Cleaning device

Abstract

The cleaning device includes a cleaning unit, a moving mechanism, and a positioning portion. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning portion having an abutting surface extending in an axial direction of a conveying roller and cleaning the conveying roller, and a cleaning housing supporting the cleaning portion. The moving mechanism is capable of moving the cleaning unit between a cleaning position and a mounting / demounting position. The moving mechanism allows the cleaning portion to abut against the conveying roller in the cleaning position, and allows the cleaning portion to be disposed apart from the conveying roller toward a lower side in the mounting / demounting position and the cleaning unit to be mountable / demountable with respect to a device main body. The positioning portion restricts a relative position of the cleaning portion and the conveying roller by abutting against the cleaning unit moved to the cleaning position, and positions the cleaning unit. Accordingly, the surface of the conveying roller conveying a sheet body can be abutted against and cleaned without excessive load applied to the surface.

Description

[0001] The present application is a divisional application of patent application No. 202010458453.4 (hereinafter referred to as the “parent application”) with a filing date of May 26, 2020 and an invention title of “Cleaning device and image forming apparatus equipped with the same”.

[0002] The present application is filed in the case that the State Intellectual Property Office considers that the parent application does not meet the requirement of unity, specifically the second notice of second examination opinion of the parent application, with a filing date of March 26, 2023 and a filing serial number of 2023032600280730. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same. BACKGROUND

[0004] In an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a sheet is conveyed to a prescribed image forming position at which an image is formed on the sheet. Conventionally, an alignment roller pair that feeds out a sheet to an image forming position is known. The alignment roller pair has a length corresponding to the width of a sheet and forms a nip through which a sheet passes. If the leading end of a sheet abuts against the nip in a state in which the rotation of the alignment roller pair is stopped, the skew of the sheet is corrected. Thereafter, if the alignment roller pair rotates, the sheet is fed out (conveyed) after the sheet is carried into the nip in coordination with an appropriate image forming timing of the image forming position.

[0005] Conventionally, a cleaning device that removes paper dust attached to the surface of an alignment roller is known. The cleaning device has a cleaning belt wound in a roll shape and a push roller that pushes the cleaning belt against the surface of the alignment roller, and a new cleaning belt surface is brought into contact with the surface of the alignment roller and removes paper dust by being sequentially fed out.

[0006] In the described technology, the push roller pushes the cleaning belt against the lower alignment roller of the alignment roller pair, and the cleaning belt sweeps the surface of the alignment roller. In the alignment roller pair, the nip load of the alignment roller pair needs to be appropriately managed in order to feed out a sheet. In order to improve the sweepability of the surface of the alignment roller, if the push roller pushes the cleaning belt too strongly against the lower alignment roller, the nip load of the alignment roller pair varies, and there is a problem in that a sheet cannot be appropriately fed out. Moreover, this problem is not limited to the alignment roller pair, and it can also occur in a conveying roller that conveys a sheet. If paper dust or toner is attached to the surface of the conveying roller, a situation in which the conveyance of a sheet is poor or a sheet is stained with toner occurs, and therefore, the conveying roller needs to be swept. Moreover, if a cleaning member such as a cleaning belt strongly abuts against the conveying roller, the conveying roller is deformed, and there is a problem in that the conveying function thereof is degraded. SUMMARY

[0007] The present application has been made in view of such circumstances, and has an object to provide a cleaning device capable of abutting against and cleaning the surface of a conveying roller that conveys a sheet without applying excessive load to the surface of the conveying roller, and an image forming apparatus provided with the cleaning device.

[0008] The present application provides a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of a conveying roller that is rotatably supported by a device main body of an image forming apparatus and conveys a sheet, characterized by comprising: a cleaning unit having a cleaning portion and a cleaning housing that supports the cleaning portion, the cleaning portion having an abutting surface that extends in the axial direction of the conveying roller and abuts against and cleans the surface of the conveying roller from below; a moving mechanism that is capable of moving the cleaning unit between a cleaning position at which the cleaning portion is allowed to abut against the conveying roller and a mounting / demounting position that is located below the cleaning position and at which the cleaning portion is allowed to be disposed so as to be away downward with respect to the conveying roller and the cleaning unit is allowed to be mounted / demounted with respect to the device main body; and a positioning portion that, when the device main body is disposed at a position different from that of the conveying roller, restricts the relative position of the cleaning portion with respect to the conveying roller by abutting against the cleaning unit moved to the cleaning position by the moving mechanism, and positions the cleaning unit in such a manner that the cleaning portion is capable of cleaning the conveying roller, wherein the cleaning housing is provided with: a pair of wall portions that are disposed so as to face each other in the axial direction of the conveying roller and support the cleaning portion; and a pair of cylindrical guide members that are respectively provided so as to protrude from the outer side surfaces of the pair of wall portions in the axial direction, wherein the positioning portion is formed by a recessed portion that has an inner peripheral surface along the outer peripheral surfaces of the pair of guide members and receives the guide members, the cleaning housing further has a pair of housing shaft portions that are respectively provided so as to protrude from the outer side surfaces of the pair of wall portions in the axial direction at positions different from those of the pair of guide members, the moving mechanism is provided with: a unit housing portion that houses the cleaning unit disposed at the mounting / demounting position; a pair of support members that are disposed at the unit housing portion so as to support the cleaning housing in such a manner that the cleaning housing is sandwiched from both sides in the axial direction, the pair of support members respectively having a shaft support portion that receives the housing shaft portion and rotatably supports the housing shaft portion; and a rotation drive portion that rotates the pair of support members about a first central shaft that is disposed above with respect to the shaft support portion and is parallel to the axial direction in such a manner that the cleaning unit moves between the cleaning position and the mounting / demounting position with the pair of housing shaft portions being supported by the pair of shaft support portions, the rotation drive portion allowing the pair of housing shaft portions to relatively rotate with respect to the pair of shaft support portions in such a manner that the cleaning unit maintains the posture of the cleaning portion upward, and rotating the pair of support members.

[0009] According to the present application, it is possible to abut against and clean the surface of a conveying roller that conveys a sheet without applying excessive load to the surface of the conveying roller. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the alignment roller pair and the periphery of the cleaning unit of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit in the cleaning position.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a 3D view of the cleaning unit.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a 3D view of the cleaning unit.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a 3D view of the cleaning unit.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a front view of the cleaning unit with some parts omitted.

[0017] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the internal structure of the cleaning unit.

[0018] Figure 9 It is a three-dimensional view of the cleaning unit and the cleaning belt delivery mechanism.

[0019] Figure 10 It is an enlarged 3D view showing a portion of the cleaning unit.

[0020] Figure 11 It is an enlarged 3D view showing a portion of the cleaning unit.

[0021] Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing the situation after the transport unit frame has detached from the main frame of the apparatus body constituting an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 13 This is a perspective view showing the conveyor unit frame installed behind the main frame.

[0023] Figure 14 This is a 3D view of the conveyor unit frame.

[0024] Figure 15 This is a 3D view of the conveyor unit frame.

[0025] Figure 16 This is a perspective view of the rotating part of the cleaning unit within the conveying unit frame.

[0026] Figure 17 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cleaning unit rotation portion of the conveyance unit frame.

[0027] Figure 18 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cleaning unit rotation portion of the conveyance unit frame.

[0028] Figure 19 is a sectional view showing a case where the cleaning unit is mounted to the conveyance unit frame.

[0029] Figure 20 is a sectional view showing a case where the cleaning unit is mounted to the conveyance unit frame.

[0030] Figure 21 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cleaning unit rotation portion of the conveyance unit frame.

[0031] Figure 22 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cleaning unit rotation portion of the conveyance unit frame.

[0032] Figure 23 is a perspective view showing a case where the cleaning unit is mounted to the conveyance unit frame.

[0033] Figure 24 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application, and is a sectional view of a state where the cleaning unit is arranged at the attachment / detachment position.

[0034] Figure 25 is a sectional view showing a state where the cleaning unit is slightly pressed from the attachment / detachment position.

[0035] Figure 26 is a sectional view of a state where the cleaning unit is arranged at the separation position.

[0036] Figure 27 is a sectional perspective view of a state where the cleaning unit is arranged at the attachment / detachment position.

[0037] Figure 28 is a sectional perspective view of a state where the cleaning unit is arranged at the cleaning position.

[0038] Figure 29 is a sectional perspective view of a state where the cleaning unit is arranged at the attachment / detachment position.

[0039] Figure 30 is a sectional perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application, and is a sectional perspective view of a state where the cleaning unit is arranged at the cleaning position.

[0040] Figure 31is a sectional view of a registration roller pair and a cleaning unit of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a sectional view of a state in which the cleaning unit is disposed at a cleaning position.

[0041] Figure 32 (A), (B), and (C) are graphs showing nip load distributions of registration roller pairs.

[0042] Figure 33 is a sectional perspective view of another registration roller pair and a cleaning unit for comparison with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an internal structure of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The image forming apparatus 1 shown is an inkjet recording apparatus that ejects ink droplets to form (record) an image on a sheet S. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with an apparatus main body 10, a paper feeding section 20, a registration roller section 30, a belt conveying unit 40, an image forming section 50, and a curl correcting section 60.

[0045] The apparatus main body 10 is a box-shaped casing that houses various devices for forming an image on the sheet S. In the apparatus main body 10, a first conveying passage 11, a second conveying passage 12, and a third conveying passage 13 that become conveying passages of the sheet S are formed.

[0046] The paper feeding section 20 feeds the sheet S to the first conveying passage 11. The paper feeding section 20 is provided with a paper cassette 21 and a paper feeding roller 22. The paper cassette 21 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 10 and houses the sheet S inside. The paper feeding roller 22 is disposed at the right side of the upper end portion of the paper cassette 21. The paper feeding roller 22 conveys the sheet S housed in the paper cassette 21 to the downstream side of the first conveying passage 11.

