Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming device that suppresses the degradation of image quality caused by an adhesive matter on a roller for conveying a medium.SOLUTION: An image forming device 1 includes: a device main body 11; a pinch roller (roller) 57 that is attached to the device main body 11 and conveys a medium M; and a cover (rotatable member) 20 that can be rotated between a closed position and an opened position to the device main body 11. The front cover 20 has: a cleaning member 41 that comes into contact with the pinch roller 57 to remove an adhesive matter when in the closed position; a first housing part 31 that is spaced apart from a contact position between the cleaning member 41 and the pinch roller 57 and is arranged so as to house the adhesive matter removed by the cleaning member 41; and a second housing part 32 that is connected to the first housing part 31 via an aperture 25 and is provided so as to house the adhesive matter. When the front cover 20 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the adhesive matter is moved from the first housing part 31 to the second housing part 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium.

Background Art

[0002] An image forming apparatus forms an image on a medium conveyed by a conveyance roller. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes providing a cleaning member that abuts on the surface of a conveyance roller and scrapes off deposits on an opening / closing frame of the image forming apparatus (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional configuration, deposits scraped off from the conveyance roller accumulate on the cleaning member. Therefore, when the accumulation amount increases, the deposits overflowing from the cleaning member may adhere to the medium, and the image quality may deteriorate.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to suppress a decrease in image quality caused by deposits on a roller that conveys a medium.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The image forming apparatus disclosed herein comprises an apparatus body, rollers attached to the apparatus body for transporting a medium, and a rotating member that can rotate around a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position relative to the apparatus body. The rotating member has a cleaning member that contacts the rollers when the rotating member is in the closed position to remove deposits from the rollers, a first storage section spaced apart from the contact position between the cleaning member and the rollers and arranged to accommodate the deposits removed by the cleaning member, and a second storage section that communicates with the first storage section through an opening and is provided to accommodate the deposits. When the rotating member rotates from the closed position to the open position, the deposits move from the first storage section to the second storage section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, the cleaning member removes deposits from the roller and stores them in the first storage section. Furthermore, when the rotating member rotates from the closed position to the open position, the deposits stored in the first storage section move to the second storage section. Therefore, even if the amount of deposits accumulates, it is possible to prevent the deposits from adhering to the medium, thereby suppressing a decrease in image quality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] These are perspective views (A) and (B) showing the front cover of the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment in the closed position and in the open position. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view (A) showing the front cover of the first embodiment, and a perspective view (B) showing a magnified view of a part of the front cover. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the media guide on the front cover. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows a perspective view (A) of the front cover and the main body of the device when the front cover is in the open position, and a perspective view (B) of the conveyor roller, pinch roller and media guide. [Figure 6]These are cross-sectional views (A) and (B) showing the pinch roller, cleaning member, and their surroundings when the front cover is in the closed and open positions in the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] In the first embodiment of the image forming apparatus, (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the front cover and the apparatus body when the front cover is in the open position, and (B) is a magnified view showing a part of the front cover. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the pinch roller, cleaning member, first housing section, and second housing section of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] These are schematic diagrams (A) and (B) illustrating the cleaning action of the pinch roller by the cleaning member of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view illustrating the removal operation of the image forming unit from the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows the movement trajectory of the cleaning member when the front cover is opened and closed in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] These are schematic diagrams (A) and (B) showing the state in which the rotating member is in the closed position and the open position in the modified image forming apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] First embodiment. <Image forming apparatus> First, the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is a printer that forms images using an electrophotographic process.

[0010] The image forming apparatus 1 comprises a medium supply unit 5 for supplying a medium M such as printing paper, an image forming unit 6 for forming an image on the medium M, a fixing unit 7 for fixing the image on the medium M, a medium discharge unit 8 for discharging the medium M, and a housing 10 for housing these components. The upper part of the housing 10 is covered by an openable and closable top cover 12.

[0011] The medium supply unit 5 includes a medium cassette 50 as a medium storage unit, a pickup roller 51, a feed roller 52, and a retard roller 53. The medium cassette 50 stores a medium M such as printing paper. The pickup roller 51 pulls out the medium M one by one from the medium cassette 50. The feed roller 52 and the retard roller 53 separate the pulled-out medium M one by one and send it out to the medium conveyance path P1.

[0012] Along the medium conveyance path P1, a conveyance roller 54 as a first conveyance roller, a conveyance roller 56 as a second conveyance roller, and a registration roller 58 as a third conveyance roller are arranged. Pinch rollers 55, 57, 59, which are driven rollers, are respectively arranged opposite to the conveyance roller 54, the conveyance roller 56, and the registration roller 58.

[0013] The roller pair composed of the conveyance roller 54 and the pinch roller 55, and the roller pair composed of the conveyance roller 56 and the pinch roller 57 convey the medium M along the medium conveyance path P1. The roller pair composed of the registration roller 58 and the pinch roller 59 corrects the skew (diagonal movement) of the medium M conveyed along the medium conveyance path P1 and conveys it to the image forming unit 6 along the medium conveyance path P2.

[0014] Among these rollers, the pinch roller 57 corresponds to a cleaning target roller (or simply referred to as a roller) that is cleaned by a cleaning member 41 described later.

[0015] The image forming unit 6 includes a photosensitive drum 61 as an image carrier, a charging roller 62 as a charging member, a developing roller 65 as a developer carrier, a supply roller 66 as a supply member, and a toner cartridge 67 as a developer container. Further, an exposure head 63 as an exposure device is arranged so as to face the photosensitive drum 61.

