Cleaning device, image forming device, and transfer device

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning device, an image forming device and a transfer device, which can reduce the fixation of toner to a scraping portion caused by the generation of frictional heat compared to a case where a receiving portion is sealed. The cleaning device of the present invention comprises: a scraping portion, the front end of which is pressed against a rotating body to which toner adheres, and toner is scraped off the rotating body; and a receiving portion, which receives toner scraped off from the rotating body, the receiving portion having a through hole, the through hole being open at a portion facing the scraping portion, so that gas flows from the inside of the receiving portion toward the scraping portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device, an image forming device and a transfer device. Background Art

[0002] The transfer device described in Patent Document 1 has a secondary transfer roller, the secondary transfer roller includes an elastic layer and a surface layer arranged in close contact with the outer side of the elastic layer, and rotates to transfer the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to the recording medium. Furthermore, the transfer device has: a cleaning member that contacts the secondary transfer roller and scrapes off the attached matter on the surface layer; and a pressing member that is configured to be pressed against the surface layer on the downstream side of the contact position of the intermediate transfer belt in the rotation direction of the secondary transfer roller and the upstream side of the cleaning member, and rotates in the forward direction relative to the rotation of the secondary transfer roller.

[0003] The cleaning device described in Patent Document 2 includes: a first cleaning plate, which makes its free end contact with the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical secondary transfer rotating body having an elastic layer to elastically deform the outer peripheral surface for cleaning; and a second cleaning plate, which makes its free end contact with the following part for cleaning, wherein the part is a part of the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer rotating body that is on the downstream side of the rotation direction of the secondary transfer rotating body relative to the position where the free end of the first cleaning plate contacts, and is a part that is elastically deformed in a manner with a smaller surface curvature than other parts due to contact with the free end of the first cleaning plate.

[0004] [Prior art literature]

[0005] [Patent Document]

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-126033

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-25643 Summary of the invention

[0008] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In addition, there is a known structure in which a scraping portion is provided, and the front end of the scraping portion is pressed against a rotating body to which toner adheres, so as to scrape the toner off the rotating body. In such a structure, the toner may be melted by the friction heat generated between the front end of the scraping portion and the rotating body, thereby causing the toner to be fixed to the front end of the scraping portion.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the adhesion of toner to the scraping portion due to the generation of frictional heat, compared with a case where the storage portion is sealed.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] The invention described in Technical Solution 1 is a cleaning device, which includes: a scraping part, whose front end is pressed against a rotating body to which toner is attached, and the toner is scraped off the rotating body; and a receiving part, which receives the toner scraped off from the rotating body, and the receiving part has a through hole, which is open at the part facing the scraping part, so that gas flows from the inside of the receiving part toward the scraping part.

[0013] The invention described in Technical Solution 2 is a cleaning device according to Technical Solution 1, characterized in that the scraping portion comprises: a first scraping member, the front end of which is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner from the rotating body; and a second scraping member, which is arranged on the downstream side of the rotation direction of the rotating body compared to the first scraping member, and the front end of which is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner from the rotating body, and the through hole allows gas to flow toward the second scraping member.

[0014] The invention described in claim 3 is the cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that the through hole allows the gas to flow into a space sandwiched by the first scraping member and the second scraping member.

[0015] The invention described in claim 4 is a cleaning device according to claim 3 , characterized in that the first scraping member covers the opening area of ​​the housing portion to suppress the flow of gas from the inside of the housing portion toward the second scraping member.

[0016] The invention described in claim 5 is a cleaning device according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a guide portion that guides the gas flowing toward the second scraping member in a direction along the rotation axis of the rotating body.

[0017] The invention described in Technical Solution 6 is a cleaning device according to Technical Solution 1, characterized in that the accommodating portion has a first component on which the through hole is formed, and a second component combined and fixed to the first component, the second component has a positioning claw, and the front end of the positioning claw is inserted into the through hole of the first component to determine the position of the second component relative to the first component.

[0018] The invention described in Technical Solution 7 is a cleaning device according to Technical Solution 6, characterized in that it has a sealing portion, which is clamped by the first component and the second component to seal the receiving portion, and the sealing portion has a portion facing the through hole, and the portion facing the through hole allows gas to flow toward the scraping portion, thereby inhibiting toner from flowing out through the through hole.

[0019] The invention described in claim 8 is a cleaning device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the housing portion has a promotion mechanism, and the promotion mechanism is provided inside the housing portion to promote the flow of gas toward the through hole.

[0020] The invention described in Technical Solution 9 is a cleaning device according to Technical Solution 8, characterized in that the promotion mechanism is a guide surface, which is a part of the inner surface of the housing portion and guides the gas toward the through hole.

[0021] The invention described in claim 10 is a cleaning device according to claim 8 , characterized in that the promotion mechanism is another rotating body that rotates in a direction along the flow of gas inside the storage section.

[0022] The invention described in Technical Solution 11 is a cleaning device according to Technical Solution 10, characterized in that the other rotating body rotates around another rotating axis along the rotating axis of the rotating body, and transports the toner contained in the containing portion in a direction along the other rotating axis.

[0023] The invention described in technical solution 12 is a cleaning device, which includes: a scraping part, whose front end is pressed against a rotating body to which the toner is attached, and the toner is scraped off the rotating body; and a receiving part, which receives the toner scraped off from the rotating body, and the receiving part has an opening facing the space divided by at least a part of the scraping part.