[0047] The sheet S fed to the first conveying passage 11 is conveyed to the registration roller section 30 disposed at the downstream end of the first conveying passage 11 by a first roller pair 111 provided in the first conveying passage 11. Further, a paper tray 24 is disposed at the right side surface of the apparatus main body 10, and the sheet S can be placed on the upper surface of the paper tray 24. The sheet S placed on the paper tray 24 is fed toward the registration roller section 30 by a paper feeding roller 23.

[0048] The alignment roller section 30 is a device that conveys the sheet body S, which has been carried in by the first conveying path 11 or the paper feed roller 23, toward the conveying belt 41 of the belt conveying unit 40 in the sheet body conveying direction Al. In addition, the alignment roller section 30 and the belt conveying unit 40 convey the sheet body S at different positions from each other. Details of the alignment roller section 30 will be described later.

[0049] The sheet body S conveyed by the alignment roller section 30 is conveyed by the belt conveying unit 40 in the sheet body conveying direction A2. In addition, the sheet body conveying directions Al and A2 are leftward in the Figure 1

[0050] The belt conveying unit 40 is disposed below the image forming section 50. The belt conveying unit 40 conveys the sheet body S, which has been conveyed by the alignment roller section 30, toward the curl correction section 60 in the sheet body conveying direction A2 in such a manner that the sheet body S passes below the image forming section 50. The belt conveying unit 40 has a conveying belt 41 (conveying section), a first support roller 421, a second support roller 422, a third support roller 423, a pair of fourth support rollers 424, and a suction section 43.

[0051] The conveying belt 41 is a ring-shaped belt having a prescribed width in the front-rear direction and extending in the left-right direction. The conveying belt 41 is disposed facing the image forming section 50 and conveys the sheet body S in the sheet body conveying direction A2 on the outer peripheral surface 411. An image forming position at which an image is formed on the sheet body S by the image forming section 50 is set on the circumferential rotation path of the conveying belt 41.

[0052] The conveying belt 41 is stretched over the first support roller 421, the second support roller 422, the third support roller 423, and the pair of fourth support rollers 424. The suction section 43 is disposed facing the inner peripheral surface 412 of the conveying belt 41 on the inner side of the stretched conveying belt 41. The first support roller 421 is rotationally driven by a not-shown drive motor and rotates the conveying belt 41 in a prescribed circumferential rotation direction. In addition, the conveying belt 41 has a plurality of suction holes that penetrate from the outer peripheral surface 411 to the inner peripheral surface 412 in the thickness direction.

[0053] The suction section 43 is disposed facing the image forming section 50 by the conveying belt 41. The suction section 43 causes the sheet body S held to the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveying belt 41 to adhere to the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveying belt 41 by generating a negative pressure between the sheet body S and the conveying belt 41. The suction section 43 has a belt guide member 431, a suction housing 432, a suction device 433, and an exhaust pipe 434.

[0054] The belt guide member 431 guides the circumferential rotation of the conveying belt 41 in conjunction with the rotation of the first support roller 421 between the first support roller 421 and the second support roller 422. ​

[0055] The suction portion 43 generates a suction force by sucking air from the space above the conveyance belt 41 through the groove portion and the through hole of the belt guide member 431 and the suction hole of the conveyance belt 41. By this suction force, an air current (suction wind) toward the suction portion 43 occurs in the space above the conveyance belt 41. If the sheet body S is conveyed onto the conveyance belt 41 by the alignment roller portion 30 and covers a part of the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveyance belt 41, the suction force (negative pressure) acts on the sheet body S, and the sheet body S is tightly adhered to the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveyance belt 41.

[0056] The suction housing 432 is a box-shaped housing that is open at the upper side, and is disposed below the conveyance belt 41 in such a manner that the opening at the upper side is covered by the belt guide member 431. The suction housing 432 cooperates with the belt guide member 431 to define a suction space 432A.

[0057] An opening portion 432B is formed in the bottom wall portion of the suction housing 432, and a suction device 433 is disposed corresponding to the opening portion 432B. An exhaust pipe 434 is connected to the suction device 433. The exhaust pipe 434 is connected to a not-shown exhaust port provided in the device main body 10.

[0058] An image forming portion 50 is disposed above the belt conveyance unit 40. The image forming portion 50 performs an image forming process to form an image on the sheet body S that is conveyed in a state of being held on the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveyance belt 41 in the sheet body conveyance direction A2. In the present embodiment, the image forming method of the image forming portion 50 is an inkjet method, and ink droplets are ejected to form an image on the sheet body S.

[0059] The image forming portion 50 is provided with line heads 51 (51Bk, 51C, 51M, 51Y). The line head 51Bk ejects black ink droplets, the line head 51C ejects cyan ink droplets, the line head 51M ejects magenta ink droplets, and the line head 51Y ejects yellow ink droplets. The line heads 51Bk, 51C, 51M, 51Y are disposed side by side from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the sheet body conveyance direction A1.

[0060] The line heads 51 eject ink droplets to form an image on the sheet body S that is conveyed in a state of being held on the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveyance belt 41 in the sheet body conveyance direction A2. Accordingly, an image is formed on the sheet body S.

[0061] The sheet body S on which the image is formed is conveyed by the conveyance belt 41, guided by the sheet body discharge guide portion 44, and discharged (fed out) toward the curl correction portion 60. The curl correction portion 60 is disposed on the downstream side of the sheet body conveyance direction A2 of the conveyance belt 41 across the sheet body discharge guide portion 44. The curl correction portion 60 conveys the sheet body S on which the image is formed to the downstream side, and corrects the curl of the sheet body S.

[0062] The sheet body S corrected by the curl correction section 60 is fed out to a second conveying passage 12. The second conveying passage 12 is provided so as to extend along the side surface of the left side of the device main body 10. The sheet body S fed out to the second conveying passage 12 is conveyed toward a paper discharge port 12A formed in the left side of the device main body 10 by a second conveying roller pair 121 provided in the second conveying passage 12, and is discharged from the paper discharge port 12A onto the paper discharge section 14.

[0063] On the other hand, in the case of double-sided printing of the sheet body S, the sheet body S after the image forming process of the first face (surface) is fed out from the second conveying passage 12 to a sheet body inversion section 15. The sheet body inversion section 15 is a conveying passage that branches midway through the second conveying passage 12, and is a portion in which the sheet body S is inverted (turned over). The sheet body S inverted by the sheet body inversion section 15 is fed out to a third conveying passage 13. The sheet body S fed out to the third conveying passage 13 is fed back by a third conveying roller pair 131 provided in the third conveying passage 13, and is again fed onto the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveying belt 41 in the inverted state by the registration roller section 30. The sheet body S fed onto the outer peripheral surface 411 of the conveying belt 41 in the inverted state is conveyed by the conveying belt 41 while being conveyed, and is subjected to the image forming process on the second face (back face) on the opposite side of the first face by the image forming section 50. The sheet body S after the double-sided printing is discharged from the paper discharge port 12A onto the paper discharge section 14 by the second conveying passage 12.

[0064] Figure 2 is a sectional view of the vicinity of the registration roller pair and the cleaning unit 70 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and is a sectional view of the state in which the cleaning unit 70 is disposed in the cleaning position.

[0065] The registration roller section 30 has a registration housing 30H and a registration roller pair including a registration upper roller 31 (upper registration roller) and a registration lower roller 32 (conveying roller, lower registration roller). The registration housing 30H is mounted to the device main body 10, and rotatably supports the registration upper roller 31 and the registration lower roller 32. The sheet body S is carried into the nip of the registration roller pair within the registration housing 30H as indicated by the arrow. Figure 2 The registration roller section 30 has a registration housing 30H and a registration roller pair including a registration upper roller 31 (upper registration roller) and a registration lower roller 32 (conveying roller, lower registration roller). The registration housing 30H is mounted to the device main body 10, and rotatably supports the registration upper roller 31 and the registration lower roller 32. The sheet body S is carried into the nip of the registration roller pair within the registration housing 30H as indicated by the arrow.

[0066] The registration upper roller 31 is a roller disposed on the upper side in the registration roller pair. The registration upper roller 31 is formed of a metal roller.

[0067] The lower alignment roller 32 is a roller that is positioned below the alignment roller. The lower alignment roller 32 is formed of a rubber roller with a PFA (tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxy vinyl ether copolymer resin) tube wound (embedded) on its outer circumferential surface.

[0068] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, the straight line L connecting the center of the upper alignment roller 31 and the center of the lower alignment roller 32 is inclined at an acute angle (e.g., 10 degrees) relative to the vertical direction. In other words, the lower alignment roller 32 is positioned offset upstream of the upper alignment roller 31 in the conveying direction of the sheet body S.

[0069] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a cleaning device 7. The cleaning device 7 is capable of cleaning the surface of the alignment lower roller 32. The cleaning device 7 includes a cleaning unit 70 and a moving mechanism 75 (see reference). Figure 14 The moving mechanism 75 has the function of positioning the cleaning unit 70 in the cleaning position. Figure 2 ), assembly / disassembly position ( Figure 24 ), leaving position ( Figure 26 The function of moving between ().

[0070] Figures 3 to 5 This is a perspective view of the cleaning unit 70 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The sectional view of cleaning unit 70 at section position VI-VI. Figure 7 This is a front view of the cleaning unit 70 with some parts omitted. Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing the internal structure (cleaning section 70A) of the cleaning unit 70.

