JPH073552B2 - Contamination prevention device for copier optical system - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for preventing dirt from toner or the like in an optical system of a copying machine using a short focus small diameter lens array.

2. Description of the Related Art A short-focus small-diameter lens uses a converging optical transmission body having a refractive index distribution symmetrical about the central axis as an optical lens and a relay connection of three small-diameter lens groups, which is made of fibers made of glass or plastic. There is a system which is used as an image optical system and is equivalent to the above-mentioned converging optical transmission body.

If a short-focus small-diameter lens is used in the optical system of the copier, the copier itself can be compactly housed in the copier so that the copier itself can be downsized.

FIG. 2 shows an internal schematic diagram of a copying machine using a short-focus small-diameter lens.

A platen glass 01 is stretched on the upper surface of the casing of the copying machine, and the document 02 is moved leftward on the platen glass 01.

Immediately below the platen glass 01, a short-focus small-diameter lens array 03
Is arranged below the drum state optical body 04, and the drum state optical body 04 is supported so as to rotate around a rotation axis oriented in the front-rear direction.

The short-focus small-diameter lens array 03 is an array in which the short-focus small-diameter lenses are arrayed in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the drum-shaped photoconductor 04 so as to be long and narrow by the width of the photoconductor.

Around the drum-shaped photosensitive member 04, a charging device 05, the short-focus small-diameter lens array 03, an exposure lamp 06, a developing device 07, a transfer device 08, a peeling device 09, and a cleaning unit 010 are arranged in the clockwise order in FIG. The fixing device 011 is arranged below the cleaning device 010.

The light projected from the exposure lamp 06 passes through the platen glass 01 and is reflected on the surface of the original 02, and the reflected light passes through the short-focus small-diameter lens array 03 and reaches the surface of the photoconductor 04 to form an image.

The surface of the drum-shaped photoconductor 04 is charged by a charger 05, and an electrostatic latent image is formed by the above optical system.
Then, the transfer device 08 transfers the same toner image onto the paper, the peeling device 09 peels the paper, and the cleaning device 010 removes the toner remaining on the surface.

The sheet after transfer is fixed by the fixing device 011 and discharged to the outside of the machine.

As described above, each copying process is performed around the drum-shaped photosensitive member 04. However, a copying machine using the short focus small diameter lens array 03 is an element of the optical system, particularly the short focus small diameter lens array 03.
Is provided close to the photoconductor, and therefore, is located at a close distance from the developing device 07 and the cleaning device 010.

Therefore, there is a problem that the optical system element is highly contaminated by the floating toner.

Therefore, conventionally, a blower pipe 012 is provided between the short focus small diameter lens array 03 and the developing device 07 to direct clean air toward the image-side surface of the short focus small diameter lens array 03 to blow air. There has been one that is blown out from the outlet to prevent the lens surface from being soiled.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, this conventional method has a drawback in that the floating toner in the periphery is sucked into the flow of the blown air and blows the toner to the lens surface.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to prevent contamination of an optical system of a copying machine by providing at least two air outlets and preventing contamination of the optical system by floating toner or the like. The point is to provide the device.

Means and Actions for Solving Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a short-focus small-diameter lens arranged along the surface of a photoconductor in a copying machine using a short-focus small-diameter lens array in an optical system. An air blower is disposed between the array and the developing device, and one of the air blow directions blown from the air blower is an optical component direction arranged on the image forming side lens surface of the short focus small diameter lens array or in the vicinity thereof. , The other is in the developing device direction along the surface of the photoconductor.

The air blower is interposed between the short focus small diameter lens array and the developing device, and the air blower blows air toward the image side lens surface of the short focus small diameter lens array or in the vicinity of the optical component and develops in the same air flow. The air blower also blows air toward the developing device along the surface of the photoconductor so that the floating toner on the device side and its surroundings is not sucked in, so it is blown onto the optical parts such as the image side lens surface of the short focus small diameter lens array. It is possible to prevent toner and the like from mixing with the applied air and constantly blow clean air to the lens surface to prevent the optical parts such as the lens surface from being contaminated.

Further, it is preferable that the blower means keeps the air blown to the optical components such as the lens surface of the short-focus small-diameter lens array clean by keeping the air blown up to the air outlet from the air inside the copying machine.

EXAMPLE One example according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of the present embodiment. 1 is a platen glass, 2 is a short-focus small-diameter lens array, 3 is a drum-shaped photoconductor, 4 is an exposure lamp, 5 is a charger, 6 is a developing device, 7 is a cleaning device.

