Cleaning apparatus

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning apparatus comprising a removing means (6) for removing residual toner from a member (1) to be cleaned, a storage means (11) for reserving the residual toner removed from the member (1) to be cleaned, a partition member (12) for dividing the interior of the storage means (11) into an upper section and a lower section, and a feeding means (8, 9, 13) for feeding the residual toner to the upper section above the partition member (12).

Description: The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus which removes residual toner from a member to be cleaned and feeds the removed toner to a reservoir by means of a toner feed mechanism. It also relates to a recording apparatus including cleaning apparatus. According to Fig. 3 showing a sectional view of a recording apparatus which contributes to the background of the present invention, a photosensitive member 1 is uniformly charged by means of a corona charger 2, and, after a light image 3 has been illuminated onto the photosensitive member to form a latent image thereon, the latent image is developed to form a visualized image with toner by means of a developing device. Then, the toner T on the photosensitive member 1 is transferred onto a transfer sheet S by means of a corona charger 5 to form an image. After the transferring operation, the residual toner T' remains on the photosensitive member 1 (member to be cleaned); such residual toner is removed from the member to be cleaned by means of a cleaning blade 6 and is stored in a container 7. The recovered toner T' is fed by a toner feeding means 8 comprising a toner feeding plate 8a and elastic members 8b rearwardly of a partition plate 10 to be accumulated into a toner reserving portion 11. A recording apparatus similar to Figure 3 is described in United States Patent No. 4,530,594. Currently there is a demand for high speed operation. There is also consistent with this demand, a demand that recording apparatus should be durable i.e. maintenance intervals should be infrequent. Accordingly there is a need for storing a large quantity of residual toner. However, state of art cleaning apparatus does not have a sufficient capacity and even if container volume were increased it would be difficult to ensure that the enlarged volume, in particular the upper space thereof, would be used effectively. Mention is made here that Japanese Patent Application 59-155878 and Patent Abstracts of Japan Vol. 9 No. 9 (P-327)(1732) describes a cleaning apparatus having a removal means for removing residual toner from a member which is to be cleaned, and storage means for storing residual toner removed from this member. Residual toner is removed from the surface of a photosensitive drum by means of a rubber blade. It is then collected right under the rubber blade then extruded and conveyed by a ladder chain to an opening at the top of a toner reservoir. As toner collects in the reservoir it is distributed by means of a paddle located near the opening and moved rearwards to the upper part of the reservoir below the opening. The present ivention provides an alternative and effective solution to the problem aforesaid. Cleaning apparatus according to the invention, also having removal means and storage means as aforesaid, is characterised by: a partition dividing the interior of the storage means into upper and lower communicating sections; and a feed means which is arranged to feed residual toner from the lower section to the upper section. Residual toner is thus positively urged into the upper section of the storage means and the volume thereof can be utilized effectively. When the aforesaid cleaning apparatus is used in recording apparatus in place of state of art cleaning apparatus, operational durability is enhanced i.e. larger amounts of residual toner can be stored so that maintenance can be less frequent. In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a recording apparatus incorporating a cleaning apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a recording apparatus incorporating a cleaning apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a recording apparatus incorporating a cleaning apparatus contributing to the background of the present invention. The present invention will now be explained in connection with embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is given by way of example only. Incidentally, elements having the same function as those of the elements shown in Fig. 3 will be designated by the same reference numerals. In Fig. 1 showing a sectional view of a recording apparatus incorporating a cleaning apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a toner image is formed on a photosensitive member 1 in the same manner as described regarding Fig. 3. After the image has been transferred to a transfer sheet S, the toner T' remaining on the photosensitive member 1 (to be cleaned) is transferred to a toner container 7 by means of a cleaning blade 6. The toner T' is fed by a first toner feed means 8 comprising a toner feed plate 8a and elastic members 8b each constituted by a feed blade made of material such a Mylar (Trade Mark), rearwardly of a partition plate 10 (toward a toner reservoir portion 11), and is then fed into the interior of the reservoir portion 11 upwardly and rearwardly by means of a second toner feed means 9 comprising a toner paddle 9a and elastic toner feed blades 9b made of elastomer material such as Mylar (Trade Mark). The paddle 9a comprises an elongate rotary prismatic member having a square cross-section and extending in a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive member (i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 1). The elastic toner feed blades 9b are attached to flat surfaces of the paddle 9a by means of an adhesive material or the like. While two elastic toner feed blades 9b are shown, any number of such blades may be used. Above the second toner feed means 9, there is arranged a partition plate 12 for dividing the interior of the toner reservoir portion 11 into an upper section and a lower section. More particularly, the partition plate 12 serves to divide only a portion of the toner receiving chamber 11; to this end, the partition plate 12 is fixed at its one end to the partition plate 10 and has a free or other end spaced from the inner side surface of the toner container to define a passage through which the toner can be moved from the lower section to the upper section of the toner reserving chamber 11. With this arrangement, the toner removed from the photosensitive member is fed, by means of the second toner feed means 9, into the upper section of the toner reserving chamber 11 through the passage defined between the free end of the partition plate 12 and the inner wall of the toner container. In this way, by dividing the interior of the toner reservoir portion 11 into upper and lower sections, it is possible to utilize the upper space of the toner reservoir portion 11 effectively, thus permitting the storage of a large amount of toner in the toner reservoir portion 11. Consequently, in the illustrated embodiment, the durability of the cleaning apparatus can be improved. Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of a recording apparatus incorporating a cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. With respect to this second embodiment, only the difference between it and the previous embodiment will be explained. In Fig. 2, as well as the first toner feed means 8, a second and a third toner feed means, 9, 13 are arranged in the toner reservoir portion 11. A partition plate 12 for dividing the toner reservoir chamber 11 into upper and lower sections is also arranged above the second and third toner feed means 9, 13. The second toner feed means 9 mainly serves to feed the toner laterally or horizontally toward the rear of the toner reservoir portion 11, and the third toner feed means 13 mainly serves to feed the toner upwardly above the partition plate 12. In this way, in this second embodiment, it is possible to feed the toner into the upper section of the toner reservoir chamber 11 fully, thus permitting the storage of a larger amount of toner in the toner reservoir portion 11. It should be noted that the third toner feed means 13 comprises a toner paddle 13a and elastic toner feed blades 13b made of elastomer material such as Mylar (Trade Mark), like the second toner feed means 9 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Incidentally, while the elastic toner feed blades 9b of the second toner feed means 9 of Fig. 1 and the elastic toner feed blades 13b of the third toner feed means 13 of Fig. 2 are shown to contact the respective partition plates 12, these blades 9b, 13b may be arranged not to contact the respective partition plates. Further, while a plurality of toner feed means are provided in each cleaning apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it is not necessary to provide the plural toner feed means, and only a single toner feed means may be used. However, in order to feed the toner to the rearmost and/or uppermost portion of the toner reservoir chamber to store a large amount of toner therein, it is preferable to use plural toner feed means. In addition, according to the illustrated embodiments mentioned above, since the load applied to the toner feed means arranged in the toner reservoir chamber can be reduced by an amount corresponding to the weight of the toner supported on the partition plate 12, the load applied to a driving mechanism (such as gearing) for driving the toner feed can also be reduced, thereby preventing damage to the toner feed means and/or the driving mechanism therefor.

