Cleaning apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To reduce scattering of a deposit.SOLUTION: A cleaning device 10 comprises: a plurality of cleaning units 30A, 30B, 30C; and a unit holding body 41 which holds the plurality of cleaning units 30A, 30B, 30C. The plurality of cleaning units 30A, 30B, 30C comprise: a cleaning member 31 which removes a deposit adhering to a cleaning object 11; and a housing 35 which has an opening 350 that recovers the deposit. One partition part 40 formed without a gap is interposed between the openings 350 adjacent to each other of the plurality of cleaning units 30A, 30B, 30C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] As a cleaning device mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, a cleaning device for removing toner attached to an intermediate transfer belt or the like is known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-57703) discloses a cleaning device including a plurality of cleaning units (sub-units).

[0004] The plurality of cleaning units described in Patent Document 1 each include a cleaning brush roller that scrapes and removes residual toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt. The residual toner scraped by each cleaning brush roller is collected in the housing of each cleaning unit.

[0005] By the way, in a cleaning device in which a plurality of cleaning units are arranged side by side, as the cleaning object such as an intermediate transfer belt moves, deposits such as toner adhering to the cleaning object may fall between adjacent cleaning units. Since such deposits are not collected in each cleaning unit, there is a problem that they scatter around.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] From the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to reduce the scattering of deposits.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cleaning apparatus comprising a plurality of cleaning units and a unit holder for holding the plurality of cleaning units, wherein each of the plurality of cleaning units comprises a cleaning member for removing deposits adhering to an object to be cleaned and a housing having an opening for collecting the deposits, and a single partition portion formed without gaps is interposed between adjacent openings of the plurality of cleaning units. The plurality of adjacent cleaning units are configured to be detachable from one another, and the housing of one of the plurality of adjacent cleaning units has a fitting portion that can be fitted into the fitting portion of the housing of the other cleaning unit. It is characterized by doing so. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the scattering of attached substances can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the belt cleaning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the belt cleaning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the belt cleaning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the cleaning unit removed from the unit holder. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the fitting structure between cleaning units. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the support structure for the cleaning brush roller. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of a conventional belt cleaning device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing used to explain the present invention, components such as members and parts having the same function or shape will be given the same reference numerals to the extent possible so that they can be distinguished, and their description will be omitted after they have been described once.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. Here, "image forming apparatus" in this specification includes printers, copiers, facsimile machines, printing presses, or multifunction devices that combine two or more of these. Furthermore, "image forming" as used in the following description means not only forming images that have meaning, such as characters and figures, but also forming images that do not have meaning, such as patterns. First, the overall configuration and operation of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes an image forming unit 200 for forming an image on a sheet-like recording medium such as paper, a fixing unit 300 for fixing the image on the recording medium, a recording medium supply unit 400 for supplying the recording medium to the image forming unit 200, and a recording medium discharge unit 500 for discharging the recording medium outside the apparatus.

[0013] The image forming unit 200 includes four process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk as image forming units, an exposure apparatus 6 that forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 2 provided in each process unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk, and a transfer apparatus 8 that transfers the image to a recording medium.

[0014] Each process unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk has essentially the same configuration, except that they contain toners (developers) of different colors: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, which correspond to the color separation components of a color image. Specifically, each process unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk includes a photoreceptor 2 as an image carrier that carries an image on its surface, a charging device 3 that charges the surface of the photoreceptor 2, a developing device 4 that supplies toner as a developer to the surface of the photoreceptor 2 to form a toner image, and a photoreceptor cleaning device 5 that cleans the surface of the photoreceptor 2.

[0015] The transfer device 8 comprises an intermediate transfer belt 11, a primary transfer roller 12, and a secondary transfer roller 13. The intermediate transfer belt 11 is an endless belt member and is stretched by a plurality of support rollers. Four primary transfer rollers 12 are provided inside the intermediate transfer belt 11. Each primary transfer roller 12 contacts each photoreceptor 2 via the intermediate transfer belt 11, thereby forming a primary transfer nip between the intermediate transfer belt 11 and each photoreceptor 2. The secondary transfer rollers 13 contact the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11, forming a secondary transfer nip. The transfer device 8 also includes a belt cleaning device 10 for cleaning the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11.

[0016] In the fixing section 300, a fixing device 20 is provided. The fixing device 20 comprises a fixing rotating body 21 that is heated by a heat source such as a heater, and a pressurizing rotating body 22 that is pressed against the fixing rotating body 21 to form a fixing nip.