[0071] The cleaning unit 70 has a cleaning section 70A and a cleaning housing 70H. The cleaning section 70A is shaped to extend along the axial direction of the alignment lower roller 32, and abuts against the surface of the alignment lower roller 32 from below and cleans the surface.

[0072] The cleaning housing 70H supports the cleaning part 70A. The cleaning housing 70H has a front wall 701 and a rear wall 702 (a pair of walls), a connecting wall 703, a pair of unit pivot pins 70P (housing shafts), a shielding member 704, and a pair of guide rollers 705 (guide rollers, guiding members). The front wall 701, rear wall 702, and connecting wall 703 of the cleaning housing 70H are formed of a metallic material (magnetic material).

[0073] The front wall 701 and the rear wall 702 are arranged facing each other in the front-back direction (aligned with the axial direction of the lower roller 32) and support the cleaning part 70A. A connecting wall 703 connects the front wall 701 and the rear wall 702 in the front-back direction. The connecting wall 703 has a side wall 703A and a bottom wall 703B. Figure 5 , Figure 6). A pair of ribs 703T (refer to Figure 19 、 Figure 20 ) protrude from the bottom wall 703B.

[0074] A pair of unit fulcrum pins 70P protrude from the outer sides of the front wall 701 and the rear wall 702 (a pair of wall portions) toward the front-rear direction. The unit fulcrum pins 70P are disposed at the lower left portions of the front wall 701 and the rear wall 702. Each unit fulcrum pin 70P has a two-stage cylindrical shape in which the outer diameter is reduced toward the distal end portion.

[0075] A sheet member 704 is fixed to the bottom wall 703B in a manner to define the left side surface of the cleaning unit 70. Figure 6 The sheet member 704 prevents the recovery material such as paper powder recovered to the cleaning unit 70 from flying toward the tape conveying unit 40 Figure 1 .

[0076] A pair of guide rollers 705 are cylindrical members each including an outer peripheral surface rotatable about a central axis (second central axis) parallel to the front-rear direction, and are supported by the front wall 701 and the rear wall 702 above the unit fulcrum pins 70P. The guide rollers 705 are disposed (protrude in the axial direction) at the upper right portions of the outer sides of the front wall 701 and the rear wall 702. The pair of guide rollers 705 have a function of guiding the cleaning unit 70 when the cleaning unit 70 moves to the aforementioned attachment / detachment position, the separation position, and the cleaning position.

[0077] The cleaning portion 70A has a cleaning tape W, and cleaning tape driven rollers 71 (feed rollers), a push roller 72, and a cleaning tape drive roller 73 (take-up roller) rotatably supported by the front wall 701 and the rear wall 702, respectively Figures 6 to 8 . The cleaning tape W is composed of a belt-like member having an abutting surface capable of abutting against the surface of the alignment lower roller 32, and is composed of, for example, a cloth material such as a non-woven fabric. In the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 6 、 Figure 8 , the cleaning tape W is externally fitted to the cleaning tape driven roller 71 in a state in which the cleaning tape W is wound in a roll shape as a cleaning tape roll WR. Also, the distal end of the cleaning tape W is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning tape drive roller 73 after being hung on the outer peripheral surface of the push roller 72. The push roller 72 abuts against the back surface of the cleaning tape W to push the surface of the cleaning tape W against the alignment lower roller 32. In addition, if the cleaning unit 70 is disposed at the aforementioned cleaning position Figure 2 , the push roller 72 abuts against the alignment lower roller 32 with the cleaning tape W interposed therebetween. The cleaning tape driven roller 71 feeds the cleaning tape W in a manner in which the portion of the cleaning tape W abutting against the alignment lower roller 32 changes, and the cleaning tape drive roller 73 takes up the aforementioned cleaning tape W. In addition, as shown in Figure 5As shown, the state of the cleaning tape roll WR held by the cleaning tape driven roller 71 can be visually confirmed from the outside of the cleaning unit 70 through an opening portion formed between the side wall 703A and the bottom wall 703B. Thus, the case where the cleaning unit 70, from which the cleaning tape W has been detached during use and the extractable amount of which is only a little, is mistakenly installed in the device main body 10 is prevented.

[0078] Further, the cleaning unit 70 has a unit input gear 711 Figure 4 ), a link gear 711T, a transmission gear 712, and a drive roller gear 713 Figure 6 ).

[0079] The unit input gear 711 is rotatably supported by the lower end portion and the right end portion of the front wall 701. An input gear shaft 711S of the unit input gear 711 extends to the inside (the inner side) of the front wall 701 through the front wall 701. The link gear 711T is fixed to the input gear shaft 711S and rotates integrally with the unit input gear 711.

[0080] The transmission gear 712 is rotatably supported on the inside of the front wall 701 and engages with the link gear 711T and the drive roller gear 713, respectively. The drive roller gear 713 is a gear fixed to one end portion of the cleaning tape drive roller 73.

[0081] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cleaning unit 70 and the cleaning tape feed mechanism 81 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 10 and Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the cleaning unit 70.

[0082] The cleaning device 7 further includes a cleaning tape feed mechanism 81 (cleaning tape drive mechanism) and a control section 90. The cleaning tape feed mechanism 81 is installed in the device main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. The cleaning tape feed mechanism 81 has a function of feeding the cleaning tape W of the cleaning unit 70. The cleaning tape feed mechanism 81 is connected to the cleaning unit 70 by being disposed at the cleaning position of the cleaning unit 70. The cleaning tape feed mechanism 81 has a solenoid 811, a turning arm 812, a third detection sensor 813, a transmission gear 814, and a transmission gear 815.

[0083] The solenoid 811 generates a drive force for moving the cleaning tape W by receiving a command signal from the control section 90. The solenoid 811 includes an in-and-out shaft 811S. The in-and-out shaft 811S is in and out with respect to the main body of the solenoid 811. The solenoid 811 is supported to a not-shown drive frame of a sheet metal disposed in the device main body 10.

[0084] The turning arm 812 is rotatably supported by a shaft 812S Figure 9) support. The shaft 812S is supported by the drive frame in a manner that it can rotate around a rotation center axis extending in the front-rear direction. The swing arm 812 has a first arm portion 812A and a second arm portion 812B. The first arm portion 812A extends from the rotation center axis of the swing arm 812 toward the right. The distal end portion of the first arm portion 812A is connected to the access shaft 811S. The second arm portion 812B extends from the rotation center axis of the swing arm 812 toward the lower side on the opposite side of the first arm portion 812A. A detection tab 812C is provided at the distal end portion (lower end portion) of the second arm portion 812B. Further, a gear portion 812T that can rotate integrally with the shaft 812S is provided at the rear end portion of the shaft 812S. Moreover, the cleaning tape feed-out mechanism 81 has a first one-way clutch and a second one-way clutch (both not shown). The first one-way clutch is fixed to the inside of the swing arm 812 and engages with the shaft 812S. Further, the second one-way clutch is fixed to the drive frame in a manner that it is adjacent to the first one-way clutch and engages with the shaft 812S.

[0085] The third detection sensor 813 is fixed to the left end portion of the main body of the solenoid 811. The third detection sensor 813 is a PI sensor that detects the movement (rotation) of the detection tab 812C. The control section 90 can detect the amount of extraction of the cleaning tape roll WR based on the number of detections of the detection tab 812C output from the third detection sensor 813. Further, if the number of detections reaches a predetermined threshold number, the control section 90 causes a display section (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 1 to display a replacement message of the cleaning unit 70.

[0086] The transmission gear 814 is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body 10 and engages with the gear portion 812T. In addition, the transmission gear 814 is composed of two-stage gears. Similarly, the transmission gear 815 is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body 10, engages with the gear portion of the rear side of the two-stage gears of the transmission gear 814, and engages with the unit input gear 711.

[0087] Figure 9 indicates a state in which the access shaft 811S is retracted (contracted) with respect to the main body of the solenoid 811. From the state of Figure 9 If the control section 90 inputs an instruction signal to the solenoid 811, the access shaft 811S is protruded (elongated) from the main body of the solenoid 811, so that the swing arm 812 is rotated counterclockwise around the shaft 812S from the state of Figure 9 At this time, the swing arm 812 is relatively rotated with respect to the shaft 812S by the action of the first one-way clutch, so that the shaft 812S is not rotated. On the other hand, in the case where a predetermined amount of the cleaning tape W is fed out, the control section 90 inputs an instruction signal to the solenoid 811 so that the access shaft 811S is retracted with respect to the main body of the solenoid 811. As a result, the swing arm 812 is rotated clockwise around the shaft 812S from the state of Figure 9clockwise direction. At this time, by the action of the first one-way clutch, the shaft 812S rotates integrally with the rotating arm 812 by a predetermined angle. As a result, the rotational drive force is input from the gear portion 812T fixed to the shaft 812S to the unit input gear 711 via the transmission gear 814 and the transmission gear 815. Further, the rotational drive force is transmitted from the unit input gear 711 of the cleaning unit 70 to the link gear 711T, the transmission gear 712, and the drive roller gear 713, and the cleaning-belt drive roller 73 rotates by a predetermined rotation angle, and the cleaning belt W moves in a manner of being wound by the cleaning-belt drive roller 73. As a result, the portion of the abutting surface of the cleaning belt W which faces the lower registration roller 32 changes. In addition, every time the rotating arm 812 rotates one round trip, the third detection sensor 813 detects the detection tab 812C, thereby detecting the case where the unit input gear 711 rotates and the cleaning belt W moves.

