface of the collection member 122. Note that Figures 3 and 4 show a state in which the upper end of the blade member 123 is biting into the collection member 122, but in reality, the upper end of the blade member 123 is bent so as to be pressed against the surface of the collection member 122. The upper end of the blade member 123 contacts the collection member 122 below the position where the gap between the collection member 122 and the inner surface 129a is smallest. As shown in FIG. 8, the blade member 123 has an insertion hole hb through which the bolt B passes and a positioning hole hg through which the positioning portion 129g passes.

The support member 124 supports the blade member 123. The support member 124 is made of, for example, metal. The support member 124 is disposed below the brush-like rotating body 121 and the recovery member 122 in a position where it overlaps with the brush-like rotating body 121 and the recovery member 122 in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 4 to 8, the support member 124 has a support portion 124a and a restricting portion 124b.

The support portion 124a supports the blade member 123. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the support portion 124a is provided with an insertion hole hb through which the bolt B is inserted, and a positioning hole hg through which the positioning portion 129g is inserted. In this embodiment, the support portion 124a supports the blade member 123 by fixing the bolt B to the fixing portion 129b through each insertion hole hb formed in the blade member 123 and the support portion 124a. The support portion 124a supports the blade member 123 so that the blade member 123 is in a position extending upward from the support portion 124a. The support portion 124a is disposed below the recovery member 122.

The restricting portion 124b is disposed above the transport member 126 and restricts the transport member 126 from contacting the brush-shaped rotating body 121 and the recovery member 122. The restricting portion 124b is disposed below the brush-shaped rotating body 121 and the recovery member 122. The restricting portion 124b has a shape that covers the top of the transport member 126. The restricting portion 124b is connected to the support portion 124a. The restricting portion 124b extends from the support portion 124a in a direction different from the direction in which the blade member 123 extends from the support portion 124a. Specifically, the restricting portion 124b has a shape that extends from the lower end of the support portion 124a toward a direction away from the inner surface 129a of the housing 129 (left side in FIG. 4). The restricting portion 124b is formed of the same material as the support portion 124a. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 124b and the support portion 124a are formed by bending a metal plate.

The auxiliary plate 125 supports the blade member 123. The auxiliary plate 125 is disposed between the fixed portion 129b and the blade member 123. In other words, the blade member 123 is disposed between the support member 124 and the auxiliary plate 125. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper end surface of the auxiliary plate 125 is formed flush with the upper end surface of the support portion 124a. The upper end surface of the auxiliary plate 125 is located below the rib 129c. The bending portion of the blade member 123 is determined by the upper end of the auxiliary plate 125. In other words, the auxiliary plate 125 has the function of determining the length (free length) of the bending portion of the blade member 123. The auxiliary plate 125 also has the function of forming a gap between the blade member 123 and the fixed portion 129b and between the blade member 123 and the fixed portion 129b and the rib 129c.

As shown in FIG. 9, the auxiliary plate 125 has a high rigidity portion 125a and a low rigidity portion 125b. The high rigidity portion 125a is formed in the center in the axial direction. The low rigidity portion 125b is formed at an end in the axial direction and has a lower rigidity than the high rigidity portion 125a. The thickness of the low rigidity portion 125b is set to be smaller than the thickness of the high rigidity portion 125a. In this embodiment, the auxiliary plate 125 is formed by overlapping two plates of different lengths, and the overlapping portion of the two plates constitutes the high rigidity portion 125a, and the portion made of a single plate constitutes the low rigidity portion 125b.

The positions at which the high-rigidity portion 125a and the low-rigidity portion 125b are formed are determined according to the warping direction of the inner surface 129a. In this embodiment, the high-rigidity portion 125a is formed in the center in the axial direction, and the low-rigidity portion 125b is formed at the end in the axial direction. However, if the warping direction of the inner surface 129a is reversed, the low-rigidity portion 125b may be formed in the center in the axial direction, and the high-rigidity portion 125a may be formed at the end in the axial direction.

The transport member 126 is disposed below the brush-shaped rotating body 121 and the recovery member 122. The transport member 126 transports the residual toner scraped off from the recovery member 122 by the blade member 123 toward the downstream side of the discharge path as indicated by the arrow AR2. The transport member 126 is disposed below the regulating portion 124b. As shown in FIG. 4, the top of the transport member 126 is covered by the lower part of the regulating portion 124b. As shown in FIG. 13, the transport member 126 is inserted into the discharge port 129e. The transport member 126 has a shape that extends in a direction parallel to the rotation axis 121a of the brush-shaped rotating body 121. In this embodiment, a transport screw is used as the transport member 126.