[0017] The recording medium supply unit 400 is provided with a paper feed cassette 14 as a sheet storage unit for storing the paper P as a recording medium, and a paper feed roller 15 for feeding out the paper P from the paper feed cassette 14. Hereinafter, the "recording medium" will be described as "paper", but the "recording medium" is not limited to paper. The "recording medium" includes not only paper (sheet), but also OHP sheets, fabrics, metal sheets, plastic films, or prepreg sheets in which carbon fibers are impregnated with resin in advance. Further, the "paper" includes, in addition to plain paper, cardboard, postcards, envelopes, tissue paper, coated paper (such as coated paper and art paper), tracing paper, and the like.

[0018] The recording medium discharge unit 500 is provided with a pair of paper discharge rollers 17 for discharging the paper P outside the image forming apparatus, and a paper discharge tray 18 for placing the paper P discharged by the paper discharge rollers 17.

[0019] Next, the printing operation of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described while referring to FIG. 1.

[0020] When the printing operation is started in the image forming apparatus 100, the intermediate transfer belt 11 of the photoreceptors 2 and the transfer device 8 of each process unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk starts to rotate. Further, the paper feed roller 15 starts to rotate, and the paper P is fed out from the paper feed cassette 14. The fed paper P comes into contact with the pair of timing rollers 16 and stops, and the conveyance of the paper P is temporarily stopped until the image to be transferred to the paper P is formed.

[0021] In each process unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk, first, the surface of the photoreceptor 2 is charged to a uniform high potential by the charging device 3. Next, based on the image information of the original read by the original reading device or the print image information printed from the terminal, the exposure device 6 exposes the surface (charged surface) of each photoreceptor 2. As a result, the potential of the exposed portion decreases, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of each photoreceptor 2. Then, the developing device 4 supplies toner to this electrostatic latent image, and a toner image is formed on each photoreceptor 2.

[0022] The toner images formed on each photoreceptor 2 are transferred sequentially onto the rotating intermediate transfer belt 11 as they reach the primary transfer nip (position of the primary transfer roller 12) as the photoreceptor 2 rotates. Thus, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 11. Note that a single-color image can be formed using any one of the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, or 1Bk, or a two-color or three-color image can be formed using any two or three of the process units. After the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 11, any toner remaining on each photoreceptor 2 is removed by the photoreceptor cleaning device 5.

[0023] The toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11 is transported to the secondary transfer nip (the position of the secondary transfer roller 13) as the intermediate transfer belt 11 rotates, and is then transferred onto the paper P that has been transported by the timing roller 16. Any remaining toner on the intermediate transfer belt 11 that was not transferred to the paper P is removed by the belt cleaning device 10.

[0024] The paper P onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fuser unit 20. In the fuser unit 20, as the paper P enters the fuser nip between the fuser rotating body 21 and the pressurizing rotating body 22, the toner image on the paper P is heated and pressurized, and the toner image is fixed to the paper P.

[0025] Subsequently, the paper P is transported to the recording medium discharge unit 500 and discharged into the paper output tray 18 by the paper output roller 17. This completes the series of printing operations.

[0026] Next, the schematic configuration and basic operation of the belt cleaning device according to this embodiment will be described based on Figure 2.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the belt cleaning device 10 according to this embodiment comprises three cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C. Each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C is arranged in line with the direction A of movement of the intermediate transfer belt 11.

[0028] Each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C is equipped with a cleaning brush roller 31, a recovery roller 32, a scraping blade 33, and a conveying screw 34.

[0029] The cleaning brush roller 31 is a cleaning member that removes residual toner and other foreign matter adhering to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11. The cleaning brush roller 31 is positioned to contact the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11, which is the toner image carrying surface. In addition, a cleaning opposing roller 19 is positioned to contact the inner circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 at the location where the cleaning brush roller 31 makes contact. The cleaning brush roller 31 has a rotatably supported metal rotating shaft 31a and a brush portion 31b consisting of multiple bristles provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 31a. The bristles have a two-layer core-sheath structure, for example, with the interior made of a conductive material such as conductive carbon and the surface made of an insulating material such as polyester. A predetermined voltage is applied to the rotating shaft 31a of the cleaning brush roller 31 from a power supply 70, which is a voltage application means.

