Separating apparatus of transfer material

Abstract: An separating device for separating a copy sheet from a photoreceptor of an electrophotographic copying machine after a toner image is transferred from the photoreceptor onto the copy sheet, comprising: a supporting plate (20A), placed parallel to the photoreceptor, for supporting a claw (22), the claw, provided capable of pivoting, for separating the copy sheet from the photoreceptor in which the claw has a weight member (22A) in opposit side of a tip of the claw so that the tip comes into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor by the weight of the weight member, and a wire (W), being through the weight member of the claw, for pivoting the claw by tensioning and loosing the wire in which a end of the wire is fixed on the supporting plate.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the improvement of the function of a separating claw which is provided in a separating module of an image producing apparatus for the separation of a transfer material. The transfer material fed to a photoreceptor surface is attracted to the photoreceptor surface which has a toner image on it by the function of a transfer electrode to transfer the toner image from the photoreceptor surface onto the transfer material. The transfer material is separated from the photoreceptor surface being discharged the charge on it by the function of a separating electrode and is then sent to a fixing station. Only the discharge by the separating electrode mentioned above, however, can not make perfect separation over every kind of copy paper and in every atmospheric condition of temperature and humidity, and incomplete separation is sometimes occured. Accordingly, mechanical separator is usually provided at the processing site lower than the position of the separating electrode to reinforce the separation of a transfer material together with the function of the separating electrode. For this mechanical separator, plural numbers of claw provided at the separating site to touch the photoreceptor surface softly by the rotating moment of its weight or by the aid of an attached spring to the one end of the claw. In the case like this, the residual toner on the photoreceptor surface sometimes drops down on a transfer material surface by being scrapped off with the claws: and it causes the damage of the toner image quality. The claw itself wears easily by keeping contact with the photoreceptor surface and also is apt to scratch the photoreceptor surface when the claw is smudged and coated with some foreign material like toner, paper dust, and etc. To prevent these problems, the separating claw having a releasing mechanism driven by a solenoid coupled with a lever member having rotating axis in order to avoid the constant contact with the photoreceptor surface is proposed. Using this device, by reducing contacting time of the claw with the photoreceptor surface only while the restricted time when a leading edge of a transfer material passes by the separating site, the damage of toner image quality caused by the dropped toner, the damage of the photoreceptor surface, and the wear of the claw caused by the constant contact with the photoreceptor surface can be solved. Even this idea, however, when the coupling part for the rotation of the claw or sliding part of the claw will be smudged with spewed toner, more load in the rotation of the claw will be needed. Solving this problem forcedly, increasing the capacity of the solenoid, will cause the needs of more space to install the solenoid. US-A-4,252,310 describes a separating device having a separating claw pivotally supported on a plate, and a spring for pivoting the claw. Patents Abstract of Japan, Vol. 8, Nr. 202 (P-300) [1639] September 14, 1984 describes a pivotally mounted pawl which is biassed into contact with a photosensitive body by a weighted part of the pawl. It forms the basis for the preamble of Claim 1. An object of the invention is to propose an improved separating mechanism where the claw can be operated with a solenoid of small capacity which does not require much space. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a separating device in accordance with Claim 1. Therefore by loosening the wire, the claw contacts with the photoreceptor surface to separate the transferred material which has toner image on it and by stretching the wire, the claw can be moved from the contact with the photoreceptor surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are perspective side view of the separating device for transfer material constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 3 is a view of main structure of image producing apparatus which has aforesaid mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 show an example of the embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of an image producing apparatus in which aforesaid mechanical device is incorporated. The separating device is incorporated in the photoreceptor module A which is a part of image producing mechanism and is constructed so as to be attached to or detached from the image producing apparatus. 11 is a photoreceptor drum which rotates in the arrowed direction. 12 is an exposure device which discharges the charge remained on the photoreceptor surface prior to the charging in the start of the process, 13 is the charger. 14 is a discharging device which eliminates the charge presented outside of image area. 15 is a cleaning device wherein cleaning blade 15A which contacts with the photoreceptor surface and toner guide roller 15B which is rotated as a follower to the rotation of the photoreceptor are incorporated. 20 is a separating device for transfer material which is equipped in the lower part of the cleaning device so as to face the photoreceptor surface. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show the mechanical construction of the separating device 20 wherein each part is assembled on a cover member 20A made of a plate like material to structure a module. 