[0016] The photosensitive drum 61 is a cylindrical member having a photosensitive layer formed on the surface of a conductive support. The photosensitive layer is a laminate of a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer. The photosensitive drum 61 rotates counterclockwise in the figure.

[0017] The exposure head 63 has an LED array in which LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as light-emitting elements are arranged and a lens array, and irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 with light to form an electrostatic latent image. The exposure head 63 is suspended and supported by the top cover 12.

[0018] The charging roller 62 is arranged to contact the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 and rotates following the photosensitive drum 61. The charging roller 62 is applied with a charging voltage to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 61.

[0019] The developing roller 65 is arranged to contact the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 and rotates in the opposite direction to the photosensitive drum 61 (the direction in which the surface movement direction at the contact portion is the forward direction). The developing roller 65 is applied with a developing voltage to develop the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 with toner.

[0020] The supply roller 66 is arranged to contact the surface of the developing roller 65 and rotates in the same direction as the developing roller 65 (the direction in which the surface movement direction at the contact portion is the reverse direction). The supply roller 66 is applied with a supply voltage to supply toner to the developing roller 65. The developing roller 65 and the supply roller 66 constitute the developing unit 64.

[0021] The toner cartridge 67 is a detachable container that houses toner as a developer. The toner cartridge 67 supplies toner to the developing unit 64. The toner is, for example, black toner, but is not limited thereto.

[0022] A transfer roller 68 as a transfer unit is arranged to contact the surface of the photosensitive drum 61. The transfer roller 68 is applied with a transfer voltage to transfer the toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 to a medium M passing between the photosensitive drum 61 and the transfer roller 68. The medium M that has passed between the photosensitive drum 61 and the transfer roller 68 is conveyed to the fixing device 7 along the medium conveyance path P3 by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 61.

[0023] The image forming unit 6 is detachable from the housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 and is also referred to as a process unit. Here, a configuration in which a monochrome image is formed using a single image forming unit 6 is described, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which a color image is formed using multiple image forming units such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black may be adopted.

[0024] The fixing device 7 is located downstream of the image forming unit 6 in the transport direction of the medium M. The fixing device 7 has a fixing roller 71 and a pressure roller 72. The fixing roller 71 has a built-in heater 73 such as a halogen lamp, and the pressure roller 72 is pressed against the fixing roller 71. The fixing roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 heat and pressurize the medium M, fixing the toner image to the medium M.

[0025] The media discharge section 8 has a pair of discharge rollers 81 and 82 that transport the media M that has passed through the fixing device 7 along the media transport path P4 and discharge it from the discharge port 83. The top cover 12 has a stacker section 84 for placing the discharged media M.

[0026] Media sensors S1, S2, and S3, which detect the passage of media M, are arranged along the media transport paths P1 to P4 described above. Media sensors S1 and S2 are located upstream and downstream of the register roller 58, respectively. Media sensor S3 is located downstream of the fixing device 7.

[0027] The detection signal from the medium sensor S1 is used to determine the rotation start timing of the register roller 58. The detection signal from the medium sensor S2 is used to determine the exposure start timing of the exposure head 63. The detection signal from the medium sensor S3 is used to detect jams in the medium M.

[0028] In Figure 1, the axial direction of the photoreceptor drum 61 is defined as the X direction. The X direction is the axial direction of each roller in the image forming apparatus 1, and is also the width direction of the conveyed medium M. The direction of movement of the medium M as it passes through the image forming section 6 is defined as the Y direction. The direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions is defined as the Z direction. Here, the Z direction is the vertical direction.

[0029] Regarding the Y direction, the transport direction when the medium M passes through the image forming unit 6 is defined as the -Y direction (rearward), and the opposite direction is defined as the forward direction (+Y direction). Regarding the X direction, when facing the +Y direction, the rightward direction is defined as the +X direction, and the leftward direction is defined as the -X direction. Regarding the Z direction, the upward direction in Figure 1 is defined as the +Z direction, and the downward direction is defined as the -Z direction. Note that these directions do not limit the orientation of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0030] In the image forming apparatus 1, the housing 10 and its internal components (including the media supply unit 5, the image forming unit 6, and the fixing device 7) are referred to as the apparatus body 11. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 has the apparatus body 11 and a front cover 20 attached thereto.

[0031] Figures 2(A) and 2(B) are perspective views showing the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in Figure 2(A), the housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 has a rear frame 10a at the rear (-Y direction) and side frames 10b on both the left and right sides (both sides in the X direction). The front (+Y direction) of the housing 10 is covered by a front cover 20 which acts as a rotating member.

[0032] The front cover 20 is rotatable around a pivot axis C1 in the X direction, located at its lower end, between the closed position shown in Figure 2(A) and the open position shown in Figure 2(B). The rotation angle between the open and closed positions of the front cover 20 is preferably 80 to 90 degrees, and in this case, it is 80 degrees.

[0033] When the front cover 20 is in the closed position, the front surface of the housing 10 is closed by the front cover 20, as shown in Figure 2(A). When the front cover 20 is in the open position, the front surface of the housing 10 is open, as shown in Figure 2(B).

[0034] The front cover 20 has a flat plate portion 20a located on the front of the housing 10, side plate portions 20b provided on both the left and right sides of the flat plate portion 20a, and a top plate portion 20c provided at the upper end of the flat plate portion 20a to cover the upper side of the image forming portion 6.