[0030] The recovery roller 32 is a recovery member that rotates while in contact with the cleaning brush roller 31 and recovers residual toner from the cleaning brush roller 31. In this embodiment, residual toner on the cleaning brush roller 31 is electrostatically transferred to the recovery roller 32 by the potential gradient between the cleaning brush roller 31 and the recovery roller 32. For example, a roller made of SUS (stainless steel) is used as the recovery roller 32. Furthermore, the recovery roller 32 is configured to have a predetermined voltage applied to it from a power supply 71, which is a voltage application means.

[0031] The scraping blade 33 is a scraping member that contacts the recovery roller 32 and scrapes off residual toner from the surface of the recovery roller 32. The scraping blade 33 is made of, for example, an elastic body made of SUS (stainless steel) with a thickness of about 0.1 [mm], or an elastic body made of urethane rubber with a thickness of about 1.5 [mm] to 3 [mm].

[0032] The transport screw 34 is a transport member that transports the residual toner scraped off by the scraping blade 33 to the toner storage section located outside the cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C. The transport screw 34 transports the residual toner in the axial direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 2) by rotating.

[0033] Here, most of the residual toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt 11 is charged with a polarity opposite to the normal charge polarity of the toner. For example, if the normal charge polarity is negative, the residual toner is charged with a positive polarity, which is the opposite of the negative polarity.

[0034] Therefore, in this embodiment, by applying a voltage (cleaning bias) of the same polarity as the normal charge polarity of the toner to the cleaning brush roller 31 (first cleaning member) of the first cleaning unit 30A, which is located at the uppermost end of the three cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C, residual toner that is charged with the opposite polarity on the intermediate transfer belt 11 can be removed. In other words, by charging the cleaning brush roller 31 with the same polarity as the normal charge polarity, residual toner that is charged with the opposite polarity on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is electrostatically attracted to the cleaning brush roller 31.

[0035] The residual toner with the opposite polarity that is attracted to the cleaning brush roller 31 is transferred to the contact position between the cleaning brush roller 31 and the recovery roller 32 as the cleaning brush roller 31 rotates. The residual toner with the opposite polarity is then electrostatically recovered by the recovery roller 32. For example, if a negative voltage (cleaning bias) is applied to the cleaning brush roller 31, applying a negative voltage (recovery bias) with an absolute value larger than the cleaning bias to the recovery roller 32 creates a potential gradient (electric field) between the cleaning brush roller 31 and the recovery roller 32 that electrostatically transfers the residual toner to the recovery roller 32. The residual toner recovered by the recovery roller 32 is then scraped off the surface of the recovery roller 32 by the scraping blade 33 and then conveyed to the toner storage section by the transport screw 34.

[0036] As described above, the first cleaning unit 30A removes residual toner that is charged with the opposite polarity, thereby removing most of the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 11. However, the residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 11 also includes toner with the normal charge polarity. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to remove residual toner that is charged with the normal charge polarity, the second cleaning unit 30B and the third cleaning unit 30C, which are located downstream of the first cleaning unit 30A, are used to remove residual toner with the normal charge polarity.

[0037] Specifically, a voltage (cleaning bias) with the opposite polarity to the normal charge polarity is applied to the cleaning brush roller 31 (second cleaning member) of the second cleaning unit 30B. As a result, residual toner with the normal charge polarity on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is electrostatically captured and removed by the cleaning brush roller 31 of the second cleaning unit 30B. The residual toner captured by the cleaning brush roller 31 is then collected by the recovery roller 32. For example, if a positive voltage (cleaning bias) is applied to the cleaning brush roller 31, a positive voltage (recovery bias) with an absolute value larger than that cleaning bias should be applied to the recovery roller 32. As a result, residual toner is electrostatically transferred from the cleaning brush roller 31 to the recovery roller 32. The residual toner collected by the recovery roller 32 is then scraped off the surface of the recovery roller 32 by the scraping blade 33 and then conveyed to the toner storage section by the transport screw 34.

[0038] Next, any residual toner with the correct charge polarity that could not be removed by the second cleaning unit 30B is removed by the third cleaning unit 30C located further downstream. Specifically, a voltage (cleaning bias) with the opposite polarity to the correct charge polarity is applied to the cleaning brush roller 31 (third cleaning member) of the third cleaning unit 30C, causing the residual toner to be electrostatically captured by the cleaning brush roller 31. Then, as described above, the residual toner captured by the cleaning brush roller 31 is electrostatically transferred to the recovery roller 32, scraped off by the scraping blade 33, and transported to the toner storage unit by the transport screw 34.

