Patent Grant
9939751
The present invention relates to charging devices and image forming apparatuses.
A charging device including a charging roller and a cleaning member is generally known. The charging roller charges a photosensitive member. The charging roller is in contact with the photosensitive member. The charging roller may therefore be contaminated by either or both of a trace of toner left on the photosensitive member and paper dust. Accordingly, the charging roller is cleaned using the cleaning member.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a charging device including a charging roller supported by a supporting member. The charging roller is pressed against a photosensitive member through a spring member biasing the supporting member. Accordingly, the charging roller passively rotates in accompaniment to rotation of the photosensitive member. In contrast, a cleaning member therein rotates through driving force of a drum gear. As a result, the charging roller is cleaned.
[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-242567
However, the cleaning member in the charging device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 may cause the supporting member to vacillate or oscillate as rotating through driving force of the drum gear. Furthermore, vacillation or oscillation of the supporting member may cause the charging roller to vacillate or oscillate. This may result in non-uniform image density in an image formed on a sheet based on an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member.
The present invention has been achieved in consideration of the above problem and an objective thereof is to provide a charging device and an image forming apparatus that are capable of reducing occurrence of non-uniform image density in an image formed on a sheet.
A charging device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a charging roller, a supporting section, a guide, a first biasing section, and a second biasing section. The charging roller charges an image bearing member. The supporting section supports the charging roller such that the charging roller is rotatable. The guide guides the supporting section in a first direction. The first biasing section biases the supporting section in the first direction to press the charging roller against the image bearing member. The second biasing section biases the supporting section toward the guide.
An image forming apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention forms an image on a sheet. The image forming apparatus includes the charging device according to the first aspect and the image bearing member.
According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce occurrence of non-uniform image density in an image formed on a sheet.
The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Elements that are the same or equivalent are indicated by the same reference signs in the drawings and description thereof is not repeated. An X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis are perpendicular to one another with the Z axis being substantially parallel to a vertical direction and theZ axis and the Y axis being substantially parallel to a horizontal direction.
The following describes an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to
The sheet feeding section 10 includes a cassette 11 in which a plurality of sheets P are loaded. The sheets P are for example paper or synthetic resin sheets. The sheet feeding section 10 feeds a sheet P from the cassette 11 to the conveyance section 20. The conveyance section 20 conveys the sheet P to the image forming section 30. The image forming section 30 forms an image on the sheet P. After the image is formed on the sheet P, the conveyance section 20 conveys the sheet P to the ejection section 100. The ejection section 100 ejects the sheet P out of the image forming apparatus 1.
The image forming section 30 includes a light exposure unit 31, a unit 32a, a unit 32b, a unit 32c, a unit 32d, an intermediate transfer belt 33, a secondary transfer roller 34, and a fixing unit 35.
The light exposure unit 31 irradiates each of the units 32a to 32d with light based on image data to form an electrostatic latent image in each of the units 32a to 32d.
The unit 32a forms a yellow developer image based on the electrostatic latent image. The unit 32b forms a magenta developer image based on the electrostatic latent image. The unit 32c forms a cyan developer image based on the electrostatic latent image. The unit 32d forms a black developer image based on the electrostatic latent image.
The intermediate transfer belt 33 rotates in a rotation direction R1. The developer images of the four colors are transferred from the units 32a to 32d onto an outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33 such that the developer images are superimposed on one another to form an image. The secondary transfer roller 34 transfers the image formed on the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33 onto the sheet P. The fixing unit 35 applies heat and pressure on the sheet P to fix the image to the sheet P.
Each of the units 32a to 32d includes a photosensitive drum 50 (image bearing member), a charging device 51, a developing device 52, a primary transfer roller 53, a static eliminator 54, and a cleaner 55. The plurality of photosensitive drums 50 are in contact with the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33 and are arranged along the rotation direction R1 of the intermediate transfer belt 33. The plurality of primary transfer rollers 53 are disposed opposite to the plurality of photosensitive drums 50 in one-to-one correspondence with the intermediate transfer belt 33 therebetween.
In each of the units 32a to 32d, the charging device 51, the developing device 52, the primary transfer roller 53, the static eliminator 54, and the cleaner 55 are arranged along a circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 50 in the stated order.
