Cleaning apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To facilitate cleaning of the wire electrodes without removing the photoreceptor unit, which includes the charging device and photoreceptor, from the main body of the device. [Solution] The cleaning device 5 is a cleaning device for cleaning the wire electrodes of a charging device that charges the surface of a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and comprises a cleaning member 51 and an operating member 52. The cleaning member 51 contacts the wire electrodes and cleans them. The operating member 52 is exposed to the outside of the main body of the image forming apparatus through an opening that exposes the photoreceptor unit having the photoreceptor and the charging device to the outside, and moves the cleaning member along the length direction of the wire electrodes in response to operation from the outside.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As a related art, a cleaning member for cleaning a wire electrode is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A charger includes the wire electrode, which generates corona discharge to charge a photoreceptor of an image forming apparatus. In the above related art, when cleaning the wire electrode of the charger, the cleaning member is reciprocated along the longitudinal direction of the opening of the charger, thereby cleaning the wire electrode sandwiched between cleaning pads provided on the cleaning member. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 9-134062 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] Incidentally, cleaning of the wire electrode of a charger (charging device) like the above related art is performed by removing a photoreceptor unit including the charging device and a photoreceptor from the apparatus main body, placing the photoreceptor unit on furniture such as a desk, and then operating the cleaning member. That is, in cleaning the wire electrode of the charging device according to the above related art, the wire electrode cannot be cleaned unless the user removes the photoreceptor unit from the apparatus main body. For this reason, the user has to perform a plurality of operations including an operation of removing the photoreceptor unit and an operation of cleaning the wire electrode, which causes a problem that the user tends to find the cleaning operation troublesome.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus that facilitate cleaning of a wire electrode without removing a photoreceptor unit including a charging device and a photoreceptor from an apparatus main body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cleaning device according to one aspect of the present invention is a cleaning device for cleaning the wire electrodes of a charging device that charges the surface of a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and comprises a cleaning member and an operating member. The cleaning member contacts the wire electrodes and cleans them. The operating member is exposed to the outside when a cover that opens and closes an opening in the main body of an image forming apparatus that exposes the photoreceptor unit having the photoreceptor and the charging device to the outside is open. The operating member moves the cleaning member along the length direction of the wire electrodes in response to an operation from the outside.

[0007] An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention comprises the cleaning apparatus described above, the apparatus body, the photoreceptor unit, and the cover. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus that facilitate cleaning of wire electrodes without removing the photoreceptor unit, which has a charging device and a photoreceptor, from the main body of the apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment with the cover open. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the photoreceptor unit and cleaning device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the photoreceptor unit and cleaning device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the cleaning device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the regulating member according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the regulating member and shutter according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. The following embodiments are examples that embody the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0011] [1] Overall configuration of the image forming apparatus First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. For the sake of explanation, in the following, the vertical direction will be defined as the up-down direction D1 when the image forming apparatus 100 is in a usable installation state (as shown in Figure 1). The front-to-back direction D2 will be defined with the right side of the paper in Figure 1 as the front. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the paper of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1 will be defined as the left-to-right direction D3, and the front side in Figure 1 will be defined as the left side. Note that the above definitions of directions are not intended to limit the manner in which the image forming apparatus 100 is used.

[0012] The image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment is, for example, a printer with a printing function. However, the image forming apparatus 100 is not limited to a printer, and may be a multifunction device having multiple functions such as a printing function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, and a copy function.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 100 comprises a main body 1, a paper feeding unit 2, and an image forming unit 3. The image forming apparatus 100 also further comprises an operation display unit, a toner container, and a control unit, although these are not shown. The paper feeding unit 2, the image forming unit 3, the operation display unit, the toner container, and the control unit are all located on the main body 1.

[0014] The paper feeding unit 2 supplies the sheet Sh1 to the image forming unit 3. The paper feeding unit 2 includes a paper feeding cassette 21, a sheet feeding device 22, and a plurality of conveying rollers 23. The sheet feeding device 22 feeds the sheets Sh1 in the paper feeding cassette 21 one by one out to a conveying path 24. The conveying path 24 is a passage for the sheet Sh1. The plurality of conveying rollers 23 convey the sheet Sh1 along the conveying path 24.

[0015] The image forming unit 3 forms an image on the sheet Sh1 conveyed along the conveying path 24 based on image data input from an information processing device external to the image forming apparatus 100, such as a personal computer. In the present embodiment, as an example, the image forming unit 3 includes a photoconductor 31, a charging device 32, an optical scanning device 33, a developing device 34, a transfer device 35, a cleaning device 36, a fixing device 37, and the like, and forms an image on the sheet Sh1 by an electrophotographic method.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the image forming unit 3 is configured to form a monochrome image using K (black) color. Note that the image forming unit 3 may be configured to form a full-color image using four colors of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow) and K (black).

