Charging Roller Cleaning Brush with Reciprocating Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices for charging rollers in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in achieving optimal cleaning performance and durability due to toner external additive adhesion, which affects charging uniformity and device longevity.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a cleaning member having bristle fineness of 10 T or lower and bristle density of 300 kF/inch2 or lower, rotating in contact with the charging roller to prevent adhesion, and reciprocating along the roller's axis to enhance removal efficiency, while maintaining synchronized circumferential speeds to ensure uniform abrasion and improved durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning member is brought into contact with the roller surface to remove toner external additive, then cleaning performance is improved, but the toner external additive may be firmly fixed to the roller surface to harm charging performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the cleaning member by specifying bristle fineness of 10 T or lower and bristle density of 300 kF/inch2 or lower. These parameter adjustments optimize the cleaning capability to remove toner external additive while preventing its firm fixation to the roller surface, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning performance and harmful adhesion effects.
2Reliability
If the cleaning member is reciprocated to improve cleaning performance, then removal of toner external additive is enhanced, but the durability of the cleaning member becomes uncertain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameters for bristle fineness (10 T or lower) and bristle density (300 kF/inch2 or lower) to optimize both cleaning performance and durability. These parameter adjustments ensure that the reciprocating cleaning action effectively removes toner external additive while maintaining the structural integrity and longevity of the cleaning member.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the bristle density is reduced to prevent adhesion, then toner external additive removal is improved, but the cleaning effectiveness is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the balance between bristle density and cleaning effectiveness by specifying bristle density of 300 kF/inch2 or lower. This parameter adjustment prevents toner external additive adhesion while maintaining sufficient cleaning effectiveness through the combined action of reciprocating motion and controlled bristle characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic reciprocating action of the cleaning member along the roller surface. This periodic motion enhances the cleaning effectiveness by repeatedly exposing and removing toner external additive, compensating for the reduced bristle density and maintaining overall cleaning performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents toner external additive adhesion, maintains charging uniformity, and extends the cleaning member's durability by optimizing bristle characteristics and motion, ensuring consistent performance over a large number of runs.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning member having a rotary shaft extending in a direction of a rotary axis of the charging roller, and rotating in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller and adapted to clean the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller by brushing
Implementation Method 2
thrust driving unit reciprocating the cleaning member along the direction of the rotary axis of the charging roller while holding the cleaning member in sliding contact with the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning device cleans a charging roller for charging the outer circumferential surface of a photoconductive drum while being rotated in contact with the photoconductive drum, and is provided with a cleaning brush for cleaning the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller by brushing while being rotated in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller, a rotational driving mechanism for rotating the cleaning brush while making the circumferential speed thereof differ from that of the charging roller, and a thrust driving mechanism for reciprocating the cleaning brush along a direction of a rotary axis of the charging roller while holding the cleaning brush in sliding contact with the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller.