Cleaning structure, fixing device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a cleaning structure that can prevent the occurrence of poor cleaning, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: A cleaning structure 5 cleans an outer surface of a rotating body (heating rotating body 30), and comprises: a cleaning member 6 that is formed in the direction of the axis of rotation of the rotating body (heating rotating body 30); and a holding member 7 that holds the cleaning member 6. Bent elastic parts 72 (72a, 72b) urging the cleaning member 6 against an outer surface of the rotating body (heating rotating body 30) are formed on at least both ends of the holding member 7 in the rotation axis direction, and a gap α is provided between the bent elastic parts 72a, 72b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning structure, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an image forming apparatus that transfers a toner image onto a sheet and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the sheet at a nip formed between a heating rotor and a pressure rotor. The fixing device may use a cleaning structure that cleans the outer surface of the heating rotor to maintain consistent print quality. Known cleaning structures include a cleaning member that contacts the entire width of the outer surface of the fixing member and a holding member that holds the cleaning member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 2016-218171 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional cleaning structure, it is difficult to make the cleaning member uniformly contact the entire width of the heating rotor. In particular, due to the structure, there is a tendency for contact pressure to be lost at both ends of the cleaning member in the direction of the rotation axis of the heating rotor. This poor contact of the cleaning member with the heating rotor results in poor cleaning.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional art, and has an object to provide a cleaning structure, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus that can prevent the occurrence of cleaning defects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the cleaning structure described in the present application is a cleaning structure for cleaning the outer surface of a rotating body, and is characterized in that it comprises a cleaning member formed along the rotational axis direction of the rotating body, and a holding member for holding the cleaning member, and at least both ends of the holding member in the rotational axis direction are each formed with a curved elastic portion that urges the cleaning member against the outer surface of the rotating body, and a gap is provided between each of the curved elastic portions.

[0007] In the cleaning structure, the curved elastic portions may be formed at both ends and a center of the holding member in the direction of the rotation axis.

[0008] In the cleaning structure, the width of the curved elastic portion at the center of the holding member in the direction of the rotation axis may be smaller than the width of the curved elastic portion at both ends of the holding member.

[0009] In the cleaning structure, the holding member may be formed with a movement restricting portion over the entire area in the direction of the rotation axis, which restricts movement of the cleaning member downstream in the rotation direction of the rotating body.

[0010] In the cleaning structure, the movement restricting portion may protrude toward the cleaning member over the entire area in the direction of the rotation axis.

[0011] In addition, in the cleaning structure, a flexure restricting member that restricts flexure of the holding member in the rotation axis direction may be provided on the opposite side of the holding member with respect to the cleaning member.

[0012] In the cleaning structure, the thickness of the flexure restricting member may be greater than the thickness of the holding member in a region where the flexure restricting member is provided.

[0013] In the cleaning structure, the deflection regulating member may be made of the same material as the holding member.

[0014] In the cleaning structure, both ends of the deflection regulating member may be heavier than the central portion in the direction of the rotation axis.

[0015] In the cleaning structure, both ends of the flexure restricting member may protrude in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction.

[0016] The fixing device described in the present application comprises the cleaning structure, a heat source, and a heating rotor heated by the heat source, and is characterized in that the cleaning structure cleans the outer surface of the heating rotor.

[0017] The fixing device may further include a frame that supports the heating rotor, and the holding member of the cleaning structure may be fixed to the frame.

[0018] The image forming apparatus described in the present application is characterized by including both or either one of the cleaning structure and the fixing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the occurrence of cleaning defects can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a fixing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the inside of the fixing device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fixing device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning structure according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first stage in attaching the cleaning structure to the frame. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a second stage of attaching the cleaning structure to the frame. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a third stage of attaching the cleaning structure to the frame. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning structure according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning structure according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning structure according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same components in the embodiments described below will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of those components will be omitted.

[0022] (Embodiment 1) -Image forming device- First, the configuration of the image forming apparatus A in the first embodiment will be described.

[0023] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus A in embodiment 1 as viewed from the front. In the figure, the symbol X indicates the front-to-rear direction (depth direction) of the image forming apparatus A, the symbol Y indicates the left-to-right direction of the image forming apparatus A, and the symbol Z indicates the up-to-down direction of the image forming apparatus A. These settings are the same in the following embodiments.