[0017] An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 31. The photoconductor 31 is an example of an image bearing member that rotates while carrying a toner image. The photoconductor 31 is also referred to as a photoconductor drum.

[0018] The charging device 32 charges the surface of the photoconductor 31. Specifically, the charging device 32 has a wire electrode 321 (see FIG. 4) that is made of a metal such as tungsten and has a minute diameter. Then, the charging device 32 applies a high voltage to the wire electrode 321 to cause corona discharge, thereby applying electric charge to the surface of the photoconductor 31 to charge it. The charging device 32 is, for example, a corotron charger, a scorotron charger, or the like.

[0019] The optical scanning device 33 scans the surface of the charged photoconductor 31 with a light beam. Thereby, the optical scanning device 33 forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor 31.

[0020] The developing device 34 supplies toner from a toner container to the surface of the photoreceptor 31, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 31, thereby forming a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor 31.

[0021] The transfer device 35 includes a transfer roller, and transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 31 onto a sheet Sh1 conveyed along the conveyance path 24.

[0022] The cleaning device 36 removes waste toner from the surface of the photoreceptor 31.

[0023] The fixing device 37 melt-fixes the toner image transferred onto the sheet Sh1 onto the sheet Sh1. Specifically, the fixing device 37 includes a heater, a fixing roller 371, and a pressure roller 372. The fixing device 37 heats the toner image transferred onto the sheet Sh1 with the heater and the fixing roller 371, and applies pressure to the sheet Sh1 with the pressure roller 372, thereby fixing the toner image onto the sheet Sh1.

[0024] The operation display unit is a user interface in the image forming apparatus 100. The operation display unit includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display that displays various types of information according to control instructions from the control unit, and an operation unit such as a switch or a touch panel that inputs various types of information to the control unit according to user operations.

[0025] The control unit comprehensively controls the image forming apparatus 100. The control unit primarily consists of a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. In the image forming apparatus 100, the functions of the control unit are realized by one or more processors executing a program. The program may be pre-recorded in one or more memories, provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or provided on a non-temporary recording medium readable by a computer system, such as a memory card or optical disc. One or more processors consist of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit. Furthermore, the computer system referred to in this disclosure includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. The control unit may be a separate control unit from the main control unit that comprehensively controls the image forming apparatus 100.

[0026] The image forming apparatus 100 further includes a storage unit, a communication unit, and a power supply unit. The storage unit contains one or more non-volatile memories and has information such as control programs for executing various processes stored in it in advance. The communication unit is an interface for performing data communication between the image forming apparatus 100 and external devices connected via a communication network such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). The power supply unit is a power supply circuit that generates (outputs) power for the operation of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0027] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 further includes a cover 11. The cover 11 is a component that opens and closes an opening 12 (see Figure 2) in the apparatus body 1 that exposes the photoreceptor unit 4 to the outside. Specifically, the cover 11 is rectangular in shape when viewed from the front-rear direction D2, and is attached to the rear surface of the apparatus body 1, opening and closing the rectangular opening 12 provided on the rear surface of the apparatus body 1. Note that the opening 12 is not limited to the rear surface of the apparatus body 1, but may be provided on the front surface of the apparatus body 1, for example. In this case, the cover 11 is attached to the front surface of the apparatus body 1 to open and close the opening 12. The opening 12 may also be provided on the left or right side of the apparatus body 1. In this case, the cover 11 is attached to the left or right side of the apparatus body 1 to open and close the opening 12.

[0028] Here, the photoreceptor unit 4 is a unit housed in the device body 1 and having a photoreceptor 31 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed on its surface, and a charging device 32 for charging the surface of the photoreceptor 31. The photoreceptor unit 4 is configured as a single unit by incorporating the photoreceptor 31 and the charging device 32 into the unit body 41 (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, the photoreceptor unit 4 is configured as a single unit that further includes a developing device 34, a cleaning device 36, a toner container, and a cleaning device 5, which will be described later, in addition to the photoreceptor 31, the charging device 32, and the transfer device 35.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the cover 11 is attached at its lower end to the lower end of the rear surface of the device body 1, and is configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise when viewed from the left-right direction D3, with the lower end as the axis. A locking member (not shown) is provided at the upper end of the cover 11. When the cover 11 is closed, the locking member is coupled to a locking portion (not shown) provided above the opening 12 on the rear surface of the device body 1. This maintains the state in which the opening 12 is closed by the cover 11. To open the cover 11, the user simply needs to release the coupling between the locking member and the locking portion.

