JPH06211374A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] In an image recording apparatus having a cleaning member for cleaning a sheet conveying roller, the trouble of replacing the cleaning member is eliminated, and the sheet conveying roller is cleaned without deteriorating the cleaning performance of the cleaning member. So that you can always do well. [Structure] A developing unit 13 is replaceably provided in the apparatus main body. The base end of the cleaning member 40 is attached to the developing device main body 30 of the developing device unit 13, and the leading end of the cleaning member 40 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper registration roller 20. Then, when the pair of registration rollers 20 and 20 are rotated to convey the sheet S to the photoconductor 11, the cleaning member 4 removes foreign matter attached to the upper registration roller 20.
Scrap with 0. When the developing unit 13 reaches the end of its life, it is periodically replaced with a new one. At that time, the cleaning member 40 is integrally replaced with a new one.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a printer, a copying machine,
The present invention relates to an image recording device that records an image on a sheet such as a facsimile and a printing machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that cleans a sheet conveyance roller by pressing the tip of a sheet-shaped cleaning member against the sheet conveyance roller that conveys a sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image recording apparatus of this kind, for example, a laser printer, as shown in FIG. 5, a foreign matter storage member 2 is provided on an upper guide plate 1, and the foreign matter storage member 2 has a sheet shape. There is a configuration in which the base end of the cleaning member 3 is attached and the front end of the cleaning member 3 is brought into contact with the upper roller 4 of the sheet conveying roller pair 4-4. And
At the time of cleaning, foreign matter such as paper powder, toner and dust adhering to the upper roller 4 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure is scraped off by the cleaning member 3, and the scraped foreign matter is once stored in the foreign material storage member 2.
It was stored inside.

However, in this prior art, since the cleaning member 3 is fixed, there is a problem that the tip is worn due to friction with the upper roller 4 and the cleaning performance is deteriorated during long-term use.

Therefore, in some of the conventional art, a cleaning member is detachably provided so that it can be periodically replaced.

[0005]

However, even if the cleaning member can be replaced in such a manner, it is necessary to replace it regularly.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the inconvenience of exchanging the cleaning member in the image recording apparatus as described above, and moreover, always clean the sheet conveying roller without deteriorating the cleaning performance of the cleaning member. To be able to do.

[0007]

Therefore, according to the present invention, an upper registration roller 2 is provided, for example, as shown in the following embodiments.
In an image recording apparatus in which a sheet conveying roller such as 0 is cleaned by a cleaning member 40, the cleaning member 40 is integrally replaceable with a consumable component or a consumable unit such as a developing unit 13. Characterize.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, for example, as in the following illustrated embodiment, in the image recording apparatus of the first aspect, the storage member 50 for accumulating the foreign matter scraped by the cleaning member 40 is also consumed. It is characterized in that it is provided so as to be replaceable integrally with a component or a consumable unit.

[0009]

Then, the sheet conveying roller is cleaned by the cleaning member 40. Therefore, in the image recording apparatus according to the present invention, when the consumable part or the consumable unit is periodically replaced, the cleaning member 40 is also integrally replaced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the foreign matter scraped by the cleaning member 40 is stored in the storage member 50 when cleaning the sheet conveying roller. When the consumable parts or the consumable units are regularly replaced, the cleaning member 4
The storage member 50 is also integrally replaced together with 0.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a laser printer which is an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 10 in the drawing denotes the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body 10 is composed of a lower main body 10a and an upper main body 10b, and as shown in FIG. 3, the upper main body 10b can be opened and closed with respect to the lower main body 10a. In the apparatus body 10, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, a belt-shaped photosensitive member 11 is provided at the substantially center. Around the photoconductor 11, a charging device 12, a developing device unit 13, a transfer device 1 are arranged in this order in the driving direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.
4. Arrange the cleaning device 15. An optical writer 16 is arranged on the upper side of the charger 12, and a paper feed cassette 17 containing the sheet S is attached on the lower side of the transfer unit 14.

Then, the sheet S is fed from the paper feed cassette 17 by the paper feed roller 18 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4, fed by the clip roller pair 19 and 19, and at a timing with the registration roller pair 20 and 20 by the photoconductor. It is conveyed to the lower side of 11. On the other hand, the photoconductor 11 is driven in the clockwise direction shown by the arrow, and at that time, the surface thereof is uniformly charged by the charger 12, and the laser beam from the optical writer 16 is irradiated to electrostatically charge the photoconductor 11. Form a latent image. This latent image is visualized by toner when passing through the position of the developing unit 13. Then, this visible image is transferred by the transfer device 14 onto the upper surface of the sheet S conveyed to the lower side of the photoconductor 11. Then, the post-transfer sheet S is conveyed to the fixing device 21 to fix the transferred image. Then, the sheet S that has exited the fixing device 21 is ejected in the direction of arrow B in FIG.

On the other hand, after the image transfer, the photoconductor 11 is cleaned by a cleaning device 15 to remove residual toner, and then discharged.

