Patent ID: 8676109
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A cleaning apparatus comprising: a cleaning blade configured to abut with a surface of an image carrier member on which a toner image is formed and from which the toner image is transferred in a transfer unit, and to remove residual toner, which is not transferred by the transfer unit, from the surface of the image carrier member; a cleaning roller rotatably configured to be pressed into contact with the surface of the image carrier member at a position that is more upstream than an abutment position of the cleaning blade and the surface of the image carrier member with respect to a direction of rotation of the image carrier member, and to attach residual toner removed by the cleaning blade to a surface of the cleaning roller and make abrasive contact with the surface of the image carrier member by use of the attached residual toner; a toner layer regulating member configured to regulate the residual toner attached to the surface of the cleaning roller to a predetermined toner layer thickness and scrape and remove excess residual toner; a frame member configured to store the excess residual toner scraped and removed from the surface of the cleaning roller; a toner supply member configured to make contact with the surface of the cleaning roller at a position that is more upstream than an abutment position of the surface of the cleaning roller and the toner layer regulating member with respect to a direction of rotation of the cleaning roller, to attach the residual toner stored in the frame member to a surface of the toner supply member, and to attach the residual toner attached to the surface of the toner supply member to the surface of the cleaning roller; and a pair of arm members configured to support both ends of the cleaning roller and the toner supply roller to rotate freely; wherein the toner supply member is a toner supply roller configured to come into contact with the cleaning roller in a trailing direction relative to the rotation cleaning roller, and wherein each of the pair of arm members includes an arm main body that is configured to regulate a pressing amount of the toner supply roller relative to the cleaning roller.