[0030] When the cover 11 is closed, as shown in Figure 1 (<Cover: Closed>), the opening 12 provided on the rear surface of the device body 1 is covered by the cover 11. On the other hand, when the cover 11 is open, as shown in Figure 1 (<Cover: Open>), the cover 11 rotates counterclockwise around its lower end as an axis, exposing the opening 12 to the outside.

[0031] Here, some of the transport rollers 23 and the transfer device 35 are attached to the cover 11. Therefore, when the cover 11 is open, as shown in Figure 1 <Cover: Open>, some of the transport rollers 23 and the transfer device 35 are separated from the photoreceptor unit 4, so the photoreceptor unit 4 is exposed to the outside through the opening 12. Thus, when the cover 11 is open, the user can access the photoreceptor unit 4 exposed to the outside through the opening 12, as shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, when the cover 11 is open, the user can, for example, remove the photoreceptor unit 4 from the device body 1 or attach the photoreceptor unit 4 to the device body 1.

[0032] Incidentally, a related technology is known: a cleaning member for cleaning wire electrodes. Wire electrodes are present in a charger and generate corona discharge to charge the photoreceptor of an image forming apparatus. In the above-mentioned related technology, when cleaning the wire electrodes of a charger, the cleaning member is moved back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the opening of the charger. This cleans the wire electrodes that are sandwiched between the cleaning pads of the cleaning member.

[0033] In this case, cleaning the wire electrodes of a charger (charging device) like the one described above is performed by removing the photoreceptor unit, which contains the charging device and photoreceptor, from the main body of the device, and then operating a cleaning tool while the photoreceptor unit is placed on a desk or other piece of furniture. In other words, with the cleaning of the wire electrodes of a charger like the one described above, the user cannot clean the wire electrodes without removing the photoreceptor unit from the main body of the device. Therefore, the user has to perform multiple tasks, such as removing the photoreceptor unit and cleaning the wire electrodes, which can make the cleaning process cumbersome.

[0034] Furthermore, when the photoreceptor unit is placed on a fixture, it is necessary to take measures to protect the photoreceptor, such as covering it with a protective material or shaping the photoreceptor unit so that it does not come into contact with the surface of the desk. As a result of these measures, there is a problem that the photoreceptor unit tends to become relatively large. In addition, if the photoreceptor unit becomes larger, there is also the problem that the main unit of the device will also become larger.

[0035] In contrast, in this embodiment, a cleaning device 5 and an image forming apparatus 100 can be realized that allow for easy cleaning of the wire electrode 321 without removing the photoreceptor unit 4, which has a charging device 32 and a photoreceptor 31, from the apparatus body 1, as described below. Specifically, the image forming apparatus 100 comprises an apparatus body 1, a photoreceptor unit 4, a cover 11, and the cleaning device 5 described below. The cleaning device 5 is a device for cleaning the wire electrode 321 of the charging device 32.

[0036] [2] Configuration of the cleaning device The cleaning device 5 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. First, the reason for cleaning the wire electrode 321 will be briefly explained. The wire electrode 321 is exposed to ozone generated by corona discharge, which causes oxides to form on its surface. If these oxides are present, the corona discharge will be uneven, resulting in uneven charging of the surface of the photoreceptor 31. For this reason, the surface of the wire electrode 321 is coated to prevent the formation of oxides. However, due to the deterioration of the coating over time, oxides may form on the surface of the wire electrode 321, potentially resulting in uneven charging of the surface of the photoreceptor 31. For this reason, it is desirable to be able to clean the surface of the wire electrode 321 with the cleaning device 5.

[0037] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the cleaning device 5 comprises a cleaning member 51, an operating member 52, an interlocking member 53, and a regulating member 54.

[0038] The cleaning member 51 is a member that contacts the wire electrode 321 to clean the wire electrode 321. Specifically, the cleaning member 51 has a cleaning pad (not shown) and a pair of retaining pieces 511.

[0039] The cleaning pad is made of, for example, sponge, felt, or nonwoven fabric. The cleaning pad is held in a folded state by a pair of retaining pieces 511.