[0035] The front cover 20 is provided with a locking member 20e for locking the front cover 20 in the closed position. The locking member 20e locks the front cover 20 in the closed position by engaging with an engaging portion 14 provided on the side frame 10b of the housing 10. In addition, a release button 20f is provided on the side of the front cover 20, which is operated to release the lock by the locking member 20e.

[0036] When the front cover 20 is in the open position, the front of the image forming unit 6 is open, and the image forming unit 6 can be removed from the housing 10 (see Figure 10, described later). Also, a part of the media transport path P1 is exposed.

[0037] Figure 3(A) is a perspective view showing the front cover 20. Figure 3(B) is a magnified perspective view showing a part of the front cover 20. As shown in Figure 3(A), a support shaft 20d that defines the pivot axis C1 described above is provided at the lower end of the front cover 20. The support shafts 20d are each located on the inside in the X direction of a pair of side plate portions 20b.

[0038] Furthermore, a media guide 23 for guiding the media M is provided approximately in the center of the front cover 20. The width of the media guide 23 in the X direction is wider than the width of the largest size media M used in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0039] The media guide 23 has, for example, a plurality of guide ribs 23a arranged in the X direction. The guide ribs 23a have a curved shape in a plane perpendicular to the X direction. The media guide 23 of the front cover 20 is opposite the media guide 13 of the apparatus body 11 (Figure 2(B)), and the media M is transported between them.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3(B), a wall portion 24 extending in the X direction is formed on the side of the front cover 20 facing the pivot axis C1 (Figure 3(A)) of the media guide 23. The wall portion 24 is formed integrally with the media guide 23, for example. Multiple openings 25 are formed in the wall portion 24 in the X direction.

[0041] Figure 4 shows the media guide 23 of the front cover 20 removed. A cleaning member 41 is attached to the pivot axis C1 (Figure 3(A)) side of the wall portion 24. The cleaning member 41 is, for example, a film made of resin.

[0042] The cleaning member 41 is elongated in the X direction and bent to form an L-shape in the YZ plane. The thickness of the cleaning member 41 is preferably 0.125 mm or less, and for example, 0.1 mm. The resin forming the cleaning member 41 is, for example, polyester. Such a cleaning member 41 is also called a cleaning blade.

[0043] Figure 5(A) is a perspective view showing the front cover 20 and the device body 11 when the front cover 20 is rotated to the open position. Figure 5(B) is a perspective view showing the conveyor roller 56, pinch roller 57 and media guide 13 of the device body 11.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5(A), when the front cover 20 is in the open position, the transport roller 56 and pinch roller 57, which are located upstream of the media guide 13, are exposed. The pinch roller 57 is located on the +Y side (forward) of the transport roller 56.

[0045] Therefore, as shown in Figure 5(B), when the image forming unit 6 is attached and detached (described later), there is a possibility that deposits indicated by the symbol T may adhere to the surface of the pinch roller 57.

[0046] Therefore, a cleaning member 41, as shown in Figures 4 and 5(A), is positioned on the front cover 20 opposite the pinch roller 57. When the front cover 20 is rotated to the closed position, the cleaning member 41 comes into contact with the surface of the pinch roller 57.

[0047] Figure 6(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the pinch roller 57, cleaning member 41, and their surroundings when the front cover 20 is in the closed position. Figure 6(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the pinch roller 57, cleaning member 41, and their surroundings when the front cover 20 is in the open position.

[0048] As shown in Figure 6(A), when the front cover 20 is in the closed position, the media guide 23 of the front cover 20 faces the media guide 13 of the device body 11. Both the media guide 23 and the media guide 13 extend between a pair of rollers consisting of a transport roller 56 and a pinch roller 57 and a pair of rollers consisting of a resist roller 58 and a pinch roller 59.

[0049] When the front cover 20 is in the closed position, the cleaning member 41 of the front cover 20 contacts the surface (outer peripheral surface) of the pinch roller 57. In this state, the wall portion 24 is located above (in the +Z direction) the cleaning member 41.

[0050] The front cover 20 also has a first partition plate 27 and a second partition plate 28 that extend from the flat plate portion 20a toward the wall portion 24. The first partition plate 27 and the second partition plate 28 extend rearward (-Y direction) from the flat plate portion 20a and reach the wall portion 24.

[0051] A retaining portion 26 for holding the cleaning member 41 is integrally formed at the lower end of the wall portion 24 (i.e., the end on the pivot axis C1 side). The surface of the retaining portion 26, i.e., the surface on the pinch roller 57 side, is referred to as the guide surface 26a. The cleaning member 41 is fixed to the guide surface 26a of the retaining portion 26 by adhesive. For adhesive, for example, double-sided tape is used.

[0052] With the front cover 20 in the closed position, the retaining portion 26 extends from the wall portion 24 toward the pinch roller 57. The guide surface 26a of the retaining portion 26 is inclined such that it displaces downward as it approaches the pinch roller 57 in the Y direction.

[0053] The cleaning member 41 has a base portion 41b fixed to the guide surface 26a of the holding portion 26, and a bent portion 41a that is bent upward at the end (lower end) of the base portion 41b that is closer to the pinch roller 57. The tip 41c of the bent portion 41a of the cleaning member 41 abuts against the surface of the pinch roller 57.

[0054] Therefore, when the pinch roller 57 rotates, the cleaning member 41 can scrape off (i.e., remove) the deposits on the surface of the pinch roller 57. In addition, a first storage portion 31 is formed between the base portion 41b and the bent portion 41a of the cleaning member 41. The first storage portion 31 is a storage area for accumulating the deposits scraped off from the pinch roller 57.