The cleaning blade 127 is provided between the brush-shaped rotating body 121 and the charging roller 130 in the rotation direction of the photoreceptor 110. The cleaning blade 127 removes residual toner adhering to the downstream side of the brush-shaped rotating body 121 on the surface 110S of the photoreceptor 110. The cleaning blade 127 is formed in a plate shape. The cleaning blade 127 has a shape that extends along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 112. The cleaning blade 127 is formed of a resin material such as urethane. As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning blade 127 is attached to the mounting portion 129d of the housing 129 by the mounting member 128 and the bolt B.

As described above, in the cleaning device 120 of this embodiment, the support member 124 is fixed to multiple fixing portions 129b of the housing 129, so deformation of the support member 124 is effectively suppressed. This suppresses deformation of the blade member 123, and prevents the contact pressure of the blade member 123 against the recovery member 122 from becoming uneven.

In addition, in the cleaning device 120, the regulating portion 124b is disposed above the transport member 126, thereby preventing the transport member 126 from coming into contact with the brush-like rotating body 121 and the recovery member 122.

In the above embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the blade member 123 may be disposed between the head of the bolt B and the support portion 124a. In this embodiment, the support portion 124a also functions as the auxiliary plate 125, so the auxiliary plate 125 is omitted.

Also, as shown in FIG. 15, the rib 129c may be formed so as to be gradually inclined downward as it moves away from the inner surface 129a.

In addition, the support portion 124a may be configured separately from the restricting portion 124b.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following aspects:

A cleaning device according to one aspect of the above embodiment includes a brush-shaped rotating body that collects and holds residual toner adhering to a photosensitive body from the photosensitive body, a collection member that is arranged in contact with the brush-shaped rotating body and collects the residual toner held on the brush-shaped rotating body from the brush-shaped rotating body, a blade member that scrapes off the residual toner collected by the collection member from the collection member, a support member that supports the blade member, and a transport member that is arranged below the collection member and transports the residual toner scraped off from the collection member by the blade member. and a housing that accommodates the brush-shaped rotating body, the recovery member, the blade member, the support member, and the transport member, the housing having an inner surface that constitutes a part of the discharge path for the residual toner scraped off from the recovery member, and a plurality of fixing parts that are arranged at intervals in an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the brush-shaped rotating body and for fixing the support member, each of the fixing parts having a shape that protrudes from the inner surface, the space between the fixing parts that are adjacent to each other constitutes the discharge path, and the support member is fixed to the plurality of fixing parts.

In this cleaning device, the support member is fixed to multiple fixing parts of the housing, so deformation of the support member is effectively suppressed. This suppresses deformation of the blade member, and prevents the contact pressure of the blade member against the collection member from becoming uneven.

It is also preferable that the housing further has a rib provided on the upper part of each fixing portion, and the upper end of the rib has a shape in which the dimension in the axial direction gradually increases toward the bottom.

This prevents residual toner scraped off from the collection member from accumulating on the fixed part.

It is also preferable that the housing further has a discharge port through which the conveying member passes and which constitutes part of the discharge path, and a guide surface provided between the inner surface and the discharge port, which guides the residual toner scraped off from the recovery member toward the discharge port.

This prevents residual toner from accumulating between the inner surface of the housing and the discharge port.

It is also preferable that the device further includes an auxiliary plate that supports the blade member, and that the auxiliary plate is disposed between the fixed portion and the blade member.

In this embodiment, a gap is formed between the blade member and the fixed portion by the auxiliary plate, preventing the blade member from interfering with the fixed portion.

It is also preferable that the auxiliary plate has a high-rigidity portion formed in the center in the axial direction and a low-rigidity portion formed at an end in the axial direction and having a lower rigidity than the high-rigidity portion.

In this way, if the housing warps, the low-rigidity portion of the support plate will bend primarily, effectively absorbing the warp in the housing, preventing the contact pressure of the blade member against the recovery member from becoming uneven.

It is also preferable that the multiple fixing parts have a central fixing part disposed in the center of the housing in the axial direction, and an outer fixing part disposed outside the central fixing part in the axial direction and having a different amount of protrusion from the inner surface than the central fixing part.

A cleaning device according to another aspect of the above embodiment includes a brush-shaped rotating body that collects and holds residual toner adhering to a photosensitive body from the photosensitive body, a collection member that is arranged in contact with the brush-shaped rotating body and collects the residual toner held on the brush-shaped rotating body from the brush-shaped rotating body, a blade member that scrapes off the residual toner collected by the collection member from the collection member, a transport member that is arranged below the brush-shaped rotating body and the collection member and transports the residual toner scraped off from the collection member by the blade member, and a regulating unit that is arranged above the transport member and regulates the transport member from contacting the brush-shaped rotating body and the collection member.

In this cleaning device, a regulating portion is disposed above the transport member, preventing the transport member from coming into contact with the brush-like rotating body and the recovery member.

It is also preferable that the regulating portion has a shape that covers the top of the conveying member.

This more reliably prevents the transport member from coming into contact with the brush-like rotating body and the recovery member. It also prevents the transport member from coming off upward.

It is also preferable that the cleaning device further includes a support part that is connected to the regulating part and supports the blade member.

This makes it easier to handle the restricting and supporting parts.

The cleaning device further includes a housing that houses the brush-like rotating body, the recovery member, the blade member, the transport member, the regulating portion, and the support portion, and it is preferable that the support portion is fixed to the housing and the regulating portion has a shape that extends from an end of the support portion in a direction away from the housing.

In this embodiment, the blade member is fixed to the housing while preventing the conveying member from contacting the brush-like rotating body and the recovery member.

It is also preferable that the restricting portion and the supporting portion are formed by bending a metal plate.

The drum unit in the above embodiment includes the cleaning device and the photoconductor, and the photoconductor is held in the housing.

The image forming device in the above embodiment includes the drum unit, a charging roller that is arranged in contact with the surface of the photoconductor and charges the surface of the photoconductor, an exposure device that forms a latent image by exposing an exposure portion of the surface of the photoconductor that is located downstream of the charging roller in the rotation direction of the photoconductor, and a developing device that is provided downstream of the charging roller in the rotation direction of the photoconductor and forms a toner image by supplying toner to the latent image.

It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1 Image forming apparatus, 10 Image forming section, 20 Transfer device, 21 Primary transfer roller, 22 Intermediate transfer belt, 23 Secondary transfer roller, 31 Paper feed tray, 32 Fixing device, 33 Paper discharge tray, 35 Toner supply device, 100 Drum unit, 110 Photoconductor, 110S Surface, 110S1 Exposure section, 110S2 Transfer section, 112 Rotating shaft, 120 Cleaning device, 121 Brush-like rotating body, 122 Recovery member, 123 Blade member, 124 Support member, 124a Support section, 124b Regulating section, 125 Auxiliary plate, 125a High rigidity section, 125b Low rigidity section, 126 Transport member, 127 Cleaning blade, 128 Mounting member, 129 Housing, 129a Inner surface, 129b Fixing section, 129b1 Central fixing portion, 129b2 end fixing portion, 129c rib, 129c1 upper end portion, 129d mounting portion, 129e discharge port, 129f guide surface, 129g positioning portion, 130 charging roller, 140 cleaning roller, 200 exposure device, 300 developing device.

Claims (8)

a brush-like rotating body that collects and holds residual toner adhering to the photoconductor;
a recovery member disposed in contact with the brush-shaped rotating body and configured to recover the residual toner held on the brush-shaped rotating body from the brush-shaped rotating body;
a blade member that scrapes off the residual toner collected by the collection member from the collection member;
A support member for supporting the blade member;
a conveying member disposed below the collecting member and configured to convey the residual toner scraped off from the collecting member by the blade member;
a housing that accommodates the brush-like rotating body, the recovery member, the blade member, the support member, and the transport member,
The housing includes:
an inner surface that constitutes a part of a discharge path for the residual toner scraped off from the recovery member;
a plurality of fixing portions arranged at intervals in an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the brush-shaped rotating body, for fixing the support member;
Each of the plurality of fixing portions has a shape protruding from the inner surface,
The adjacent fixing portions define the discharge path,
The support member is fixed to the plurality of fixing portions. The housing further includes a rib provided on an upper portion of each fixing portion,
2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the rib has a shape such that a dimension in the axial direction gradually increases toward the lower end. The housing includes:
a discharge port through which the conveying member passes and which constitutes a part of the discharge path;
3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide surface provided between the inner surface and the discharge port, the guide surface guiding the residual toner scraped off from the collection member toward the discharge port. Further, an auxiliary plate for supporting the blade member is provided.
The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary plate is disposed between the fixed portion and the blade member. The auxiliary plate is
A high rigidity portion formed in a central portion in the axial direction;
5. The cleaning device according to claim 4, further comprising: a low-rigidity portion formed at an end portion in the axial direction and having a rigidity lower than that of the high-rigidity portion. The plurality of fixing portions include
a central fixing portion disposed at a central portion of the housing in the axial direction;
The cleaning device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an outer fixed portion disposed outside the central fixed portion in the axial direction, the outer fixed portion having a protruding amount from the inner surface different from that of the central fixed portion. A cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
The photoconductor,
The photoconductor is held in the housing. A drum unit. The drum unit according to claim 7,
a charging roller disposed in contact with a surface of the photoconductor and charging the surface of the photoconductor;
an exposure device that forms a latent image by exposing an exposure portion of the surface of the photoconductor that is located downstream of the charging roller in the rotation direction of the photoconductor;
a developing device provided downstream of the charging roller in the rotation direction of the photoconductor, the developing device supplying toner to the latent image to form a toner image.

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