[0039] As described above, in this embodiment, residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is sequentially transported to multiple cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C, allowing each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C to effectively remove the residual toner. However, residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 11 may fall from the intermediate transfer belt 11 between adjacent cleaning units. In this case, if the fallen toner is not collected by any of the cleaning units, the toner will scatter into the surrounding area, causing the inside of the device to become contaminated with toner or resulting in abnormal images.

[0040] For example, in the belt cleaning device shown in Figure 8, multiple cleaning units 90A, 90B, and 90C are arranged in line in the direction A of movement of the intermediate transfer belt 11. However, because there is a gap S between adjacent cleaning units, if residual toner falls from the intermediate transfer belt 11 between the units, there is a risk that the fallen residual toner will scatter to the outside through the gap S between the cleaning units.

[0041] Therefore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the following configuration is adopted in order to reduce the scattering of toner between cleaning units. The configuration according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0042] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the belt cleaning device according to this embodiment, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the same belt cleaning device.

[0043] As shown in Figure 3, the belt cleaning device 30 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C, and a unit holder 41 that holds each of the cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C. Each of the cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C is configured to be detachably attached to the unit holder 41.

[0044] Each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C is equipped with a cleaning brush roller 31, a recovery roller 32, a scraping blade 33, a transport screw 34, and a housing 35 that accommodates these components. Each housing 35 has an opening 350 facing the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11, where the cleaning brush roller 31 is positioned. When residual toner (adhered material) on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is removed by the cleaning brush roller 31, the removed residual toner is recovered into the housing 35 through the opening 350.

[0045] An inlet seal 42 is provided on the upstream side of each opening 350 in the direction of movement A of the intermediate transfer belt 11. An outlet seal 43 is provided on the downstream side of the furthest downstream opening 350. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, side seals 44 are provided on both ends of each opening 350 in the longitudinal direction (the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement A of the intermediate transfer belt 11). These sealing members, the inlet seal 42, outlet seal 43, and side seal 44, are all positioned to contact the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11, sealing the space between the opening 350 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 to prevent toner collected in the housing 35 from scattering outside the housing 35.

[0046] In this embodiment, the cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C are assembled so that they overlap each other in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 3, when the cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C are assembled, one partition 40 is interposed between adjacent cleaning units.

[0047] The partition 40 is formed by the bottom surface 35a of the housing 35 of the upper cleaning unit among adjacent (overlapping) cleaning units. On the other hand, for the cleaning unit positioned below, the partition 40 functions as an upper surface that covers the top of the cleaning unit. That is, the bottom surface 35a of the housing 35 of the upper cleaning unit constitutes the upper surface of the lower cleaning unit. Therefore, in cleaning units 30A and 30B, except for the uppermost third cleaning unit 30C, the housing 35 does not have an upper surface, and only the uppermost third cleaning unit 30C has an upper surface 35b of the housing 35 (see Figure 3). The bottom surface 35a of the housing 35 is provided in all cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C.

[0048] As described above, in this embodiment, the top and bottom surfaces of each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C are made common to form a single partition 40, so that adjacent openings 350 are separated from each other by a single partition 40 that is formed without gaps. In other words, in this embodiment, unlike the belt cleaning device shown in Figure 8, the gap S between cleaning units (see Figure 8) is eliminated, so that toner does not fall between adjacent cleaning units. For this reason, in this embodiment, the scattering of toner to the outside can be reduced, and the contamination of the device and the occurrence of abnormal images caused by scattered toner can be suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the top and bottom surfaces of adjacent cleaning units are made common to form a single partition 40, it is possible to save space and reduce costs compared to the configuration in which the top and bottom surfaces are separate as shown in Figure 8.