[0055] In the front cover 20, a second storage section 32 is formed in front of the first storage section 31 (in the +Y direction). Specifically, the second storage section 32 is formed between the first partition plate 27 and the second partition plate 28.

[0056] As shown in Figure 6(B), when the front cover 20 is in the open position, the media guide 23 of the front cover 20 is separated from the media guide 13 of the device body 11. In this state, the cleaning member 41 provided on the front cover 20 is separated from the pinch roller 57. Also, the second housing section 32 is located below (in the -Z direction) the first housing section 31.

[0057] Furthermore, the guide surface 26a of the holding portion 26 is inclined at an angle α with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, the base portion 41b of the cleaning member 41 fixed to the guide surface 26a of the holding portion 26 is also inclined at an angle α with respect to the horizontal plane. It is desirable that the angle α is 30 degrees or more.

[0058] Figure 7(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the front cover 20 in the open position and the portion of the device body 11 including the pinch roller 57. As described above, when the front cover 20 is in the open position, the second housing section 32 is located below the first housing section 31.

[0059] Figure 7(B) is an enlarged view of the cleaning member 41, the first housing section 31, and the second housing section 32. The first housing section 31 and the second housing section 32 are separated by a wall section 24. However, an opening 25 is formed in the wall section 24, and the first housing section 31 and the second housing section 32 are in communication through the opening 25. Therefore, any material T adhering to the first housing section 31 falls into the second housing section 32 through the opening 25.

[0060] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the cleaning member 41, the first housing section 31, and the second housing section 32 together with the pinch roller 57 when the front cover 20 is in the closed position. The base 41b of the cleaning member 41 is fixed to the guide surface 26a of the holding section 26, and the tip 41c of the bent section 41a is in contact with the pinch roller 57. The length L of the bent section 41a is, for example, 3.5 to 4.5 mm (4.0 mm as an example).

[0061] The angle between the base portion 41b and the bent portion 41a is smaller when the bent portion 41a is in contact with the pinch roller 57 (solid line) than when the bent portion 41a is not in contact with the pinch roller 57 (dashed line). In other words, the cleaning member 41 is in contact with the surface of the pinch roller 57 in a state in which it is elastically deformed such that the angle between the base portion 41b and the bent portion 41a is small.

[0062] The displacement W of the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 due to contact with the pinch roller 57 is preferably 0.5 mm or more, and is 2.0 mm as an example. The displacement W of the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 is also referred to as the deflection amount of the cleaning member 41.

[0063] With the bent portion 41a of the cleaning member 41 in contact with the pinch roller 57, the tip 41c of the bent portion 41a is positioned above (+Z direction) the rotation axis C2 of the pinch roller 57. The distance B in the Z direction between the tip 41c of the bent portion 41a and the rotation axis C2 of the pinch roller 57 is preferably 0 to 2 mm.

[0064] Furthermore, in this state, the tip 41c of the bent portion 41a is located below (in the -Z direction) the upper end surface of the restricting portion 29 (i.e., the lower end surface of the opening 25), which will be described later. The distance C in the Z direction between the tip 41c of the bent portion 41a and the upper end surface of the restricting portion 29 is, for example, 1.0 mm.

[0065] The wall portion 24 of the media guide 23 separates the first storage portion 31 and the second storage portion 32 and is located above the holding portion 26. The opening dimension D in the Z direction of the opening 25 of the wall portion 24 is 2.0 mm or more (for example, 2.0 mm).

[0066] A restricting portion 29 is formed integrally with the holding portion 26, and is located between the first partition plate 27 and the opening 25. The restricting portion 29 protrudes upward from the surface (wall) of the first partition plate 27 when the front cover 20 is in the closed position.

[0067] The restricting section 29 restricts the movement of adhering material through the opening 25 between the first storage section 31 and the second storage section 32. The height H of the restricting section 29, i.e., the distance from the surface of the first partition plate 27 to the upper surface of the restricting section 29 (i.e., the lower end of the opening 25), is, for example, 2.0 mm.

[0068] <Printing operation of image forming apparatus> Next, the printing operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 1. When the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 receives a print command and print data from the host device, it starts the printing operation (image forming operation). The printing operation is performed with the front cover 20 in the closed position.

[0069] When printing begins, the pickup roller 51 and feed roller 52 of the media supply unit 5 rotate, feeding the media M on the media cassette 50 one sheet at a time to the media transport path P1. The transport rollers 54 and 56 also rotate, transporting the media M along the media transport path P1. Furthermore, the registration roller 58 starts rotating at a predetermined timing to correct the skew of the media M and transport it along the media transport path P2 to the image forming unit 6.

[0070] In the image forming unit 6, the charging voltage, developing voltage, and supply voltage are applied to the charging roller 62, developing roller 65, and supply roller 66, respectively. The photoreceptor drum 61 rotates, and the charging roller 62, developing roller 65, and supply roller 66 rotate in conjunction with it. The charging roller 62 uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 61. The exposure head 63 exposes the uniformly charged surface of the photoreceptor drum 61 to form an electrostatic latent image.

[0071] The electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 61 is developed by the toner adhering to the developing roller 65, and a toner image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 61. As the rotation of the photoreceptor drum 61 brings the toner image closer to the surface of the transfer roller 68, a transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 68.

[0072] As a result, the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 61 is transferred to the medium M that passes between the photoreceptor drum 61 and the transfer roller 68. The medium M on which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fuser unit 7 along the medium transport path P3 by the rotation of the photoreceptor drum 61.

