Patent Application
20230384722
The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, a copy machine, and a facsimile that uses an electrophotographic recording method.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus uniformly charges a photosensitive drum serving as an image bearing member and thereafter exposes the photosensitive drum based on an image pattern so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum is then developed with toner and visualized, and the resulting image is transferred onto a recording material such as a sheet. Then, the untransferred residual toner on the photosensitive drum is removed from the photosensitive drum and collected. While various cleaning methods for removing untransferred residual toner are known, methods that use brushes are widely known as an effective method.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-65580 discusses a structure with a brush for cleaning toner on a photosensitive drum, and the brush is situated upstream of a charging unit and downstream of a transfer unit in a movement direction of the photosensitive drum. According to this document, in a case where, for example, image forming is interrupted due to paper jams, the brush is charged to a predetermined polarity to prevent untransferred toner on the photosensitive drum from depositing on the brush and to maintain cleaning performance.
The technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-65580, however, has the following issue. Specifically, in a case where a recording material is fed through an image forming apparatus with the brush disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-65580, moisture in the image forming apparatus adheres to the brush. With a lapse of a suspension time, the moisture accumulated on the brush is aggregated on a surface of the photosensitive drum to form masses of water droplets. In a case where a next image forming operation is performed in this state, the masses of water droplets on the brush move onto the photosensitive drum. This changes the state of the surface of the photosensitive drum and in some cases causes image defects. For example, masses of water droplets on the photosensitive drum attract toner at a development abutment portion that is a contact portion between the photosensitive drum and a development member, and this sometimes causes toner smears.
The present disclosure is directed to reducing image defects caused by toner smears originating from water droplets on a brush.
An image forming apparatus includes a rotary photosensitive drum, a charging member configured to charge a surface of the photosensitive drum at a charging portion, a development unit configured to supply toner onto the surface of the photosensitive drum charged by the charging member and to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum, a transfer member configured to be in contact with the photosensitive drum to form a transfer portion and transfer the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum to a transfer material at the transfer portion, a brush member in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum at a position downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion in a rotation direction of the photosensitive drum, a driving unit configured to rotate the photosensitive drum, a storage unit configured to store information related to the use of the photosensitive drum, and a control unit configured to control the driving unit, wherein the control unit controls a rotation operation of rotating the photosensitive drum so that the rotation operation is performed after a suspension time between a first image forming operation of forming an image on the transfer material and a second image forming operation performed after the first image forming operation passes and before the second image forming operation is performed, and wherein the control unit controls a number of rotations of the photosensitive drum in the rotation operation based on the information and the suspension time.
Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings based on examples. It is to be noted that dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of components described in the exemplary embodiments are to be changed as appropriate for a structure of an apparatus to which the disclosure is applied and for various conditions. In other words, the scope is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described below.
The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment is a monochrome laser beam printer that uses a cleaner-less method and a contact charging method. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a photosensitive drum 1. The photosensitive drum 1 is a drum-shaped (cylindrical) electrophotographic photosensitive member serving as a rotatable image bearing member. When an image output operation is started, the photosensitive drum 1 is driven and rotated in a direction of an arrow R1 in
A surface of the photosensitive drum 1 being rotated is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential of normal polarity (that is negative polarity according to the present exemplary embodiment) by a charging roller 2 near a charging portion a where the photosensitive drum 1 and the charging roller 2 come into contact with each other. The charging roller 2 is a roller-type charging member as a charging unit. More specifically, the charging roller 2 charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by a discharge that occurs in at least one of minute spaces between the charging roller 2 and the photosensitive drum 1 that are formed upstream and downstream of a contact portion in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 in a rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1. In the present exemplary embodiment, an abutment portion of the charging roller 2 and the photosensitive drum 1 in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1 will be described as the charging portion a.
The charging roller 2 is an elastic roller that includes a conductive elastic layer around a core metal. The charging roller 2 is disposed in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 and is driven and rotated in a direction of an arrow R2 in
While the charging roller 2 is driven and rotated according to the present exemplary embodiment, the charging roller 2 can be rotated by rotation of the photosensitive drum 1. A charging power source E1 (
The charged surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is scanned and exposed with a laser beam L modulated based on image data by an exposure device (laser exposure unit) 4 as an exposure unit (electrostatic image forming unit). The exposure device 4 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 by repeating the exposure of the photosensitive drum 1 with the laser beam L in a main-scan direction (rotation axis direction) while performing the exposure in a sub-scan direction (surface movement direction) as well. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the absolute value of the dark-area potential Vd of the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 that is formed as a result of uniform charging is decreased to a light-area potential V1 of −100 V as a result of the exposure by the exposure device 4. A position on the photosensitive drum 1 that is exposed by the exposure device 4 in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1 is an image exposure portion b. The exposure device 4 is not limited to a laser scanner device. For example, a light emitting diode (LED) array with a plurality of LEDs arranged along a lengthwise direction of the photosensitive drum 1 can be used.
The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is developed (visualized) as a toner image by a development device 3 serving as a development unit using a toner as a developer agent. The toner as a developer agent according to the present exemplary embodiment is a spherical non-magnetic toner having a mean particle size of 6.4 μm and a mean circularity of 0.98. The non-magnetic toner for use in the present exemplary embodiment desirably has a high mean circularity, specifically 0.96 or higher. The mean circularity according to the present exemplary embodiment is used as a simple method for quantitatively representing a particle shape. A particle shape is measured using a flow type particle image analyzer FPIA-2100 manufactured by TOA Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., and a circularity is calculated using formula (1) below.
Further, as expressed by formula (2) below, the mean circularity is defined as a value obtained by dividing the sum of measured circularities of all particles by the total number of particles.
The development device 3 includes a development roller 31 serving as a developer agent bearing member, a toner supply roller 32 serving as a developer agent supply unit, a developer agent storage chamber 33 storing toner, and a development blade 34. The toner stored in the developer agent storage chamber 33 is agitated by an agitation member 35 and supplied to a surface of the development roller 31 by the toner supply roller 32. The toner supplied to the surface of the development roller 31 is conveyed through a contact portion of the development roller 31 and the development blade 34. As a result, the toner is shaped into a uniform thin layer and charged to negative polarity by frictional charging. While a single-component non-magnetic contact development method is used in the present exemplary embodiment, the method is not limited thereto, and a two-component non-magnetic contact method or a non-contact development method can be also used. Further, a magnetic development method can be used. Further, while a normal polarity of the toner is negative polarity according to the present exemplary embodiment, the normal polarity is not limited to negative polarity. The normal polarity can be positive polarity and in this case, a voltage relationship described below is reversed to an opposite polarity as appropriate. The development roller 31 is rotated and driven counterclockwise in a direction of the arrow R3 in
Further, while the development roller 31 is constantly in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 at the development portion c according to the present exemplary embodiment, the development roller 31 and the photosensitive drum 1 can be in an abutment state and a separation state. In this case, a development abutment separation mechanism can be provided separately. During a rotation operation that is a pre-rotation process described below, the photosensitive drum 1 can be rotated with the development roller 31 being separated from the photosensitive drum 1.
A toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is conveyed to a transfer portion d. The transfer portion d is a contact portion of the photosensitive drum 1 and a transfer roller 5 serving as a transfer unit. The transfer roller 5 is a roller-type transfer member. The transfer roller 5 according to the present exemplary embodiment uses a roller that includes a conductive nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) hydrin-based sponge rubber and has an outer diameter of 12 mm and a hardness of 30° (Asker-C, 500 gf load). The transfer roller 5 according to the present exemplary embodiment is pressed against the photosensitive drum 1 at a predetermined pressure. Meanwhile, a recording material P that is a transfer material to which a toner image is to be transferred to is conveyed from a storage section 6 to the transfer portion d by a conveyor roller 8 in synchronization with the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1. Then, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred onto the recording material P picked and conveyed by the photosensitive drum 1 and the transfer roller 5, at the transfer portion d by the action of the transfer roller 5. At this time, a transfer power source E3 (
The recording material P with the transferred toner image is conveyed to a fixing device 9 serving as a fixing unit. The fixing device 9 applies heat and pressure to the recording material P, so that the toner image is fixed to the recording material P.
Meanwhile, untransferred residual toner that is not transferred to the recording material P and remains on the photosensitive drum 1 is conveyed to a brush member 10 located downstream of the transfer roller 5 in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1. The brush member 10 that is used in the present exemplary embodiment will be described below.
Next, a paper dust removal mechanism according to the present exemplary embodiment will be described below. As illustrated in
A fixed brush 11 constitutes a brush portion of the brush member 10. The fixed brush 11 is fixed and has conductivity. As illustrated in
The brush member 10 is disposed so that the lengthwise direction of the brush member 10 is substantially parallel to the rotation axis line direction of the photosensitive drum 1. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the fixed brush 11 includes the conductive yarn 11a consisting of nylon fibers containing conductive substances and the base cloth 11b made of synthesized fibers containing carbon as a conductive agent, and the conductive yarn 11a is woven in the base cloth 11b. Rayon, acryl, and polyester besides nylon can be used as a material of the conductive yarn 11a.
As illustrated in
The brush member 10 traps (collects) substances such as paper dust moved from the recording material P onto the photosensitive drum 1 at the transfer portion d to reduce the amount of paper dust that moves to the charging portion a and to the development portion c downstream of the brush member 10 in the movement direction of the photosensitive drum 1.
While the length L3 of the brush member 10 in the circumferential direction (hereinafter, “widthwise direction”) of the photosensitive drum 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment is set to L3=5 mm, the length L3 is not limited to this value. The length L3 can be changed as appropriate for, for example, a lifetime of the image forming apparatus 100 or a process cartridge. Obviously the brush member 10 with a longer length in the widthwise direction can trap paper dust for a longer time.
While the length of the brush member 10 in the lengthwise direction according to the present exemplary embodiment is set to 216 mm, the length is not limited to this value. The length can be changed as appropriate for, for example, a maximum width of a sheet to be fed in the image forming apparatus 100.
While the brush member 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment has a fineness of 220T/96F (indicating a bundle of 96 yarns each having a thickness equal to 220 g per 10000 m), the fineness is desirably set considering a slip-through property of paper dust. The brush member 10 with a small fineness is less capable of blocking paper dust, and paper dust slips through easily. This may inhibit charging of the photosensitive drum 1 by the charging roller 2 and cause image defects. On the other hand, the brush member 10 with an excessively great fineness cannot collect toner and fine paper dust. This may result in non-uniform density due to uneven toner adhesion along the length of the charging roller 2 and image defects due to charging defects at portions with paper dust.
