IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND BELT CLEANING APPARATUS

Abstract

A pressure release cam and a boomerang cam are provided. The pressure release cam is interlocked with a belt cleaner when the latter is turned, whereas the boomerang cam is interlocked with the belt cleaner when the latter is mounted in position. As the belt cleaner is turned to move the cleaning blade away from an intermediate transfer belt, the pressure release cam is moved to a release position to release the cleaning member from the pressure applied to it by a pushing unit. The pressure applied by the pushing unit to the cleaning member is restored when the boomerang cam is turned as a motion interlocked with the operation of mounting the belt cleaner in position and the pressure release cam is taken out from the release position. The cleaner frame is provided with first and second guide rails for allowing the belt cleaner to slide and a toner anti-fall dish.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a color copying machine that is an embodiment of the present invention with its front cover open, showing the appearance thereof;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the image forming section according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing the configuration thereof;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an intermediate transfer belt and a belt cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of part of the belt cleaner drawn out from the main body frame according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic lateral view of the belt cleaner and a cleaner frame disposed at the toner recovery position according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic lateral view of the belt cleaner and the cleaner frame disposed at the mounting/dismounting position according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaner frame according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the bottom direction;

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of part of the intermediate transfer belt according to the embodiment of the present invention, from which the belt cleaner is removed;

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the arrangement of the cleaner frame and a guide projection of the belt cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of the arrangement of the cleaner frame and the guide projection of the belt cleaner that is partly drawn out, according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a pushing unit and a lock mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of part of the pushing unit and the lock mechanism relative to the intermediate transfer belt according to the embodiment of the present invention when the belt cleaner is at the toner recovery position;

FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a hook member and the lock mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention when the belt cleaner is at the toner recovery position;

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of part of the pushing unit and the lock mechanism relative to the intermediate transfer belt according to the embodiment of the present invention when the belt cleaner is at the mounting/dismounting position; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of the hook member and the lock mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention when the belt cleaner is at the mounting/dismounting position.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image forming units having respectively toner image forming means for forming toner images on corresponding image carrier members;an endless belt member arranged opposite to the image carriers to bear and move the toner images transferred from the image carriers as primary transfer and transfer them on a transfer medium; anda cleaning member arranged opposite to the belt member after transferring the toner image on the transfer medium and holding a cleaning blade so as to be able to bring it into contact and move it away from the belt member, the cleaning member being removably mounted in the image forming apparatus independently relative to the belt member; wherebythe cleaning member is adapted to be turned to move the cleaning blade away from the belt member and subsequently moved in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the belt member so as to be removably mounted in the image forming apparatus independently relative to the belt member.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direction perpendicular to the running direction of the belt member is the front direction of the image forming apparatus.

3. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image forming units having respectively toner image forming means for forming toner images on corresponding image carriers;an endless belt member arranged opposite to the image carriers to bear and move the toner images transferred from the image carriers as primary transfer and transfer them on a transfer medium;a cleaning member holding a cleaning blade, the cleaning blade being adapted to be brought into contact with and moved away from the belt member, and arranged opposite to the belt member after transferring the toner images to the transfer medium, the cleaning member capable of being mounted and dismounted independently relative to the belt member;a pushing member movable between a toner recovering position and a mounting/dismounting position and adapted to push the cleaning member in the direction toward the belt member at the toner recovering position so as to bring the cleaning blade into contact with the belt member;a release member adapted to be interlocked with the belt member in an operation of moving the cleaning blade away from the belt member to move the pushing member from the toner recovering position to the mounting/dismounting position and release the pressure being applied to the cleaning member; anda restoration member adapted to be interlocked with the cleaning member in an operation of mounting it to restore the release member and move the pushing member from the mounting/dismounting position to the toner recovering position.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pushing member has a hook member to be held in contact with the cleaning member and a elastic member for pulling the hook member in the direction toward the belt member; andthe release member has a pressure release cam adapted to pull the hook member in a direction opposite to the direction toward the belt member with the operation of moving the cleaning blade away from the belt member in an interlocked manner and stand still in a release position; whilethe restoration member is adapted to be interlocked with the pressure release cam and also with the cleaning member in an operation of being mounted to take out the pressure release cam from the release position.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressure release cam and the restoration cam are fitted to a same shaft.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning member has a projection member adapted to be brought into contact with the restoration cam so as to turn it in the mounting operation.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image forming units having respectively toner image forming means for forming toner images on corresponding image carriers;an endless belt member arranged opposite to the image carrier members to bear and move the toner images transferred from the image carriers as primary transfer and transfer them on a transfer medium;a cleaning member holding a cleaning blade, the cleaning blade being adapted to be brought into contact with and moved away from the belt member, and arranged opposite to the belt member after transferring the toner images to the transfer medium, the cleaning member capable of being mounted and dismounted independently relative to the belt member;a pushing member movable between a toner recovering position and a mounting/dismounting position and adapted to push the cleaning member in the direction toward the belt member at the toner recovering position so as to bring the cleaning blade into contact with the belt member;a release member adapted to be interlocked with the belt member in an operation of moving the cleaning blade away from the belt member to move the pushing member from the toner recovering position to the mounting/dismounting position and release the pressure being applied to the cleaning member;a restoration member adapted to be interlocked with the cleaning member in an operation of mounting it to restore the release member and move the pushing member from the mounting/dismounting position to the toner recovering position;a guide member for guiding the cleaning member in the mounting/dismounting direction thereof;a receiving member arranged at the cleaning member and adapted to be guided by the guide member in an operation of mounting/dismounting the cleaning member; anda passage section formed at the guide member to allow the receiving member to pass through at the time of brining the cleaning member into contact with and moving it away from the belt member.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image forming units having respectively toner image forming means for forming toner images on corresponding image carriers;an endless belt member arranged opposite to the image carriers to bear and move the toner images transferred from the image carriers as primary transfer and transfer them on a transfer medium;a cleaning member holding a cleaning blade, the cleaning blade being adapted to be brought into contact with and moved away from the belt member, and arranged opposite to the belt member after transferring the toner images to the transfer medium, the cleaning member capable of being mounted and dismounted independently relative to the belt member;a pushing member movable between a toner recovering position and a mounting/dismounting position and adapted to push the cleaning member in the direction toward the belt member at the toner recovering position so as to bring the cleaning blade into contact with the belt member;a release member adapted to be interlocked with the belt member in an operation of moving the cleaning blade away from the belt member to move the pushing member from the toner recovering position to the mounting/dismounting position and release the pressure being applied to the cleaning member;a restoration member adapted to be interlocked with the cleaning member in an operation of mounting it to restore the release member and move the pushing member from the mounting/dismounting position to the toner recovering position; anda support member having a toner receiving section extending below the contact region of the belt member and the cleaning member and a guide member for guiding the cleaning member in the mounting/dismounting direction thereof.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image forming units having respectively toner image forming means for forming toner images on corresponding image carriers;an endless belt member arranged opposite to the image carriers to bear and move the toner images transferred from the image carriers as primary transfer and transfer them on a transfer medium;a cleaning member arranged opposite to the endless belt member so as to be capable of being brought into contact with and moved away from the belt member after transferring the toner images on the transfer medium and adapted to be moved away from the belt member independently relative to the belt member for mounting/dismounting operations;a guide member for guiding the cleaning member in the mounting/dismounting direction thereof;a receiving member arranged at the cleaning member and adapted to be guided by the guide member in an operation of mounting/dismounting the cleaning member; anda passage section formed at the guide member to allow the receiving member to pass through at the time of brining the cleaning member into contact with and moving it away from the belt member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the passage section is formed by cutting out part of the guide member.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of receiving members are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning member and the plurality of passage sections are formed at the guide member to correspond to the plurality of receiving members.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image forming units having respectively toner image forming means for forming toner images on corresponding image carriers;an endless belt member arranged opposite to the image carriers to bear and move the toner images transferred from the image carriers as primary transfer and transfer them on a transfer medium;a cleaning member arranged opposite to the belt member so as to be brought into contact with the latter after transferring the toner images on the transfer medium and capable of being mounted and dismounted independently relative to the belt member;a toner receiving section extending below the contact region of the belt member and the cleaning member; anda support member having a guide member for guiding the cleaning member in the mounting/dismounting direction.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the belt member is arranged above the plurality of image forming units and the lower side of the belt member faces the image carriers.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the mounting/dismounting direction is a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the belt member.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the direction perpendicular to the running direction of the belt member is the frontward direction of the image forming apparatus.