[0024] The invention described in technical solution 13 is a cleaning device, which includes: a scraping part, whose front end is pressed against a rotating body to which the toner is attached, and the toner is scraped off the rotating body; and a receiving part, which receives the toner scraped off from the rotating body, and the receiving part has a through hole, which is open in the part facing the scraping part, so that the inside and outside of the receiving part are continuous.

[0025] The invention described in technical solution 14 is an image forming device, which includes: a toner retaining body, which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image retaining body by the toner; a scraping portion, whose front end is pressed against a rotating body to which the toner supplied from the toner retaining body is attached, and the toner is scraped off the rotating body; and a receiving portion, which receives the toner scraped off from the rotating body, the receiving portion having a through hole, which is open at a portion facing the scraping portion, so that gas flows from the inside of the receiving portion toward the scraping portion.

[0026] The invention described in Technical Solution 15 is an image forming device according to Technical Solution 14, characterized in that the rotating body is a transfer body that transfers the toner image developed through the toner retaining body to the recording material, and the image forming device has a conveying path, which conveys the recording material with the toner image transferred on one side through the transfer body to the transfer body again to transfer toner to the other side of the recording material.

[0027] The invention described in technical solution 16 is a transfer device, which includes: a transfer body, which transfers the toner image held by an image holding body to a recording material as it rotates; a first scraping member, whose front end is pressed against the transfer body to scrape toner from the transfer body; a second scraping member, which is arranged on the downstream side of the rotation direction of the transfer body compared to the first scraping member, and whose front end is pressed against the transfer body to scrape toner from the transfer body; and a receiving portion, which receives the toner scraped off by the first scraping member, the receiving portion having a through hole, which is open at a portion facing the second scraping member, so that gas flows from the inside of the receiving portion toward the second scraping member.

[0028] [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the invention of claim 1 , compared with a case where the storage portion is sealed, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of toner to the scraping portion due to the generation of frictional heat.

[0030] According to the invention of claim 2, the force with which the second scraping member is pressed against the rotating body to scrape off the toner can be reduced, thereby suppressing an increase in the temperature of the second scraping member.

[0031] According to the invention of claim 3, the first scraping member can be cooled.

[0032] According to the invention of claim 4, the gas flowing through the through-hole increases.

[0033] According to the invention of claim 5 , the second scraping member can be cooled over a wide range.

[0034] According to the invention of claim 6, the structure of the storage portion can be simplified.

[0035] According to the invention of claim 7, the structure of the storage portion can be simplified.

[0036] According to the invention of claim 8, the temperature rise of the scraping part can be further suppressed.

[0037] According to the invention of claim 9, the temperature rise of the scraping part can be further suppressed with a simple structure.

[0038] According to the invention of claim 10, the temperature rise of the scraping part can be further suppressed.

[0039] According to the invention of claim 11, it is possible to suppress toner from overflowing from the through hole.

[0040] According to the invention of claim 12, compared with a case where the storage portion is sealed, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of toner to the scraping portion due to the generation of frictional heat.

[0041] According to the invention of claim 13 , compared with a case where the storage portion is sealed, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of toner to the scraping portion due to the generation of frictional heat.

[0042] According to the invention of claim 14, compared with a case where the storage portion is sealed, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of toner to the scraping portion due to the generation of frictional heat.

[0043] According to the invention of claim 15 , in a structure in which the temperature of the transfer body is likely to rise due to the re-conveyance of the high-temperature recording material, the temperature rise of the scraping portion can be suppressed.

[0044] According to the invention of claim 16 , compared with a case where the storage portion is sealed, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of toner to the scraping portion due to the generation of frictional heat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of an image forming apparatus to which the present embodiment is applied.

[0046] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of a secondary transfer device to which this embodiment is applied.

[0047] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional view of a housing body and a housing cover.

[0048] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the secondary transfer device at IV-IV.

[0049] Figure 5 It is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the through hole and the cover claw.

[0050] Figure 6 It is a diagram for explaining the flow of gas in the waste toner storage section.

[0051] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the flow of gas around a scraper.

[0052] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the flow of gas at the end of the secondary transfer roller.

[0053] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 20: Secondary transfer device

[0055] 21: Secondary transfer roller

[0056] 22: Cleaning device

[0057] 25: Scraper

[0058] 27: Scraper

[0059] 31: Shell

[0060] 100: Image forming device

[0061] 310: Waste toner storage unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0063] <Image Forming Apparatus 100 >

[0064] Figure 1 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 to which the present embodiment is applied. Figure 1 The image forming device 100 shown is a so-called tandem color printer. The image forming device 100 includes: an image forming unit 10 that forms an image corresponding to image data of each color; an image reading device 30 that reads an image of an original document; a paper supply unit 40 that supplies paper S to the image forming unit 10; a conveying unit 50 that conveys the paper S when performing double-sided printing to form images on both sides of the paper S; and a control unit 90 that controls the overall operation of the image forming device 100.

[0065] Here, the components of the image forming apparatus 100 are housed inside the housing 60 . Further, a loading unit 70 is provided below the image reading device 30 and on the upper surface of the housing 60 , and the loading unit 70 loads the paper S on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 10 .

[0066] <Image Forming Section 10 >

[0067] The image forming unit 10 is provided with four image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K arranged in parallel at a fixed interval. The image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K form toner images by a so-called electronic photographic method. Here, the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are configured in the same manner except for the toner stored in the developing unit 16 described later. And each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K forms toner images of yellow (Yellow, Y), magenta (Magenta, M), cyan (C), and black (Black, K), respectively.