[0073] In the fixing device 7, the fixing roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 rotate while forming a fixing nip, and the heater 73 is heated to a predetermined fixing temperature. As the medium M passes through the fixing nip between the fixing roller 71 and the pressure roller 72, heat and pressure are applied to the unfixed toner on the medium M, and the toner image is fixed to the medium M.

[0074] The medium M, on which the toner image has been fixed, is transported to the medium discharge unit 8. In the medium discharge unit 8, the medium M is transported along the medium transport path P4 by discharge roller pairs 81 and 82 and discharged from the discharge port 83. The discharged medium M is stacked on the stacker unit 84. This completes the printing operation.

[0075] <Operation of the cleaning member, the first housing section, and the second housing section> Figure 9(A) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the cleaning member 41, the first housing section 31, and the second housing section 32 during printing. Figure 9(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cleaning member 41, the first housing section 31, and the second housing section 32 during printing.

[0076] During printing, the medium M is fed into the medium transport path P1 by the feed roller 52 and the retard roller 53. The medium M is then transported along the medium transport path P1 by a roller pair consisting of a transport roller 54 and a pinch roller 55 (Figure 1), and a roller pair consisting of a transport roller 56 and a pinch roller 57.

[0077] Of these rollers, pinch rollers 55 and 57 are located furthest forward (+Y direction), i.e., towards the front cover 20. Also, pinch roller 57 is located above pinch roller 55.

[0078] When replacing the image forming unit 6, as shown in Figure 10, the image forming unit 6 is removed upward and forward from the housing 10 with the front cover 20 open. At this time, toner may fall from the image forming unit 6 and adhere to the surface of the pinch roller 57. In addition, paper dust from the medium M generated during the printing operation may adhere to the surface of the pinch roller 57.

[0079] When toner, paper dust, or other deposits T adhere to the pinch roller 57 (see Figure 5(B)), the pinch roller 57 comes into contact with the surface (printing surface) of the medium M, which can cause a decrease in image quality.

[0080] In this embodiment, during printing, the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 is in contact with the surface of the pinch roller 57. In particular, the cleaning member 41 is in contact with the surface of the pinch roller 57 in a state in which it is elastically deformed such that the angle between the bent portion 41a and the base portion 41b is reduced. Therefore, the elastic force of the cleaning member 41 can be used to press the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 against the surface of the pinch roller 57.

[0081] Furthermore, as described above, the displacement W (Figure 8) of the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 due to contact with the pinch roller 57 is 0.5 mm or more (for example, 2.0 mm). Therefore, even considering errors in the bending angle of the cleaning member 41 or errors in the mounting position, it is possible to prevent the adhering material T from slipping through between the cleaning member 41 and the pinch roller 57. The outer diameter of the pinch roller 57 is, for example, 12 mm.

[0082] It is desirable that the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 abuts in a counter-direction with respect to the direction of movement of the surface of the pinch roller 57. By having the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 abut in this manner, the adhering material T on the surface of the pinch roller 57 can be efficiently scraped off.

[0083] Furthermore, as described above, the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 is located above (in the +Z direction) the rotation axis C2 of the pinch roller 57. Therefore, the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 is prevented from getting stuck under the pinch roller 57, ensuring that the adhering material T is scraped off reliably.

[0084] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(B), it is desirable that the angle A (hereinafter referred to as the contact angle) between the line passing through the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 and the rotation axis C2 of the pinch roller 57 and the horizontal plane be within the range of 10 to 30 degrees. If the contact angle A is within this range, the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 can be pressed against the pinch roller 57 with an appropriate pressing force.

[0085] The deposits T on the surface of the pinch roller 57 come into contact with the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 and are scraped off, falling into the area between the bent portion 41a and the base portion 41b of the cleaning member 41, i.e., the first storage portion 31.

[0086] Since the first storage section 31 is spaced apart from the contact point between the cleaning member 41 and the pinch roller 57 (i.e., the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41), any deposits stored in the first storage section 31 are less likely to reattach to the pinch roller 57.

[0087] With the front cover 20 in the closed position, the angle β (Figure 8) of the base 41b of the cleaning member 41 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably 20 to 50 degrees. If the angle β is within this range, the volume of the first housing 31 can be sufficiently secured, and the length of the bent portion 41a and the base 41b of the cleaning member 41 can be ensured. In other words, it is possible to prevent insufficient pressing force against the pinch roller 57 that occurs when the length of the bent portion 41a is short, or peeling from the holding portion 26 that occurs when the length of the base 41b is short.

[0088] As the printing operation is repeated, the amount of attached material T contained in the first storage section 31 gradually increases.

[0089] When the front cover 20 is rotated to the open position, the second housing section 32 is positioned below the first housing section 31 (in the -Z direction), as shown in Figures 6(B) and 7(B). Therefore, the attached material T contained in the first housing section 31 falls through the opening 25 formed in the wall section 24 into the second housing section 32 and is contained there.

[0090] When the front cover 20 is in the open position, it is desirable that the angle α (Figure 6(B)) of the base 41b of the cleaning member 41 with respect to the horizontal plane is 30 degrees or more. If the angle α is 30 degrees or more, the attached material T can slide smoothly off the base 41b of the cleaning member 41 and fall into the second storage section 32.

[0091] The front cover 20 is opened and closed when replacing the image forming unit 6 and when clearing jams. It is anticipated that the front cover will be opened and closed approximately 500 times throughout the lifespan of the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, the movement of deposits T from the first storage unit 31 to the second storage unit 32 will occur approximately 500 times. The second storage unit 32 has sufficient volume to accommodate the deposits T that will be generated throughout the lifespan of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0092] After the attached material T is dropped from the first storage section 31 to the second storage section 32, the front cover 20 is rotated to the closed position. This allows the printing operation to resume with the attached material T contained in the second storage section 32, as shown in Figures 9(A) and (B).