Claims: A cleaning apparatus comprising: removal means (6) for removing residual toner from a member (1) which is to be cleaned; and storage means (7) for storing residual toner (T¹) removed from said member (1): which apparatus is characterised by: a first partition member (12) dividing the interior of said storage means (7) into upper and lower sections which communicate with each other; and a first feed means (9; 13) arranged to feed the residual toner (T¹) from said lower section to said upper section. An apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said first feed means (9; 13) is disposed in the lower section of said storage means (7), said first partition member (12) being positioned above said feed means (9; 13). An apparatus according to Claims 1 or 2, wherein said first partition member (12) comprises a plate which divides a portion of the interior of said storage means (7) into said upper and lower sections. An apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said first partition member (12) has a free end and defines a passage through which the residual toner (T¹) can be fed and which communicates said lower-section with said upper section. An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein a portion (9b; 13b) of said first feed means (9; 13) contacts said free end of said first partition member (12). An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said first feed means (9; 13) is arranged to feed the residual toner (T1) rearwardly of said partition member (12) along said lower portion and upwards into said upper portion. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising a second feed means (-; 9) disposed in front of said first feed means (-; 13) to feed the residual toner (T¹) laterally or horizontally towards said first feed means (-; 13) and the rear of said storage means (7). An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said first feed means (9; 13) and/or said second feed means (-; 9) each comprise a rotary member including a paddle (9a; 13a and/or 9a) and at least one elastic member (9b; 13b and/or 9b) attached to said paddle (9a; 13a and/or 9a). An appartus according to Claim 8, wherein said paddle (9a; 13a and/or 9a) comprises a prismatic member. An apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein said elastic member (9b; 13b and/or 9b) is attached to a flat side surface of said paddle (9a; 13a and/or 9a). An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said first feed means (9; 13) is operable to urge said residual toner (T¹) up against said first partition member (12). An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said first and/or second feed means (9; 13) and/or 9) is a rotational member of which flat resilient members (9b; 13b) are attached to surfaces of a shaft (9a, 13a) having a square cross section. An appartus according to claim 12, wherein the resilient members (9b; 13b) of said first feed means (9; 13) are arranged so as to abut an end of said first partition member (12) for each rotation of said rotational member. An apparatus according to any preceding claim comprising a third feed means (8) disposed adjacent to said removal means (6) at a front end entrance portion of said storage means (7). An apparatus according to Claim 14, wherein said storage means (7) is divided by a second partition member (10) into front and rear sections which communicate with each other below said second partition member (10) and said first partition member (12) divides said rear section into said upper and lower sections. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said removal means (6) comprises a cleaning blade. A recording apparatus comprising: a rotable photosensitive member (1); a first corona charger (2) to charge said photosensitive member (1); illumination means (3) to form a latent image on the photosensitive member (1) charged by said first corona charger (2); a toner dispenser (4) to apply fresh toner (T) to said photosensitive member (1) to develop said latent image; a second corona charger (5) to transfer applied toner (T) from said photosensitive member (1) onto a transfer sheet (S); and a cleaning apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim for removing residual toner (T1) from said photosensitive member (1).

Inventors: IKEMOTO ISAO, ISHIWATA KAZUHIKO, TANAKA MAKOTO, TSUDA TADAYUKI, WATANABE KAZUSHI, IKEMOTO, ISAO, ISHIWATA, KAZUHIKO, TANAKA, MAKOTO, TSUDA, TADAYUKI, WATANABE, KAZUSHI
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G03G21
IPC codes: G03G21