[0068] The image forming unit 10 is provided with an intermediate transfer belt 13 for transferring the toner images of each color formed on the photosensitive drum 12 of each image forming unit 1. The image forming unit 10 is provided with a primary transfer roller 17 for sequentially transferring (primary transfer) the toner images of each color formed by each image forming unit 1 to the intermediate transfer belt 13. Furthermore, the image forming unit 10 includes: a secondary transfer device 20 for collectively transferring (secondary transfer) the toner images of each color overlapped and formed on the intermediate transfer belt 13 to the paper S; a fixing device 24 for fixing the toner images of each color after the secondary transfer to the paper S; and a discharge roller 26 for discharging the paper S.

[0069] <Image forming unit 1>

[0070] The image forming unit 1 includes a photosensitive drum 12 for holding a toner image, a charging device 14 for charging the photosensitive drum 12, an exposure device 15 for exposing the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 12 to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developer 16 for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 12 to form a toner image. The developer 16 uses a so-called two-component developer as a developer, and the two-component developer contains a magnetic carrier and toner colored in a predetermined color.

[0071] <Image formation processing>

[0072] The image forming apparatus 100 executes a series of image forming processes under the control of the control unit 90. That is, the image processing unit (not shown) performs image processing on the image data obtained from the personal computer (PC) (not shown) or the image reading device 30, generates image data of each color and sends it to the exposure device 15 of each image forming unit 1. Then, the exposure device 15 performs exposure and the development device 16 performs development, thereby forming a toner image on the photosensitive drum 12.

[0073] The toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums 12 of the image forming units 1 are sequentially primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 13 by the primary transfer rollers 17, and a superimposed toner image formed by superimposing the toners of the respective colors is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 13. Then, the superimposed toner image is conveyed toward the secondary transfer device 20 as the intermediate transfer belt 13 moves.

[0074] On the other hand, the conveyance timing of the superimposed toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 13 is added, and the paper S supplied from the paper supply unit 40 is conveyed to the secondary transfer device 20. Then, the superimposed toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 13 is secondarily transferred to the paper S by the secondary transfer device 20. The superimposed toner image transferred to the paper S is fixed to the paper S by the fixing device 24, and then discharged to the loading unit 70 by the discharge roller 26. In addition, at the time of double-sided printing, the paper S on which the fixed image is formed on the front surface (first surface) through the above process is conveyed to the secondary transfer device 20 again via the conveying unit 50 to form a fixed image on the back surface (second surface).

[0075] Here, the secondary transfer device 20 is configured in the image forming device 100, and its temperature easily rises. Specifically, the temperature of the secondary transfer device 20 easily rises due to the heat generated by the fixing device 24. Moreover, during double-sided printing, the paper S whose temperature rises due to the formation of a fixing image on the surface (first side) is conveyed to the secondary transfer device 20 again via the conveying section 50, and thus, the temperature of the secondary transfer device 20 easily rises. Furthermore, as described later, the secondary transfer device 20 causes the secondary transfer roller 21 to nip the intermediate transfer belt 13, and the cleaning device 22 cleans the secondary transfer roller 21. In the above-mentioned structure, for example, compared with the case where the secondary transfer roller 21 includes a belt (not shown), the distance from the nip point on the outer periphery of the secondary transfer roller 21 to the cleaned area is short, and the temperature of the secondary transfer device 20 easily rises.

[0076] In addition, in the following description, Figure 1 The vertical direction (vertical direction) in the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the “vertical direction”. Figure 1 The upper side in the up-down direction is referred to as the "upper side", and the lower side in the up-down direction is referred to as the "lower side". Figure 1 The left-right direction of the paper surface in the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the “width direction”. Figure 1 The right side of the paper is referred to as "one side", and the left side of the paper is referred to as "the other side". Figure 1 The depth direction of the paper surface in the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the “depth direction”. Figure 1The front side of the paper is referred to as the "front side", and the back side of the paper is referred to as the "back side" (refer to Figure 2 ).

[0077] <Secondary transfer device 20>

[0078] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the secondary transfer device 20 to which this embodiment is applied.

[0079] Figure 3 33 and the housing cover 35. Figure 3 In the figure, a part of the structure of the housing 31 is simplified for clarity.

[0080] Next, refer to Figures 1 to 3 , while explaining the secondary transfer device 20 to which this embodiment is applied.

[0081] like Figure 2 As shown, the secondary transfer device 20 includes: a secondary transfer roller 21, which contacts the intermediate transfer belt 13 (see Figure 1 and a cleaning device 22, the residual toner, paper powder and other excess materials attached to the peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21 are removed and cleaned.

[0082] The secondary transfer roller 21 is a cylindrical member having at least an elastic layer, and is arranged to be rotatable in a predetermined direction (see arrow A1). The illustrated secondary transfer roller 21 is a structure in which an elastic layer 213 and a surface layer 215 are sequentially stacked on the outer peripheral surface of a conductive roller base 211 including a metal or other material. The elastic layer 213 is, for example, a layer including a material in which a conductive agent such as carbon black is added to an elastic material of foamed polyurethane. The elastic layer 213 is elastically deformed, thereby reducing friction with abutting components such as a scraper 27. The surface layer 215 is, for example, a layer including a synthetic resin such as a polyimide resin. The illustrated secondary transfer roller 21 is relative to the intermediate transfer belt 13 (see Figure 1 )'s outer peripheral surface can be set in contact / detachable manner.

[0083] The cleaning device 22 has a roll seal 23, a blade 25, and a scraper 27 at positions along the outer circumference of the secondary transfer roller 21. The cleaning device 22 also has a housing seal 28, an auxiliary roller 29, a housing 31, and an auger 37. Each component will be described below.

[0084] The roller seal 23 is a long film-like member (plate-like member) and is provided with its long side direction along the direction of the rotation axis of the secondary transfer roller 21. Moreover, one end (root) of the roller seal 23 in the direction intersecting the long side direction (seal width direction) is supported by the housing 31, and the other end (front end) in the seal width direction contacts the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21, and is provided in a flexed state as a whole. The roller seal 23 prevents excess materials such as toner recovered by the scraper 25 and the like from leaking out of the housing 31. That is, the roller seal 23 functions as a cover member that covers the cleaning opening 32 (described later) of the housing 31.

[0085] The scraper 25 includes a scraper body 251 and a scraper holding portion 253 for holding the scraper body 251. Here, the scraper body 251 is a long plate-like member, and is arranged along the direction of the rotation axis of the secondary transfer roller 21 in the long side direction. Moreover, one end (root) of the scraper body 251 in the direction intersecting the long side direction (the scraper width direction) is supported by the scraper holding portion 253, and the other end (front end) in the scraper width direction is arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21. The scraper body 251 is in contact with the secondary transfer roller 21 on the downstream side of the secondary transfer roller 21 in the rotation direction (refer to arrow A1) of the roller seal 23. Moreover, the scraper body 251 is formed of an elastically deformable material such as rubber, synthetic resin, etc. The scraper holding portion 253 includes a sheet metal obtained by bending a metal plate having a substantially rectangular shape in a top view into an L-shaped cross-section. The scraper holding portion 253 is supported by the housing 31.

[0086] Here, the scraper 25 presses the front end of the scraper body 251 against the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21 to scrape off the toner attached to the secondary transfer roller 21. Here, scraping means that the component (such as the scraper body 251) is brought into contact with the object (such as the secondary transfer roller 21) to remove the toner attached to the surface of the object. In addition, the scraper 25 shown in the figure suppresses the leakage of the recovered toner and other excess materials to the outside of the housing 31. That is, the scraper 25 functions as a member that covers the cleaning opening 32 (described later) of the housing 31.

[0087] The scraper 27 includes a scraper body 271 and a scraper holding portion 273 for holding the scraper body 271. Here, the scraper body 271 is a long plate-like member, and is arranged with the long side direction along the direction of the rotation axis of the secondary transfer roller 21. Moreover, one end (root) of the scraper body 271 in the direction intersecting the long side direction (scraper width direction) is supported by the scraper holding portion 273, and the other end (front end) in the scraper width direction is arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21. The scraper body 271 is in contact with the secondary transfer roller 21 on the downstream side of the blade body 251 in the rotation direction of the secondary transfer roller 21 (refer to arrow A1). Moreover, the scraper body 271 is formed of metal or the like, and is constructed in a manner that has higher rigidity than the blade body 251. Moreover, the scraper body 271 includes a member (thin plate) whose thickness (plate thickness) is thinner than the blade body 251.

[0088] The scraper holding portion 273 includes a sheet metal formed by bending a metal plate having a generally rectangular shape in a top view into an L-shaped cross-section. The scraper holding portion 273 is supported by the housing 31. Here, the scraper holding portion 273 and the blade holding portion 253 are arranged in such a manner that the long side directions of the scraper holding portion 273 and the blade holding portion 253 are along the depth direction, and are arranged in such a manner that the respective curved portions are away from the other. That is, the scraper holding portion 273 and the blade holding portion 253 are arranged in such a manner that the space sandwiched between the two, i.e., the flow path R, becomes larger.

[0089] The scraper 27 presses the front end of the scraper body 271 against the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21 to scrape off the toner attached to the secondary transfer roller 21. To further explain, the scraper 27 removes the excess material that is not removed by the scraper blade 25. Here, the toner attached to the secondary transfer roller 21 sometimes causes so-called filming, which is fixed to the surface of the secondary transfer roller 21 in a film-like state. The scraper 27 scrapes the surface of the secondary transfer roller 21 with the front end of the scraper body 271 to remove the filming. In addition, the force (e.g., vertical load) of the scraper 27 pressing the secondary transfer roller 21 is greater than that of the scraper blade 25. Moreover, since the excess material has been removed in advance by the scraper blade 25, the force pressing the scraper 27, which is located on the downstream side of the rotation direction of the secondary transfer roller 21 (see arrow A1) relative to the scraper blade 25, to the secondary transfer roller 21 is reduced.

[0090] The shell seal 28 is a long film-like member (plate-like member) and is provided with its long side direction along the direction of the rotation axis of the secondary transfer roller 21. The shell seal 28 is formed of an elastically deformable material such as urethane, and seals the flow path R sandwiched by the scraper holding portion 273 and the blade holding portion 253. The flow path R is a space surrounded by the secondary transfer roller 21, the blade 25, the scraper 27, the shell seal 28, etc., and extending in the depth direction.

[0091] The shell seal 28 shown in the figure has a scraper seal 281, a scraper seal 283 and an intermediate seal 285. The scraper seal 281 is provided between the scraper holding portion 273 and the housing body 33 (described later). The scraper seal 283 is provided between the scraper holding portion 253 and the housing body 33. The intermediate seal 285 is provided in a gap (recess) of the housing body 33.

[0092] The auxiliary roller 29 includes a plurality of roller pairs arranged in the depth direction. The auxiliary roller 29 is a roller that transfers the paper from the paper supply unit 40 (see Figure 1 ) The supplied paper S is guided to the nip portion between the secondary transfer roller 21 and the intermediate transfer belt 13.