[0049] The term "one partition" above refers to a partition that is constructed as a single unit and does not include partitions that are composed of multiple separable members. However, "one partition" may be composed of multiple members that are connected or assembled together, provided they are not separated.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the opposing surface 40a of the partition 40 that faces the intermediate transfer belt 11 is positioned close to the intermediate transfer belt 11. However, if toner that has fallen from the intermediate transfer belt 11 accumulates on this opposing surface 40a, there is a risk that the accumulated toner may fall or scatter into the image forming apparatus when the cleaning unit is removed for maintenance. Therefore, in this embodiment, the opposing surface 40a of the partition 40 is shaped to make it difficult for toner to accumulate. Specifically, the opposing surface 40a is formed as a convex or flat surface that protrudes toward the intermediate transfer belt 11, without any concave surfaces (see Figure 3). This reduces toner accumulation on the opposing surface 40a and prevents toner from falling or scattering into the apparatus.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, multiple cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C are configured to be detachable integrally (overlapping with each other) from the unit holder 41. In this way, each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C can be removed integrally, thus reducing the scattering of toner from within each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C. Specifically, by removing each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C while they are stacked on top of each other, the attachment and detachment work can be performed with the bottom surface of the upper cleaning unit covering the top of the lower cleaning unit, thus particularly reducing the scattering of toner from the lower cleaning unit.

[0052] Furthermore, each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C may be configured to be separable from one another. If each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C is separable from one another, the tops of the lower cleaning units 30A and 30B can be opened, making it easier to perform maintenance work such as cleaning or replacing parts inside these cleaning units 30A and 30B.

[0053] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the upper cleaning unit 30B and the lower cleaning unit 30A are configured to be detachable from each other. Specifically, the housing 35 of the upper cleaning unit 30B is provided with a rib 45 which is a fitting portion, and the housing 35 of the lower cleaning unit 30A is provided with an opening frame portion 46 which is a fitting portion that can be fitted with the rib 45 of the upper cleaning unit 30B. The rib 45 that protrudes downward from the upper cleaning unit 30B is inserted into the opening frame portion 46 provided on the upper part of the lower cleaning unit 30A and fitted together, thereby assembling the cleaning units 30A and 30B. Furthermore, when the cleaning units 30A and 30B are assembled, misalignment in directions intersecting the assembly direction Z1 between the cleaning units 30A and 30B (directions of arrows Z2 and Z3 in Figure 6) is restricted. This prevents misalignment and separation of cleaning units 30A and 30B, making it easier to attach and detach the cleaning units to the unit holder 41. It also reduces toner scattering between the cleaning units. Figure 6 shows the assembly structure of the first cleaning unit 30A and the second cleaning unit 30B, but the assembly structure of the second cleaning unit 30B and the third cleaning unit 30C is the same.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when each cleaning unit 30A, 30B, and 30C is assembled, a sealing member 47 (see Figure 3) is provided to seal the space between the ribs 45 that fit together and the opening frame portion 46. The sealing member 47 may be provided on the ribs 45 or on the opening frame portion 46. In this way, the space between the ribs 45 that fit together and the opening frame portion 46 is sealed by the sealing member 47, thereby suppressing toner leakage from the fitting area to the outside. In addition, in this embodiment, the ribs 45 that are positioned inside the sealing member 47 function as a wall that prevents toner from entering the sealing member 47 side, thus highly suppressing toner leakage.

[0055] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the design can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the present invention was described as being applied to a belt cleaning device 10 equipped with three cleaning units 30A, 30B, and 30C. However, the cleaning device according to the present invention may be equipped with two cleaning units, or with four or more cleaning units.

[0057] Furthermore, the orientation in which each cleaning unit is arranged is not limited to the vertical direction; it may also be horizontal.

[0058] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a belt cleaning device that cleans the surface of an intermediate transfer belt as the object to be cleaned, but can be applied to various cleaning devices, including a cleaning device that cleans the surface of a conveyor belt that transports paper, and a cleaning device that cleans objects other than belts.

[0059] The cleaning components of each cleaning unit are not limited to the cleaning brush rollers described above, but may also be conductive rubber rollers. For example, the cleaning components of the upstream first cleaning unit 30A and the second cleaning unit 30B may be cleaning brush rollers, and the cleaning component of the downstream third cleaning unit 30C may be a conductive rubber roller.

[0060] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to electrostatic cleaning devices that electrostatically remove residual toner by applying a predetermined voltage to a cleaning brush roller, as in the above embodiment, but is also applicable to blade-type cleaning devices that scrape off and remove residual toner using a blade-shaped cleaning blade made of urethane or the like.

[0061] Furthermore, in the case of an electrostatic cleaning device, the following configuration may be adopted to suppress leakage discharge between the cleaning brush roller and the support member that supports it.