[0024] The image forming apparatus A is an image forming apparatus that forms a monochrome image on a sheet by electrophotography in accordance with image data read by an image reading device 25 or image data transmitted from an external device.

[0025] The image forming apparatus A includes a document feeder 10 and an image forming apparatus main body 11 (see FIG. 1). The image forming apparatus main body 11 includes an image forming section 12 and a paper transport system 20.

[0026] The image forming unit 12 includes an exposure device 13, a developing device 14, an image carrier 15, a cleaner unit 16, a charger 17, a transfer unit 18, a toner cartridge device 19, and a fixing device 3 (see FIG. 1). The transfer unit 18 has a transfer roller 18a. A transfer bias is applied to the transfer roller 18a, so that the toner image formed on the image carrier 15 is transferred to a sheet. The configuration of the fixing device 3 will be described in detail later.

[0027] The paper transport system 20 includes a paper feed tray 21, a manual paper feed tray 22, a discharge tray 23, and transport rollers (not shown) provided along the sheet transport path S.

[0028] An original document table 24 made of transparent glass on which an original document is placed is provided at the top of the image forming apparatus main body 11, and an image reading device 25 for reading an image of the original document is provided below the original document table 24. An original document feeder 10 is provided above the original document table 24. The image of the original document read by the image reading device 25 is sent to the image forming apparatus main body 11 as image data, and an image formed based on the image data in the image forming apparatus main body 11 is recorded on a sheet.

[0029] The image forming apparatus A described above is configured to print an image on a sheet as follows. First, a sheet is supplied from the paper feed tray 21 or the manual paper feed tray 22. The sheet is transported to the transfer unit 18 by a transport roller. Next, the toner image formed by the image forming unit 12 is transferred onto the sheet by the transfer unit 18. Thereafter, the unfixed toner on the sheet is melted and fixed by heat by the fixing device 3, and the sheet is discharged onto the discharge tray 23 by the transport roller and discharge roller (not shown). In this way, a series of printing operations by the image forming apparatus A is completed.

[0030] The image forming apparatus A may be a color image forming apparatus. In this case, image forming units 12 may be provided for each of a plurality of colors (for example, black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y)), and the toner images formed by these image forming units 12 may be transferred in succession onto a primary transfer belt (not shown).

[0031] -Fixing device- Next, the fixing device 3 will be described.

[0032] Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the fixing device 3 in embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the inside of the fixing device 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the fixing device 3 in Fig. 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, the fixing device 3 includes a heating rotor 30, a pressure rotor 31, a frame 4, a paper feed guide 32, a paper discharge guide 33, and a cleaning structure 5 (see FIG. 2).

[0034] In this embodiment, the heating rotor 30 is rotatable about a rotation axis δ along the width direction W. In this embodiment, the width direction W of the heating rotor 30 is aligned with the front-to-rear direction (X direction) of the image forming apparatus A. Because the rotation axis δ is aligned with the width direction W, hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the rotation axis direction may be simply referred to as the W direction. Both ends of the heating rotor 30 are supported by a frame 4. The heating rotor 30 is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown) such as a motor.

[0035] The heating rotor 30 is composed of a base material made of a metal such as aluminum and a surface layer (release layer) made of a fluororesin or the like provided on the base material. The width of the heating rotor 30 is set to, for example, about 340 mm to 360 mm. The inner diameter of the heating rotor 30 is set to, for example, about 30 mm. The heating rotor 30 is heated to a predetermined fixing temperature (for example, about 170°C) by a built-in heat source 30a. The heat source 30a is composed of, for example, a lamp heater such as a halogen lamp. The length of the heat source 30a is set to be approximately the same as the width of the heating rotor 30.

[0036] The pressure rotating body 31 comes into contact with the heating rotating body 30 to form a nip FN between it and the heating rotating body 30, and is provided at a position facing the heating rotating body 30. The pressure rotating body 31 is rotatably supported by a pressure frame (not shown), and is rotated by the rotational drive of the heating rotating body 30. The pressure rotating body 31 is composed of a cylindrical core material 310 made of a metal such as aluminum, and an elastic material 311 such as silicone rubber that covers the surface of the core material 310.

