Patent Application
20120076559
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-213379 filed Sep. 24, 2010.
(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cleaner and an image forming apparatus.
(ii) Related Art
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, such as copying machines and printers, of the related art include a cleaner that removes substances attached to a surface of an image carrier on which an image is transferred, for example, transfer residual toner, paper dust, and discharge products.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaner including: a plate-shaped cleaning member having a distal end in contact with an image carrier that carries an image on a surface, the cleaning member performing cleaning by removing developer attached to the surface of the image carrier; a cleaning container that stores the developer removed by the cleaning member; a cleaning support body including a cleaning support portion having a sheet-like shape extending in an extending direction from the distal end to a proximal end of the cleaning member, the cleaning support portion supporting the proximal end of the cleaning member, a bent portion extending in a direction bent from the extending direction of the cleaning support portion, and a supported portion provided in the cleaning support portion and supported by the cleaning container; a vibration-damping body provided in contact with an end of the bent portion opposite the cleaning support portion, the vibration-damping member regulating vibration of the cleaning support body; and a vibration-damping-body fixing member supported by the cleaning container, the vibration-damping-body fixing member having a clamp portion that clamps and supports the vibration-damping body between the vibration-damping-body fixing member and the end of the bent portion opposite the cleaning support portion.
Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
While an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the following exemplary embodiment.
To easily understand the following description, in the drawings, the front-rear direction is designated as the X-axis direction, the right-left direction is designated as the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction is designated as the Z-axis direction. The directions shown by arrows X, −X, Y, −Y, Z, and −Z are forward, rearward, rightward, leftward, upward, and downward directions or front, rear, right, left, upper, and lower sides.
Further, in the drawings, ⊕ indicates the arrow pointing from the back side to the front side of the paper of the drawing, and {circle around (x)} indicates the arrow pointing from the front side to the back side of the paper plane.
In the following description using the drawings, illustrations of components other than components necessary for plain explanation are appropriately omitted.
Referring to
The document feeding device U2 includes a document feed tray TG1 serving as an example of a document supply unit on which plural documents Gi to be copied are stacked. Plural documents G1 stacked on the document feed tray TG1 sequentially pass over a copying position on the platen glass PG, that is, a contact position where a platen roller GR1 serving as an example of a document feed member is in contact with the platen glass PG, and are output by document output members GR2 onto a document output tray TG2 serving as an example of a document output unit.
The copying machine body U1 includes a scanner unit U1a serving as an example of an image reading device provided with the above-described platen glass PG, and a printer unit U1b serving as an example of an image recording device.
The scanner unit U1a includes a position detection member for an exposure system provided at a reference reading position, that is, a so-called exposure-system registration sensor Sp, and an exposure optical system A.
The movement and stop of the exposure optical system A are controlled according to a detection signal from the exposure-system registration sensor Sp. Usually, the exposure optical system A stays at the reference reading position illustrated in
In an automatic feeding operation in which copying is performed with the document feeding device U2, the exposure optical system A exposes documents Gi, which sequentially pass over the copying position on the platen glass PG, while staying at the reference reading position.
In contrast, in a manual reading operation in which a document Gi placed on the platen glass PG by the operator is copied, the exposure optical system A conducts exposure and scanning on the document Gi on the platen glass PG while moving to the right.
Reflected light from the exposed document Gi passes through the exposure optical system A, and is converged on an imaging unit CCD. The imaging unit CCD converts, into an electric signal, the light that is reflected from the document Gi and converged on an imaging surface thereof.
An image processing unit IPS converts a read image signal input from the imaging unit CCD into a digital image writing signal, and outputs the image writing signal to a writing driving circuit DL in the printer unit U1b.
The operation time of the writing driving circuit DL is controlled by a controller C provided in the printer unit U1b. The writing driving circuit DL outputs a driving signal in accordance with the input image data to a latent-image writing device ROS.
Below the latent-image writing device ROS, a photoconductor PR is provided as an example of a rotating image carrier. A surface of the photoconductor PR is charged in a charging area Q0 by a charging roller CR serving as an example of a charger, and is subjected to exposure and scanning with a laser beam L serving as an example of latent-image writing light from the latent-image writing device ROS at a latent-image writing position Q1, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor PR. After the electrostatic latent image is formed, the surface of the photoconductor PR rotates and sequentially passes through a developing area Q2 and a transfer area Q4.
The electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing device D in the developing area Q2. The developing device D transports developer to the developing area Q2 by means of a developing roller R0, and develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor PR passing through the developing area Q2 to form a toner image Tn serving as an example of a visible image.
A transfer roller TR serving as an example of a transfer unit opposes the photoconductor PR in the transfer area Q4, and transfers the toner image Tn on the surface of the photoconductor PR onto a sheet S serving as an example of a medium. To the transfer roller TR, a transfer voltage of a polarity opposite the charging polarity of developing toner used in the developing device D is supplied from a power supply circuit E. The power supply circuit E supplies applied voltages such as a charging voltage to the charging roller CR, a developing voltage to the developing roller R0, and the transfer voltage to the transfer roller TR, and includes a heater power supply for heating a heater of a heating roller in a below-described fixing device F. The power supply circuit E is controlled by the controller C.
In a lower part of the copying machine body U1, a first sheet feed tray TR1 and a second sheet feed tray TR2 serving as sheet containers are arranged one above the other.
At an upper right end of each of the first and second sheet feed trays TR1 and TR2, a pickup roller Rp is provided as an example of a medium pickup member. A sheet S picked up by the pickup roller Rp is transported to a loosening member Rs.
The loosening member Rs includes a feed roller Rs1 serving as an example of a sheet feed member and a retard roller Rs2 serving as an example of a separation member. The feed roller Rs1 and the retard roller Rs2 are in contact with each other. Sheets transported to the loosening member Rs are separated one by one and transported into a sheet transport path SH1 serving as an example of a medium transport path.
In the sheet transport path SH1, transport rollers Rb are arranged as an example of a transport member capable of forward and reverse rotations. A sheet S in the sheet transport path SH1 is transported into an upper pre-transfer sheet transport path SH2 by the transport rollers Rb capable of forward and reverse rotations.
The sheet S in the pre-transfer sheet transport path SH2 is transported by transport rollers Ra to registration rollers Rr serving as an example of a member for adjusting the time of transport to the transfer area Q4.
A sheet S fed from a manual feed tray TR0 serving as an example of a manual feed unit is also transported to the registration rollers Rr.
The sheet S is transported from the registration rollers Rr to the transfer area Q4 along a pre-transfer sheet guide SG1 serving as an example of a pre-transfer medium guide member in synchronization with a time when the toner image Tn on the surface of the photoconductor PR moves to the transfer area Q4.
In the transfer area Q4, the toner image Tn developed on the surface of the photoconductor PR is transferred onto the sheet S by the transfer roller TR. After transfer, the surface of the photoconductor PR is cleaned by a cleaner CL1 serving as an example of a cleaner so as to remove residual toner serving as an example of an attached substance, and is charged again by the charging roller CR.
The photoconductor PR, the charging roller CR, the latent-image writing device ROS, the developing device D, etc. constitute a toner-image forming device G serving as a visible-image forming device. In the exemplary embodiment, the photoconductor PR and the cleaner CL1 are combined into an exchangeable image carrier unit, that is, a process cartridge PR+CL1, which can be integrally and detachably mounted in the image forming apparatus U.
Downstream of the transfer area Q4 in the sheet transport direction, a post-transfer sheet transport path SH3 is provided as an example of a transport path through which the sheet S having the toner image Tn transferred in the transfer area Q4 is transported to a fixing area Q5. After the toner image Tn is transferred on the sheet S by the transfer roller TR in the transfer area Q4, the sheet S is separated from the surface of the photoconductor PR, is guided by a post-transfer sheet guide SG2 serving as an example of a medium guide member provided in the post-transfer sheet transport path SH3, and is then transported to the fixing device F by a transport belt BH serving as an example of a post-transfer medium transport member.