By the way, the above-mentioned developing device unit 13
Is detachably attached to the lower main body 10a so as to be replaceable, and a toner container 31 is integrally provided on the developing device main body 30 on the left side in FIG. 1 by heat welding or the like. A developing chamber 32 is provided in the developing device main body 30, and a toner chamber 33 is provided in the toner container 31.
A toner supply port 34 is provided between the toner chamber 33 and the developing chamber 32. Then, in one developing chamber 32, a developing roller 35 is rotatably provided in contact with the photoconductor 11 and the tip of the thin layer blade 36 is pressed against the surface of the developing roller 35 from the upper right side in FIG. , The tip of the static elimination brush 37 is pressed from the lower left side. Further, a replenishing member 3 for replenishing the developing roller 35 with toner is provided near the toner chamber 33.
8 is rotatably provided. In the other toner chamber 33,
An agitator 39 is rotatably provided.

Then, a drive motor (not shown) is appropriately driven to rotate the developing roller 35, the replenishing member 38, and the agitator 39 as shown by arrows in FIG. Then, the toner is agitated by the agitator 39, supplied from the toner chamber 33 into the developing chamber 32 through the toner replenishing port 34, and replenished by the replenishing member 38 to the surface of the developing roller 35. Further, the replenished toner is stopped by the tip of the thin layer blade 36 to form a thin layer and is rubbed to be charged. Then, a part of the toner is electrostatically attached to the surface of the photoconductor 11 by the developing roller 35, and the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor 11 is visualized. On the other hand, the toner remaining on the developing roller 35 is removed by removing the charge with the charge removing brush 37.

Now, the laser printer according to the present invention is
As shown in FIG. 1, the base end side of the cleaning member 40 is attached to the developing device main body 30 below the toner supply port 34.
The cleaning member 40 includes a pair of registration rollers 20 and 20.
It is composed of a sheet-like member that is long in the axial direction of, and its tip is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper registration roller 20.

Then, when the pair of registration rollers 20 and 20 are rotated to convey the sheet S to the photoconductor 11, the cleaning member 40 scrapes off foreign matter such as paper dust attached to the outer peripheral surface of the upper registration roller 20. . Then, the upper registration roller 20 is cleaned to prevent the foreign matter from adhering to the sheet S.

However, in the laser printer according to the present invention, when the developing device unit 13 reaches the end of its life, it is periodically replaced with a new one. At that time, the cleaning member 40
Each one is replaced with a new one.

By the way, in the illustrated embodiment described above, the cleaning member 40 is provided so as to be integrally replaceable with the developing device unit 13. However, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, the storage member 50 that stores the foreign matter scraped off by the cleaning member 40 may be provided so as to be integrally replaceable with the developing device unit 13.

That is, in the other illustrated embodiment, the storage member 50 is attached to the toner container 31 below the toner supply port 34, and the base end of the cleaning member 40 is attached to the storage member 50. Then, the cleaning member 10
Is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper registration roller 20.

Therefore, when the developing device unit 13 is periodically replaced, the cleaning member 40 and the storage member 5 are used.
Every 0 is replaced with a new one.

The present invention is not limited to the developing device unit 13 described above, and the cleaning member may be integrally replaceably provided to another consumable unit that needs to be replaced regularly. Further, the cleaning member is not limited to such a unit-like member, and the cleaning member may be integrally replaceable with an appropriate consumable component that needs to be replaced regularly.

In the illustrated embodiment described above, the upper registration roller 20 is cleaned by the cleaning member 40, but the sheet conveying roller cleaned by the cleaning member 40 is not limited to such an upper registration roller 20.

[0025]

Therefore, according to the present invention, in the image recording apparatus for cleaning the sheet conveying roller with the cleaning member, the cleaning member is provided so as to be replaceable integrally with the consumable component or the consumable unit, so that the life is shortened. The cleaning member can always clean the sheet conveying roller cleanly without deteriorating the cleaning performance and changing with time. Further, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of individually replacing the cleaning member with other consumable parts and the like.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the storage member for storing the foreign matter scraped off by the cleaning member is provided, the foreign matter scraped off is surely spilled even if the service life of the consumable component is long. Can be stored in
Further, since this storage member is also provided so as to be integrally replaceable with the consumable component or the consumable unit, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of individually exchanging the storage member with another consumable component or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a laser printer which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a laser printer which is another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the laser printer of FIG. 1 with an upper main body opened.

FIG. 4 is an overall schematic configuration diagram showing an internal mechanism of the laser printer.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a cleaning structure of a sheet conveying roller in a conventional laser printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13 developer unit 20 upper registration roller (sheet conveying roller) 40 cleaning member 50 storage member

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus for cleaning a sheet conveying roller with a cleaning member, wherein the cleaning member is integrally replaceable with a consumable part or a consumable unit. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a storage member for storing the foreign matter scraped by the cleaning member is also provided so as to be integrally replaceable with a consumable component or a consumable unit.