[0040] The pair of retaining pieces 511 have a length in the front-to-back direction D2 and are integrally formed with the second interlocking piece 532 (described later) of the interlocking member 53, spaced apart in the up-to-down direction D1. A folded cleaning pad is inserted between the pair of retaining pieces 511. Therefore, the pair of retaining pieces 511 hold the cleaning pad in a folded state.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the pair of retaining pieces 511 holding the cleaning pad are inserted into a first groove 411 provided in the unit body 41 of the photoreceptor unit 4. The first groove 411 is provided in the front part of the unit body 41 and is a groove that is recessed towards the rear and has a length in the left-right direction D3. The wire electrode 321 is positioned inside the first groove 411 in an exposed state. The cleaning pad inserted into the first groove 411 then contacts the wire electrode 321 by sandwiching it. In this state, as the cleaning member 51 moves along the length direction of the wire electrode 321 (here, the left-right direction D3), the cleaning pad moves while rubbing against the surface of the wire electrode 321, wiping away foreign matter (e.g., oxides, etc.) adhering to the surface of the wire electrode 321.

[0042] The operating member 52 is exposed to the outside of the main body 1 of the image forming apparatus 100 through an opening 12 that exposes the photoreceptor unit 4 to the outside. Specifically, the operating member 52 is exposed to the outside of the main body 1 when the cover 11 that opens and closes the opening 12 is open. The operating member 52 moves the cleaning member 51 along the length direction (here, the left-right direction D3) of the wire electrode 321 in response to user operation from the outside. The operating member 52 has an operating piece 521 and a guide piece 522.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the operating piece 521 is rectangular in shape and is the part of the operating member 52 that the user grasps with their fingers. In Figure 5, the area enclosed by the dashed line represents an enlarged view of the peripheral part of the operating piece 521. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a part of the operating piece 521 is exposed to the outside through a slit 413 provided in the support wall 412 of the unit body 41 of the photoreceptor unit 4. The support wall 412 is a rectangular wall with a length in the left-right direction D3, and supports the operating piece 521 inserted into the slit 413 so that it can move in the left-right direction D3. The slit 413 is rectangular when viewed from the front-back direction D2, and its length (here, the left-right direction D3) generally coincides with the length of the wire electrode 321. Also, the length of the slit 413 (here, the length in the left-right direction D3) generally coincides with the length of the wire electrode 321. Therefore, the user can move the operating piece 521 along the length of the slit 413 by pinching the externally exposed operating piece 521 with their fingers.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the guide piece 522 is a plate extending rearward from the rear end of the operating piece 521, and is the part that guides the regulating member 54, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 5, the front end of the guide piece 522 is located below the rear end of the operating piece 521, and it has a shape that slopes upward from the front end to the rear end. As a result, the middle part of the guide piece 522 has a shape that is recessed downward, and the shaft body 541 (described later) of the regulating member 54 is located in this middle part. In addition, when the guide piece 522 moves along the left-right direction D3 together with the operating piece 521, its side end (in this case, the right end) is formed to contact the hook piece 543 (described later) of the regulating member 54. As a result, when the guide piece 522 moves along the left-right direction D3 together with the operating piece 521, the guide piece 522 pushes the hook piece 543 upward, and the shaft body 541 rotates around the axis together with the hook piece 543.

[0045] The interlocking member 53 is connected to both the operating member 52 and the cleaning member 51, and moves the cleaning member 51 in conjunction with the movement of the operating member 52 in response to external operation. In this embodiment, the wire electrode 321 is located on the opposite side of the operating member 52, with a part of the photoreceptor unit 4 in between. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the wire electrode 321 is located on the front side of the photoreceptor 31. Therefore, the cleaning member 51, which cleans the wire electrode 321, is located on the front side of the photoreceptor 31, just like the wire electrode 321, that is, on the opposite side of the operating member 52, with a part of the photoreceptor unit 4 in between. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the operating member 52 is located on the rear side of the photoreceptor unit 4, that is, on the rear side of the photoreceptor 31. Thus, the operating member 52 and the cleaning member 51 are positioned far apart from each other, with the photoreceptor 31 in between.

[0046] Therefore, in this embodiment, the cleaning device 5 is equipped with an interlocking member 53 to interlock the operating member 52 and the cleaning member 51, which are located at different distances from each other. As a result, when the user moves the operating member 52, the cleaning member 51, which is located at a distance from the operating member 52, can be moved together with the operating member 52 via the interlocking member 53, and the wire electrode 321 can be cleaned by the cleaning member 51.

[0047] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the interlocking member 53 has a first interlocking piece 531 and a second interlocking piece 532.