[0062] In the configuration shown in Figure 7, the rotating shaft 31a of the cleaning brush roller 31 is supported by a support member 50 such as a bearing 51. More specifically, the support member 50 is composed of a non-conductive bearing portion 54 and a reinforcing plate 53 which is a metal bearing support portion that supports the bearing portion 54. The bearing portion 54 also has a bearing 51 that supports the rotating shaft 31a and a bearing case 52 that holds the bearing 51.

[0063] In this configuration, to suppress the occurrence of leakage discharge, the relationship between the creepage distance X [mm], which is the shortest distance along the surface of the support member 50 from the contact point between the rotating shaft 31a and the bearing portion 54 to the reinforcing plate 53 (bearing support portion), and the voltage Y [kV] applied to the rotating shaft 31a by the voltage application means, should satisfy the relationship X [mm] ≥ Y [kV] × 2 [mm / kV]. Note that "creepage distance X" is the shortest distance along the surface of the bearing portion 54 from the contact point between the rotating shaft 31a and the bearing portion 54 to the reinforcing plate 330. By setting the relationship in this way, the occurrence of leakage discharge between the rotating shaft 31a and the reinforcing plate 53 can be suppressed.

[0064] To summarize the embodiments of the present invention described above, the present invention includes a cleaning apparatus and an image forming apparatus having at least the following configurations.

[0065] [First Structure] The first configuration is a cleaning device comprising a plurality of cleaning units and a unit holder that holds the plurality of cleaning units, wherein the plurality of cleaning units each comprises a cleaning member that removes deposits adhering to an object to be cleaned and a housing having an opening for collecting the deposits, and a single partition portion formed without gaps is interposed between adjacent openings of the plurality of cleaning units.

[0066] [Second Structure] The second configuration is a cleaning device in which, in the first configuration, the partition portion does not have a recess on the opposing surface facing the object to be cleaned.

[0067] [The third structure] The third configuration is a cleaning device provided in the housing of one of the adjacent cleaning units, in the first or second configuration, wherein the partition is provided in the housing of either of the adjacent cleaning units.

[0068] [Fourth component] The fourth configuration is a cleaning device in which, in any one of the first to third configurations, the plurality of cleaning units are arranged to overlap in the vertical direction, and the partition is provided in the housing of the upper cleaning unit among the overlapping cleaning units.

[0069] [Fifth Structure] The fifth configuration is a cleaning device in which, in any one of the first to fourth configurations, the plurality of cleaning units are configured to be detachably attached to the unit holder.

[0070] [The sixth component] The sixth configuration is a cleaning device in which, in any one of the first to fifth configurations, adjacent cleaning units are configured to be detachable from one another, and the housing of one of the plurality of adjacent cleaning units has a fitting portion that can be fitted into the fitting portion of the housing of the other cleaning unit.

[0071] [The seventh component] The seventh configuration is a cleaning device that, in the sixth configuration, includes a sealing member that seals the space between the fitting portions that fit together with each other.

[0072] [The eighth component] The eighth configuration is a cleaning device that, in any one of the first to seventh configurations, includes sealing members that seal the space between the housing and the object to be cleaned on the upstream side of the opening of the cleaning unit positioned at the upstream end of the direction of movement of the object to be cleaned, on the downstream side of the opening of the cleaning unit positioned at the downstream end of the direction of movement of the cleaning unit, and on both ends of the openings of the plurality of cleaning units in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement.

[0073] [The ninth structure] The ninth configuration is one of the first to eighth configurations, comprising: a cleaning member rotatably mounted around a rotating shaft; a voltage applying means for applying a voltage to the rotating shaft; and a support member for supporting the rotating shaft. The support member has a non-conductive bearing portion that supports the rotating shaft and a metallic bearing support portion that supports the bearing portion. When the creepage distance, which is the shortest distance along the surface of the support member from the contact position between the rotating shaft and the bearing portion to the bearing support portion, is X [mm], and the voltage applied to the rotating shaft by the voltage applying means is Y [kV], the relationship X [mm] ≥ Y [kV] × 2 [mm / kV] is satisfied, and the polarity is the same as the normal charge polarity of the toner that is the deposit. The cleaning device comprises: a first cleaning member to which a voltage is applied to electrostatically remove toner with a polarity opposite to the normal charge polarity on the object to be cleaned; a second cleaning member positioned downstream of the first cleaning member in the direction of movement of the object to be cleaned, to which a voltage opposite to the normal charge polarity of the toner is applied to electrostatically remove toner with a normal charge polarity on the object to be cleaned; and a third cleaning member positioned downstream of the second cleaning member in the direction of movement of the object to be cleaned, to which a voltage opposite to the normal charge polarity of the toner is applied to electrostatically remove toner with a normal charge polarity on the object to be cleaned.