[0088] If the cleaning belt W moves, the control section 90 inputs the command signal to the solenoid 811, and the in-out shaft 811S is again protruded with respect to the main body of the solenoid 811. At this time, by the action of the second one-way clutch, the shaft 812S is prevented from rotating in the reverse direction. In addition, as shown in Figure 11 , the one-way clutch 73T provided in the drive roller shaft 73S of the cleaning-belt drive roller 73 functions, and the cleaning-belt drive roller 73 is prevented from rotating in the reverse direction. Therefore, every time the in-out action of the in-out shaft 811S is performed by the control section 90, the cleaning belt W moves by a predetermined amount toward the cleaning-belt drive roller 73. Thus, in the present embodiment, by the slight in-out stroke of the in-out shaft 811S of the solenoid 811, the cleaning belt W can be fed from the cleaning-belt roll WR. In addition, in other embodiments, the cleaning-belt feeding mechanism 81 can also rotate the cleaning-belt driven roller 71 in addition to the cleaning-belt drive roller 73.

[0089] In addition, with reference to Figure 9 , a torque limiter 72T is provided in the push roller shaft 72S of the push roller 72. In a state where the cleaning belt W (push roller 72) of the cleaning device 7 abuts against the lower registration roller 32, and the sheet S is held between the upper registration roller 31 and the lower registration roller 32, paper jam of the sheet S sometimes occurs in the image forming apparatus 1. At this time, the user opens the specified cover of the apparatus main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, and pulls out the sheet S toward the opposite direction of the arrow of Figure 2 . Thus, the user tries to remove the sheet S which is jammed between the upper registration roller 31 and the lower registration roller 32. At this time, if the force by which the sheet S is pulled out is transmitted from the lower registration roller 32 to the push roller 72, the cleaning belt W is excessively fed from the push roller 72 toward the cleaning-belt drive roller 73. In the present embodiment, since the torque limiter 72T is provided in the push roller shaft 72S, if a sharp rotational force is applied to the push roller 72, the rotation of the push roller 72 is locked, and the cleaning belt W is prevented from being pulled out.

[0090] Further, with reference to Figure 10 , in the present embodiment, the brake spring 71T is interposed between the E-ring 71R1 and the flange 71R2 in a state of being compressed and deformed in the present embodiment. In addition, in Figure 10 , the illustration of the front wall 701 of the Figure 9 is omitted. The flange 71R2 is a ring-shaped flange fixed to the push roller shaft 72S of the push roller 72. The rear end portion of the brake spring 71T abuts against the flange 71R2. Also, the front end portion of the brake spring 71T abuts against the back surface of the front wall 701. As a result, the compression force of the brake spring 71T is applied to the push roller 72 through the flange 71R2, and the case where the push roller 72 is unnecessarily rotated is prevented. As a result, the case where the cleaning tape W is drawn out from the push roller 72 despite the fact that the control section 90 does not control the solenoid 811 is prevented.

[0091] The moving mechanism 75( Figure 2 ) is capable of moving the cleaning unit 70 between a cleaning position( Figure 2 ), a mounting / demounting position below the cleaning position( Figure 24 ), and a separation position between the cleaning position and the mounting / demounting position( Figure 26 ). The moving mechanism 75 allows the cleaning section 70A to abut against the alignment lower roller 32 at the cleaning position, allows the cleaning section 70A to be disposed so as to be separated downward with respect to the alignment lower roller 32 at the mounting / demounting position, and allows the cleaning unit 70 to be mounted to or demounted from the device main body 10. Further, at the separation position, the cleaning section 70A is disposed so as to be separated downward with respect to the alignment lower roller 32, and the connection of the cleaning unit 70 to the cleaning tape feeding mechanism 81 (cleaning tape driving mechanism) is released.

[0092] Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the case where the conveying unit frame 40H is detached from the main body frame 100 constituting the device main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 to which the present embodiment is applied. Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the case where the conveying unit frame 40H is mounted to the main body frame 100. Figure 14 and Figure 15 are perspective views of the conveying unit frame 40H.

[0093] Figure 1The illustrated belt conveyance unit 40 (conveyance unit) also has a conveyance unit frame 40H. The conveyance unit frame 40H integrally supports the conveyance belt 41, the first support roller 421, the second support roller 422, the third support roller 423, the pair of fourth support rollers 424, and the suction portion 43. The conveyance unit frame 40H is attachable to the main body frame 100 of the device main body 10 in a first direction (rear direction) parallel to the front-rear direction (axial direction of the lower roller 32), and detachable from the main body frame 100 in a second direction (front direction) opposite to the first direction.

[0094] Referring to Figure 14 and Figure 15 , the conveyance unit frame 40H has a front frame 401, a rear frame 402, a left frame 403, a first right frame 404A (upper side connecting frame), a second right frame 404B (lower side connecting frame), a front-rear pair of magnets 404C (magnetic member), and a left-right pair of guide rail portions 40R.

[0095] The front frame 401 is a frame disposed at the front face portion of the conveyance unit frame 40H. In addition, as shown in Figure 14 and Figure 15 , a front cover 401A is attached to the front frame 401. The front cover 401A constitutes a part of the front face portion of the device main body 10. The rear frame 402 is a frame disposed at the rear face portion of the conveyance unit frame 40H, and is disposed opposite to the front frame 401 in the front-rear direction. The left frame 403 is disposed at the left end portion of the conveyance unit frame 40H, and connects the front frame 401 and the rear frame 402 in the front-rear direction. Further, the first right frame 404A and the second right frame 404B are disposed at the right end portion of the conveyance unit frame 40H, and connect the front frame 401 and the rear frame 402 in the front-rear direction. The first right frame 404A is disposed along the upper face portion of the conveyance unit frame 40H, and the second right frame 404B is disposed below the first right frame 404A. In addition, the front-rear direction end portions of the first right frame 404A and the second right frame 404B are connected to each other in the up-down direction by a pair of side plates (not shown) disposed inside the front frame 401 and the rear frame 402. As a result, a rectangular frame structure is formed by the first right frame 404A, the second right frame 404B, and the pair of side plates. The left-right pair of guide rail portions 40R are guide rail portions for sliding movement of the conveyance unit frame 40H relative to the main body frame 100 in the front-rear direction. In addition, in Figure 14 and Figure 15 , only the right side guide rail portion 40R is shown, but the same guide rail portion 40R is also disposed at the left end portion of the conveyance unit frame 40H. The pair of magnets 404C are magnets disposed apart in the front-rear direction at the upper face portion of the second right frame 404B. The pair of magnets 404C have a function of holding the cleaning unit 70.

[0096] AsFigure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, a conveyor unit mounting section 40A is formed on the left side of the first right frame 404A and the second right frame 404B in the conveyor unit frame 40H. The conveyor belt 41, the first support roller 421, the second support roller 422, the third support roller 423, a pair of fourth support rollers 424, and the suction section 43 are arranged in this conveyor unit mounting section 40A. On the other hand, a cleaning unit mounting section 40B (unit receiving section) is arranged in the space between the first right frame 404A and the second right frame 404B. The cleaning unit mounting section 40B allows the cleaning unit 70, which is positioned in the mounting / removing position, to be installed and receives the cleaning unit 70. Furthermore, the cleaning unit mounting section 40B forms part of the moving mechanism 75.

[0097] Furthermore, the conveying unit frame 40H has a cleaning unit rotating part 45 and a rotating input gear 40G. Figure 16 This is a perspective view of the cleaning unit rotating part 45 of the conveying unit frame 40H according to this embodiment. Figure 17 and Figure 18 This is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the rotating part 45 of the cleaning unit.

[0098] like Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, the rotating part 45 of the cleaning unit is supported by the pair of side plates directly below the first right frame 404A. (Refer to...) Figure 16 The cleaning unit rotating part 45 has a rotating shaft 451, a pair of front and rear bearings 451S, a rotating gear 452, a pair of front and rear rod support parts 453 (fixed parts), a pair of front and rear rotating rods 454 (support parts), and a pair of front and rear helical springs 455 (spring parts).

[0099] The rotating shaft 451 is rotatably supported by the pair of side plates via a pair of front and rear bearings 451S. The rotating shaft 451 extends in the front-rear direction (aligned with the axial direction of the lower roller 32) and forms the central axis (first central axis) for the rotation of a pair of rotating rods 454. The rotating gear 452 is a gear fixed to the rear end of the rotating shaft 451 and meshes with the rotating input gear 40G.

[0100] A pair of rotating rods 454 are arranged in the cleaning unit mounting part 40B, which can support the cleaning housing 70H of the cleaning unit 70 by clamping it from both sides in the front-rear direction (aligned with the axial direction of the lower roller 32). (Refer to...) Figure 17 and Figure 18Each rotating rod 454 has a rod bottom 454A, a first rod side 454B, and a second rod side 454C. The rod bottom 454A includes a surface parallel to the axial direction of the rotation axis 451 and extends radially along the rotation axis 451. The first rod side 454B and the second rod side 454C are wall portions erected from the front and rear side edges of the rod bottom 454A, respectively arranged perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation axis 451. In addition, the second rod side 454C has a generally rectangular shape that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rotation axis 451, and the first rod side 454B extends radially longer from the rotation axis 451 relative to the second rod side 454C.

[0101] Both the first rod side 454B and the second rod side 454C have openings through which the rotating shaft 451 is inserted. As a result, the rotating rod 454 is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 451.

[0102] Furthermore, a pin receiving portion 454P (shaft support portion) and a cut-out portion 454Q are formed on the first rod side portion 454B. The pin receiving portion 454P is shaped as an elongated hole cut out on the side edge of the first rod side portion 454B. The pin receiving portion 454P has a unit pivot pin 70P (aligned with the axial direction of the lower roller 32) that receives the cleaning unit 70 in a direction perpendicular to the front-back direction. Figure 3 , Figure 4 It also provides a function to rotatably support the unit pivot pin 70P. The cutout portion 454Q is in the shape of a generally rectangular cutout on the side edge of the first rod side portion 454B between the pin receiving portion 454P and the rotating shaft 451.