[0093] When printing is resumed, the first storage section 31 contains the deposits T that have been scraped (i.e., removed) from the surface of the pinch roller 57 by the cleaning member 41. Meanwhile, the second storage section 32 contains the deposits T that have fallen from the first storage section 31 when the front cover 20 is opened.

[0094] A restrictor 29 is positioned between the first storage section 31 and the second storage section 32. When the front cover 20 is in the closed position, the height H (Figure 8) of the restrictor 29 is set to a height (e.g., 2.0 mm) that prevents deposits in the second storage section 32 from easily overflowing. This prevents deposits in the second storage section 32 from returning to the first storage section 31 and overflowing from the first storage section 31 during printing.

[0095] Figure 11 shows the movement trajectory of the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 as the front cover 20 is opened and closed. When the front cover 20 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 comes into contact with the pinch roller 57, following the movement trajectory shown by circle Q in Figure 11.

[0096] The contact start position P is defined as the position where the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 begins to contact the pinch roller 57 when the front cover 20 rotates to the closed position. The reference plane S is defined as the vertical plane (a straight line in Figure 11) passing through the rotation axis C2 of the pinch roller 57. The distance E from the reference plane S to the contact start position P is preferably as large as possible, and less than or equal to 90% of the radius R of the pinch roller 57. This prevents the cleaning member 41 from getting underneath the pinch roller 57, while also allowing it to scrape off deposits that have accumulated over a wide area of ​​the pinch roller 57.

[0097] This section describes the removal and storage of deposits on the pinch roller 57. However, the configuration of the cleaning member 41, the first storage section 31, and the second storage section 32 in this embodiment can be applied not only to the pinch roller 57 but also to the removal and storage of deposits on rollers involved in the transport of the medium M.

[0098] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment comprises an apparatus body 11, a pinch roller 57 attached to the apparatus body 11 for transporting a medium M, and a front cover 20 as a rotatable member that can rotate between a closed position and an open position relative to the apparatus body 11. The front cover 20 has a cleaning member 41 that contacts the pinch roller 57 when the front cover 20 is in the closed position to remove deposits T from the pinch roller 57, a first storage section 31 spaced apart from the contact position between the cleaning member 41 and the pinch roller 57 and arranged to accommodate the deposits T removed by the cleaning member 41, and a second storage section 32 that communicates with the first storage section 31 via an opening 25 and is provided to accommodate the deposits T. When the front cover 20 rotates from the closed position to the open position, the deposits T move from the first storage section 31 to the second storage section 32.

[0099] In this way, when the front cover 20 rotates from the closed position to the open position, the deposits T contained in the first storage section 31 move to the second storage section 32. Therefore, even if the amount of deposits T increases, it is possible to prevent the deposits T from adhering to the medium M. As a result, a decrease in image quality can be suppressed.

[0100] Furthermore, since a restricting unit 29 is provided to restrict the movement of the attached material T from the second storage unit 32 to the first storage unit 31, it is possible to prevent the attached material stored in the second storage unit 32 from returning to the first storage unit 31 and overflowing from the first storage unit 31.

[0101] Furthermore, when the front cover 20 is in the closed position, the restricting portion 29 protrudes upward from the surface (wall) of the first partition plate 27 which forms the bottom surface of the second storage portion 32. Therefore, when the front cover 20 is in the closed position, it is difficult for any deposits T inside the second storage portion 32 to return to the first storage portion 31.

[0102] Furthermore, when the front cover 20 is in the closed position, the first storage section 31 is located below the second storage section 32, and when the front cover 20 is in the open position, the first storage section 31 is located above the second storage section 32. Therefore, during printing, the material removed from the pinch roller 57 is stored in the first storage section 31, and when the front cover 20 is opened, the material can be moved from the first storage section 31 to the second storage section 32.

[0103] Furthermore, the holding portion 26 has a guide surface 26a that guides the adhering material from the first storage portion 31 toward the opening 25, and the guide surface 26a is inclined downward toward the pinch roller 57 toward the opening 25 when the front cover 20 is in the closed position. The cleaning member 41 is a film having a base portion 41b attached to the guide surface 26a and a bent portion 41a that is bent upward at the end of the base portion 41b closer to the pinch roller 57 and comes into contact with the pinch roller 57, and the first storage portion 31 is formed between the base portion 41b and the bent portion 41a. Therefore, the cleaning member 41, with its simple configuration, can store the adhering material removed from the pinch roller 57 in the first storage portion 31 and move it to the second storage portion 32.

[0104] Furthermore, when the front cover 20 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the attached material moves along the guide surface 26a of the holding portion 26 toward the opening 25, so that the attached material can be moved to the second storage portion 32 through the opening 25 without scattering.

[0105] Furthermore, when the front cover 20 is in the open position, the guide surface 26a of the retaining portion 26 is at an angle of 30 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal plane, so that the attached material can easily slide off along the base 41b on the guide surface 26a of the retaining portion 26, and the attached material can be efficiently moved to the second storage portion 32.

[0106] Furthermore, the cleaning member 41 is in contact with the pinch roller 57 in a state of elastic deformation such that the angle between the base portion 41b and the bent portion 41a is reduced. Therefore, the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 is pressed against the pinch roller 57, preventing the adhering material from slipping through.