[0048] The first interlocking piece 531 is rectangular in shape when viewed from the vertical direction D1 and has length in the front-to-back direction D2. The front end of the first interlocking piece 531 is integrally formed with the rear end of the guide piece 522 of the operating member 52. On the lower surface of the middle part of the first interlocking piece 531, a pair of guide protrusions 533 projecting downward are integrally formed, spaced apart in the front-to-back direction D2. The upper end of the guide wall 413 (see Figure 3), provided on the unit body 41 of the photoreceptor unit 4, is inserted between these pair of guide protrusions 533. The guide wall 413 is a rectangular wall with length in the left-to-right direction D3 and projects upward from the top of the unit body 41. As a result, the first interlocking piece 531 is supported by the guide wall 413 on the upper part of the unit body 41 in a state where it can move in the left-to-right direction D3.

[0049] The second interlocking piece 532 is rectangular in shape when viewed from the front-rear direction D2 and has a length in the vertical direction D1. The upper end of the second interlocking piece 532 is integrally formed with the rear end of the first interlocking piece 531. A pair of support protrusions 534 projecting backward are integrally formed on the rear surface of the lower end of the second interlocking piece 532, spaced apart in the vertical direction D1. A pair of retaining pieces 511 of the cleaning member 51 are integrally formed between the pair of support protrusions 534 on the rear surface of the second interlocking piece 532, each projecting backward.

[0050] The upper of the pair of support protrusions 534 is inserted into a second groove 414 (see Figure 3) provided in the unit body 41 of the photoreceptor unit 4. The second groove 414 is located above the first groove 411 at the front of the unit body 41 and is a groove that is recessed towards the rear and has a length in the left-right direction D3. The upper surface of the lower of the pair of support protrusions 534 is in contact with the lower surface of the unit body 41. As a result, the second interlocking piece 532 is supported by the unit body 41 at the front of the unit body 41 in a state in which it can move in the left-right direction D3. Therefore, by supporting the first interlocking piece 531 and the second interlocking piece 532 with the unit body 41, the interlocking member 53 is supported by the unit body 41 in a state in which it can move in the left-right direction D3.

[0051] As described above, in the cleaning device 5 according to this embodiment, the operating member 52 is exposed to the outside through the opening 12 of the device body 1. By operating the operating member 52 from the outside, the cleaning member 51 can be moved to clean the wire electrode 321. This has the advantage that the user can easily clean the wire electrode 321 without removing the photoreceptor unit 4, which has the charging device 32 and the photoreceptor 31, from the device body 1. Furthermore, since the user does not have to remove the photoreceptor unit 4 when cleaning the wire electrode 321, the cleaning process is less troublesome.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, unlike the related technologies described above, it is not necessary to place the photoreceptor unit 4 on a fixture and clean the wire electrodes 321. Therefore, there is no need to take measures to protect the photoreceptor 31, such as covering the photoreceptor 31 with a protective member or forming the photoreceptor unit 4 in a shape that prevents the photoreceptor 31 from contacting the desk surface. Consequently, compared to cases where the above measures are necessary, there is an advantage in that it is easier to miniaturize the photoreceptor unit 4 and the main body of the device 1.

[0053] The restricting member 54 is a member that restricts the movement of the cover 11 in the direction of closing the opening 12 when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2. Here, the operating member 52 is movable between the initial position P1 and the cleaning position P2, which is different from the initial position P1, in response to external operation (see Figure 7).

[0054] As shown in Figures 2, 5, and 7, the initial position P1 is the position of one end (in this case, the left end) of the movable range of the operating member 52 in the left-right direction D3. In Figure 7, the diagram enclosed by the dashed line is an explanatory diagram of the position of the operating piece 521 of the operating member 52. In the initial position P1, the operating piece 521 of the operating member 52 faces one end (in this case, the left end) of the shaft body 541 of the regulating member 54. The initial position P1 is a position within the movable range of the operating member 52 (i.e., the movable range of the cleaning member 51) where, for example, the cleaning member 51 does not face the surface of the photoreceptor 31. The initial position P1 is the position in which the cleaning member 51 has the least influence on the charging of the surface of the photoreceptor 31 when the wire electrode 321 charges the surface of the photoreceptor 31.

[0055] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 7, cleaning position P2 is a position within the movable range of the operating member 52 (i.e., the movable range of the cleaning member 51) where, for example, the cleaning member 51 faces the surface of the photoreceptor 31. Cleaning position P2 is a position where the cleaning member 51 is likely to influence the charging of the surface of the photoreceptor 31 when the wire electrode 321 charges the surface of the photoreceptor 31. For this reason, when the operating member 52 is in cleaning position P2, uneven charging of the surface of the photoreceptor 31 is likely to occur, which may result in defects in the image formed on the sheet Sh1.