21 is a photo-electric sensor detecting toner density of standard sample image made on the photoreceptor surface by reflection density measuring method. The toner feeding to the developing device B is controlled by the detected data gained in the photo-electric sensor. 22 is a pair of separating claws mounted at the right side and left side positions of the cover member 20A to separate mechanically a transfer material attached on the photoreceptor surface. Each of the claws is consisted of three parts, that is, claw tip 22C, pivot 22B for rotation at its central part and balance weight 22A at one end of the claw. Aforesaid pivot 22B of the separating claw 22 is supported by supporting member 23 fixed at the cover member 20A to rotate freely counterclockwise by the balance weight 22A provided at the end of the claw. A rotatable lever 24 is fixed to the left side of the cover member 20A with a screw 25 which has a step-shaped head in order to rotate on its center and is forced to rotate clockwise by a spring 26. And, a bent portion 24A of the rotatable lever 24 tightly holds one end of a wire, which is explained later, by clamping the wire inserted through a hole provided at the top of the bended portion 24A. S is a plunger type solenoid activated by the electricity from the main frame. The top of the plunger P is connected to the other end of the rotatable lever 24 to make the lever rotate freely on the pivot 25. 27 is a wire fixing part set up at the right side of the cover member 20A and is fixed to it with a screw 28 after adjusting its position moving the hole of the part along with a pin provided on the cover member. The wire fixing part 27 also has a bent portion 27A to which the other end of the wire is clamped to hold the wire tightly after inserted through a hole just as explained before. W is aforesaid wire for which thin metal wire having good flexibility or thin plastic resin wire having no deforming characteristic for elongating or shrinking to its length can be used. Aforesaid wire is inserted through a small hole provided at the weight 22A fixed to the one end of the claw 22; and one end of wire is fixed to the top of the bended protion 24A of the lotatable lever 24 and the other end of the wire is fixed to the top of the bent portion 27A of the fixing part 27. The placement of the fixing part 27 on the cover member 20A is adjusted so as to let the wire stretch straight when the solenoid S is cut off the electricity and the rotatable lever 24 is rotated clockwise to the far end by the spring 26, so that each claw tip 22C of the separating claw 22 is held a little bit apart over the photoreceptor surface as is shown in Fig. 3. No matter whether the image producing apparatus is on or off, if the transfer material is not at the separating position, solenoid S is kept in off state, accordingly the claw keeps the state shown in Fig. 3. With the start of the paper feeding rollers transfer material is fed to the surface of the photoreceptor and when the leading edge of the transfer material passes the transfer electrode 16 and separating electrode 17, solenoid S is activated to pull and rotate the rotatable lever 24 counterclockwise against the force of spring 26 as is shown in Fig. 2, and thus the stretched wire W is loosened by the action of the solenoid S. In this manner, the separating claw 22 is released from the restraint by the wire and the claw tip 22A of the separating claw 22 contacts with the surface of the photoreceptor. Power switching of the solenoid S is performed by a timer which starts in accordance with the start of the feeding roller or by a signal from a sensor which detects the leading edge of a transfer material coming to the separating site. As soon as the transfer material passes the position of the separating claw, solenoid S is switched off and returned back to the position shown in Fig. 1. The present invention using wire, instead of ordinary releasing mechanism which uses sliding member or rotating member, can reduce load to the solenoid, solenoid capacity and space needed to be fixed. According to this invention, the contacting or releasing of the claw to the photoreceptor surface can be attained very effectively with a very simple device. Resultingly, a long life separating device for transfer material, which can avoid the needless sliding by the claw on the photoreceptor surface and the toner drop resulted from the sliding of the claw, has been proposed.

Claims: A separating device (20) for separating a transfer material from a photoreceptor (11) of an electrophotographic copying apparatus after a toner image is transferred from said photoreceptor onto said transfer material, comprising: a supporting member (20A) for being placed parallel to said photoreceptor (11), a claw member (22) having a tip, pivotally mounted on said supporting member (20A), for separating said transfer material from said photoreceptor (11), said claw member (22) having a weight member (22A) at its side opposite to the tip of the claw member so that in use, the tip comes into contact with the surface of said photoreceptor by weight of said weight member (22A), characterized by a wire member (W) associated with said weight member (22A) of said claw member (22),for pivoting the claw member (22) by tensioning and loosening of the wire member (W). A device as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising a wire tension means (24) for tightening said wire member (W) by the action of a spring member (26) and loosening said wire member by the operation of a solenoid (S). A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein an end of said wire member (W) is fixed on said supporting plate member (20A).

Inventors: SATOH HISAO, SATOH, HISAO
Applicants: KONISHIROKU PHOTO IND, KONICA CORPORATION
Application year: 1989
Main classification: G03G15
IPC codes: G03G15