[0107] Furthermore, when the front cover 20 is in the closed position, the contact point between the cleaning member 41 and the pinch roller 57 is located above the rotation axis C2 of the pinch roller 57. Therefore, the tip 41c of the cleaning member 41 does not get trapped underneath the pinch roller 57, allowing for efficient removal of adhering material.

[0108] Furthermore, since the front cover 20 rotates by more than 80 degrees between the open and closed positions, the orientation of the cleaning member 41 can be significantly changed by the rotation of the front cover 20. Therefore, the removal of adhering substances by the cleaning member 41, storage in the first storage section 31, and movement to the second storage section 32 can be performed efficiently.

[0109] Furthermore, since the cleaning member 41 and the storage sections 31 and 32 are located on an openable and closable cover (specifically, the front cover 20) provided on one side of the main body 11 of the device, it is easy to secure space for the cleaning member 41 and the storage sections 31 and 32. Also, the cleaning member 41 and the storage sections 31 and 32 do not get in the way of jam removal, etc., making it easy to remove jams. In addition, it is possible to vacuum up any deposits inside the first storage section 31 with a vacuum cleaner or the like.

[0110] Furthermore, not limited to the front cover 20, the removal of deposits by the cleaning member 41, the storage of deposits in the first storage section 31, and the movement of deposits in the second storage section 32 should be performed in accordance with the rotation of the rotating member provided on the main body of the device 11.

[0111] <Variation> Figures 12(A) and (B) are schematic diagrams showing an modified image forming apparatus 100. The image forming apparatus 100 has a main body 110 and a front cover 120. As shown in Figures 12(A) and (B), the main body 110 has a medium supply unit 105 for supplying a medium M, an image forming unit 106 for forming an image on the medium M, and a housing 101 for housing these. A pair of rollers consisting of a transport roller 156 and a pinch roller 157, which is a roller to be cleaned, is provided between the medium supply unit 105 and the image forming unit 106.

[0112] The front cover 120 is rotatable relative to the housing 101 around a pivot axis C1 in the X direction, between the closed position shown in Figure 12(A) and the open position shown in Figure 12(B). Inside the housing 101, inside the front cover 120, is a rotating member 102 which is rotated when the jam of the medium M is released.

[0113] The rotating member 102 is rotatable around a rotation axis C3 in the X direction between the closed position shown in Figure 12(A) and the open position shown in Figure 12(B). The rotating member 102 is provided with a lever 103 that the user grips when rotating the rotating member 102.

[0114] As shown in Figure 12(A), with the rotating member 102 in the closed position, a cleaning member 141 is fixed to the end of the rotating member 102 facing the pinch roller 157. The cleaning member 141 is, for example, a film and has a base portion 141b fixed to the rotating member 102 and a bent portion 141a that contacts the pinch roller 157.

[0115] The bent portion 141a and base portion 141b of the cleaning member 141 are configured in the same way as the bent portion 41a and base portion 41b described in the first embodiment. A first receiving portion 131 for receiving the adhering material T is formed between the bent portion 141a and the base portion 141b.

[0116] The rotating member 102 also has a second housing portion 132, which is a cavity that opens toward the cleaning member 141.

[0117] As shown in Figure 12(B), with the rotating member 102 in the open position, the cleaning member 141 is separated from the pinch roller 157, and the second housing section 132 is positioned below the first housing section 131. In addition, the base 141b of the cleaning member 141 is inclined downward toward the second housing section 132.

[0118] During printing, as shown in Figure 12(A), the tip of the bent portion 141a of the cleaning member 141 comes into contact with the surface of the pinch roller 157. Any deposits T on the surface of the pinch roller 157 are scraped off (i.e., removed) by the cleaning member 141 and stored in the first storage section 131.

[0119] When a jam occurs in the medium M, as shown in Figure 12(B), the user rotates the front cover 120 to the open position, and then rotates the rotating member 102 to the open position. As a result, the deposit T in the first storage section 131 slides down along the base 141b of the cleaning member 141 and falls into the second storage section 132.

[0120] Except for the points mentioned above, the configuration of the modified image forming apparatus 100 is the same as the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1.

[0121] In this modified example, when the rotating member 102 rotates from the closed position to the open position, the deposits T contained in the first storage section 31 move to the second storage section 132. Therefore, even if the amount of deposits T increases, it is possible to prevent the deposits T from adhering to the medium M. As a result, a decrease in image quality can be suppressed.

[0122] Although preferred embodiments have been described in detail above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various improvements or modifications can be made. The above embodiments can be combined as appropriate.

[0123] Although a printer was described here as an example of an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus of this embodiment can also be applied to photocopiers, facsimile machines, MFPs (Multifunction Peripherals), and the like.