[0056] Therefore, in this embodiment, the cleaning device 5 is equipped with a restricting member 54, which allows the cover 11 to be closed only when the operating member 52 is in the initial position P1, and prevents the cover 11 from being closed when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2. As a result, the cover 11 cannot be closed when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2, and the image forming apparatus 100 cannot be operated, which has the advantage of making it easier to prevent defects from occurring in the image formed on the sheet Sh1.

[0057] The restricting member 54 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the restricting member 54 has a shaft body 541, a pair of protrusions 542, a hook piece 543, and a biasing member 544.

[0058] The shaft body 541 is a round rod with a length in the left-right direction D3, and is rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise around its axis. Both ends of its length (in this case, the left-right direction D3) are attached to the unit body 41 of the photoreceptor unit 4.

[0059] The pair of projections 542 are both rectangular plate-shaped members that protrude radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft body 541. The pair of projections 542 are integrally formed at both ends of the shaft body 541 in the longitudinal direction (here, the left-right direction D3).

[0060] The hook piece 543 protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft body 541 and is integrally formed with the shaft body 541 along its length (here, the left-right direction D3). When the guide piece 522 of the operating member 52 is not in contact with the hook piece 543, the hook piece 543 is located below the pair of projections 542. When the operating piece 521 moves from its initial position P1 to the cleaning position P2, the hook piece 543 is pushed up by the guide piece 522 and rotates counterclockwise.

[0061] The biasing member 544 is, for example, a torsion coil spring, and when the hook piece 543 is pushed up by the guide piece 522 and rotates counterclockwise, it is compressed and stores elastic energy. When the hook piece 543 is no longer in contact with the guide piece 522, the biasing member 544 releases the stored elastic energy, causing the shaft body 541 to rotate clockwise.

[0062] Here, as shown in Figure 6, when the hook piece 543 is pushed up by the guide piece 522 and rotates, the shaft body 541 and the pair of projections 542 also rotate together with the hook piece 543. Therefore, when the operating member 52 is in its initial position P1, that is, when the hook piece 543 is not in contact with the guide piece 522, the pair of projections 542 are in the position shown in <Operating Member: Initial Position> in Figure 6. Hereafter, this position will also be referred to as the "allowable position". Then, when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2, that is, when the hook piece 543 is pushed up by the guide piece 522, the pair of projections 542 rotate counterclockwise to the position shown in <Operating Member: Cleaning Position> in Figure 6. Hereafter, this position will also be referred to as the "restricted position". In this case, the biasing member 544 stores elastic energy by being compressed.

[0063] Subsequently, when the operating member 52 moves from the cleaning position P2 to the initial position P1, the guide piece 522 separates from the hook piece 543. Then, the biasing member 544 releases the stored elastic energy, causing the shaft body 541 to rotate clockwise. As a result, the hook piece 543 also rotates clockwise, and the regulating member 54 returns from the regulating position to the allowable position.

[0064] In this embodiment, the restricting member 54 functions to limit the closure of the opening 12 by the cover 11 by restricting the movement of the shutter 6 (see Figure 7). Here, the shutter 6 is a member that shields the space between the heat source inside the device body 1 (in this case, the heater of the fixing device 37) and the outside when the cover 11 is open. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the shutter 6 is a member that closes the opening 374 provided on the lower surface of the case 373 of the fixing device 37. The opening 374 is part of the transport path that transports the sheet Sh1, onto which the sheet image has been transferred by the transfer device 35, to the fixing device 37. The shutter 6 is provided to prevent the user from accidentally touching the heater (heat source) inside the case 373 of the fixing device 37 when, for example, a jam (paper jam) occurs in the sheet Sh1, while working to clear the jam.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7, a rod-shaped projection 61 extending backward is integrally formed at the rear end of the shutter 6. When the cover 11 is closed, the projection 61 is pushed forward by the cover 11 and moves forward together with the shutter 6. As a result, when the cover 11 is closed, the shutter 6 is housed inside the case 373 of the fixing device 37. In this state, the opening 374 provided on the lower surface of the case 373 of the fixing device 37 is not blocked by the shutter 6.

[0066] Furthermore, the shutter 6 has a biasing member (not shown) that biases the shutter 6 in a direction that moves it backward. The biasing member is, for example, a coil spring, and when the shutter 6 is housed in the case 373 of the fixing device 37, it is compressed by being pushed forward by the cover 11 via the shutter 6 and the protrusion 61, and stores elastic energy. When the cover 11 is opened, the force pushing the biasing member via the shutter 6 and the protrusion 61 is lost, so the biasing member releases the stored elastic energy, moving the shutter 6 backward. As a result, when the cover 11 is open, the shutter 6 closes the opening 374 provided on the lower surface of the case 373 of the fixing device 37, thereby shielding the heat source (heater) from the outside.

