Patent ID: 8792801
Filing Date: 2014-07-29
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A cleaning device comprising: a residual-toner accommodation housing that has a residual-toner accommodation opening surrounded by a first edge, a second edge, and two connecting edges, the residual-toner accommodation opening facing toward a post-transfer area of a toner-image bearing member that bears a toner image by undergoing a developing process at a development position while rotating about a rotation axis and that transfers the toner image to a transfer object at a transfer position, the first edge and the second edge being opposed to each other and extending in a direction in which the rotation axis extends, the two connecting edges connecting corresponding ends of the first edge and the second edge; a residual-toner removing member having an edge that is longer than the first edge, the residual-toner removing member being supported by the residual-toner accommodation housing such that the residual-toner removing member overlies the first edge and areas of the two connecting edges located toward the first edge, and the edge of the residual-toner removing member protrudes above the residual-toner accommodation opening so as to abut on the toner-image bearing member, the residual-toner removing member scraping off toner remaining on the toner-image bearing member so as to cause the toner to be accommodated in the residual-toner accommodation housing; a thermoplastic seal member interposed between the residual-toner accommodation housing and the residual-toner removing member and extending along the first edge and along the two connecting edges so as to prevent the toner from leaking through a gap between the residual-toner accommodation housing and the residual-toner removing member, the thermoplastic seal member having terminal end portions that extend along the two connecting edges and that protrude from the edge of the residual-toner removing member, the thermoplastic seal member being applied in a fluid state and subsequently cured, the thermoplastic seal member in the cured state being deformable in response to external force; a sheet-like seal member that is in a form of a sheet and is longer than the second edge, the sheet-like seal member being supported by the residual-toner accommodation housing such that the sheet-like seal member covers the second edge, is in contact with the toner-image bearing member, and is interposed between the toner-image bearing member and the terminal end portions of the thermoplastic seal member protruding from the edge of the residual-toner removing member, the sheet-like seal member preventing the toner scraped off from the toner-image bearing member by the residual-toner removing member from leaking from the residual-toner accommodation housing; and two side seal members that are prevented from overlapping the residual-toner removing member in an extending direction of the second edge and that extend to the second edge from positions where the two side seal members overlap the residual-toner removing member in an extending direction of the two connecting edges, the two side seal members being supported by areas of the residual-toner accommodation housing that extend along the two connecting edges, wherein the sheet-like seal member is disposed between the toner-image bearing member and the terminal end portions of the thermoplastic seal member and extends to a position that prevents the sheet-like seal member from overlying the two side seal members in the extending direction of the second edge.