Belt cleaning apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a belt cleaning apparatus and an image forming apparatus. The belt cleaning apparatus is excellent in removing efficiency of removing residual toner as well as is capable of efficiently removing foreign matters which are more difficult to be removed than the residual toner such as paper powder, talc and kaolin adhered to a cleaning section from the cleaning section, which makes it possible to form a high quality image over a long term. A belt cleaning apparatus (60) is, when removing the residual toner by abutting on an outer circumferential surface of an intermediate transfer belt (311) by a cleaning blade (601), configured to vibrate the intermediate transfer belt (311) by applying alternating current voltage to an electrode member (604) by a power source (605) through a blade supporting member (603).

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a belt cleaning device and an image forming device. Background technique [0002] In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a method is adopted in which an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image holder is developed with a toner to obtain a toner image, and the toner image is transferred to a recording medium. Instead, a toner image is formed on the recording medium. As a transfer method in the image forming apparatus, a method is used in which a toner image carrying member carrying and conveying a toner image to which a toner image formed on an electrostatic latent image holder has been transferred is transferred by The transfer portion facing each other with the recording medium in between transfers the toner image to the recording medium by moving the toner image using electrostatic force. In addition, a cleaning unit is provided to remove residual toner remaining on the toner image bea...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0008] However, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-112267, since an ultrasonic vibrator such as a piezoelectric element is caused to slide and rub against the transfer belt, wear occurs at the contact portion between the piezoelectric element and the transfer belt.

Therefore, the contact resistance between the inner surface of the transfer belt and the transfer electrode changes, making the transfer electric field non-uniform, resulting in low transfer efficiency, and it is impossible to form a uniform high-quality image on the recording paper.

Even if this technique of reducing toner adhesion using a piezoelectric element is applied to the portion where the residual toner is removed from the toner image bearing member, that is, the intermediate transfer belt, the pressure on the intermediate transfer belt and the pressure The contact portion between the electric elements is unevenly worn, so the vibration applied to the intermediate transfer belt by the piezoelectric element becomes uneven, and the toner on the intermediate transfer belt caused by the piezoelectric element is reduced. Adhesion reduction effect of

Therefore, the residual toner cannot be effectively removed from the intermediate transfer belt, the residual toner remains on the intermediate transfer belt after the transfer process on the recording paper, and the influence of the residual toner is on the next recording paper Exhibited when forming an image, cannot form a high-quality image

[0009] In addition, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-338141, even if the ability to clean the residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt can be improved, it cannot be removed from the cleaning section. Paper powder, talc, kaolin and other foreign matter that are more difficult to remove than residual toner

[0010] In addition, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-47587, the sonotrode is brought into pressure contact with the small-diameter portion of the end of the metal roller to vibrate, and therefore wear occurs at the pressure contact portion of the sonotrode.

In addition, the vibration generated by the ultrasonic generator in pressure contact with the small diameter portion of the metal roller end is transmitted along the width direction of the belt on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt in contact with the metal roller, but cannot be along the radius of the metal roller. The direction corresponding to the direction makes the intermediate transfer belt vibrate

Therefore, the vibration generated on the pressure contact portion of the small-diameter portion at the end of the metal roller cannot be transmitted stably, and the intermediate transfer belt cannot be vibrated in a direction corresponding to the radial direction of the metal roller, thereby reducing the toner in the middle. The effect of adhesion on the transfer belt is not sufficient

Therefore, the removal efficiency of the residual toner from the intermediate transfer belt is not high, and the toner remains on the intermediate transfer belt after the transfer process on the recording paper, and the influence of the residual toner is in the next step. When an image is formed on a sheet of recording paper, a high-quality image cannot be formed

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