A removable filter 8 is provided immediately below the short-focus small-diameter lens array 2 and serves to protect the short-focus small-diameter lens array 2 and cut infrared rays.

The exposure lamp 4 is supported by a lamp housing 9, a reflecting surface 10 is formed on the inner surface of the lamp housing 9, and a glass 11 is fitted into the light outlet.

An internal space 12 of the lamp housing 9 partitioned by the glass 11, an internal space 13 of the lamp housing 9 formed on the back surface of the exposure lamp 4 and a space 15 around the lens array 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, clean air outside the machine flows from the front to the rear to suppress heat generation due to lighting of the exposure lamp 4 and also to prevent the exposure lamp 4 from becoming dirty.

Further, clean air is allowed to flow from the front side to the rear side of the lens surface of the short focus small diameter lens array 2 on the platen glass 1 side and the outer surface of the glass 11 to prevent the optical system from being contaminated.

A duct 14 is arranged between the lamp housing 9 and the lower drum-shaped photoreceptor 3, and the inside of the duct 14 is partitioned into left and right, and the left duct 14a has an air outlet as a short-focus small-diameter lens array 2. Facing toward the drum-shaped photoconductor 3,
The duct 14b on the right side has its air outlet directed between the developing device 6 and the drum-shaped photosensitive member 3, and the flow of air blown from both outlets is substantially opposite.

Clean air is sent to the duct 14 from the front and the rear, and is isolated from the air inside the machine until it is blown from the air outlet, so that clean air is always blown from the air outlet.

Conventionally, only the air flow blown to the photoconductor side of the short-focus small-diameter lens array 2 by the duct 14a on the left side has been blown, so the toner floating in the gap between the drum-shaped photoconductor 3 and the duct 14 is blown out. The toner is sucked into the air flow and blows the toner onto the surface of the filter 8, which has the opposite effect.

In particular, since the developing device 6 is installed next to the duct 14, the toner leaked from the developing device 6 and the drum-shaped photoreceptor 3 and the duct
Although it entered the gap with 14, it was a high problem.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the right duct 14b is provided adjacent to the left duct 14a, and its air outlet is directed toward the developing device 6 side along the surface of the drum-shaped photoconductor 3 so that the toner is discharged. To prevent it from getting into the gap between the duct 14 and the duct.

Therefore, the air blown from the right duct 14a does not contain toner, and it is possible to prevent contaminants such as toner from adhering to the surface of the filter 8 by clean air at all times.

In this embodiment, due to the structure of the optical system, air is blown out in two directions from the left and right ducts 14a and 14b to prevent the optical system from being soiled. However, when the optical system has a different structure or arrangement, it is
It is conceivable to prevent the optical system from becoming dirty by forming an air flow in three or more directions as well as in one direction.

Advantageous Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, the air blowing means is interposed between the short focus small diameter lens array and the developing device, and the air blowing means blows air to the optical components such as the image forming side lens surface of the short focus small diameter lens array and the air. The air blower also blows air toward the developing device along the surface of the photoconductor so that the floating toner on the developing device side and around it is not sucked into the flow. Since it is possible to prevent the adherence of contaminants, it is possible to always obtain a clear copy image.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of an embodiment according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an internal schematic view of a copying machine, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an essential part of this embodiment. 01 …… Platen glass, 02 …… Original, 03 …… Short focus small-diameter lens array, 04 …… Drum-shaped photoconductor, 05 …… Charger,
06 …… Exposure lamp, 07 …… Developer, 08 …… Transfer, 09…
… Stripping device, 010 …… Cleaning device, 011 …… Fixing device, 1
...... Platen glass, 2 ... Short focus small diameter lens array,
3 ... drum-shaped photoconductor, 4 ... exposure lamp, 5 ... charger, 6 ... developing device, 7 ... erase lamp, 8 ... filter, 9 ... lamp housing, 10 ... reflecting surface, 11 ......
Glass, 12, 13 …… Internal space of lamp housing, 14 ……
Duct, 15 …… Internal space of the lamp housing.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A copying machine using a short-focus small-diameter lens array in an optical system, wherein a blowing unit is arranged between a short-focus small-diameter lens array arranged along a surface of a photoconductor and a developing device, One of the blowing directions blown from the means is a direction of an optical component arranged at or near the image forming side lens surface of the short focus small diameter lens array, and the other is a developing device direction along the photosensitive member surface. A characteristic device for preventing stains on the optical system of copying machines.