JPH0758418B2 - Image carrier cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. Purpose of the invention [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to an image carrier such as a photoconductor in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser beam printer, and an electrostatic recording device. Cleaner for cleaning.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a transfer type electrophotographic copying machine, a toner image is formed on a photoconductor through known processes such as charging, exposure, and development of a photoconductor as an image carrier, and the toner image is transferred onto a transfer paper or the like. After the transfer, the waste toner remaining on the photoconductor is cleaned and removed by a cleaner.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The cleaner generally scrapes off the waste toner on the surface of the photoconductor with a cleaning member such as a cleaning blade,
The scraped waste toner is dropped by its own weight into the cleaner container and collected, and when the cleaner is arranged above the photoconductor, the waste toner cannot be collected smoothly.
There has been a problem that the cleaner has to be arranged laterally or below the photoconductor, and the position where the cleaner is arranged with respect to the photoconductor is restricted.

An object of the present invention is to enable the waste toner to be smoothly collected even when the cleaner is arranged above the image carrier.

B. Configuration of the Invention [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention is directed to a cleaning member that is in contact with the upper portion of the image carrier, and an image carrier surface that is closer to the image carrier surface than the contact part of the cleaning member. Of the scooping sheet disposed on the upstream side in the surface moving direction, the waste toner storage section disposed on the side opposite to the scooping sheet side with the contact portion between the cleaning member and the image carrier surface in the middle, and the cleaning member for removing. A substantially arc-shaped guide surface that guides the toner on the surface of the image bearing member to the waste toner accommodating portion side; and a communication portion that connects the contact portion of the cleaning member with the image bearing member surface and the waste toner accommodating portion. An image carrier cleaner characterized in that it is configured so that waste toner is accommodated through above a cleaning member.

[Work]

A waste toner storage section is disposed on the side opposite to the scooping sheet side with the contact portion of the cleaning member with the image support surface facing the inside, and the toner on the image support surface removed by the cleaning member is guided to the waste toner storage section. The cleaner has a structure in which the waste toner is accommodated through the upper portion of the cleaning member by providing a communication portion that connects the contact portion between the substantially arc-shaped guide surface, the surface of the cleaning member and the surface of the image carrier, and the waste toner storage portion. Even when the toner is disposed above the image carrier, the waste toner on the image carrier removed by the cleaning member can be smoothly collected with a simple configuration.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a drum-shaped photosensitive member as an image carrier, which is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow a at a predetermined peripheral speed.
Reference numeral 2 is a cleaner disposed above the photoconductor.

Around the photoconductor 1, in addition to the cleaner 2, process means such as charging means, exposure means, developing means, transfer means, etc., which are omitted in the figure, are arranged, and image formation is performed according to a known image forming process. Done.

The cleaner 2 has a cleaner container 3, a cleaning blade 4 as a cleaning member, and a toner scooping sheet 5. The waste toner T scraped by the cleaning blade 4 is disposed in the cleaner toner container 6 in the waste toner storage portion 6.
It is configured to be stored inside.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, an arc-shaped guide for guiding the waste toner scraped by the cleaning blade 4 to the storage portion 6 is provided on the inner surface of the cleaner container facing the cleaning blade 4 on the side opposite to the waste toner storage portion 6. The surface 31 is formed. 7 is a cover for closing the upper opening of the cleaner container 3, 8 is a support member for the cleaning blade 4, and 9 is a support member.
Indicates the mounting screw. Reference numeral 10 is a communication portion between the side of the cleaning blade 4 that contacts the photosensitive member and the waste toner storage portion 6.

With the above structure, the transfer residual waste toner T remaining on the photoconductor 1 moves toward the cleaner 2 as the photoconductor 1 rotates, as shown in FIG. The cleaning blade 4 passes through the bottom and is scraped off sequentially. Then, the waste toner T scraped off by the cleaning blade 4 and accumulated between the scooping sheet 5 and the scooping sheet 5 is gradually pushed up along the guide surface 31, guided in the direction of the arrow b in the figure, and then is deposited on the cleaning blade 4. It will be accumulated.