[0067] Here, as shown in Figure 7, <Operating Member: Initial Position>, when the shutter 6 is housed inside the case 373 of the fixing device 37, the protruding portion 61 does not protrude to the outside through the opening 12, so the cover 11 can be closed. Hereafter, the position in which the shutter 6 is housed inside the case 373 of the fixing device 37 will also be referred to as the first position, which does not obstruct the movement of the cover 11 in the direction of closing the opening 12. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 7, <Operating Member: Cleaning Position>, when the shutter 6 is blocking the opening 374 provided on the lower surface of the case 373 of the fixing device 37, the protruding portion 61 protrudes to the outside through the opening 12. Therefore, if this state is maintained, even if one tries to close the cover 11, the protruding portion 61 restricts the movement of the cover 11 in the closing direction, making it impossible to close the cover 11. Hereafter, the position in which the shutter 6 is blocking the opening 374 provided on the lower surface of the case 373 of the fixing device 37 will also be referred to as the second position, which obstructs the movement of the cover 11 in the direction of closing the opening 12.

[0068] The function of the restricting member 54 will be explained in detail below. When the operating member 52 is in the initial position P1, the restricting member 54 is in the permissible position, as shown in <Operating Member: Initial Position> in Figure 6. In this case, as shown in <Operating Member: Initial Position> in Figure 7, the pair of protrusions 542 do not protrude into the case 373 of the fixing device 37, so the shutter 6 can move without being restricted by the pair of protrusions 542. Therefore, when attempting to close the cover 11 while it is open, the protrusion 61 is pushed by the cover 11, causing the shutter 6 to move from the first position to the second position. In other words, the permissible position is the position that allows the shutter 6 to move from the second position to the first position.

[0069] On the other hand, when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2, the restricting member 54 is in the restricting position, as shown in <Operating Member: Cleaning Position> in Figure 6. In this case, as shown in <Operating Member: Cleaning Position> in Figure 7, the pair of protrusions 542 protrude into the case 373 of the fixing device 37, so the shutter 6 is restricted from moving by the pair of protrusions 542. Therefore, when the cover 11 is open and the restricting member 54 is in the restricting position, even if one tries to close the cover 11, the movement of the shutter 6 from the second position to the first position is restricted by the pair of protrusions 542. Consequently, even if one tries to close the cover 11, the protrusions 61 restrict the movement of the cover 11 in the closing direction, making it impossible to close the cover 11. In other words, the restricting position is the position that restricts the movement of the shutter 6 from the second position to the first position.

[0070] As described above, the restricting member 54 is movable between a restricting position that restricts the movement of the shutter 6 from the second position to the first position and an allowable position that allows the movement of the shutter 6 from the second position to the first position as the operating member 52 moves. The restricting member 54 is located in the restricting position when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2, and in the allowable position when the operating member 52 is in the initial position P1. Therefore, the cover 11 can only be closed when the operating member 52 is in the initial position P1, and the cover 11 cannot be closed when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2, which has the advantage of making it less likely for the user to forget to return the operating member 52 to the initial position P1. Furthermore, since the cover 11 cannot be closed and the image forming apparatus 100 cannot be operated when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2, it has the advantage of making it easier to prevent defects from occurring in the image formed on the sheet Sh1.

[0071] [3] Variant In the above embodiment, the interlocking member 53 is formed integrally with the operating member 52 and the cleaning member 51, but is not limited to this. For example, the interlocking member 53 may be formed separately from each of the operating member 52 and the cleaning member 51 and fixed to each of the operating member 52 and the cleaning member 51 by fixing means such as adhesive.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the cleaning device 5 is equipped with an interlocking member 53, but it is not required to be equipped with an interlocking member 53. For example, the cleaning device 5 may be equipped with an operating member 52 and a cleaning member 51, and the cleaning member 51 may be configured to be movable in response to the operation of the operating member 52. As an example, the operating member 52 and the cleaning member 51 may be electrically or magnetically coupled, and the cleaning member 51 may be movable in conjunction with the movement of the operating member 52.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the restricting member 54 restricts the movement of the cover 11 in the direction of closing the opening 12 by restricting the movement of the shutter 6, but it is not limited to this. For example, the restricting member 54 may be configured to be housed inside the device body 1 when the operating member 52 is in the initial position P1, and to protrude to the outside through the opening 12 when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position. In this case, the restricting member 54 can restrict the movement of the cover 11 in the direction of closing the opening 12 by directly interfering with the cover 11 when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the cleaning device 5 is equipped with a restricting member 54, but it is not required to be equipped with a restricting member 54. In this case, the cover 11 can be closed even when the operating member 52 is in the cleaning position P2. In this case, if the image forming apparatus 100 is equipped with a sensor that detects whether or not the operating member 52 is in the initial position P1, a message indicating that the operating member 52 is not in the initial position P1 may be displayed on the operation display unit according to the detection result of the sensor. This makes it easier for the user to understand that they have not returned the operating member 52 to the initial position P1.