The fixing device F includes a heating roller Fh serving as an example of a heating fixing member and a pressure roller Fp serving as an example of a pressurizing fixing member. The heating roller Fh incorporates a heater as a heat source. While the sheet S transported to the fixing device F passes through the fixing area Q5 formed by a contact area between the heating roller Fh and the pressure roller Fp, the toner image Tn is heated and fixed. Then, the sheet S is transported to a sheet output tray TRh serving as an example of a medium output unit through an output path SH4 serving as an example of a transport path.
In the sheet output path SH4 and downstream of the fixing device F, a switch gate GT1 is provided as an example of a member for switching the transport path. The switch gate GT1 switches the transport direction of the sheet S passing through the fixing device F to the sheet output tray TRh or a connecting path SH5. The connecting path SH5 connects an upstream end of the sheet output path SH4, that is, a downstream portion of the fixing device F to the sheet transport path SH1.
In the case of duplex copying, a sheet S having a toner image recorded on a first surface thereof is transported to the connecting path SH5 by the switch gate GT1, passes through a gate GT2 serving as an example of a transport-direction regulating member, and is transported into a reverse path SH6 serving as an example of a transport path by reverse rotation of the transport rollers Rb capable of forward and reverse rotations. The sheet S in the reverse path SH6 is transported in the reverse direction, that is, switched back by the forward rotation of the transport rollers Rb, and is transported upside down to the transfer area Q4 again while being upside down.
The elements SH1 to SH6 constitute a transport path SH serving as an example of a medium transport path.
The transport path SH and the rollers Ra, Rb, and Rr provided in the transport path SH and having a sheet transport function constitute a sheet transport device US serving as an example of a medium transport device.
In
Referring to
In
In
Both front and rear ends of the blade support portion 8a of the exemplary embodiment are provided with screw penetrating holes 8b serving as an example of a supported portion. Therefore, as illustrated in
The blade metal plate 8 also includes a bent portion 8c bent in the leftward direction from the up-down direction in which the blade support portion 8a extends. At a left end of the bent portion 8c, a rubber support face 8d is provided as an example of a first clamp portion for a vibration-damping body.
Referring to
Referring to
In
The fixed plate 17 has a pair of front and rear semicircular cutouts 17a provided at positions corresponding to the positioning projections 11c of the plate fixing portion 11b in a manner such that the positioning projections 11c are received in the cutouts 17a. Therefore, if the rubber fixing member 16 is improperly mounted on the plate fixing portion 11b, the positioning projections 11c interfere with the mounting. When the rubber fixing member 16 is properly mounted, the positioning projections 11c are received in the cutouts 17a.
The fixed plate 17 also has screw penetrating holes 17b that serve as an example of a fixed portion and are provided at positions corresponding to the two screw holes 11d. As illustrated in
In addition, three screw holes 17c serving as an example of a fixing portion are provided at positions corresponding to the three concave portions 11e.
Apertures 18a are provided through the fixed plate 17 and the rubber fixing plate 18 at front and rear ends of a boundary between the plates 17 and 18. Plate-shaped rubber fixing portions 18b serving as an example of a second clamp portion for the vibration-damping body extend upward from lower edges of the apertures 18a.
Referring to
Referring to
The regulation plate 21 includes an upper plate 22 facing the fixed plate 17, and a vertical plate 23 bent downward from a right end of the upper plate 22.
In
Further, the upper plate 22 has three screw slots 22c serving as an example of a fixed portion. The screw slots 22c extend in the right-rear direction at positions corresponding to the three screw holes 17c.
Referring to
Second apertures 22d are respectively provided through front and rear ends of the upper plate 22 and extend in the up-down direction at positions corresponding to the apertures 18a of the rubber fixing member 16. Holding portions 22e bent downward from right edges of the second apertures 22 are provided at positions opposing and adjoining left sides of the rubber fixing portions 18b, as illustrated in
In
The rubber fixing member 16 and the regulation plate 21 constitute a vibration-damping fixing member 16+21 serving as an example of a vibration-damping-body fixing member.