[0093] Next, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , while explaining the housing 31. The housing 31 is a box-shaped structure that is provided with its long side direction along the direction of the rotation axis of the secondary transfer roller 21 and is open toward the secondary transfer roller 21. To further explain, the housing 31 has a rectangular opening, i.e., a cleaning opening 32, on the upper side in the up-down direction and one side in the width direction, that is, faces the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21.

[0094] The housing 31 includes a housing body 33, a housing cover 35 fixed to the housing body 33, and a cover seal 36 sandwiched between the housing body 33 and the housing cover 35. The housing body 33 and the housing cover 35 form a waste toner storage portion (waste toner box) 310 in which toner (waste toner) recovered by the scraper 25 is stored through a space sandwiched therebetween.

[0095] like Figure 3 As shown, the shell body 33 accommodates the auger 37 and forms an upper space 331 which is a space on the upper side of the waste toner storage section 310. In addition, the shell body 33 has an opening 332 which is an opening in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, at the lower side in the up-down direction. In addition, the shell body 33 has a sealing groove 333 formed to surround the opening 332. That is, the sealing groove 333 is a groove formed in an annular shape along the opening 332. In addition, the shell body 33 has a through hole 330 on the body side 335 to connect the inside and the outside of the waste toner storage section 310. In addition, the details of the through hole 330 will be described later.

[0096] like Figure 3 As shown, the housing cover 35 has a cover body 351 that covers the opening 332 of the housing body 33. The housing cover 35 is a box-shaped member that is open on one side facing the housing body 33, and forms a lower space 352 (see FIG. 1 ) that becomes the lower space in the waste toner storage section 310. Figure 2). In addition, the shell cover 35 has: a cover side surface 353, which is located on one side in the width direction when fixed relative to the shell body 33; and a cover claw 350, which protrudes from the cover side surface 353 to one side in the width direction. Here, the cover claw 350 is inserted into the through hole 330 of the shell body 33 to determine the position of the shell cover 35 relative to the shell body 33. The illustrated cover claw 350 is a plate-shaped member arranged in a direction where the plate surface intersects the up-down direction, and a plurality of (four) cover claws are arranged in the depth direction. The structure of the cover claw 350 will be described in detail later.

[0097] like Figure 3 As shown, the seal 36 is an annular member formed of an elastically deformable material such as carbamate. The seal 36 shown in the figure is embedded in the sealing groove 333 formed in an annular shape. Here, the seal 36 is a member that allows gas (air) to pass through and restricts the passage of toner. To further explain, the seal 36 is a member that is air-permeable and has a large number of openings that are smaller than the particle size of the toner. The seal 36 can also be understood as a mesh-like member, that is, a mesh body. The seal 36 prevents the waste toner contained in the waste toner containing section 310 from flowing out to the outside.

[0098] like Figure 2 As shown, the auger 37 has a rotating shaft 371 and a blade portion 373 spirally provided on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 371. In the auger 37, as the rotating shaft 371 receives a driving force from a driving source (not shown) and rotates (refer to arrow A2 in the figure), the blade portion 373 transports the toner contained in the waste toner storage section 310 in the depth direction. As a result, the waste toner contained in the waste toner storage section 310 is flattened. That is, the auger 37 suppresses the waste toner from being piled up high in a part of the waste toner storage section 310. In addition, the auger 37 receives a driving force from the driving source and rotates, and as a result, the gas flow in the waste toner storage section 310 is promoted. In addition, the gas flow in the waste toner storage section 310 will be described later.

[0099] <Through hole 330>

[0100] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the secondary transfer device 20 taken along line IV-IV.

[0101] Figure 5 It is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the through hole 330 and the cover claw 350 .

[0102] Next, refer to Figures 3 to 5 , while explaining the cooling of the scraper 27 by the through hole 330.

[0103] As described above, the scraper 27 is arranged in such a manner that the front end of the scraper body 271 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21. In this state, when the secondary transfer device 20 is in operation and the secondary transfer roller 21 rotates, the front end of the scraper body 271 rubs against the outer peripheral surface of the secondary transfer roller 21, thereby generating friction heat. For example, the temperature of the scraper body 271 rises due to the friction heat, sometimes exceeding 45 degrees. Here, if the temperature of the scraper body 271 exceeds the melting temperature of the toner, sometimes the toner melts and fixes to the scraper body 271. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a through hole 330 is provided to suppress the fixation of the toner caused by the temperature rise of the scraper body 271.

[0104] like Figure 3 As shown, the through hole 330 is an opening of a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and a plurality (four) of through holes are arranged in the depth direction. Figure 4 As shown, the through hole 330 is formed at a position at least partially facing the scraper 27. To be further described, the through hole 330 opens toward the scraper holding portion 273 in the scraper 27. And, the through hole 330 allows gas to flow from the inside of the waste toner storage portion 310 toward the scraper holding portion 273 of the scraper 27. And, as will be described in detail later, the internal pressure of the waste toner storage portion 310 will rise with the rotation of the secondary transfer roller 21, but the gas leaks from the through hole 330, so that the increase in the internal pressure of the waste toner storage portion 310 can be suppressed. And, the scraper 27 is cooled by the flow of gas from the through hole 330. To be further described, by providing the through hole 330 in the waste toner storage portion 310, the temperature of the scraper 27 can be reduced compared with the case where the through hole 330 is not provided and the waste toner storage portion 310 is sealed.