[0124] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix. (Note 1) The apparatus body includes an image forming unit, A roller attached to the main body of the device for transporting the medium, A rotating member that can rotate around a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position relative to the main body of the device, Equipped with, The aforementioned rotating member is A cleaning member that contacts the roller when the rotating member is in the closed position and removes deposits from the roller, A first storage section is positioned spaced apart from the contact position between the cleaning member and the roller, and is capable of accommodating the deposits removed by the cleaning member, It has a second housing section that communicates with the first housing section through an opening and is provided to accommodate the attached material, When the rotating member rotates from the closed position to the open position, the attached material moves from the first housing to the second housing. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following: (Note 2) A restricting portion that restricts the movement of the attached material from the second storage portion to the first storage portion through the opening. The image forming apparatus according to Appendix 1, further comprising the features described above. (Note 3) The second housing has a wall surface that defines the bottom surface of the second housing when the rotating member is in the closed position. The regulating portion protrudes upward from the wall surface when the rotating member is in the closed position. The image forming apparatus according to Appendix 2, characterized in that it is a picture forming apparatus. (Note 4) When the rotating member is in the closed position, the first housing is located below the second housing. When the rotating member is in the open position, the first housing portion is positioned above the second housing portion. An image forming apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized in that it is the same as described in appendice 1 to 3. (Note 5) The cleaning member is a cleaning blade that contacts the roller and scrapes off the adhering material. An image forming apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 4, characterized in that it is an image forming apparatus. (Note 6) The device further includes a guide surface that guides the adhering material from the first housing towards the opening, The guide surface is inclined downward toward the roller from the opening when the rotating member is in the closed position. An image forming apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 5, characterized in that it is an image forming apparatus. (Note 7) The cleaning member is a film having a base attached to the guide surface and a bent portion that is bent upward at the end of the base closest to the roller and contacts the roller. The first housing portion is formed between the base portion and the bent portion. The image forming apparatus according to Appendix 6, characterized in that it is a picture forming apparatus. (Note 8) When the rotating member moves from the closed position to the open position, the deposit moves along the guide surface toward the opening. The image forming apparatus according to Appendix 7, characterized in that it is a picture forming apparatus. (Note 9) When the rotating member is in the open position, the guide surface makes an angle of 30 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal plane. The image forming apparatus according to appendix 7 or 8, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 10) The cleaning member is in contact with the roller in a state in which it is elastically deformed such that the angle between the base and the bent portion is reduced. An image forming apparatus according to any one of the appendices 7 to 9, characterized in that (Note 11) When the rotating member is in the closed position, the contact portion between the cleaning member and the roller is located above the rotation axis of the roller. An image forming apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 10, characterized in that it is the same as described in the appendix. (Note 12) The rotating member rotates 80 degrees or more between the open position and the closed position. An image forming apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 11, characterized in that it is the same as described in appendice 1 to 11. (Note 13) The rotating member is an openable and closable cover provided on one side of the main body of the device. An image forming apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 12, characterized in that it is the same as described in the appendix. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 Image forming apparatus, 5 Media supply unit, 6 Image forming unit, 7 Fixing unit, 8 Media discharge unit, 10 Housing, 11 Main unit, 12 Top cover, 13 Media guide, 20 Cover (rotating member), 20d Support shaft, 23 Media guide, 24 Wall section, 25 Opening, 26 Holding section (guide surface), 26a Guide surface, 27 First wall section, 28 Second wall section, 29 Regulating section, 31 First storage section, 32 Second storage section, 41 Cleaning member, 41a Bending section, 41b Base section, 41c Tip (contact section), 50 Media cassette (media storage section), 51 Pickup roller, 52 Feed roller, 53 Retard roller, 54 Conveyor roller, 55 Pinch roller, 56 Conveyor roller, 57 Pinch roller (roller), 58 Resist roller, 59 Pinch roller, 61 Photoreceptor drum (image carrier), 62 Charging roller (charging component), 63 Exposure head (exposure device), 64 Developing unit, 67 Toner cartridge (developer container), 68 Transfer roller (transfer unit).

Claims

1. The apparatus body includes an image forming unit, A roller attached to the main body of the device for transporting the medium, A rotating member that can rotate around a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position relative to the main body of the device, Equipped with, The aforementioned rotating member is A cleaning member that contacts the roller when the rotating member is in the closed position and removes deposits from the roller, A first storage section is positioned spaced apart from the contact position between the cleaning member and the roller, and is capable of accommodating the deposits removed by the cleaning member, It has a second housing section that communicates with the first housing section through an opening and is provided to accommodate the attached material, When the rotating member rotates from the closed position to the open position, the attached material moves from the first housing to the second housing. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following:

2. A restricting portion that restricts the movement of the attached material from the second storage portion to the first storage portion through the opening. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the features described above.

3. The second housing has a wall surface that defines the bottom surface of the second housing when the rotating member is in the closed position. The regulating portion protrudes upward from the wall surface when the rotating member is in the closed position. The image forming apparatus according to feature 2.

4. When the rotating member is in the closed position, the first housing is located below the second housing. When the rotating member is in the open position, the first housing portion is positioned above the second housing portion. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The cleaning member is a cleaning blade that contacts the roller and scrapes off the adhering material. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The device further includes a guide surface that guides the adhering material from the first housing towards the opening, The guide surface is inclined downward toward the roller from the opening when the rotating member is in the closed position. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The cleaning member is a film having a base attached to the guide surface and a bent portion that is bent upward at the end of the base closest to the roller and contacts the roller. The first housing portion is formed between the base portion and the bent portion. The image forming apparatus according to feature 6.

8. When the rotating member moves from the closed position to the open position, the deposit moves along the guide surface toward the opening. The image forming apparatus according to feature 7.

9. When the rotating member is in the open position, the guide surface makes an angle of 30 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal plane. The image forming apparatus according to feature 7.

10. The cleaning member is in contact with the roller in a state in which it is elastically deformed such that the angle between the base and the bent portion is reduced. The image forming apparatus according to feature 7.

11. When the rotating member is in the closed position, the contact portion between the cleaning member and the roller is located above the rotation axis of the roller. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

12. The rotating member rotates 80 degrees or more between the open position and the closed position. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

13. The rotating member is an openable and closable cover provided on one side of the main body of the device. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images