The photosensitive drum 50 rotates in a rotation direction R2. The charging device 51 charges the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 50. The circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 50 is irradiated with light by the light exposure unit 31, and thus an electrostatic latent image is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 50. The developing device 52 causes a developer to adhere to the electrostatic latent image to develop the electrostatic latent image. Thus, a developer image is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 50. That is, the photosensitive drum 50 bears the developer image thereon. The primary transfer roller 53 transfers the developer image borne by the photosensitive drum 50 to the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33. The static eliminator 54 eliminates static electricity from the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 50. The cleaner 55 removes the developer left on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 50.
The following describes the photosensitive drum 50, the charging device 51, and the cleaner 55 with reference to
The charging device 51 includes a charging roller 65, a cleaning member 67, and a base member 69.
The charging roller 65 charges the photosensitive drum 50. The charging roller 65 is a conductive rubber roller including a metal core and an elastic layer such as rubber formed on a circumferential surface of the metal core. The charging roller 65 is pressed against the photosensitive drum 50. Accordingly, the charging roller 65 passively rotates in a rotation direction R3 in accompaniment to the rotation of the photosensitive drum 50. The rotation direction R3 is an opposite direction to the rotation direction R2.
The cleaning member 67 cleans the charging roller 65. The cleaning member 67 is in contact with the charging roller 65. The cleaning member 67 is driven by a drive mechanism. More specifically, the drive mechanism causes rotation of the cleaning member 67 while causing reciprocation of the cleaning member 67 along an axial direction of the cleaning member 67. As a result, the cleaning member 67 removes matters (for example, either or both of developer and paper dust) adhering to the charging roller 65. The cleaning member 67 according to the present embodiment is a brush roller including a solid cylindrical or hollow cylindrical body 67a and a brush 67b. The brush 67b has a specific bristle density and is radially disposed on a circumferential surface of the body 67a.
The base member 69 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and is formed from an electrically insulating resin. The base member 69 extends along the axial direction of the cleaning member 67 and accommodates a portion of the cleaning member 67.
The following describes the charging device 51 with reference to
As illustrated in
The pair of supporting members 71 respectively support the pair of shafts 65a of the charging roller 65 such that the charging roller 65 is rotatable. The pair of supporting members 71 respectively support the pair of shafts 67c of the cleaning member 67 such that the cleaning member 67 is rotatable. The supporting members 71 are formed from a synthetic resin (for example, polycarbonate).
One of the pair of supporting members 71 is located at one of the axial ends of the charging roller 65 and one of the axial ends of the cleaning member 67. The other supporting member 71 is located at the other of the axial ends of the charging roller 65 and the other of the axial ends of the cleaning member 67.
The pair of guides 73 are located at opposite longitudinal ends of the base member 69 in one-to-one correspondence with the pair of supporting members 71. In the present embodiment, the pair of guides 73 are integral with the base member 69. The supporting members 71 are slidably mounted in the guides 73. The guides 73 guide the supporting members 71 in a first direction D1. In the present embodiment, the first direction D1 is a direction toward a positive direction of the Z axis.
The pair of first coil springs 75 respectively bias the pair of supporting members 71 in the first direction D1 to press the charging roller 65 against the photosensitive drum 50. The first coil springs 75 have a substantially frustoconical shape.
The pair of second coil springs 90 are respectively disposed on the pair of supporting members 71. The second coil springs 90 bias the supporting members 71 toward the guides 73. Thus, the supporting members 71 are pressed against the guides 73, restricting vacillation and oscillation of the supporting members 71. Through restriction of vacillation and oscillation of the supporting members 71, vacillation and oscillation of the charging roller 65 can be restricted.
As a result, the present embodiment can reduce occurrence of non-uniform image density in an image formed on a sheet P based on an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 50.
More specifically, the second coil springs 90 bias the supporting members 71 in a second direction D2 to press the supporting member 71 against the guides 73. The second direction D2 is substantially perpendicular to the first direction D1. Accordingly, the biasing force of the second coil springs 90 does not increase the pressing force applied from the charging roller 65 to the photosensitive drum 50. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the photosensitive drum 50 can rotate smoothly, and the quality of an image that is formed on a sheet P can be improved.
The biasing force of the first coil springs 75 in the first direction D1 is for example set to 5 newtons, and the biasing force of the second coil springs 90 in the second direction D2 is for example set to 1.5 newtons. In such a configuration, the biasing force of the second coil springs 90 does not increase the pressing force applied from the charging roller 65 to the photosensitive drum 50. That is, the biasing force of the second coil springs 90 in the second direction D2 is smaller than the biasing force of the first coil springs 75 in the first direction D1, and therefore the pressing force from the charging roller 65 to the photosensitive drum 50 can be further restricted from increasing because of the second coil springs 90. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the photosensitive drum 50 can rotate more smoothly, and the quality of an image that is formed on a sheet P can be further improved.