[0037] The pressure rotating body 31 is biased toward the heating rotating body 30 by a biasing member (not shown). A nip portion FN is formed in the W direction between the pressure rotating body 31 and the heating rotating body 30. The pressure rotating body 31 and the heating rotating body 30 melt unfixed toner on the sheet by heat in the nip portion FN, and sandwich and transport the sheet.

[0038] The frame 4 supports the heating rotator 30 and is made of a metal material such as a galvanized steel plate. The frame 4 includes a pair of side frames 40, 41 (a front side frame 40 and a rear side frame 41) that support both ends of the heating rotator 30, and an upper frame 42 that is hung on the upper ends of the side frames 40, 41 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The upper frame 42 is fixed to the upper ends of the side frames 40, 41 with fasteners B1 such as screws.

[0039] Between the side frames 40, 41 and the heating rotor 30, bearings such as bearings (not shown) are provided.

[0040] The upper frame 42 is provided with a fixed portion 43 to which the cleaning structure 5 is fixed (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the fixed portion 43 is composed of slits 44 to 46 provided on the short-side edge of the upper frame 42, and a positioning protrusion 47 and fastening holes 48 and 49 provided on the top surface of the upper frame 42.

[0041] The paper feed guide 32 guides the sheet to the nip portion FN along the sheet conveying direction F, and is fixed to the frame 4 with fastening members (not shown) such as screws. The paper feed guide 32 is formed from a metal material such as a stainless steel plate.

[0042] The paper discharge guide 33 guides the sheet that has passed through the nip portion FN out of the fixing device 3 along the sheet transport direction F, and is fixed to a housing (not shown) provided outside the frame 4. The paper discharge guide 33 is made of, for example, synthetic resin.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning structure 5 in the first embodiment.

[0044] The cleaning structure 5 cleans the outer surface of the heating rotor 30, and includes a cleaning member 6 and a holding member 7 that holds the cleaning member 6 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). Specifically, the cleaning structure 5 is configured so that, as the heating rotor 30 rotates, the cleaning member 6 scrapes off residual toner on the heating rotor 30 after the toner has been fixed to the sheet at the nip portion FN, thereby cleaning the outer surface of the heating rotor 30.

[0045] The cleaning member 6 is formed along the rotation axis direction (W direction) of the heating rotor 30. In this embodiment, the width of the cleaning member 6 in the W direction is set to be approximately the same as the width of the heating rotor 30. The cleaning member 6 is formed from a fibrous molded body such as a felt sponge having a thickness of about 4 to 5 mm, for example, and is fixed to the holding member 7 with an adhesive or the like (not shown).

[0046] The holding member 7 is formed by bending a metal material such as a stainless steel plate. In this embodiment, the holding member 7 is formed with a cleaning member mounting portion 70 to which the cleaning member 6 is attached, a fixing portion 71 for fixing the cleaning member 6 to the frame 4, curved elastic portions 72 (72a, 72b) that bias the cleaning member 6 toward the heating rotator 30, and a movement restricting portion 73 that restricts movement of the cleaning member 6 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0047] The cleaning member attachment part 70 is formed to face the heating rotator 30 on the downstream side of the nip part FN in the rotation direction of the heating rotator 30 (see FIG. 4). That is, the cleaning member 6 attached to the cleaning member attachment part 70 is in contact with the outer surface of the heating rotator 30 on the downstream side of the nip part FN in the rotation direction of the heating rotator 30.

[0048] The fixing portion 71 is formed so as to be fixable to the fixed portion 43 of the upper frame 42 of the frame 4. Specifically, the fixing portion 71 is composed of tabs 74 to 76 which can be inserted into the slits 44 to 46 of the fixed portion 43, respectively, a positioning hole 77 into which the positioning protrusion 47 can be inserted, and insertion holes 78 and 79 into which a fastener B2 such as a bolt can be inserted.