As the waste toner is further accumulated, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the waste toner T is piled up on the cleaning blade 4 as a mountain T1 and the upper part of the waste toner T collapses in the direction of the arrow c, whereby the waste toner is sequentially removed. Are guided into the storage section 6. As a result, the toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 4 can be sequentially guided to the waste toner storage unit 6 without being accumulated and hardened in the vicinity of the tip of the cleaning blade 4.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which the arcuate guide surface 31 on the inner surface of the cleaner container is provided at a higher position than in the case of the above-mentioned FIG.

With the above-described configuration, the height of the waste toner pile T1 accumulated on the cleaning blade 4 can be increased, and a larger amount of waste toner is conveyed to the waste toner storage unit 6 located further away. It becomes possible.

FIG. 4 shows a toner conveying member provided inside the arcuate guide surface 31, and in the case of the drawing, a rotary blade is used as the toner conveying member.
An example in which 10 is provided concentrically with the arc-shaped guide surface 31 will be shown.
Other configurations are the same as in the case of the above-mentioned FIG.

The rotary blade 10 is rotationally driven in a direction indicated by an arrow d in the figure by a drive mechanism (not shown), and the waste toner scraped by the cleaning blade 4 is moved along the arc-shaped guide surface 31.
It becomes possible to carry it more smoothly.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which an arcuate guide surface 31 is formed on the entire inner surface of the cleaner container facing the cleaning blade 4. That is, the inner surface of the cleaner container facing the blade 4 is formed only by the arc-shaped guide surface 31 without providing the surface 32 in the substantially vertical direction under the arc-shaped guide surface as shown in FIGS. With the above-described configuration, the waste toner transporting property can be further improved.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which a guide member 11 which is inclined downward toward the toner storage portion 6 is provided above the cleaning blade 4.

With the above configuration, the waste toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 4 and rising along the arc-shaped guide surface 31 falls on the guide member 11 and is stored in the waste toner storage portion 6 along the slope of the guide member. Since it is configured to lead, it becomes possible to further smoothly convey the toner to the storage section 6.

The guide member 11 may be integrally formed with the cleaner container 3 or the blade supporting member 8, or may be separately formed and attached with a screw or the like.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which the mounting angle of the cleaning blade 4 to the cleaner container 3 is inclined so that the toner storage portion 6 side becomes lower.

Also in this example, the waste toner dropped on the cleaning blade 4 along the arcuate guide surface 31 is stored in the toner storage portion 6,
It becomes possible to carry it more smoothly.

The above-described embodiments may be combined with each other as appropriate.

C. Effect of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the toner removed by the cleaning member is stored in the cleaner container even if the cleaner is disposed on the upper portion of the image carrier with the extremely simple structure. It is possible to smoothly collect the image forming apparatus on the image forming apparatus, so that there is no restriction on the arrangement position of the cleaner with respect to the image carrier, and the degree of freedom in design can be significantly increased, and a low cost and highly reliable image forming apparatus can be provided. There are effects such as being able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are explanatory views of its operating state, and FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are longitudinal sectional views of the essential parts of an image forming apparatus showing another embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an image carrier (photoreceptor), 2 is a cleaner, 3 is a cleaner container, 31 is a guide surface, and 4 is a cleaning member (cleaning blade).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning member brought into contact with an upper portion of an image carrier, and a scooping sheet arranged upstream of a contact portion of the cleaning member with the surface of the image carrier in a surface moving direction of the surface of the image carrier. A waste toner storage portion disposed on the side opposite to the scooping sheet side with the contact portion of the cleaning member with the surface of the image bearing body being in the middle, and the toner on the surface of the image carrier removed by the cleaning member is disposed on the waste toner storage portion side. The cleaning member has a substantially arc-shaped guide surface, and a communication portion that connects the contact portion of the cleaning member with the surface of the image bearing member and the waste toner storage portion. An image carrier cleaner having the above-mentioned configuration.