Cleaning Device Toner Lubricant Accumulation Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices for image forming apparatuses face issues with toner and lubricant accumulation on the cleaning blade, leading to filming and damage of the photoreceptor, as well as potential image failure and sensor malfunction due to scattered toner.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a catcher and storage portion is designed to prevent toner and excessive lubricant from accumulating on the cleaning blade, featuring a transport member to discharge accumulated materials, and an optional flicker to remove foreign substances from the lubricating brush, ensuring reliable lubrication and preventing reattachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lubricant applicator is positioned above the cleaning blade to apply lubricant onto the image carrier, then the frictional coefficient of the image carrier surface is decreased and toner removability is enhanced, but toner and excessive lubricant accumulate on the cleaning blade causing filming and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful accumulation of toner and lubricant from the cleaning blade by providing a storage portion that collects these materials. The transport member then extracts and discharges the accumulated materials from the storage portion, effectively removing the harmful factors that cause filming and damage to the photoreceptor.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a storage portion as an intermediary component between the cleaning blade and the transport member. This storage portion acts as a mediator that temporarily holds the toner and lubricant accumulation, allowing for controlled discharge without direct contact with the cleaning blade, thus preventing damage while maintaining the lubrication function.
2Reliability
If the lubricating brush scrapes solid lubricant and applies it onto the photoreceptor surface, then lubrication is achieved, but unused lubricant drops onto the cleaning blade causing accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of unused lubricant dropping onto the cleaning blade into a beneficial outcome by directing this lubricant into the storage portion. The accumulated lubricant is then discharged by the transport member, preventing waste while maintaining effective lubrication of the photoreceptor surface.
3Reliability
If the cleaning blade removes toner from the image carrier surface, then toner removal is achieved, but scraped toner slips through the gap and reaches the lubricating brush causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful scraped toner from the system by directing it into the storage portion through the gap between the cleaning blade and photoreceptor. The transport member then removes this toner from the storage portion, preventing contamination of the lubricating brush and maintaining toner removal efficiency.
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 accumulation on the cleaning blade, reducing the risk of filming and damage, maintaining lubrication performance, and preventing image failures, while extending the life of components and minimizing downtime.
Implementation Method 1
Applying lubricant onto the surface of the image carrier can decrease a frictional coefficient of the surface of the image carrier, enhancing removability of the toner
Implementation Method 2
The transport member is a screw and the toner and the excessive lubricant are transported along a transporting direction of the screw
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A cleaning device (6; 6A; 6B; 6C; 6D) for cleaning a surface of a rotatable image carrier (3) includes a cleaning blade (61; 610; 612) disposed to contact the image carrier (3) and configured to remove toner on the surface of the image carrier (3), a lubricant applicator unit (62,64) disposed above the cleaning blade (61; 610; 612), downstream from the cleaning blade (61; 610; 612) in a surface rotation direction of the image carrier (3) and configured to apply lubricant onto the surface of the image carrier (3), and an accumulation preventer configured to prevent the toner and excessive lubricant from the lubricant applicator unit (62,64) from accumulating on the cleaning blade (61; 610; 612).