[0049] The curved elastic portions 72 (72a, 72b) are formed at both ends of the holding member 7 in the W direction so as to connect the cleaning member attachment portion 70 and the fixed portion 71. That is, the curved elastic portion 72a is formed on the -W direction side of the holding member 7, and the curved elastic portion 72b is formed on the +W direction side of the holding member 7.

[0050] When viewed from the W direction, the curved elastic portion 72 is formed in a substantially U-shape, bending once from the fixed portion 71 toward the upstream side in the rotation direction of the heating rotator 30 and then bending toward the cleaning member attachment portion 70 toward the downstream side in the rotation direction of the heating rotator 30 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Due to this shape of the curved elastic portion 72, the curved elastic portion 72 functions like a leaf spring and urges the cleaning member 6 attached to the cleaning member attachment portion 70 toward the heating rotator 30.

[0051] The movement restricting portion 73 restricts the movement of the cleaning member 6 downstream in the rotation direction of the heating rotator 30 over the entire area in the W direction. The movement restricting portion 73 can prevent the cleaning member 6 from shifting downstream in the rotation direction of the heating rotator 30 as the heating rotator 30 rotates.

[0052] As described above, since the retaining member 7 is fixed to the frame 4 (in this embodiment, the upper frame 42), it is possible to effectively utilize the frame 4 without providing a separate member for fixing the retaining member 7, thereby reducing the number of parts and saving space.

[0053] In this embodiment, the movement restricting portion 73 is formed by bending the edge of the cleaning member attachment portion 70 on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the heating rotator 30 toward the cleaning member 6. In other words, the movement restricting portion 73 protrudes toward the cleaning member 6 over the entire area in the W direction. This improves the rigidity of the cleaning member attachment portion 70 around the movement restricting portion 73 over the entire area in the W direction, thereby suppressing bending of the cleaning member 6 attached to the cleaning member attachment portion 70. This makes it possible to suitably uniform the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 with the heating rotator 30.

[0054] 6 to 8 are schematic perspective views showing the steps of attaching the cleaning structure 5 to the frame 4. In Fig. 8, the arrow indicates the direction of rotation of the holding member 7.

[0055] Next, a procedure for attaching the cleaning structure 5 to the frame 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0056] First, as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning member 6 is attached to the cleaning member attachment portion 70 of the holding member 7. Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the tabs 74 to 76 of the fixing portion 71 of the holding member 7 are inserted into the slits 44 to 46 of the fixed portion 43 of the upper frame 42, respectively. At this time, the positioning protrusion 47 is inserted into the positioning hole 77, thereby positioning the holding member 7 with respect to the upper frame 42. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the holding member 7 is rotated so that the tabs 74 to 76 are flush with the upper surface of the upper frame 42, and the fasteners B2 are inserted into the insertion holes 78 and 79 and then fastened to the fastening holes 48 and 49. In this manner, the cleaning structure 5 is attached to the frame 4.

[0057] In the holding member 7 of the cleaning structure 5 described above, a gap α is provided between the curved elastic portions 72a and 72b in the W direction (see FIGS. 3 and 5). In this embodiment, the gap α is formed in the shape of a slit along the W direction. The width of the gap α in the W direction is set to, for example, about three times the width of the curved elastic portion 72a (or the curved elastic portion 72b).

[0058] If the curved elastic portions 72 were uniformly formed across the entire width of the holding member 7 in the W direction without the gap α as described above, the biasing force on the cleaning member 6 would be dissipated to both ends in the W direction due to the structure. As a result, the contact pressure at both ends of the cleaning member 6 with the heating rotator 30 in the W direction would be relatively low, resulting in a loss of contact pressure at both ends of the cleaning member 6.

[0059] Here, as described above, by providing the gap α between the curved elastic portions 72a and 72b, both ends of the cleaning member 6, where loss of contact pressure is likely to occur, are preferentially urged toward the heating rotator 30, thereby making the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 with the heating rotator 30 uniform over the entire width in the W direction. As a result, the cleaning member 6 scrapes off residual toner on the heating rotator 30 evenly over the entire width in the W direction. This has the effect of preventing poor cleaning.

[0060] The fixing device 3 described above has a configuration in which the pressure rotor 31 directly presses the heating rotor 30, but is not limited to this. For example, it may have a so-called belt fixing type configuration.