While the density of the brush member 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment is set to 280 kF/inch 2 (kF/inch 2 is a unit of brush density and indicates the number of filaments per square inch), the density is desirably set considering toner transmission property and paper dust trapping property. Specifically, the brush member 10 with an excessively high density causes toner to less transmit, and toner may become stuck. The toner that is stuck may spread and causes defects such as smears in the apparatus. Further, the brush member 10 with an excessively low density is less capable of trapping paper dust. Thus, the conductive yarn 11a desirably has a thickness of 1 denier to 6 denier and a density of 150 kF/inch2 to 350 kF/inch2 from the point of view of paper dust trapping property. The length of the brush member 10 in the widthwise direction is desirably 3 mm or more from the point of view of long lifetime. Further, a brush power source E4 (
The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment performs an image output operation (job) that is a series of operations for forming an image on a single recording material P or a plurality of recording materials P based on a single start instruction from an external device (not illustrated) such as a personal computer. The job generally includes an image forming process (printing process), the pre-rotation process, a sheet separation process in forming an image on a plurality of recording materials P, and a post-rotation process. The image forming process is a period of forming an electrostatic image on the photosensitive drum 1, developing an electrostatic image (forming a toner image), transferring a toner image, and fixing a toner image, and an image forming period refers to this period. More specifically, timings of the image forming period are different at positions of the electrostatic image forming, the toner image forming, the toner image transfer, and the toner image fixing. Thus, the image forming operation can be defined as the operations up to the toner image transfer or as the operations up to the toner image fixing. The above-described definition can be employed because the image forming operation performed on the photosensitive drum 1 is ended and a switch of the operation of the photosensitive drum 1 from the image forming operation to a non-image forming operation does not affect images that are already transferred to the recording materials P. The pre-rotation process is a period of performing a preparation operation before the image forming process. The sheet separation process is a period between recording materials P in continuously performing the image forming process (continuous image forming period) on the plurality of recording materials P. The post-rotation process is a period of performing an arrangement operation (preparation operation) after the image forming process. A non-image forming period refers to a period that excludes the image forming period and includes the pre-rotation process, the sheet separation process, the post-rotation process, and a preliminary rotation process. The preliminary rotation process is a preparation operation when the image forming apparatus 100 is turned on or recovers from a sleep state.
The control unit 150 is a control unit that comprehensively controls operations of the image forming apparatus 100. The control unit 150 controls transmission and reception of various electric information signals and driving timings and performs a predetermined image forming sequence. The components of the image forming apparatus 100 are connected to the control unit 150. For example, in relation to the present exemplary embodiment, the charging power source E1, the development power source E2, the transfer power source E3, the brush power source E4, the driving motor 110, and an exposure unit 4 are connected to the control unit 150. Especially, in relation to the present exemplary embodiment, the control unit 150 controls turning on/off and output values of the various power sources E1, E2, E3, and E4 and performs an operation of extending the pre-rotation process described below. According to the present exemplary embodiment, a normal pre-rotation process time is set to 2 seconds. The pre-rotation process time is set as appropriate.
In a case where a job of consecutively feeding recording materials P is performed and then a normal pre-rotation process is performed at the time of performing a next job after a suspension for a predetermined time using the image forming apparatus 100, toner smears may occur. This is caused by moisture attached to the brush member 10 during the sheet feeding in the previous job. Specifically, moisture on the brush member 10 illustrated in
Thus, according to the present exemplary embodiment, the operation of extending the pre-rotation process is performed at the time of performing a next job after a suspension for the predetermined time after a job of consecutively feeding the recording materials P is performed. Specifically, the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 1 in the pre-rotation process is controlled based on a suspension time between a first image forming operation of forming an image on a recording material P and a second image forming operation performed after the first image forming operation.
The condition for performing the operation of extending the pre-rotation process and extension times will be described below.
Each suspension time in
As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, the pre-rotation process is extended for a necessary time based on the number of fed sheets in the previous job and the suspension time after the previous job. This facilitates evaporation of water droplets on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and provides stable images without image defects such as toner smears.
While the application to the image forming apparatus 100 that uses the direct current (DC) charging method is described as an example in the present exemplary embodiment, it is also possible to apply the present disclosure to an image forming apparatus that uses an alternating current (AC) charging method in which an oscillation voltage with direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) superimposed is used as the charging voltage.
Further, while only the direct current component of the development voltage is described in the present exemplary embodiment, the development voltage can be an oscillation voltage in which direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) are superimposed.
Further, while the toner that is a non-magnetic single-component developer agent is used as a developer agent in the present exemplary embodiment, a magnetic single-component developer agent can be also used.
Further, while the “cleaner-less method” without a unit for cleaning the photosensitive drum 1 is used according to the present exemplary embodiment, the method is not limited thereto. For example, a “blade cleaning method” using a blade as a cleaning unit disposed downstream of the brush member 10 and upstream of the charging roller 2 in a conveyance direction of the photosensitive drum 1 can be used.
Further, while the extension time is changed based on the number of fed sheets in the previous job according to the present exemplary embodiment, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the extension time can be changed based on a time or distance of passage of the recording materials P on the photosensitive drum 1.
As a result of those described above, a configuration described below is employed according to the present exemplary embodiment.
The image forming apparatus 100 according to present exemplary embodiment includes the photosensitive drum 1 configured to rotate and the charging roller 2 configured to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 at the charging portion a. The image forming apparatus 100 includes the development roller 31 configured to supply the toner to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 charged by the charging roller 2 and to form a toner image. The image forming apparatus 100 includes the transfer roller 5 configured to be in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 to form the transfer portion d and transfer the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 to the recording material P at the transfer portion d. The image forming apparatus 100 includes the brush member 10 configured to be in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 downstream of the transfer portion d and upstream of the charging portion a in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1 and the driving motor 110 configured to rotate the photosensitive drum 1. The image forming apparatus 100 includes the memory 152 configured to store the usage history information about photosensitive drum 1 and the control unit 150 configured to control the driving motor 110. The image forming apparatus 100 includes the measurement unit 153 configured to measure the suspension time between the first image forming operation of forming an image on a recording material P and the second image forming operation performed after the first image forming operation.
After a lapse of the suspension time between the first image forming operation of forming an image on a recording material P and the second image forming operation performed after the first image forming operation, the rotation operation of rotating the photosensitive drum 1 is controlled to be performed before the second image forming operation is performed. The number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 1 in the rotation operation performed before the second image forming operation is controlled based on the usage history information about the photosensitive drum 1 and the suspension time. Targets of the control are not limited to the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 1 and can be the rotation time of the photosensitive drum 1.
Further, the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 1 in the rotation operation is controlled to be less in a case where the number of recording materials P conveyed through the transfer portion d in the first image forming operation is a first value than in a case where the number of recording materials P is a second value greater than the first value.
Further, the suspension time is the time from when the photosensitive drum 1 is changed from a driving state where the photosensitive drum 1 is rotated to a suspension state where the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1 is suspended after the first image forming operation to when the photosensitive drum 1 is changed from the suspension state to the driving state to start the second image forming operation. The suspension time according to the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to those described above and can be a time that correlates with the phenomenon of accumulation of water droplets on the brush member 10. For example, the suspension time can be the time from a point of time immediately after the first image forming operation ends to a point of time immediately before the second image forming operation starts. The suspension time can be any period as long as the suspension time includes the time during which the photosensitive drum 1 is suspended.
Further, the suspension time can be not only measured by the measurement unit 153 but also predicted from an attenuation condition of the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1, a transition of temperature of the image forming apparatus 100, and a change in temperature of the fixing device 9.
Further, while the extension time of the pre-rotation process is stored in a table in the memory 152 as illustrated in
Next, another exemplary embodiment will be described below. A basic configuration and operation of an image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment are similar to those of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment. Thus, components of the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment that have similar or corresponding functions or configurations to those of the components of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the components of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment, and redundant detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.
A feature of the second exemplary embodiment is that the extension time of the pre-rotation process is variable based on a usage environment of the image forming apparatus 100. The image forming apparatus 100 for use in the second exemplary embodiment includes an environment sensor 300, and the extension time of the pre-rotation process described in the first exemplary embodiment is determined based on environment information that is a result of detection by the environment sensor 300. The environment information includes absolute water content information about the environment that is calculated by the CPU 151 based on results of detection of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor (both not illustrated) of the environment sensor 300. According to the second exemplary embodiment, an absolute water content obtained from the environment sensor 300 is stored in units of 0.1 g/m3 in the memory 152 in the control unit 150. Then, in a case where the image forming apparatus 100 receives an image output operation (job) signal, the control unit 150 determines whether the absolute water content is higher or lower than a threshold value of 10.5 g/m3. In a case where the absolute water content is higher than the threshold value of 10.5 g/m3, the same operation of extending the pre-rotation process as in the first exemplary embodiment is performed. The extension time of the pre-rotation process is similar to that described above with reference to
As described above, according to the second exemplary embodiment, control is performed as described below based on the absolute water content obtained from a result of detection by the environment sensor 300. Only in a case where the absolute water content is higher than 10.5 g/m3, the pre-rotation process is extended by a necessary time based on the number of fed sheets in the previous job and the suspension time after the previous job. This prevents unnecessary rotation of the photosensitive drum 1 in an environment other than an environment with a high absolute water content, and an operation for effective evaporation of water droplets on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is performed as needed.
As a result of those described above, a configuration described below is employed according to the second exemplary embodiment.
The image forming apparatus 100 includes the environment sensor 300 configured to detect an installation environment of the image forming apparatus 100, and the number of rotations is controlled based on the installation environment. As used herein, the term “installation environment” refers to the temperature or humidity detected by the environment sensor 300 and the absolute water content. The absolute water content can be calculated from temperature and humidity detection results. Further, the absolute water content can be calculated by predicting the temperature or humidity.
According to the second exemplary embodiment, the usage environment of the image forming apparatus 100 is divided into two environments that are an environment with a high absolute water content and an environment other than the environment with a high absolute water content, based on the absolute water content obtained from a result of detection by the environment sensor 300, to determine whether to extend the pre-rotation process. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the usage environment of the image forming apparatus 100 can be divided into a plurality of environments, e.g., three environments, based on the absolute water content, and the extension time of the pre-rotation process can be changed as appropriate for the environment. Specifically, a plurality of threshold values can be set. Further, the extension time of the pre-rotation process can be changed as appropriate based on the absolute water content. In other words, the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 1 can be controlled to be greater in a case where the absolute water content is detected as a first absolute water content than in a case where a second absolute water content lower than the first absolute water content is detected.
Further, while the environment sensor 300 is used as a unit for detecting the usage environment of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the second exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting configuration. For example, the usage environment can be determined based on detection of an electric resistance value of the transfer roller 5 (transfer auto transfer voltage control (transfer ATVC) result).
A feature of the present exemplary embodiment is that the brush power source E4 in
The control unit 150 applies a predetermined brush voltage to the brush member 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The predetermined brush voltage is a direct-current voltage of negative polarity. The brush voltage application unit E4 can apply, for example, a voltage on which a direct current component and an alternating current component are superimposed. The brush voltage during the image forming process is −300 V according to the present exemplary embodiment. Meanwhile, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer portion d is passed is about −50 V. Thus, untransferred residual toner that is conveyed from the transfer portion d and is charged to positive polarity is primarily collected by the brush member 10 due to a potential difference between the brush voltage and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 at a brush portion e. On the other hand, the toner charged to negative polarity is attracted toward the photosensitive drum 1 at the brush portion e and passes through the brush portion e. The toner having passed through the brush portion e has desired negative polarity charges as a result of the uniform discharge at the charging portion a and is conveyed to the development portion c. Of the toner that is conveyed to the development portion c, toner in a non-image region (non-exposure region) is moved to the development roller 31 due to a potential difference between the dark-area potential (Vd) of the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and the development bias (Vdc) and is collected by the development device 3. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the dark-area potential (Vd) is about −600 V and the development bias (Vdc) is −300 V as in the first exemplary embodiment. On the other hand, toner in an image region (exposure region) is not moved to the development roller 31 due to a potential difference between the light-area potential (Vl) of the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and the development bias (Vdc) and is conveyed as an image portion to the transfer portion d along with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1 and is transferred to the recording material P. The light-area potential (Vl) according to the present exemplary embodiment is about −100 V as in the first exemplary embodiment.
The output value of the charging voltage is −1200 V as in the image forming process, so that the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly equal to the dark-area potential (−600 V). While the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 maintains the value of the dark-area potential (−600 V), the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 passes through the development portion c and arrives at the transfer portion d. At this time, the transfer voltage is not applied to the transfer roller 5, so that the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 arrives at the brush portion e while the dark-area potential (−600 V) is still maintained. The output value of the brush voltage is −300 V as in the image forming process. Consequently, the positive-polarity toner remaining on the brush member 10 is expelled to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 due to the potential difference between the brush voltage and the dark-area potential (−600 V) of the photosensitive drum 1.
Although the cleaning operation of expelling the untransferred residual toner that is primarily collected by the brush member 10 during the image forming process is performed in the post-rotation process according to the present exemplary embodiment, some toner remains on the brush member 10 even thereafter. Thus, at timing A and thereafter, the residual toner on the brush member 10 that has positive polarity is actively expelled. At this time, moisture is present around the toner, and the toner is expelled together with the moisture from the brush member 10.
According to the present exemplary embodiment, while the transfer voltage is not applied at timing A, the brush voltage (−300 V) is to be set to a value that does not decrease the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1, i.e., a voltage value that has the same negative polarity as the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 and has a small absolute value.
Next, at timing B in
As described above, the brush voltage is applied and the positive- and negative-polarity residual toners in the brush member 10 are expelled due to the potential difference from the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 to promote expelling of the moisture.
Timing C in
As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, while the residual toner in the brush member 10 is expelled by the brush voltage concurrently with the start of the pre-rotation process, the pre-rotation process is extended by a necessary time based on the number of fed sheets in the previous job and the suspension time from the previous job. Since the moisture is expelled together with the residual toner in the brush member 10, water droplets on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 evaporate effectively and the extension time of the pre-rotation process is decreased.
Thus, stable images with reduced image defects such as toner smears are provided while the lifetime of the image forming apparatus 100 is increased.
As a result of those described above, a configuration described below is employed according to the third exemplary embodiment.
The image forming apparatus 100 includes the brush power source (brush voltage application unit) E4 configured to apply the brush voltage to the brush member 10. The brush member 10 is a conductive brush, and the brush voltage application unit E4 is controlled so that the brush voltage having the same polarity as the toner charged to the normal polarity is applied to the brush member 10 while the rotation operation is performed.
The brush voltage application unit E4 is controlled so that while the rotation operation is performed, the potential difference between the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10 and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 increases gradually at the brush portion e where the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and the brush member 10 are in contact with each other.
The brush voltage application unit E4 is controlled so that the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10 and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 have the same polarity and the absolute value of the brush voltage is greater than the absolute value of the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1. Alternatively, the brush voltage application unit E4 is controlled so that the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10 and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 have the same polarity and the absolute value of the brush voltage is less than the absolute value of the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1.
Further, the image forming apparatus 100 includes the transfer power source (transfer voltage application unit) E3 configured to apply the transfer voltage to the transfer roller 5. The transfer voltage application unit E3 is controlled so that the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10 and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 at the transfer portion d have the same polarity and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 at the transfer portion d is lower than the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10.
While the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 is controlled by changing the transfer voltage and the brush voltage according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting configuration. For example, the transfer voltage and the brush voltage can be changed with the photosensitive drum 1 grounded to set the surface potential to the ground (0 V). Further, potential relationships with the transfer roller 5 and the brush member 10 can be controlled by applying a voltage directly to the photosensitive drum 1.