[0105] Here, if Figure 3 As shown, the through hole 330 penetrates the side surface 335 of the main body in the thickness direction, so that the side surface 335 of the main body is continuous with the inside of the sealing groove 333. In other words, the through hole 330 connects the outside and the inside of the side surface 335 of the main body. Moreover, a cover seal 36 is arranged inside the sealing groove 333. Furthermore, a part of the cover seal 36 is exposed toward the inside of the waste toner storage section 310. In this configuration, the gas from the inside of the waste toner storage section 310 through the sealing groove 333 toward the through hole 330 passes through the cover seal 36. To further explain, the gas from the inside of the waste toner storage section 310 passes through the part 361 of the cover seal 36 facing the through hole 330. As a result, the waste toner is suppressed from flowing out from the through hole 330 to the outside.

[0106] In addition, if Figure 4As shown, in order to fix the housing cover 35 to the housing body 33, the cover claw 350 is inserted into the through hole 330. Here, the through hole 330 shown in the figure is formed with a size larger than the cover claw 350. Therefore, even in the state where the cover claw 350 is inserted, the gas will flow out from the gap formed by the cover claw 350 and the through hole 330. To be specific, the depth direction length L12 of the through hole 330 is greater than the depth direction length L11 of the cover claw 350. Therefore, in the state where the cover claw 350 is inserted into the through hole 330, a gap in the depth direction is formed. Moreover, the vertical direction length H12 of the through hole 330 is greater than the vertical direction length H11 of the cover claw 350. Therefore, in the state where the cover claw 350 is inserted into the through hole 330, a gap in the vertical direction is formed. By forming it with the above-mentioned size, even in the state where the cover claw 350 is inserted, the gas will flow out through the gap formed around the cover claw 350.

[0107] <Gas Flow>

[0108] Figure 6 1 is a diagram for explaining the flow of gas in the waste toner storage section 310 .

[0109] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the flow of gas around the scraper 27 .

[0110] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the flow of gas at the end of the secondary transfer roller 21 .

[0111] Next, refer to Figures 6 to 8 , while explaining the gas flow in the secondary transfer device 20.

[0112] like Figure 6 As shown, when the secondary transfer roller 21 contacts (sandwiches) the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 13, the cleaning opening 32 of the waste toner storage section 310 is covered by the secondary transfer roller 21, the roller seal 23 and the blade 25. That is, the waste toner storage section 310 becomes a closed space.

[0113] Furthermore, when the secondary transfer roller 21 rotates, the front end of the roller seal 23 in the seal width direction swings, and sometimes a gap is temporarily formed between the roller seal 23 and the secondary transfer roller 21. As a result, gas flows into the waste toner storage section 310 (refer to arrow B11 in the figure), and the internal pressure of the waste toner storage section 310 increases. Moreover, the gas flowing into the waste toner storage section 310 moves along the scraper 25 (refer to arrow B12 in the figure) while circulating in the waste toner storage section 310 (refer to arrows B13 to B16 in the figure). Then, the gas in the waste toner storage section 310 flows out from the through hole 330 (refer to arrow B17 in the figure). In this way, the gas flowing out from the through hole 330 hits the scraper 27. As a result, the scraper 27, whose temperature rises due to the sliding friction with the secondary transfer roller 21, is cooled.

[0114] Here, the gas flowing out of the through hole 330 flows into the space sandwiched by the blade 25 , the scraper 27 , and the secondary transfer roller 21 , that is, the divided space, namely, the flow path R. Therefore, the gas moving in the flow path R cools the blade 25 while cooling the scraper 27 and the secondary transfer roller 21 .

[0115] Moreover, if Figure 7 As shown, the flow path R extends in the depth direction, so the gas flowing out of the through hole 330 flows in the depth direction (refer to arrows C11 and arrows C12 in the figure). In this way, the gas flowing out of the through hole 330 moves in the depth direction in the flow path R, thereby cooling a wide range in the depth direction. For example, the gas flows in the depth direction in the flow path R, thereby cooling a wider range than the area where the through hole 330 is formed (refer to area W1 in the figure).

[0116] Here, in the example shown in the figure, the gas moving in the depth direction in the flow path R leaks out from both ends of the flow path R in the depth direction to the outside of the secondary transfer device 20. Figure 8 , while explaining the gas flow at both ends of the flow path R.

[0117] First, although the above description is omitted, Figure 8As shown, a first drive gear 217 and a second drive gear 218 are provided at the end of the roller base 211 of the secondary transfer roller 21 in the depth direction. The first drive gear 217 and the second drive gear 218 receive a driving force from a driving source (not shown), thereby rotating the secondary transfer roller 21. Moreover, the housing body 33 has a cutout 338 for arranging the roller base 211 at a position between the first drive gear 217 and the elastic layer 213 in the depth direction. Furthermore, a gap is formed between the cutout 338 and the roller base 211. Here, the gap is located at the end of the depth direction of the flow path R. In addition, the gas moving in the depth direction in the flow path R through the gap leaks to the outside of the secondary transfer device 20 (refer to arrows C13 and C14 in the figure). Although detailed description is omitted, a cutout 338 is also formed in the housing body 33 on the inner side in the depth direction of the roller base 211 of the secondary transfer roller 21 , and gas leaks to the outside of the secondary transfer device 20 through a gap between the cutout 338 and the roller base 211 .