[0061] Furthermore, the shape of the gap α is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a rectangular opening.

[0062] Furthermore, the width of the gap α is not limited to the above, and may be set in accordance with the distribution of the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 against the heating rotator 30.

[0063] (Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, only the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be described.

[0064] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning structure 5 in the second embodiment.

[0065] In the cleaning structure 5 of the second embodiment, the curved elastic portions 72 (72a to 72c) are formed at both ends and the center of the holding member 7 in the rotation axis direction (W direction) of the heating rotator 30 (see FIG. 9). That is, the curved elastic portion 72a is formed on the -W direction side of the holding member 7, the curved elastic portion 72b is formed on the +W direction side of the holding member 7, and the curved elastic portion 72c is formed in the center of the holding member 7. Gaps α1 and α2 are provided between the curved elastic portions 72a and 72c in the W direction and between the curved elastic portions 72c and 72b in the W direction, respectively. The curved elastic portions 72 (72a to 72c) connect the cleaning member attachment portion 70 and the fixing portion 71 at both ends and the center of the holding member 7 in the W direction. Therefore, the curved elastic portions 72 (72a to 72c) suppress bending of the cleaning member attachment portion 70 in the W direction. This suppresses bending of the cleaning member 6 attached to the cleaning member attachment portion 70. This makes it possible to suitably make the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 with the heating rotator 30 uniform.

[0066] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the width (W direction) of the curved elastic portion 72c at the center of the holding member 7 is smaller than the width (W direction) of the curved elastic portions 72a and 72b at both ends of the holding member 7. This prevents the contact pressure of the center of the cleaning member 6 against the heating rotator 30, caused by the biasing of the curved elastic portion 72c, from exceeding the contact pressure of both ends of the cleaning member 6 against the heating rotator 30, caused by the biasing of the curved elastic portions 72a and 72b. This makes it possible to more suitably uniformize the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 against the heating rotator 30.

[0067] (Embodiment 3) Hereinafter, only the differences between the third embodiment and the first embodiment will be described.

[0068] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning structure 5 according to the third embodiment.

[0069] In the cleaning structure 5 of the third embodiment, a deflection restricting member 8 that restricts deflection of the holding member 7 in the rotation axis direction (W direction) of the heating rotator 30 is provided on the opposite side of the holding member 7 with respect to the cleaning member 6 (the opposite side of the cleaning member attachment part 70 in this embodiment) (see FIG. 10 ). The deflection restricting member 8 suppresses deflection of the cleaning member attachment part 70 in the W direction, thereby suitably equalizing the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 with the heating rotator 30. Furthermore, the deflection restricting member 8 increases the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 with the heating rotator 30, which has the additional effect of improving the cleaning performance of the cleaning member 6.

[0070] The deflection restricting member 8 is formed of, for example, a stainless steel plate, and is fixed to the holding member 7 by welding or the like. The width of the deflection restricting member 8 in the W direction is set to be approximately the same as the width of the cleaning member 6.

[0071] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the thickness of the deflection restricting member 8 may be greater than the thickness of the holding member 7 in the region where the deflection restricting member 8 is provided. This more suitably suppresses deflection of the holding member 7 in the region where the deflection restricting member 8 is provided, i.e., deflection of the cleaning member attachment portion 70. This more suitably uniforms the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 against the heating rotator 30.

[0072] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the deflection restricting member 8 is formed from the same material as the holding member 7. This prevents the deflection restricting member 8 and the holding member 7 from being relatively deformed due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient when subjected to heat from the heating rotator 30.

[0073] (Embodiment 4) Hereinafter, only the differences between the fourth embodiment and the third embodiment will be described.

[0074] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning structure 5 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0075] In the cleaning structure 5 of the fourth embodiment, both end portions (an end portion 80 on the -W direction side and an end portion 81 on the +W direction side) of the flexure restricting member 8 are reinforced (configured to be heavier than the central portion) in the rotation axis direction (W direction) of the heating rotator 30 (see FIG. 11 ). In other words, the end portions 80, 81 of the flexure restricting member 8 have a greater weight per width in the W direction than the central portion 82 of the flexure restricting member 8. This increases the contact pressure with the heating rotator 30 at both end portions of the cleaning member 6 where loss of contact pressure is likely to occur, thereby making it possible to suitably uniformize the contact pressure of the cleaning member 6 with the heating rotator 30.