While the application to the image forming apparatus 100 that uses the direct current (DC) charging method is described as an example in the present exemplary embodiment, it is also possible to apply the present disclosure to an image forming apparatus that uses an AC charging method in which an oscillation voltage with direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) superimposed is used as the charging voltage.
Further, while only the direct current component of the development voltage is described according to the present exemplary embodiment, the development voltage can be an oscillation voltage in which direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) are superimposed.
Further, while the toner that is a magnetic single-component developer agent is used as a developer agent according to the present exemplary embodiment, a non-magnetic single-component developer agent can also be used.
Further, while the “cleaner-less method” without a unit for cleaning the photosensitive drum 1 is used according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting method. For example, a “blade cleaning method” using a blade as a cleaning unit disposed downstream of the brush member 10 and upstream of the charging roller 2 in a conveyance direction of the photosensitive drum 1 can be used.
Further, while the extension time is changed based on the number of fed sheets in the previous job according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting configuration. For example, the extension time can be changed based on a time or distance of passage of sheets by the photosensitive drum 1.
Further, while the recording material P that is a transfer material to which a toner image is to be transferred to is conveyed to the transfer portion d and undergoes the transfer according to the present exemplary embodiment, a conveyor belt for conveying the recording materials P to the transfer portion d can be provided.
Further, according to the present exemplary embodiment, a pre-exposure unit for exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 at a position downstream of the transfer portion d and upstream of the charging portion a in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1 can be provided. The pre-exposure unit can be disposed either upstream or downstream of the brush portion (contact portion) e where the brush member and the photosensitive drum 1 are in contact with each other. In a case where the pre-exposure unit is disposed upstream of the contact portion e, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 can be controlled by the pre-exposure unit.
Next, a fourth exemplary embodiment will be described below. As illustrated in
Next, a water absorption amount of the brush member 10 and image evaluation according to the present exemplary embodiment will be described in detail below together with a comparative example. The water absorption amount of the brush member 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment was measured by a method described below. Measurement methods are not limited to those described herein.
The fixed brush 11 including the plurality of conductive yarns 11a made of various materials and fibers of different densities and woven in the base cloth 11b as illustrated in
The water absorption amount (g)=W−W0
Tests for comparing water absorption amounts were conducted using the conductive yarns 11a of below-described materials and densities as fiber materials of the conductive yarns 11a.
From the items A, B, C, and F in Table 1 it is understood that MC nylon® and 6 nylon are greater in water absorption amount than SFCP and Beslon® from the point of view of fiber materials. This exhibits a trend corresponding to magnitudes of water absorption rates (rates of weight change in samples immersed for 24 hours in 23° C. water) measured according to an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D570 testing procedure, and the higher the water absorption rate of a fiber material, the greater the water absorption amount of the fiber material.
Further, from the items C, D, E, F, and G it is understood that, in a case of using the same fiber material, the higher the density of the conductive yarn 11a of, the greater the water absorption amount. This is because the conductive yarn 11a with a higher density has a larger surface area and the amount of attached moisture per unit area increases.
While the 6 nylon is used as a fiber material according to the present exemplary embodiment, the fiber material is not limited to the 6 nylon. Any fiber materials with high water absorption can be used, and the water absorption rate measured according to the ASTM D570 testing procedure is desirably 0.5% or higher, more desirably 1.1% or higher.
Next, a comparative image evaluation test in a case where a plurality of recording materials stored under a high-temperature high-humidity environment was fed was conducted. In the image evaluation, letter-size Xerox Vitality Multipurpose sheets with a grammage of 75 g/m2, which had been unwrapped and left for two days under an environment at an ambient temperature of 30° C. and a humidity of 80%, were used. The water content of the sheets was measured with a moisture analyzer Moistrex MX-8000 manufactured by NDC Infrared Engineering, and the result was 9.2%. Further, the water content immediately after the unwrapping was measured for comparison, and the result was 5.7%.
Table 2 illustrates toner smear image occurrence results in consecutively feeding 100 sheets of each recording material. In Table 2, “None” indicates that no toner smear occurred on an image, “Slight” indicates that a slight toner smear image occurred on an image, and “Significant” indicates that a significant toner smear image occurred on an image.
From the items A, B, C, and F in Table 2 it is understood that a significant toner smear image occurred in consecutive fed 10 SFCP sheets and in consecutive fed 10 Beslon® sheets whereas toner smear images were greatly reduced with MCnylon® and 6 nylon each having a great water absorption amount.
Further, from the items C, D, and E, F, and G in Table 2 it is understood that toner smear images occurred at different timings for different densities. In the case of 6 nylon with a density of 70 kF, a slight toner smear image occurred on the 50th sheet. In the case of 6 nylon with a density of 150 kF, a slight toner smear image occurred on the 100th sheet. In the case of 6 nylon with a density of 240 kF, no toner smear images occurred even on the 100 t h sheet. This indicates that toner smear images are less likely to occur at higher densities. This is for the following reason. Specifically, the higher the density, the greater the water absorption amount, so that even in a case where recording materials with a high water content are fed, the brush member 10 can store the moisture therein.
In the present exemplary embodiment, in a case where recording materials with a high water content are expected, the measured water absorption amount of the fixed brush 11 is desirably 2.4 g or more, and the water absorption amount per unit area is desirably 2.2 mg/mm 2 or more. Thus, in a case where MC nylon® (water absorption rate=0.5%) is used, the density of the conductive yarn 11a is desirably 240 kF or higher, whereas in a case where 6 nylon (water absorption rate=1.1%) is used, the density of the conductive yarn 11a is desirably 150 kF or higher.
The water absorption amount per unit area herein refers to a value obtained by dividing the measured water content of the fixed brush 11 by the contact area of the fixed brush 11 and the photosensitive drum 1. The abutment region of the fixed brush 11 and the photosensitive drum 1 is a gathering of abutment regions of the tail edges of the plurality of conductive yarns 11a and the photosensitive drum 1, and at a micro level there are space regions between adjacent tail edges of the conductive yarn 11a that are not in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. Thus, it is technically difficult to clearly define the abutment region of the fixed brush 11 and the photosensitive drum 1 as a single region. However, a single region can be defined by, for example, ignoring the space regions and determining an entire outline of the gathering of abutment regions of the plurality of conductive yarns 11a and the photosensitive drum 1 as an approximate abutment region, and the area of the region can be used as the contact area.
According to the present exemplary embodiment, the contact area is calculated as follows. Specifically, it is assumed that the region having the length corresponding to the amount of warpage (L1-L2) of 1 mm, which is a part of the length (L1) of 6.5 mm of the conductive yarn 11a, is abutted against the periphery of the photosensitive drum 1. Further, the length (L3) of 5 mm of the brush member 10 in the circumferential direction of the photosensitive drum 1 is assumed as the length (width) of the bundle of the conductive yarns 11a in the same direction. It is assumed that the conductive yarns 11a in contact with the periphery of the photosensitive drum 1 by the contact area of 1 mm form lines in a 5-mm range in the circumferential direction of the photosensitive drum 1 and the lines spread in the lengthwise direction of the periphery of the photosensitive drum 1 within the range of the width of 216 mm of the brush member 10 in the lengthwise direction. Therefore, the contact area is determined as 1 mm×5 mm×216 mm=1080 mm2 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The water absorption amounts of the items A, B, C, D, E, F, and G per unit area according to the present exemplary embodiment are respectively 0.27 mg/mm2, 0.74 mg/mm2, 1.38 mg/mm2, 2.22 mg/mm2, 1.85 mg/mm2, 2.22 mg/mm2, and 2.68 mg/mm2. The above-described method for defining the contact area is not the only method, and any other methods can be used. Effect in the Present Exemplary Embodiment
As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, the brush member 10 with a water absorption amount of 2.2 mg/mm2 per unit area is disposed downstream of the transfer portion d and upstream of the charging portion a in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1. Thus, even in a case where recording materials with a high water content are consecutively fed, the brush member 10 can sufficiently collect moisture attached to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. This prevents image defects such as toner smear images caused by moisture.
While the application to the image forming apparatus 100 that uses the direct current (DC) charging method is described as an example in the present exemplary embodiment, it is also possible to apply the present disclosure to an image forming apparatus that uses an AC charging method in which an oscillation voltage with direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) superimposed is used as the charging voltage.
Further, while only the direct current component of the development voltage is described according to the present exemplary embodiment, the development voltage can be an oscillation voltage in which direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) are superimposed.
Further, while the toner that is a non-magnetic single-component developer agent is used as a developer agent according to the present exemplary embodiment, a magnetic single-component developer agent can be used.
Further, while the “cleaner-less method” without a unit for cleaning the photosensitive drum 1 is used according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting method. For example, a “blade cleaning method” using a blade as a cleaning unit disposed downstream of the brush member 10 and upstream of the charging roller 2 in a conveyance direction of the photosensitive drum 1 can be used.
Further, while the density of the conductive yarns 11a is determined considering a case where recording materials with a high water content are consecutively fed according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting configuration. The time between sheets during consecutive sheet feeding can be set longer than the normal time based on the usage environment of image forming apparatus 100, e.g., a high humidity environment. In this case, toner smear images are prevented even if the water absorption amount of the brush member 10 is low, so that the density of the conductive yarns 11a can be set as appropriate depending on the time between sheets.
Next, a fifth exemplary embodiment will be described below. A basic configuration and operation of an image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment are similar to those of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment. Thus, components of the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment that have similar or corresponding functions or configurations to those of the components of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the component of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment, and redundant detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.
A feature of the present exemplary embodiment is that the brush power source E4 illustrated in
The control unit 150 controls the brush power source E4 to apply a predetermined brush voltage to the brush member 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The predetermined brush voltage is a direct-current voltage of negative polarity. The brush power source E4 serving as the brush voltage application unit can apply, for example, a voltage on which a direct current component and an alternating current component are superimposed. The brush voltage during the image forming process is −300 V according to the present exemplary embodiment. Meanwhile, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer portion d is passed is about −50 V. Thus, untransferred residual toner that is conveyed from the transfer portion d and is charged to positive polarity is primarily collected by the brush member 10 due to a potential difference between the brush voltage and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 at the brush portion e. On the other hand, the toner charged to negative polarity is attracted toward the photosensitive drum 1 at the brush portion e and passes through the brush portion e. The toner having passed through the brush portion e has desired negative polarity charges as a result of the uniform discharge at the charging portion a and is conveyed to the development portion c. Of the toner that is conveyed to the development portion c, tone in a non-image region (non-exposure region) is moved to the development roller 31 due to a potential difference between the dark-area potential (Vd) of the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and the development bias (Vdc) and is collected by the development device 3. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the dark-area potential (Vd) is about −600 V and the development bias (Vdc) is −300 V as in the fourth exemplary embodiment. On the other hand, toner in an image region (exposure region) is not moved to the development roller 31 due to a potential difference between the light-area potential (Vl) of the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and the development bias (Vdc), is conveyed as an image portion to the transfer portion d along with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1 and is transferred to the recording material P. The light-area potential (Vl) according to the present exemplary embodiment is about −100 V as in the fourth exemplary embodiment.