[0075] [Notes on the invention] The following is an overview of the invention extracted from the above-described embodiments. Note that each configuration and processing function described below can be selected and combined as desired.

[0076] <Note 1> A cleaning device for cleaning the wire electrodes of a charging device that charges the surface of a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, A cleaning member that contacts the wire electrode to clean the wire electrode, The photoreceptor unit having the photoreceptor and the charging device is exposed to the outside of the main body of the image forming apparatus through an opening that exposes the photoreceptor to the outside, and the operating member moves the cleaning member along the longitudinal direction of the wire electrode in response to operation from the outside, Cleaning equipment.

[0077] <Note 2> The cleaning member is located on the opposite side from the operating member, with a part of the photoreceptor unit in between. The system further includes an interlocking member connected to the operating member and the cleaning member, which moves the cleaning member in conjunction with the movement of the operating member in response to external operation. The cleaning device described in Appendix 1.

[0078] <Note 3> The image forming apparatus is equipped with a cover that opens and closes the opening, The operating member is movable between an initial position and a cleaning position different from the initial position in response to the external operation. The system further includes a restricting member that restricts the movement of the cover in the direction of closing the opening when the operating member is in the cleaning position. The cleaning device described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0079] <Note 4> The image forming apparatus is equipped with a shutter that shields the heat source inside the apparatus body from the outside when the cover is open. The shutter is movable between a first position that does not obstruct the movement of the cover in the direction of closing the opening and a second position that obstructs the movement of the cover in the direction of closing the opening. The aforementioned restraining member is As the operating member moves, it is movable between a restricting position that restricts the movement of the shutter from the second position to the first position and a permissible position that allows the movement of the shutter from the second position to the first position. The operating member is positioned in the restricting position when it is in the cleaning position, and in the allowable position when it is in the initial position. The cleaning device described in Appendix 3.

[0080] <Note 5> A cleaning device described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4, The main body of the device, The photoreceptor unit comprises the above-mentioned photoreceptor unit, Image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100 Image forming apparatus 1. Main unit of the device 11 Cover 12 Openings 31 Photoreceptor 32 Charging device 321 Wire Electrode 4. Photoconductor Unit 5 Cleaning equipment 51 Cleaning components 52 Operating member 53 Interlocking member 54 Regulating members 6 shutters P1 initial position P2 cleaning position

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning the wire electrodes of a charging device that charges the surface of a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, A cleaning member that contacts the wire electrode to clean the wire electrode, The photoreceptor unit having the photoreceptor and the charging device is exposed to the outside of the main body of the image forming apparatus through an opening that exposes the photoreceptor to the outside, and the operating member moves the cleaning member along the longitudinal direction of the wire electrode in response to operation from the outside, Cleaning equipment.

2. The cleaning member is located on the opposite side from the operating member, with a part of the photoreceptor unit in between. The system further includes an interlocking member connected to the operating member and the cleaning member, which moves the cleaning member in conjunction with the movement of the operating member in response to external operation. The cleaning device according to claim 1.

3. The image forming apparatus is equipped with a cover that opens and closes the opening, The operating member is movable between an initial position and a cleaning position different from the initial position in response to the external operation. The system further includes a restricting member that restricts the movement of the cover in the direction of closing the opening when the operating member is in the cleaning position. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The image forming apparatus is equipped with a shutter that shields the heat source inside the apparatus body from the outside when the cover is open. The shutter is movable between a first position that does not obstruct the movement of the cover in the direction of closing the opening and a second position that obstructs the movement of the cover in the direction of closing the opening. The aforementioned restraining member is As the operating member moves, it is movable between a restricting position that restricts the movement of the shutter from the second position to the first position and a permissible position that allows the movement of the shutter from the second position to the first position. The operating member is positioned in the restricting position when it is in the cleaning position, and in the allowable position when it is in the initial position. The cleaning device according to claim 3.

5. A cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, The main body of the device, The photoreceptor unit comprises the above-mentioned photoreceptor unit, Image forming apparatus.

Images