[0076] In the fourth embodiment, the ends 80, 81 of the deflection restricting member 8 protrude in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction (W direction) of the heating rotator 30 (see FIG. 11). This allows the ends 80, 81 of the deflection restricting member 8 to be easily reinforced (to be heavier than the central portion) by punching or the like using a plate material of a certain thickness.

[0077] The shape and structure of the deflection regulating member 8 are not limited to those described above, and may be formed, for example, from a plurality of stacked plate materials, and the ends 80, 81 may be reinforced by a plurality of stacked plate materials.

[0078] In the embodiment described above, the cleaning structure 5 cleans the outer surface of the heating rotor 30 of the fixing device 3, but this is not limited to this. For example, the cleaning structure 5 may be applied to the cleaner section 16 that cleans the outer surface of the image carrier 15, or may be applied to cleaning the transfer roller 18a of the transfer section 18, cleaning the charging roller (not shown) of the charger 17, cleaning the primary transfer belt (not shown), etc.

[0079] The above-described embodiments and examples are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments and examples, but should be defined based on the claims. Furthermore, all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] A Image forming device 3 Fixing device 30 Heating rotor 30a heat source 31 Pressurized Rotating Body 32 Paper Insertion Guide 33 Paper ejection guide 4 frames 40 Side frame 41 Side frame 42 Upper Frame 5 Cleaning Structure 6 Cleaning material 7 Retaining member 72 (72a to 72c) Curved elastic part 73 Movement Control Department 8 Deflection control member 80,81 End F Sheet transport direction FN nip α,α1,α2 gap

Claims

1. A cleaning structure for cleaning the outer surface of a rotating body, a cleaning member formed along the rotation axis direction of the rotating body; a holding member for holding the cleaning member, a curved elastic portion that biases the cleaning member toward the rotating body is formed on at least both end portions of the holding member in the direction of the rotation axis, A gap is provided between each of the curved elastic portions, the curved elastic portions are formed at both ends and a central portion of the holding member in the direction of the rotation axis, In the direction of the rotation axis, the width of the curved elastic portion at the center of the holding member is smaller than the width of the curved elastic portion at both ends of the holding member. A cleaning structure characterized by:

2. 10. The cleaning structure of claim 1, A cleaning structure characterized in that the holding member is formed with a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the cleaning member downstream in the rotation direction of the rotating body over the entire area in the rotation axis direction.

3. 3. The cleaning structure of claim 2, The cleaning structure is characterized in that the movement restricting portion protrudes toward the cleaning member over the entire area in the direction of the rotation axis.

4. 4. A cleaning structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a cleaning structure including a deflection restricting member provided on the opposite side of the holding member with respect to the cleaning member, the deflection restricting member restricting deflection of the holding member in the direction of the rotation axis;

5. 5. The cleaning structure of claim 4, The cleaning structure is characterized in that the thickness of the flexure restricting member is greater than the thickness of the holding member in a region where the flexure restricting member is provided.

6. 6. The cleaning structure of claim 4 or claim 5, The cleaning structure is characterized in that the bending regulating member is made of the same material as the holding member.

7. 7. A cleaning structure according to any one of claims 4 to 6, comprising:

10. A cleaning structure comprising: a deflection restricting member configured such that both ends thereof are heavier than a central portion thereof in the direction of the rotation axis.

8. 8. The cleaning structure of claim 7, A cleaning structure characterized in that, in the direction of the rotation axis, both ends of the deflection regulating member protrude in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis.

9. A cleaning structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A heat source and a heating rotor that is heated by the heat source, The fixing device is characterized in that the cleaning structure cleans the outer surface of the heating rotor.

10. The fixing device according to claim 9, Further, a frame is provided to support the heating rotor, The fixing device is characterized in that the holding member of the cleaning structure is fixed to the frame.

11. 11. An image forming apparatus comprising: the cleaning structure according to claim 1; and / or the fixing device according to claim 9.

Images