IMAGE-FORMING DEVICE

Abstract

An image-forming device according to the present invention includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a photosensitive layer, a pressing member pressed against the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to remove a deposit from the photosensitive layer, and a static eliminating unit for eliminating the static electricity of the deposit to be removed by the pressing member. Another image-forming device according to the present invention includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a photosensitive layer and an electroconductive pressing member that comes into contact with a deposit on the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to eliminate the static electricity of the deposit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image-forming device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image-forming device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image-forming device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an electrophotographic photoreceptor according to the first embodiment to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning blade according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning blade according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a film-forming apparatus for coating a pressing member and a support with an electroconductive thin film;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an apparatus for measuring the light transmittance; and

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the light transmittance of a pressing member according to the present invention.

Claims

1. An image-forming device comprising: an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a photosensitive layer;a pressing member pressed against the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to remove a deposit from the photosensitive layer; anda static eliminating unit for eliminating the static electricity of the deposit to be removed by the pressing member.

2. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the static eliminating unit includes a photoirradiation member for irradiating the photosensitive layer with light to eliminate the static electricity of the deposit.

3. The image-forming device according to claim 2, wherein a region irradiated with light from the photoirradiation member includes an upstream neighborhood of a contact region between the pressing member and the photosensitive layer in the rotation direction of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

4. The image-forming device according to claim 2, wherein the photoirradiation member irradiates the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor with light to eliminate the static electricity of the photosensitive layer.

5. The image-forming device according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member is optically transparent, andthe photoirradiation member is disposed so that the photosensitive layer is irradiated with light passing through the pressing member.

6. The image-forming device according to claim 5, wherein the pressing member has a light transmittance of at least 15%.

7. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the static eliminating unit includes the pressing member, and the pressing member is electrically conductive.

8. The image-forming device according to claim 7, wherein the pressing member includes a substrate and an electroconductive film bonded to the substrate.

9. The image-forming device according to claim 7, wherein the pressing member includes a substrate and electroconductive particles dispersed in the substrate.

10. The image-forming device according to claim 7, wherein the pressing member includes an electroconductive substrate.

11. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the static eliminating unit is partly grounded.

12. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the static eliminating unit eliminates the static electricity of the deposit before or during the removal of the deposit by the pressing member.

13. An image-forming device comprising: an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a photosensitive layer; andan electroconductive pressing member that comes into contact with a deposit on the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to eliminate the static electricity of the deposit.

14. The image-forming device according to claim 13, wherein the pressing member is partly grounded.

15. The image-forming device according to claim 13, wherein the pressing member is pressed against the photosensitive layer to remove the deposit.

16. The image-forming device according to claim 13, wherein the pressing member includes an insulating substrate and an electroconductive layer bonded to the insulating substrate.

17. The image-forming device according to claim 13, wherein the pressing member includes an insulating substrate and a number of electroconductive particles dispersed in the insulating substrate.

18. The image-forming device according to claim 13, wherein the pressing member includes an electroconductive substrate.