[0118] In addition, if Figure 6 As shown, the scraper blade 25 is provided at a position covering the cleaning opening 32 of the waste toner storage section 310. Moreover, the scraper blade 27 is located outside the waste toner storage section 310 (one side in the width direction) relative to the scraper blade 25. Therefore, the scraper blade 25 suppresses the flow of gas from the inside of the waste toner storage section 310 toward the scraper blade 27. On the other hand, since the scraper blade 25 covers the opening of the waste toner storage section 310, the internal pressure of the waste toner storage section 310 is likely to rise. As a result, the gas flowing out from the through hole 330 increases, and the scraper blade 27 is more easily cooled. Moreover, by configuring the front end of the scraper blade 25 to contact the secondary transfer roller 21 as shown in the example in the figure, the gas is suppressed from flowing out from between the front end of the scraper blade 25 and the secondary transfer roller 21, and as a result, the amount of gas passing through the through hole 330 increases. In addition, the through hole 330 shown in the figure can be understood as a structure as described below, that is, a structure that guides gas from the inside of the waste toner storage section 310 toward the scraper blade 27 located at a position where the gas is difficult to flow.

[0119] Furthermore, although the description is omitted above, the housing cover 35 has an inclined surface 355 at a portion of the inner wall of the waste toner storage portion 310 and at a position below the through hole 330. The inclined surface 355 is inclined in a direction that moves toward the upper side in the vertical direction as it moves toward one side in the width direction. Furthermore, the gas from the other side in the width direction toward one side (refer to the arrow B15 in the figure) moves along the inclined surface 355 toward the upper side in the vertical direction. Therefore, the inclined surface 355 can be understood as a structure that guides the airflow (gas) toward the through hole 330.

[0120] Moreover, if Figure 6As shown, the rotation direction of the auger 37 (refer to the arrow A2 in the figure) is consistent with the direction of gas circulation inside the waste toner storage part 310 (refer to the arrows B13 to B16 in the figure). In other words, the auger 37 has the function of guiding the gas toward the through hole 330. As a result, the amount of gas flowing out from the through hole 330 increases, and as a result, the function of the cooling scraper 27 is improved. In addition, if the waste toner inside the waste toner storage part 310 is leveled with the rotation of the auger 37, it is possible to suppress the toner from overflowing from the through hole 330.

[0121] <Modification>

[0122] In addition, in the description of the above embodiment, the case where the through hole 330 is provided in the cleaning device 22 for cleaning the secondary transfer roller 21 is described, but as long as the cleaning device 22 has a mechanism for making the front end contact the surface of the rotating body, the object cleaned by the cleaning device 22 is not limited to the secondary transfer roller 21. For example, in a cleaning device (not shown) for cleaning the intermediate transfer belt 13 or the photosensitive drum 12, or a transfer roller (not shown), the structure described in the above embodiment can also be adopted.

[0123] Furthermore, in the description of the above-mentioned embodiment, the cleaning device 22 is described as having the scraper blade 25 and the scraper 27, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in a structure without the scraper blade 25, the scraper blade 27 may be cooled by the gas flowing out of the through hole 330. Furthermore, in a structure without the scraper blade 27, the scraper blade 25 may be cooled by the gas flowing out of the through hole 330.

[0124] Furthermore, in the description of the above-mentioned embodiment, the through hole 330 is an opening of a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and a plurality (four) of through holes are arranged in the depth direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. To further explain, as long as the opening guides the gas from the inside of the waste toner storage section 310 to the scraper 27, etc., the shape and number are not limited.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the auger 37 is rotated to guide the gas toward the through hole 330 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. To further explain, any rotating body that rotates inside the waste toner storage unit 310 may be a rotating roller or a motor.

[0126] Furthermore, in the description of the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the flow path R is divided by the scraper blade 25, the scraper blade 27, and the secondary transfer roller 21 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. To further explain, as long as the flow path R is a space divided by at least one of the scraper blade 25 and the scraper blade 27, the space may be divided by both the scraper blade 25 and the scraper blade 27.

[0127] In addition, the cleaning device 22 in the above description is an example of a cleaning device. The scraper blade 25 and the scraper 27 are examples of a scraping portion. The scraper blade 25 is an example of a first scraping member. The scraper 27 is an example of a second scraping member. The waste toner storage portion 310 is an example of a storage portion. The through hole 330 is an example of a through hole. The flow path R is an example of a space. The cleaning opening 32 is an example of an opening area. The shell seal 28 is an example of a guide portion. The roller base 211 is an example of a rotating shaft. The shell body 33 is an example of a first member. The shell cover 35 is an example of a second member. The cover claw 350 is an example of a positioning claw. The cover seal 36 is an example of a sealing portion. The portion 361 facing the through hole 330 is an example of a portion facing the through hole. The inclined surface 355 and the auger 37 are examples of a promotion mechanism. The inclined surface 355 is an example of a guide surface. The auger 37 is an example of another rotating body. The rotating shaft 371 is an example of another rotating shaft. The secondary transfer roller 21 is an example of a toner holding member and a transfer member. The conveying section 50 is an example of a conveying path. The image forming apparatus 100 is an example of an image forming apparatus. The secondary transfer apparatus 20 is an example of a transfer apparatus.

[0128] Various embodiments and modifications have been described above, but it is of course possible to configure the embodiments or modifications in combination with each other.