[0103] A pair of rod support portions 453 are fixed to the rotating shaft 451 by screws V in a manner that allows each pair of rotating rods 454 to be held. The rod support portion 453 has a support protrusion 453A that extends in the front-rear direction within the cutout portion 454Q. The distal end of the support protrusion 453A is bent in a shape that is perpendicular to the main body of the rod support portion 453.

[0104] Reference Figure 17 and Figure 18, a pair of coil springs 455 are arranged between the lever support portion 453 and the rotating lever 454, respectively. Specifically, each of the coil springs 455 has a first spring end portion 455A and a second spring end portion 455B. The first spring end portion 455A is caught on the upper surface portion of the support protrusion 453A. Further, the second spring end portion 455B is caught on the lower surface portion of the lever bottom portion 454A of the rotating lever 454. As a result, the coil springs 455 are elastically deformable between the rotating lever 454 and the lever support portion 453, respectively, in a manner that allows the rotating lever 454 to relatively rotate with respect to the lever support portion 453 within a prescribed allowable angle range about the central axis (first central axis) of the rotating shaft 451. In addition, in the case where no external force is applied to the lever support portion 453 and the rotating lever 454, the relative positions of the lever support portion 453 and the rotating lever 454 in the circumferential direction (rotation direction) are restricted by the elastic force of the coil springs 455. In other words, in the case where the position of the rotating lever 454 is fixed, the lever support portion 453 and the rotating shaft 451 are able to relatively rotate the rotating lever 454 while elastically deforming the coil springs 455 with respect to the rotating lever 454. Figure 17 and Figure 18 .

[0105] Further, the cleaning device 7 has a rotating drive portion 75K. The rotating drive portion 75K constitutes a part of the moving mechanism 75. The rotating drive portion 75K rotates the pair of rotating levers 454 about the central axis (first central axis) of the rotating shaft 451 in a manner that moves the cleaning unit 70 between the cleaning position and the attachment / detachment position in a state where the pair of unit pivot pins 70P are pivotally supported to the pair of pin receiving portions 454P. In addition, the central axis is arranged above the pin receiving portions 454P in Figure 2 . Further, the rotating drive portion 75K allows the pair of unit pivot pins 70P to relatively rotate with respect to the pair of pin receiving portions 454P and rotates the pair of rotating levers 454 in a manner that maintains the posture of the cleaning unit 70 in which the cleaning portion 70A (cleaning tape W) of the cleaning unit 70 faces upward.

[0106] The rotating drive portion 75K has a unit drive portion 80 Figure 2 ) (drive portion) in addition to the cleaning unit rotating portion 45. The unit drive portion 80 generates a drive force that rotates the rotating shaft 451 of the cleaning unit rotating portion 45 about the central axis thereof.

[0107] Referring to Figure 2 , the unit drive portion 80 has a not-shown motor including a drive motor output shaft 801, a pulse board 802, a first detection sensor 803, a second detection sensor 804, and a unit drive output gear 805 Figure 24 . The rotational drive of the motor is controlled by the control portion 90.

[0108] The pulse plate 802 is fixed to the drive motor output shaft 801 and rotates integrally with the drive motor output shaft 801. The first detection sensor 803 detects the amount of rotation of the pulse plate 802. Specifically, the first detection sensor 803 has a light emitting portion that emits a detection light and a light receiving portion that receives the detection light. The pulse plate 802 is formed with a plurality of slits that are opened at intervals in the direction of rotation thereof. Along with the rotation of the pulse plate 802, the detection light is blocked by the slits, and the light receiving portion outputs a signal corresponding to the waveform thereof to the control portion 90, whereby the amount of rotation of the drive motor output shaft 801 (the pair of rotation levers 454) is detected.

[0109] The second detection sensor 804 is configured by a known PI sensor and detects the case where the cleaning unit 70 is disposed at the cleaning position as shown in FIG. 8. In the present embodiment, by a portion of the cleaning housing 70H of the cleaning unit 70 entering between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the second detection sensor 804, the second detection sensor 804 detects the cleaning unit 70. Figure 2

[0110] The unit drive output gear 805 transmits the rotational drive force generated by the motor of the unit drive portion 80 to the rotation input gear 40G of the cleaning unit rotation portion 45. In the present embodiment, if the transport unit frame 40H is attached to the main body frame 100, the rotation input gear 40G and the unit drive output gear 805 are engaged with each other, and the rotational drive force can be transmitted.

[0111] Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the case where the cleaning unit 70 is attached to the transport unit frame 40H involved in the present embodiment, Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the case where the cleaning unit 70 is attached to the transport unit frame 40H. Figure 21 and Figure 22 is an enlarged perspective view showing the case where the cleaning unit 70 is attached to the transport unit frame 40H. Figure 23 is a perspective view showing the case where the cleaning unit 70 is attached to the transport unit frame 40H. Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view of the pair of registration rollers of the image forming apparatus 1 and the periphery of the cleaning unit 70, and is a cross-sectional view of the case where the cleaning unit 70 is disposed at the attachment / detachment position, Figure 25 is a cross-sectional view of the case where the cleaning unit 70 is slightly pressed from the attachment / detachment position. Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view of the pair of registration rollers of the image forming apparatus and the periphery of the cleaning unit 70, and is a cross-sectional view of the case where the cleaning unit 70 is disposed at the separation position. Figure 27 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the case where the cleaning unit 70 is disposed at the attachment / detachment position. Figure 28 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the case where the cleaning unit 70 is disposed at the cleaning position. Figure 29 ​is a cross-sectional perspective view of the state in which the cleaning unit 70 is arranged in the attachment / detachment position. Figure 30 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the state in which the cleaning unit 70 is arranged in the cleaning position. Figure 31 is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the cleaning unit 70 is arranged in the cleaning position.

[0112] Referring to Figure 24 , the moving mechanism 75 further has a guide portion 100G. The guide portion 100G allows the pair of guide rollers 705 to abut against the guide portion 100G in conjunction with the rotation of the pair of rotation rods 454 about the first central axis, and guides the cleaning unit 70 between the cleaning position and the attachment / detachment position. The guide portion 100G has a front and rear pair of first guide surfaces 101R and a front and rear pair of second guide surfaces 102R. The front and rear pair of first guide surfaces 101R are respectively formed by left side surfaces of a front and rear pair of guide frames 101 provided in the main body frame 100. The first guide surfaces 101R are inclined in a manner that guides the cleaning unit 70 (the guide rollers 705) to the right side as they advance toward the upper side. Likewise, the front and rear pair of second guide surfaces 102R are respectively formed by portions of a front and rear pair of alignment frames 102 Figure 27 ) provided in the main body frame 100. The second guide surfaces 102R are slightly inclined in a manner that guides the cleaning unit 70 (the guide rollers 705) to the left side as they advance toward the upper side.

[0113] Further, the moving mechanism 75 has a front and rear pair of positioning portions 102S. The positioning portions 102S position the cleaning unit 70 by receiving the guide rollers 705 of the cleaning unit in the cleaning position and abutting against the guide rollers 705, thereby restricting the relative positions of the push rollers 72 of the cleaning portion 70A and the alignment lower rollers 32, and allowing the cleaning belt W of the cleaning portion 70A to clean the alignment lower rollers 32. As shown in Figure 24 , the positioning portions 102S are connected to the second guide surfaces 102R, and are formed by recesses in the shape of circular arcs (inner peripheral surfaces) along the outer peripheral surfaces of the guide rollers 705. In addition, in Figure 24 , the front and rear pair of first guide surfaces 101R, the second guide surfaces 102R, and the rear side of each of the positioning portions 102S are shown.

[0114] As shown in Figure 12 , if the conveyance unit frame 40H is pulled out toward the front from the main body frame 100 of the device main body 10, the worker can attach the cleaning unit 70 to the cleaning unit attachment portion 40B of the conveyance unit frame 40H. At this time, as shown in Figure 19As shown, a pair of rotating rods 454 are arranged to extend downward from the rotating shaft 451 (first central shaft), and the pin receiving portion 454P is shaped with a cutout on the right side (one end in the width direction) of the rotating rod 454 facing the left side (the opposite end in the width direction). Therefore, the operator can hold the side wall 703A and bottom wall 703B of the cleaning unit 70. Figure 6 And insert the pair of unit pivot pins 70P from above into the pin receiving part 454P. Figure 20 At this time, the unit input gear 711 is positioned behind the unit pivot pin 70P on the front side of the cleaning unit 70. Figure 21 In addition, the unit pivot pin 70P on the rear side of the cleaning unit 70 is as follows: Figure 22 The pin receiving part 454P is shown as embedded therein.

[0115] If the operator inserts a pair of unit pivot pins 70P of the cleaning unit 70 into the pin receiving portions 454P of a pair of rotating rods 454, the bottom wall 703B of the cleaning housing 70H is positioned facing a pair of magnets 404C, and a pair of ribs 703T abut against the upper surface of the second right frame 404B. As a result, in addition to the pair of rotating rods 454, the cleaning unit 70 is held in place by the magnetic field generated by the pair of magnets 404C. Therefore, even if the operator releases the cleaning unit 70, it can prevent the cleaning unit 70 from falling off the conveying unit frame 40H.

[0116] As described above, if the cleaning unit 70 is installed in the cleaning unit mounting part 40B (installation / removal position) of the conveyor unit frame 40H, the operator inserts the conveyor unit frame 40H into the main frame 100. Figure 23 As a result, the cleaning unit 70 is inserted into the main frame 100, and the rotation input gear 40G of the conveying unit frame 40H meshes with the unit drive output gear 805 of the unit drive unit 80 within the main frame 100. Furthermore, at this time, the front and rear guide rollers 705 of the cleaning unit 70 and the first guide surfaces 101R of the front and rear guide units 100G are arranged facing each other at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction.