In the image forming apparatus U of the exemplary embodiment having the above-described configuration, after an image formed on the surface of the photoconductor PR is transferred on a sheet S, residues remaining on the surface of the photoconductor PR are removed by the cleaning brush 3 and the cleaning blade 2. The contact pressure of the plate-shaped cleaning blade 2 in contact with the photoconductor PR changes according to the number and distribution of residues remaining on the surface of the photoconductor PR, unevenness of the surface of the photoconductor PR, and eccentricity of the photoconductor PR. Therefore, vibration sometimes occurs in the cleaning blade 2 because the distal end 2a of the cleaning blade 2 receives a deforming force in a direction to turn along the surface of the photoconductor PR and a direction to expand and contract. If vibration occurs in the cleaning blade 2, the blade metal plate 8 on which the cleaning blade 2 is supported sometimes vibrates and causes noise.
In contrast, in the cleaner CL1 of the exemplary embodiment, the vibration-damping rubbers 20 between the blade metal plate 8 and the rubber fixing member 16 absorb and damp vibration, and thereby reduce noise.
In the structure of the related art illustrated in
In contrast, in the structure of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
In particular, in the structure of the exemplary embodiment, the vibration-damping rubbers 20 are located on the rubber support face 8d at the left end in the right-left direction in which the bent portion 8c extends, not on the upper or lower surface intersecting the right-left direction. For example, if the vibration-damping member 04 is located on a lower surface 011, as illustrated in
In the cleaner CL1 of the exemplary embodiment, the vibration-damping rubbers 20 are supported while being clamped between the rubber fixing portions 18b and the rubber support face 8d, and the elastic restoring force of the vibration-damping rubbers 20 acts in a normal state in which no vibration occurs. Therefore, the rubber fixing portions 18b are pushed by the vibration-damping rubbers 20 and receive a force such as to be bent to the left. Hence, the rubber fixing portions 18b may permanently deform with time, and reduce the ability of the vibration-damping rubbers 20 to damp the vibration. Accordingly, in the exemplary embodiment, the holding portions 22e are provided on sides of the vibration-damping rubbers 20 opposite the rubber fixing portions 18b. Hence, even if the rubber fixing portions 18b are pushed by the vibration-damping rubbers 20, the holding portions 22e hold the rubber fixing portions 18b by contact therewith, and suppress bending, a warp, and deformation of the rubber fixing portions 18b. Therefore, the decrease with time in the ability of the vibration-damping rubbers 20 to damp vibration is smaller than in the case in which the holding portions 22e are not provided.
Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the regulation plate 21 provided with the holding portions 22e has the holding face 23a that holds the blade metal plate 8. Therefore, vibration of the blade metal plate 8 is restricted not only by the vibration-damping rubbers 20 at the left end, but also by the holding face 23a on the right side. Thus, vibration is more efficiently damped than in the case in which the holding face 23a is not provided.
Moreover, the regulation plate 21 has the holding face 23a and the holding portions 22e, and the blade metal plate 8 and the rubber fixing portions 18b are clamped from the outer side by the regulation plate 21 formed as a single member. Therefore, the size after deformation of the vibration-damping rubbers 20 clamped between the blade metal plate 8 and the rubber fixing portions 18b is controlled and managed according to the manufacturing accuracy of the regulation plate 21.
In addition, in the exemplary embodiment, the vibration-damping fixing member 16+21 is not an integral member, but includes two members, namely, the rubber fixing member 16 and the regulation plate 21 that are connected by the screws 24. If the vibration-damping fixing member 16+21 is formed as an integral member and is provided with the apertures 18a and the cutouts 17a, the total rigidity and strength is prone to be low. In contrast, in the exemplary embodiment, the vibration-damping fixing member 16+21 is formed by two members, namely, the rubber fixing member 16 and the regulation plate 21. Thus, high rigidity may be more easily ensured in the connected structure than in the single member.
If the vibration-damping fixing member is integrally formed, it needs to be assembled in the cleaning container 1 while being clamped at both sides between the rubber fixing portions 18b and the holding face 23a. In contrast, in the structure of the exemplary embodiment, the rubber fixing member 16 is fixed to clamp the vibration-damping rubbers 20, and the regulation plate 21 is then fixed such that the holding face 23a holds the blade metal plate 8. This allows a relatively easy assembly.
While the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment. Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention defined by the claims. The followings are modifications H01 to H06 of the invention.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-213379 | Sep 2010 | JP | national |