In the present embodiment, the second direction D2 is a direction toward a positive direction of the Z axis. The second coil springs 90 have a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. Furthermore,
The following describes the supporting members 71 with reference to
As illustrated in
The first bearing section 81 rotatably supports one of the shafts 65a of the charging roller 65. The restriction section 83 is located opposite to a portion of an end surface of the shaft 65a. The restriction section 83 restricts movement of the charging roller 65 in an axial direction of the charging roller 65. As a result, the charging roller 65 is prevented from becoming offset from the photosensitive drum 50. The second bearing section 82 rotatably supports one of the shafts 67c of the cleaning member 67.
The two first guided sections 91 are elongated along the first direction D1. One first guided section 91 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a first guided section 91a”) of the two first guided sections 91 is located adjacent to the first bearing section 81. The other first guided section 91 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a first guided section 91b”) is located adjacent to the second bearing section 82. The first guided section 91a protrudes further toward the outside of the supporting member 71 than the first guided section 91b. The first guided sections may include a plurality of the first guided sections 91a or a plurality of the first guided sections 91b.
The two second guided sections 92 are elongated along the first direction D1. One second guided section 92 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a second guided section 92a”) of the two second guided sections 92 is located adjacent to the first bearing section 81. The other second guided section 92 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a second guided section 92b”) is located adjacent to the second bearing section 82. The second guided section 92a protrudes further toward the outside of the supporting member 71 than the second guided section 92b. The second guided sections may include a plurality of the second guided sections 92a or a plurality of the second guided sections 92b.
A proximal section of the second coil spring 90 is mounted on the attachment section 88. As a result, the second coil spring 90 is installed on the attachment section 88.
More specifically, the attachment section 88 is located between the second guided section 92a and the second guided section 92b. The attachment section 88 protrudes toward the outside of the supporting member 71 from the location between the second guided section 92a and the second guided section 92b. However, the attachment section 88 does not protrude further outward than the second guided section 92a and the second guided section 92b. That is, a distal end of the attachment section 88 is located inward of the second guided section 92a and the second guided section 92b. The attachment section 88 is a protrusion having a substantially cross-shaped cross-section. The proximal section of the second coil spring 90 is disposed around the attachment section 88.
One stopper 84 of the two stoppers 84 is located at one end of opposite ends of the first guided section 91b that is farther from the first guided section 91a. The one stopper 84 protrudes further toward the outside of the supporting member 71 than the first guided section 91b. The other stopper 84 is located at one end of opposite ends of the second guided section 92b that is farther from the second guided section 92a. The other stopper 84 protrudes further toward the outside of the supporting member 71 than the second guided section 92b.
The mount section 86 has a substantially plate-like shape. The mount section 86 is included in the supporting member 71 at a position that allows the second bearing section 82 to be located between the mount section 86 and the first bearing section 81.
The following describes the guides 73 with reference to
As illustrated in
With the first guided section 91 and the second guided section 92 respectively in engagement with the first guiding section 101 and the second guiding section 102, the supporting member 71 is slidable in the first direction D1 along the first guiding section 101 and the second guiding section 102. That is, the first guiding section 101 and the second guiding section 102 guide the supporting member 71 in the first direction D1. Note that the supporting member 71 is also slidable in an opposite direction to the first direction D1.
The first guiding section 101 and the second guiding section 102 are located opposite to one another. As illustrated in
The following describes the first coil springs 75 and the second coil springs 90 with reference to
As illustrated in
A distal section of the second coil spring 90 is in contact with the second guiding section 102. The second coil spring 90 biases the supporting member 71 toward the first guiding section 101. Thus, the supporting member 71 is pressed against the first guiding section 101.
As a result, the present embodiment can restrict the supporting member 71 from vacillating and oscillating in the gap G while the supporting member 71 is mounted in the guide 73. That is, rattling of the supporting member 71 in the gap G can be restricted. Through restriction of vacillation and oscillation of the supporting members 71, vacillation and oscillation of the charging roller 65 can be restricted. As a result, it is possible to reduce occurrence of non-uniform image density in an image formed on a sheet P based on an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 50.