[0117] like Figure 24As shown, if the cleaning unit 70 in the mounting / removing position is viewed from a direction parallel to the axial direction of the lower alignment roller 32, the center (P2) of the unit fulcrum pin 70P supported on the pin receiving portion 454P is located below and to the right (one end in the width direction) of the central axis (P1) of the rotation shaft 451. Furthermore, the center of gravity (J) of the cleaning unit 70 is located to the right of the unit fulcrum pin 70P. In this embodiment, the shaft of the push roller 72 of the cleaning unit 70 is formed of metal (for example, a 10mm diameter SUS part), and the surface of the push roller 72 is an EPDM sponge roller. Therefore, as... Figure 24 As shown, the center of gravity of the cleaning unit 70 is offset to the right of the cleaning unit 70 relative to the center (P4) of the push roller 72. In addition, the center (P3) of the magnet 404C in the left-right direction (width direction) is located to the right of the center (P2) of the unit pivot pin 70P (far end side of the moving direction of the cleaning unit 70 in the left-right direction).

[0118] from Figure 24 The state shown is controlled by the control unit 90 and the drive unit 80. The drive unit 75K is rotated to cause a pair of rotating rods 454 to rotate about the rotating shaft 451. Figure 25 Arrow D251). At this time, the left end of the bottom wall 703B moves upward along with the movement of the unit pivot pin 70P. Figure 25 (Arrow D252). As a result, the distance between the left end of the bottom wall 703B and the magnet 404C increases, thereby reducing the magnetic constraint force of the magnet 404C and making it easier for the bottom wall 703B of the cleaning unit 70 to detach from the magnet 404C. Subsequently, if the cleaning unit 70 tilts to the right around the unit pivot pin 70P using its own weight (…), Figure 25 (As indicated by arrow D253), a pair of guide rollers 705 abut against the first guide surface 101R of a pair of guide portions 100G. Additionally, in Figure 25 In this configuration, because the guide roller 705 is hidden behind the rear wall 702, the contact portion between the guide roller 705 and the first guide surface 101R is not visible. However, in reality... Figure 25 In this state, the guide roller 705 abuts against the first guide surface 101R.

[0119] Subsequently, if the control unit 90 further rotates the pair of rotating rods 454, the pair of guide rollers 705 are guided by the first guide surface 101R, and the cleaning unit 70 moves upward and to the right. At this time, the rotation trajectory of the rotating rods 454 and the movement trajectory of the cleaning unit 70 guided by the first guide surface 101R are different from each other. In this embodiment, the pair of unit pivot pins 70P of the cleaning unit 70 are rotatably supported by the pin receiving portion 454P of the rotating rods 454. Therefore, as Figure 25 and Figure 26As shown, the posture of the cleaning unit 70 can change as it moves upward, so the cleaning unit 70 can rise smoothly in response to the rotation of the rotating rod 454.

[0120] exist Figure 26 In the indicated state, a pair of guide rollers 705 are transferred from the first guide surface 101R to the second guide surface 102R. Furthermore, if the control unit 90 further rotates a pair of rotating rods 454, the pair of guide rollers 705 soon abut against and engage with a pair of positioning parts 102S. Figure 31 At this time, the push roller 72 of the cleaning section 70A of the cleaning unit 70, as... Figure 2 The rod 454 abuts against the lower alignment roller 32 from below along the straight line L connecting the center of the upper alignment roller 31 and the center of the lower alignment roller 32. At this time, the rotating rod 454 extends obliquely downward from the rotating shaft 451 at an acute angle relative to the vertical direction (see reference). Figure 28 Therefore, it prevents the unit pivot pin 70P from disengaging from the pin receiving part 454P. Thus, if the cleaning unit 70 reaches... Figure 2 , Figure 28 , Figure 30 and Figure 31 The cleaning positions shown in the diagram are used to push the cleaning belt W against the alignment roller 32 via the push roller 72, thereby cleaning pigments and paper dust adhering to the surface of the alignment roller 32. Additionally, in Figure 2 In the cleaning position shown, the center of gravity (push roller 72) of the cleaning unit 70 is positioned directly above the unit pivot pin 70P, thus the position of the cleaning unit 70 in the cleaning position is stably maintained. Furthermore, the control unit 90 continuously applies an excitation current to the motor of the unit drive unit 80, thereby maintaining the cleaning unit 70 in the cleaning position without causing the rotating rod 454 to rotate in the opposite direction. In other embodiments, a locking mechanism for locking the cleaning unit 70 in the cleaning position and a locking release mechanism for releasing the lock to allow the cleaning unit 70 to move from the cleaning position to the detached position may also be included.

[0121] As described above, in the present embodiment, the cleaning device 7 has the cleaning unit 70 and the moving mechanism 75 that clean the surface of the registration lower roller 32. The moving mechanism 75 is capable of moving the cleaning unit 70 at least between the cleaning position and the attachment / detachment position, and thus, if the moving mechanism 75 configures the cleaning unit 70 in the cleaning position, the positioning portion 102S restricts the relative position of the cleaning portion 70A to the registration lower roller 32, so that the cleaning portion 70A of the cleaning unit 70 is capable of cleaning the registration lower roller 32, on the other hand, if the moving mechanism 75 configures the cleaning unit 70 in the attachment / detachment position below the cleaning position, the cleaning portion 70A is separated from the registration lower roller 32 toward the lower side, and the cleaning unit 70 is capable of being attached to or detached from the device main body 10. As a result, the cleaning unit 70 is capable of being detached from the device main body 10 without applying a large load to the registration lower roller 32. Further, in the cleaning position, since the positioning portion 102S is configured at a position different from the registration lower roller 32, compared with the case where another positioning portion is provided at the portion where the pressing roller 72 of the cleaning portion 70A is in direct contact with the registration lower roller 32, the pressing force of the cleaning portion 70A (the pressing roller 72) is suppressed from being excessively applied to the registration lower roller 32.

[0122] Further, in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller 705 is fitted in the positioning portion 102S formed by the recess, so that the relative position of the pressing roller 72 of the cleaning portion 70A to the registration lower roller 32 is capable of being stably restricted.

[0123] Further, as long as the rotation driving portion 75K rotates the pair of rotation rods 454 around the rotation shaft 451 (the first center shaft), the cleaning unit 70 is capable of being moved between the attachment / detachment position and the cleaning position. At this time, the pair of unit fulcrum pins 70P relatively rotate with respect to the pair of pin receiving portions 454P, and accordingly, the cleaning unit 70 is capable of maintaining the posture in which the pressing roller 72 (the cleaning belt W) of the cleaning portion 70A faces upward. Thus, while the cleaning unit 70 that has reached the cleaning position abuts against the positioning portion 102S, the pressing roller 72 of the cleaning portion 70A is capable of abutting against the registration lower roller 32 from the lower side.

[0124] Further, in the present embodiment, since the cleaning housing 70H has the pair of guide rollers 705, corresponding to the rotation of the pair of rotation rods 454 of the rotation driving portion 75K, the pair of guide rollers 705 and the pair of guide portions 100G are capable of stably guiding the cleaning unit 70 between the attachment / detachment position and the cleaning position.

[0125] Further, with reference to Figure 2In the present embodiment, the alignment lower roller 32 is disposed below the alignment upper roller 31 and offset to the right (upstream side in the sheet body S conveying direction) with respect to the alignment upper roller 31. As a result, the sheet body S can be stably conveyed toward the image forming position disposed at a low position with respect to the alignment roller pair. On the other hand, the cleaning unit mounting portion 40B provided in the conveying unit frame 40H is located below the alignment roller pair and to the left (downstream side in the sheet body conveying direction) with respect to the alignment roller pair. When the cleaning unit 70 is moved from the attachment / detachment position disposed in such a cleaning unit mounting portion 40B to the cleaning position directly below the alignment lower roller 32, in order to abut the push roller 72 against the alignment lower roller 32 along a straight line L connecting the center of the alignment upper roller 31 and the center of the alignment lower roller 32, a complex moving mechanism is generally required. In particular, in order to move the cleaning unit 70 linearly, the cleaning unit 70 needs to be moved linearly to an intermediate position to the right of the attachment / detachment position, and then moved from the intermediate position toward the upper and left along the straight line L. At this time, a plurality of linear moving paths intersecting each other are required.

[0126] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the movement of the cleaning unit 70 between the attachment / detachment position and the cleaning position as described above is achieved by the rotation of the pair of rotation levers 454 and the guiding function of the guide portions 100G. In particular, the rotation levers 454 move the cleaning unit 70 from the attachment / detachment position toward the cleaning position to the right and upward. On the other hand, the pair of guide portions 100G are disposed so that, when guiding the guide roller 705 of the cleaning unit 70 upward, the moving trajectory of the push roller 72 of the cleaning unit 70 is different from the rotation trajectory of the rotation levers 454, and more specifically, the push roller 72 reaches the alignment lower roller 32 through a shorter trajectory. Moreover, since the cleaning unit 70 abuts against the alignment lower roller 32 along the straight line L and prevents the cleaning unit 70 from interfering with the rotation of the rotation levers 454, the unit fulcrum pin 70P of the cleaning unit 70 can relatively rotate with respect to the rotation levers 454 during the rotation of the rotation levers 454. According to such a structure, in the limited space below the alignment roller pair, the cleaning unit 70 can be moved between the attachment / detachment position and the cleaning position, and the push roller 72 can approach or move away from the alignment lower roller 32 along the straight line L. Furthermore, since the cleaning unit mounting portion 40B provided in the conveying unit frame 40H can be disposed not directly below the alignment roller pair but at a position to the left (the tape conveying unit 40 side) with respect to the alignment roller pair, the cleaning unit mounting portion 40B is provided in the limited space adjacent to the conveying unit mounting portion 40A in the conveying unit frame 40H, and the compactness of the conveying unit frame 40H is achieved.