[0074] [The 10th component] The tenth configuration is an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium and a cleaning device having one of the first to ninth configurations.

[0075] 10 Belt cleaning device 11. Intermediate transfer belt (item to be cleaned) 30A Cleaning Unit (First Cleaning Unit) 30B Cleaning Unit (Second Cleaning Unit) 30C Cleaning Unit (Third Cleaning Unit) 31 Cleaning brush roller (cleaning component) 35 Housing 40 Partition Section 40a Opposing surface 41 Unit holder 42 Entrance seal (sealing material) 43. Outlet seal (sealing component) 44 Side seal (sealing component) 45 Ribs (fitting section) 46. ​​Opening frame section (fitting section) 47. Sealing member 50 Support member 53 Reinforcement plate (bearing support part) 54 Bearing section 70 Power supply (voltage application means) 100 Image forming apparatus 200 Image forming unit 350 opening [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0076] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-57703

Claims

1. A cleaning device comprising a plurality of cleaning units and a unit holder for holding the plurality of cleaning units, Each of the aforementioned cleaning units comprises a cleaning member that removes deposits adhering to an object to be cleaned, and a housing having an opening for collecting the deposits. A single partition is interposed between the adjacent openings of the plurality of cleaning units, with no gaps between them. The multiple cleaning units adjacent to each other are configured to be detachable from one another. A cleaning device characterized in that, among a plurality of adjacent cleaning units, the housing of one of the cleaning units has a fitting portion that can be fitted to the fitting portion of the housing of the other cleaning unit.

2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partition portion has no recess on the opposing surface facing the object to be cleaned.

3. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partition portion is provided in the housing of one of the adjacent cleaning units.

4. The aforementioned multiple cleaning units are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partition is provided in the housing of the upper cleaning unit among the cleaning units that overlap each other.

5. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of cleaning units are configured to be detachably attached to the unit holder.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of cleaning units are configured to be integrally and detachably attached to the unit holder.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a sealing member for sealing the space between the mating portions that fit together with each other.

8. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising sealing members that seal the space between the housing and the object to be cleaned, on the upstream side of the opening of the cleaning unit positioned at the upstream end of the direction of movement of the object to be cleaned, on the downstream side of the opening of the cleaning unit positioned at the downstream end of the direction of movement of the cleaning unit, and on both ends of the openings of the plurality of cleaning units in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement.

9. A cleaning device comprising a plurality of cleaning units and a unit holder for holding the plurality of cleaning units, Each of the aforementioned cleaning units comprises a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis to remove deposits adhering to an object to be cleaned, a voltage applying means for applying a voltage to the rotation axis, a support member for supporting the rotation axis, and a housing having an opening for collecting the deposits. A single partition is interposed between the adjacent openings of the plurality of cleaning units, with no gaps between them. The support member has a non-conductive bearing portion that supports the rotating shaft and a metal bearing support portion that supports the bearing portion. Let X [mm] be the creepage distance, which is the shortest distance along the surface of the support member from the contact position between the rotating shaft and the bearing portion to the bearing support portion, and let Y [kV] be the voltage applied to the rotating shaft by the voltage application means. Then the relationship X [mm] ≥ Y [kV] × 2 [mm / kV] is satisfied. A first cleaning member applies a voltage with the same polarity as the normal charge polarity of the toner, which is the deposit, to electrostatically remove the toner on the object to be cleaned, which has the opposite polarity to the normal charge polarity. A second cleaning member is positioned downstream of the first cleaning member in the direction of movement of the object to be cleaned, and a voltage opposite to the normal charging polarity of the toner is applied to it to electrostatically remove the toner with the normal charging polarity from the object to be cleaned. A cleaning apparatus characterized by comprising a third cleaning member, which is positioned downstream of the second cleaning member in the direction of movement of the object to be cleaned, and to which a voltage opposite to the normal charging polarity of the toner is applied, thereby electrostatically removing the toner with the normal charging polarity on the object to be cleaned.

10. An image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, An image forming apparatus comprising a cleaning device according to any one of claims 1, 2, or 9.

Images