Tests for comparing image evaluations in a case where a plurality of recording materials that had been stored under a high-temperature and high-humidity environment was fed were conducted as in the fourth exemplary embodiment. Detailed conditions are similar to those in the fourth exemplary embodiment, so that redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.
Table 3 shows toner smear image occurrence results in consecutively feeding 200 sheets of each recording material. Image ranks in Table 3 are similar to those according to the fourth exemplary embodiment.
From Table 3 it is understood that toner smear image occurrence timings are delayed for all the fiber materials, i.e., toner smear images originating from an increase in the number of consecutively fed sheets are reduced. This is for the following reason. Specifically, since the brush voltage causes the moisture together with the toner to move toward the base cloth 11b (opposite the tail edge of the brush) of the brush member 10, a great amount of moisture is collected as compared to a case where the brush voltage is not applied.
As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, the brush voltage causes the moisture attached to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to move toward the base cloth 11b of the brush member 10 together with the untransferred residual toner. Thus, the brush member 10 can collect a great amount of moisture, and toner smear images originating from an increase in the number of consecutively fed sheets are reduced.
As a result of those described above, a configuration described below is employed according to the fifth exemplary embodiment.
The image forming apparatus 100 includes the brush power source E4 as the brush voltage application unit that applies the brush voltage to the brush member 10. The brush member 10 is a conductive brush, and the control unit 150 controls the brush voltage applied from the brush power source E4 to the brush member 10 so that the brush voltage having the same polarity as the toner charged to the normal polarity is applied to the brush member 10 while the image forming operation is performed.
The control unit 150 controls the voltage applied from the brush power source E4 to the brush member 10 so that the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10 and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 have the same polarity and the absolute value of the brush voltage is greater than the absolute value of the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1.
Further, the image forming apparatus 100 includes the transfer power source E3 as the transfer voltage application unit that applies the transfer voltage to the transfer roller 5. The control unit 150 controls the transfer power source E3 so that the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10 and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 at the transfer portion d have the same polarity and the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 at the transfer portion d is lower than the brush voltage applied to the brush member 10.
While the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 is controlled by changing the transfer voltage or the brush voltage according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting configuration. For example, the transfer voltage and the brush voltage can be changed with the photosensitive drum 1 grounded to set the surface potential to the ground (0 V). Further, potential relationships with the transfer roller 5 and the brush member 10 can be controlled by applying a voltage directly to the photosensitive drum 1.
While the application to the image forming apparatus 100 that uses the direct current (DC) charging method is described as an example in the present exemplary embodiment, it is also possible to apply the present disclosure to an image forming apparatus that uses an AC charging method in which an oscillation voltage with direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) superimposed is used as the charging voltage.
Further, while only the direct current component of the development voltage is described according to the present exemplary embodiment, the development voltage can be an oscillation voltage in which direct-current voltage (direct current component) and alternating current voltage (alternating current component) are superimposed.
Further, while the toner that is a non-magnetic single-component developer agent is used as a developer agent according to the present exemplary embodiment, a magnetic single-component developer agent can be used.
Further, while the “cleaner-less method” without a unit for cleaning the photosensitive drum 1 is used according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting method. For example, a “blade cleaning method” using a blade as a cleaning unit disposed downstream of the brush member 10 and upstream of the charging roller 2 in a conveyance direction of the photosensitive drum 1 can be used.
Further, while the recording material P that is a transfer material to which a toner image is transferred is conveyed to the transfer portion d and undergoes the transfer according to the present exemplary embodiment, a conveyor belt for conveying the recording materials P to the transfer portion d can be provided.
Further, according to the present exemplary embodiment, a pre-exposure unit for exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 at a position downstream of the transfer portion d and upstream of the charging portion a in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1 can be provided. The pre-exposure unit can be disposed either upstream or downstream of the contact portion e where the brush member 10 and the photosensitive drum 1 are in contact with each other. In a case where the pre-exposure unit is disposed upstream of the contact portion e, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 can be controlled by the pre-exposure unit.
Further, while the density of the conductive yarns 11a is determined considering a case where recording materials with a high water content are consecutively fed according to the present exemplary embodiment, this is not a limiting configuration. The time between sheets during consecutive sheet feeding can be set longer than the normal time based on the usage environment of image forming apparatus 100, e.g., a high humidity environment. In this case, toner smear images are prevented even if the water absorption amount of the brush member 10 is low, so that the density of the conductive yarns 11a can be set as appropriate depending on the time between sheets.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-106015 | Jun 2021 | JP | national |
| 2021-205146 | Dec 2021 | JP | national |
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/846,989, filed on Jun. 22, 2022, which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-106015 filed Jun. 25, 2021 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-205146 filed Dec. 17, 2021, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17846989 | Jun 2022 | US |
| Child | 18446295 | US |