[0127] Further, in the present embodiment, the rotation lever 454 has a pin receiving portion 454P that receives the unit fulcrum pin 70P. Also, the rotation drive portion 75K rotates the pair of rotation levers 454 about the rotation shaft 451 in such a manner that the cleaning unit 70 moves the unit fulcrum pin 70P to the right and upward from the state in which the cleaning unit 70 is disposed in the attachment / detachment position, thereby moving the cleaning unit 70 to the cleaning position. According to this structure, in the attachment / detachment position, the pair of unit fulcrum pins 70P of the cleaning unit 70 can easily enter and exit the pin receiving portions 454P of the pair of rotation levers 454 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Further, in a state in which the pair of unit fulcrum pins 70P are embedded in the pair of pin receiving portions 454P by the self-weight of the cleaning unit 70, the cleaning unit 70 can be stably moved to the cleaning position above the attachment / detachment position.

[0128] Further, in the present embodiment, if the rotation drive portion 75K rotates the pair of rotation levers 454 about the rotation shaft 451 in the attachment / detachment position, the cleaning unit 70 moves by the self-weight in an inclined manner, and the pair of guide rollers 705 abut against the pair of guide portions 100G, respectively. Therefore, no other drive mechanism for abutting the pair of guide rollers 705 against the pair of guide portions 100G, respectively, is needed, and the cleaning unit 70 can be stably and smoothly moved from the attachment / detachment position to the cleaning position.

[0129] Further, in the present embodiment, at least one magnet 404C is disposed in the second right frame 404B. Therefore, the cleaning unit 70 can be prevented from falling off from the cleaning unit mounting portion 40B by the magnetic restraining force of the magnet 404C.

[0130] Also, the center of the magnet 404C in the left-right direction is disposed to the right (downstream side in the moving direction of the cleaning unit 70) with respect to the center of the unit fulcrum pin 70P supported in the pin receiving portion 454P. Therefore, if the rotation drive portion 75K rotates the pair of rotation levers 454, the influence of the magnetic restraining force of the magnet 404C that reaches the bottom wall 703B is reduced by the inclined movement of the bottom wall 703B of the cleaning unit 70, and the cleaning unit 70 can be easily moved toward the cleaning position.

[0131] Further, in the present embodiment, the cleaning unit rotation portion 45 has a pair of coil springs 455. Therefore, after the cleaning unit 70 abuts against the positioning portion 102S, even if the unit drive portion 80 rotates the rotation shaft 451, the pair of lever support portions 453 are suppressed from being applied with a large load. As a result, the necessity of controlling the drive amount of the unit drive portion 80 for bringing the cleaning unit 70 to the cleaning position with high precision is reduced.

[0132] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surface of the lower roller 32 can be cleaned using the strip-shaped cleaning belt W. Moreover, even if the surface of the cleaning belt W becomes dirty, the cleaning belt driven roller 71 can deliver the cleaning belt W by rotating the cleaning belt drive roller 73, and a new contact surface can be used to clean the surface of the lower roller 32.

[0133] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the cleaning unit mounting part 40B is disposed on the conveying unit frame 40H and the cleaning unit 70 is disposed in the detachable position, the cleaning unit 70 can be integrally mounted to the device body 10 with the belt conveying unit 40 or detached from the device body 10. Therefore, the cleaning unit 70 can be easily detached from the device body along with the detachment of the belt conveying unit 40 for conveying the sheet body S from the device body 10.

[0134] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the conveying unit frame 40H has a first right frame 404A and a second right frame 404B. Therefore, the rigidity of the right side portion of the conveying unit frame 40H can be maintained to a high degree. Furthermore, the cleaning unit mounting portion 40B can be formed using the space below the first right frame 404A (the space between the first right frame 404A and the second right frame 404B). And, by rotating the drive unit 75K, the cleaning unit 70 is disengaged from the cleaning unit mounting portion 40B to the right (in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the lower roller 32) and reaches a cleaning position above the first right frame 404A, a pair of rotating rods 454 are rotated about the rotation axis 451. Therefore, even though the cleaning unit 70 in the mounting / dismounting position is covered by the first right frame 404A, the cleaning unit 70 can still disengage from the cleaning unit mounting portion 40B to the right and reach a cleaning position above the first right frame 404A.

[0135] In addition, in this embodiment, with Figure 24The illustrated attached / detached position (accommodated position) is a reference, and the amount of rotation of the pulse plate 802 is detected by the first detection sensor 803, thereby detecting the amount of rotation of the rotation lever 454, i.e., the position of the cleaning unit 70 (cleaning position, separation position). Further, the cleaning unit 70 is detected by the second detection sensor 804, thereby detecting that the cleaning unit 70 has reached the cleaning position. If the pair of guide rollers 705 of the cleaning unit 70 abut on the pair of positioning portions 102S, the rotation of the rotation lever 454 is restricted by the unit fulcrum pin 70P, but the control section 90 controls the unit driving section 80 to slightly rotate the rotation shaft 451 after the cleaning unit 70 has reached the cleaning position. At this time, since the coil spring 455 is present between the rotation lever 454 and the lever support portion 453, the rotational force applied to the lever support portion 453 by the unit driving section 80 is applied to the rotation lever 454 in a state in which the rotation of the rotation lever 454 around the rotation shaft 451 is prevented (restricted) by the compression deformation of the coil spring 455 between the rotation lever 454 and the lever support portion 453. Thus, the rotation shaft 451 can be slightly rotated also after the cleaning unit 70 has reached the cleaning position is detected by the first detection sensor 803 and the second detection sensor 804, and therefore, the difference (error) in the mounting position of the rotation lever 454 before and after is absorbed, and the cleaning unit 70 can be reliably disposed at the cleaning position. As a result, the pressing force of the push roller 72 against the alignment lower roller 32 can be stably maintained.

[0136] Figure 32 (A), (B), (C) are graphs showing the distribution of the nip load of the alignment roller pair. Figure 33 is a cross-sectional perspective view of another alignment roller pair and a cleaning unit 70Z for comparison with the present embodiment. Figure 32 (A) shows the axial distribution of the nip load (pressure) applied between the alignment upper roller 31 and the alignment lower roller 32 in a state in which the push roller 72 does not abut on the alignment lower roller 32. On the other hand, Figure 32 (B) is Figure 33 the distribution of the nip load under the illustrated structure. In Figure 33 the cleaning unit 70Z, the both end portions of the push roller shaft 72S of the push roller 72 are fixed with abutting rollers 72H. The abutting rollers 72H restrict the distance between the alignment lower roller 32 and the push roller 72 by abutting on the shaft 32S of the alignment lower roller 32, thereby restricting the pressing force of the push roller 72 against the alignment lower roller 32. In the case in which the positioning of the push roller 72 with respect to the alignment lower roller 32 is performed by abutting a part of each other as such, Figure 32(B), the both end portions of the nip load between the alignment upper roller 31 and the alignment lower roller 32 are easily increased greatly. This phenomenon is caused by the both end portions of the alignment lower roller 32 being pressed strongly against the both end portions of the alignment upper roller 31 due to the pressing force of the pressing roller 72 against the alignment lower roller 32. In this case, since the nip load of the both end portions of the alignment roller pair is too large compared with the central portion, the conveyance speed of the sheet body S in the axial direction is different and the sheet body S is easily wrinkled.

[0137] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 31 the positioning portion 102S provided at a position different from the alignment lower roller 32 receives the unit fulcrum pin 70P of the cleaning unit 70, so that the position of the pressing roller 72 relative to the alignment lower roller 32 is restricted. As a result, as shown in Figure 32 (C), the increase of the nip load of the alignment roller pair is suppressed compared with the cleaning unit 70Z, and the conveyance of the sheet body by the alignment roller pair is stably achieved.

[0138] In addition, in the present embodiment, when double-sided printing is performed in the image forming apparatus 1, the cleaning operation of the alignment lower roller 32 is performed by the cleaning unit 70. The sheet body S on which the image is formed on the surface in the double-sided printing operation is again carried into the alignment roller portion 30 in the state of the surface and the back being reversed via the sheet body reversing portion 15 and the third conveyance path 13 as described above. At this time, if the ink of the image formed on the surface adheres to the surface of the PFA tube of the alignment lower roller 32, the ink adheres to the leading end portion of the next sheet body S from the alignment lower roller 32 and the sheet body gets dirty. Further, if the ink adhering to the alignment lower roller 32 is transferred to the alignment upper roller 31, the ink adheres to the surface of the next sheet body S and the image on the printed image becomes defective. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the ink adhering to the alignment lower roller 32 when the back of the sheet body S during double-sided printing passes through the alignment lower roller 32 is cleaned by the cleaning belt W of the cleaning unit 70. Therefore, the control portion 90 arranges the cleaning unit 70 at the cleaning position in correspondence with the execution of double-sided printing, and arranges the cleaning unit 70 at the separation position at the time of single-sided printing. As a result, even with the cleaning belt roll WR of a limited length, the cleaning of the alignment lower roller 32 can be performed for a long period of time, and the cleaning belt roll WR is compactified, so that the size of the cleaning device 7 can be made small.