[0129] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A cleaning device, comprising: The scraping part has a front end pressed against a rotating body to which the toner is attached, and the toner is scraped off from the rotating body, and the scraping part has: A first scraping member, the front end of which is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as A second scraping member is disposed on a downstream side of the rotating body in the rotation direction of the rotating body compared to the first scraping member, and a front end thereof is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as a receiving portion for receiving toner scraped off from the rotating body, The receiving portion has a through hole and a first component formed with the through hole, and a second component combined with and fixed to the first component. The through hole is opened in the portion facing the scraping portion, so that gas flows from the inside of the receiving portion toward the scraping portion. The through hole allows the gas to flow toward the second scraping component, and the gas is used to cool the second scraping component. The second component has a positioning claw, and the front end of the positioning claw is inserted into the through hole of the first component to determine the position of the second component relative to the first component. The size of the front end of the positioning claw is smaller than the size of the through hole, and a gap is formed between the front end of the positioning claw and the through hole for the gas to flow.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The through hole allows the gas to flow into a space sandwiched by the first scraping member and the second scraping member.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first scraping member covers the opening area of ​​the housing portion to suppress the flow of gas from the inside of the housing portion toward the second scraping member.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A guide portion is provided to guide the gas flowing toward the second scraping member in a direction along the rotation axis of the rotating body.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing portion is provided, the sealing portion being sandwiched between the first member and the second member and sealing the receiving portion, The sealing portion has a portion facing the through hole, The portion facing the through hole allows the gas to flow toward the scraping portion, and suppresses the toner from flowing out through the through hole.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing portion includes a promotion mechanism, which is provided inside the housing portion and promotes the flow of gas toward the through hole.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The promotion mechanism is a guide surface, which is a part of the inner surface of the receiving portion and guides the gas toward the through hole.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The promotion mechanism is another rotating body that rotates in a direction along the flow of gas inside the housing portion.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The other rotating body rotates around another rotating axis along the rotating axis of the rotating body, and conveys the toner stored in the storage portion in a direction along the other rotating axis.

10. A cleaning device, comprising: The scraping part has a front end pressed against a rotating body to which the toner is attached, and the toner is scraped off from the rotating body, and the scraping part has: A first scraping member, the front end of which is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as A second scraping member is disposed on a downstream side of the rotating body in the rotation direction of the rotating body compared to the first scraping member, and a front end thereof is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as a receiving portion for receiving toner scraped off from the rotating body, The receiving portion has an opening facing the space divided at least in part by the scraping portion, a first component forming the opening, and a second component combined with and fixed to the first component, the opening allowing gas to flow toward the second scraping component, the gas being used to cool the second scraping component, the second component having a positioning claw, the front end of the positioning claw being inserted into the opening of the first component to determine the position of the second component relative to the first component, the size of the front end of the positioning claw being smaller than the size of the opening, and a gap for the gas to flow is formed between the front end of the positioning claw and the opening.

11. A cleaning device, comprising: The scraping part has a front end pressed against a rotating body to which the toner is attached, and the toner is scraped off from the rotating body, and the scraping part has: A first scraping member, the front end of which is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as A second scraping member is disposed on a downstream side of the rotating body in the rotation direction of the rotating body compared to the first scraping member, and a front end thereof is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as a receiving portion for receiving toner scraped off from the rotating body, The receiving portion has a through hole and a first component formed with the through hole, and a second component combined with and fixed to the first component. The through hole is open at a portion facing the scraping portion so that the interior and exterior of the receiving portion are continuous. The through hole allows gas to flow toward the second scraping component, and the gas is used to cool the second scraping component. The second component has a positioning claw, and the front end of the positioning claw is inserted into the through hole of the first component to determine the position of the second component relative to the first component. The size of the front end of the positioning claw is smaller than the size of the through hole, and a gap is formed between the front end of the positioning claw and the through hole for the gas to flow.

12. An image forming device, comprising: A toner holding body for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding body by the toner; The scraping part has a front end pressed against a rotating body to which the toner supplied from the toner holding body adheres, and scrapes the toner off the rotating body, and the scraping part has: A first scraping member, the front end of which is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as A second scraping member is disposed on a downstream side of the rotating body in the rotation direction of the rotating body compared to the first scraping member, and a front end thereof is pressed against the rotating body to scrape toner off the rotating body; as well as a receiving portion for receiving toner scraped off from the rotating body, The receiving portion has a through hole and a first component formed with the through hole, and a second component combined with and fixed to the first component. The through hole is open at a portion facing the scraping portion so that gas flows from the inside of the receiving portion toward the scraping portion. The through hole allows the gas to flow toward the second scraping component, and the gas is used to cool the second scraping component. The second component has a positioning claw, and the front end of the positioning claw is inserted into the through hole of the first component to determine the position of the second component relative to the first component. The size of the front end of the positioning claw is smaller than the size of the through hole, and a gap is formed between the front end of the positioning claw and the through hole for the gas to flow.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The rotating body is a transfer body that transfers the toner image developed by the toner holding body to the recording material. The image forming apparatus includes a conveyance path that conveys the recording material having the toner image transferred to one side thereof by the transfer body again to the transfer body so that toner is transferred to the other side of the recording material.

14. A transfer device comprising: A transfer body that transfers the toner image held by the image holding body to the recording material as it rotates; A first scraping member, the front end of which is pressed against the transfer body to scrape toner off the transfer body; A second scraping member is disposed on the downstream side of the transfer body in the rotation direction compared to the first scraping member, and a front end thereof is pressed against the transfer body to scrape toner off the transfer body; as well as a receiving portion for receiving the toner scraped off by the first scraping member, The receiving portion has a through hole and a first component having the through hole formed therein, and a second component combined with and fixed to the first component. The through hole is open at a portion facing the second scraping component, so that gas flows from the inside of the receiving portion toward the second scraping component, and the gas is used to cool the second scraping component. The second component has a positioning claw, and the front end of the positioning claw is inserted into the through hole of the first component to determine the position of the second component relative to the first component. The size of the front end of the positioning claw is smaller than the size of the through hole, and a gap is formed between the front end of the positioning claw and the through hole for the gas to flow.

Images