More specifically, the second coil spring 90 biases the supporting member 71 in the second direction D2 toward the first guiding section 101. The second direction D2 is substantially perpendicular to the first direction D1. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the biasing force of the second coil spring 90 does not increase the pressing force applied from the charging roller 65 to the photosensitive drum 50. As a result, the photosensitive drum 50 can rotate smoothly, and the quality of an image that is formed on a sheet P can be improved.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the attachment section 88 is located between the second guided section 92a and the second guided section 92b. The second coil spring 90 is disposed between the attachment section 88 and the second guiding section 102. Accordingly, the supporting member 71 can be readily biased by the second coil spring 90 toward the first guiding section 101.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the first guiding section 101 is located downstream of the second guiding section 102 in the rotation direction R2 of the photosensitive drum 50 as illustrated in
The following describes the supporting member 71 and the guide 73 in more detail with reference to
The second guided section 92a of the supporting member 71 protrudes further toward the second guiding section 102 than the second guided section 92b. Thus, the second guided section 92a and the second guided section 92b form a step.
The first guiding section 101 of the guide 73 includes a plurality of first flat sections 111. The two first flat sections 111 are elongated along the first direction D1. One first flat section 111 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a first flat section 111a”) of the two first flat sections 111 is located opposite to the first guided section 91a. The other first flat section 111 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a first flat section 111b”) is located opposite to the first guided section 91b.
The first flat section 111b protrudes further toward the supporting member 71 than the first flat section 111a. Thus, the first flat section 111b and the first flat section 111a form a step. As a result, an area of contact between the first guided section 91a and the first flat section 111a is smaller and an area of contact between the first guided section 91b and the first flat section 111b is smaller than in a configuration including no such a step.
The second guiding section 102 of the guide 73 includes a plurality of second flat sections 112. The two second flat sections 112 are elongated along the first direction D1. One second guiding section 112 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a second flat section 112a”) of the two second flat sections 112 is located opposite to the second guided section 92a. The other second flat section 112 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “a second flat section 112b”) is located opposite to the second guided section 92b.
The second flat section 112b protrudes further toward the supporting member 71 than the second flat section 112a. Thus, the second flat section 112b and the second flat section 112a form a step. As a result, an area of contact between the second guided section 92a and the second flat section 112a is smaller and an area of contact between the second guided section 92b and the second flat section 112b is smaller than in a configuration including no such a step.
According to the present embodiment, as described above with reference to
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the distal end of the attachment section 88 is located inward of the second guided section 92a and the second guided section 92b. Thus, friction between the second guiding section 102 and the supporting member 71 can be further reduced. Such a configuration allows the supporting member 71 to slide along the guide 73 more smoothly.
Note that in the present embodiment, the pair of supporting members 71 have the same configuration as one another, the pair of guides 73 have the same configuration as one another, and each of the pair of supporting members 71 is provided with the second coil spring 90. However, only one of the pair of supporting members 71 may be provided with the second coil spring 90.
The following describes the second coil springs 90 in more detail with reference to
Thus, according to the present embodiment, the end 90b of the distal section 90a is prevented from coming in contact with the second guiding section 102. That is, a curved surface 90c of the distal section 90a is in contact with the second guiding section 102. Such a configuration allows the supporting member 71 to slide along the guide 73 more smoothly.
An embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may be implemented in various different forms that do not deviate from the essence of the present invention. Also, a plurality of elements of configuration disclosed in the above embodiment can be combined as appropriate to form various inventions. For example, some of the elements of configuration included in the embodiment may be omitted. Furthermore, elements of configuration included in different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. The drawings schematically illustrate elements of configuration in order to facilitate understanding and properties of elements of configuration illustrated in the drawings, such as thickness, length, quantity, and spacing, may differ from actual properties thereof in order to facilitate preparation of the drawings. Furthermore, properties of elements of configuration described in the above embodiment, such as material properties, shapes, and dimensions, are merely examples and are not intended as specific limitations. Various alterations may be made so long as there is no substantial deviation from the effects of the present invention.
The present invention relates to charging devices and image forming apparatuses, and is industrially applicable thereto.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-124072 | Jun 2015 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2016/062520 | 4/20/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2016/203839 | 12/22/2016 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8472839 | Kishi | Jun 2013 | B2 |
| 20160378014 | Hoshino | Dec 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 11160969 | Jun 1999 | JP |
| 2007078068 | Mar 2007 | JP |
| 2012-242567 | Dec 2012 | JP |
| 2013246288 | Dec 2013 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170307995 A1 | Oct 2017 | US |