[0139] Further, when the image is formed under the condition that the surface of the alignment lower roller 32 is difficult to get dirty as at the time of single-sided printing, by arranging the cleaning unit 70 at the separation position, the load of the alignment lower roller 32 occurring in association with the cleaning portion 70A abutting against the alignment lower roller 32 can be reduced, and the unnecessary extraction of the cleaning belt W can be suppressed.

[0140] On the other hand, if it is detected from the detection result of the third detection sensor 813 of the cleaning tape feeding mechanism 81 that the cleaning tape roll WR is fed out from the cleaning tape driven roller 71 entirely, the control section 90 causes a display section (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 1 to display a replacement message of the cleaning unit 70. If the operator instructs execution of the replacement work of the cleaning unit 70 at the operation section (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 1, the control section 90 controls the moving mechanism 75 to move the cleaning unit 70 to the attachment / detachment position. Thereafter, the operator pulls out the transport unit frame 40H from the main body frame 100 of the apparatus main body 10 toward the front side, detaches the cleaning unit 70 from the cleaning unit mounting section 40B of the transport unit frame 40H, and mounts a new cleaning unit 70 to the cleaning unit mounting section 40B of the transport unit frame 40H. In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the state of the cleaning tape roll WR held by the cleaning tape driven roller 71 can be visually confirmed from the outside of the cleaning unit 70 through the opening portion formed between the side wall 703A and the bottom wall 703B. Therefore, if the operator pulls out the transport unit frame 40H from the main body frame 100 of the apparatus main body 10, the operator can visually confirm the remaining amount of the cleaning tape roll WR housed in the cleaning unit 70 of the transport unit frame 40H from the right side of the pulled-out transport unit frame 40H. In other words, in the present embodiment, the cleaning unit mounting section 40B is arranged at the right side portion of the transport unit frame 40H in a manner that the right side portion of the cleaning tape roll WR exposed to the outside of the cleaning housing 70H in the cleaning unit 70 can be visually confirmed. Figure 5

[0141] In the present embodiment, if the cleaning unit 70 is detached from the apparatus main body 10 integrally with the transport unit frame 40H, a part of the drive transmission system between the rotation driving section 75K and the pair of rotation rods 454 (the engagement of the apparatus main body 10 and the unit driving output gear 805) is cut off. As a result, the pair of rotation rods 454 is rotatable freely about the rotation shaft 451. Therefore, when the operator detaches the old cleaning unit 70 from the cleaning unit mounting section 40B, the pair of rotation rods 454 is rotated in a manner that the cleaning unit 70 can be fed out to the outside of the cleaning unit mounting section 40B. In other words, the pair of rotation rods 454 is rotated about the rotation shaft 451 in a manner that the pair of unit fulcrum pins 70P of the cleaning unit 70 is detached from the pair of pin receiving sections 454P. As a result, the operator can easily detach the pair of unit fulcrum pins 70P of the cleaning unit 70 from the pair of pin receiving sections 454P. Therefore, the cleaning unit 70 can be easily detached from the cleaning unit mounting section 40B of the transport unit frame 40H.

[0142] ​The cleaning device 7 according to the embodiment of the present application and the image forming apparatus 1 provided with the cleaning device 7 have been described above. According to this configuration, it is possible to stably form an image in the image forming apparatus 1 while stably cleaning the surface of the registration lower roller 32. In addition, the present application is not limited to the embodiment described above, and the following modified embodiments can also be adopted.

[0143] In the embodiment described above, the cleaning unit 70 having the cleaning section 70A that cleans the belt W has been described, but the cleaning section 70A that cleans the registration lower roller 32 is not limited to the belt W, and other cleaning members such as a sponge roller, a brush roller, or the like that abuts against the registration lower roller 32 can also be included.

[0144] Further, in the embodiment described above, the registration lower roller 32 has been described as being used as the conveyance roller that is cleaned by the cleaning unit 70, but the conveyance roller can also be another roller that conveys the sheet S.

[0145] Further, in the embodiment described above, the case where the image forming section 50 is configured by the inkjet method has been described, but the image forming section 50 can also be applied to other image forming methods such as the well-known electrophotographic method or the like.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning the surface of a transport roller rotatably supported by a device main body of an image forming device and transporting a sheet, characterized by includes: a cleaning unit having a cleaning section and a cleaning housing that supports the cleaning section, the cleaning section having an abutting surface that extends in an axial direction of the conveying roller, the abutting surface abutting against a surface of the conveying roller from below and cleaning the surface; a moving mechanism that is capable of moving the cleaning unit between a cleaning position in which the cleaning section is allowed to abut against the conveying roller and a mounting / dismounting position that is located below the cleaning position, in which the cleaning section is allowed to be disposed so as to be away from the conveying roller toward below and the cleaning unit is allowed to be mounted / dismounted with respect to the device main body; and a positioning section that, when the device main body is disposed at a position different from the conveying roller, restricts a relative position of the cleaning section with respect to the conveying roller by abutting against the cleaning unit moved to the cleaning position by the moving mechanism, and positions the cleaning unit in a manner that allows the cleaning section to clean the conveying roller, wherein the cleaning housing has: a pair of wall sections that are disposed so as to face each other in the axial direction of the conveying roller and support the cleaning section; and a pair of guide members that are cylindrical and are respectively provided so as to protrude from outer side surfaces of the pair of wall sections in the axial direction, wherein the positioning section is formed by a recessed section that has an inner peripheral surface along outer peripheral surfaces of the pair of guide members and receives the guide members, the cleaning housing further has a pair of housing shaft sections that are respectively provided so as to protrude from the outer side surfaces of the pair of wall sections in the axial direction at positions different from the pair of guide members, the moving mechanism has: a unit housing section that houses the cleaning unit disposed in the mounting / dismounting position; a pair of support members that are disposed in the unit housing section so as to support the cleaning housing in a manner that sandwiches the cleaning housing from both sides in the axial direction, the pair of support members respectively having a shaft support section that receives the housing shaft section and rotatably supports the housing shaft section; and a rotation drive section that rotates the pair of support members about a first central shaft that is disposed above with respect to the shaft support section and is parallel to the axial direction in a manner that moves the cleaning unit between the cleaning position and the mounting / dismounting position with the pair of housing shaft sections being supported by the pair of shaft support sections, the rotation drive section allowing the pair of housing shaft sections to relatively rotate with respect to the pair of shaft support sections and rotating the pair of support members in a manner that maintains a posture of the cleaning unit in which the cleaning section faces upward.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of guide members are a pair of guide rollers that respectively include an outer peripheral surface that is rotatable about a second central shaft that is parallel to the axial direction, the pair of guide rollers being respectively supported by the pair of wall sections above the housing shaft sections, The moving mechanism also has a pair of guides disposed on one end side in a width direction perpendicular to the axial direction and horizontal to the cleaning unit disposed in the attachment / detachment position, extending in the axial direction and spaced apart from each other, allowing the pair of guide rollers to abut against the pair of guides with rotation of the pair of support members around the first central axis, and guiding the cleaning unit between the cleaning position and the attachment / detachment position.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein in a state where the cleaning unit is disposed in the attachment / detachment position, the pair of support members are disposed extending downward from the first central axis, the shaft support portion is cut in a shape in which a side portion of the one end side in the width direction of the support members is cut toward the other end side opposite to the one end side in the width direction and toward the lower side, receiving the housing shaft portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the rotation drive portion moves the cleaning unit to the cleaning position by rotating the pair of support members around the first central axis from a state where the cleaning unit is disposed in the attachment / detachment position, the housing shaft portion is moved toward the one end side in the width direction and upward.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein when the cleaning unit disposed in the attachment / detachment position is viewed in a direction parallel to the axial direction, a center of the housing shaft portion supported by the shaft support portion is located on the one end side in the width direction and below the first central axis, and a center of gravity of the cleaning unit is located on the one end side in the width direction with respect to the housing shaft portion, if the rotation drive portion rotates the pair of support members around the first central axis from a state where the cleaning unit is disposed in the attachment / detachment position, the cleaning unit is tilted and moved toward the one end side in the width direction with the housing shaft portion as a center by the weight of the cleaning unit, thereby allowing the pair of guide rollers to abut against the pair of guides, respectively.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning housing has a connecting wall formed of a magnetic material and connecting the pair of wall portions in the axial direction, the unit housing portion has at least one magnetic member disposed facing the connecting wall of the cleaning housing disposed in the attachment / detachment position and generating a magnetic field holding the cleaning unit.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the connecting wall of the cleaning housing is a bottom wall defining a bottom portion of the cleaning housing, the at least one magnetic member is disposed facing the bottom wall of the cleaning unit disposed in the attachment / detachment position, when the cleaning unit disposed in the attachment / detachment position is viewed in a direction parallel to the axial direction, a center of the magnetic member is located on the one end side in the width direction with respect to a center of the housing shaft portion supported by the shaft support portion.

7. The cleaning device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, the cleaning portion includes a cleaning tape in a band shape having an abutting surface capable of abutting against the conveying roller; a push roller that pushes the cleaning tape against the conveying roller; and a feed roller and a take-up roller that feed and take up the cleaning tape in a manner that changes the portion of the cleaning tape that abuts against the conveying roller, the cleaning device further comprising: a cleaning tape drive mechanism that is connected to the cleaning unit configured at the cleaning position and rotationally drives at least the take-up roller among the feed roller and the take-up roller.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein the moving mechanism not only moves the cleaning unit to the cleaning position and the attaching / detaching position, but also moves the cleaning unit to a separation position between the cleaning position and the attaching / detaching position, at which the cleaning portion is configured to be separated downward with respect to the conveying roller and the connection of the cleaning unit to the cleaning tape drive mechanism is released.

Images