# US 10,481,547 B2 · Cleaning device and image forming apparatus including the same

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- Number: US 10,481,547 B2
- Document ID: US10481547B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/459,070
- Filed: 2017-03-15
- Published: 2017-09-21
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-18
- Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc.
- Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc.
- Inventors: Junji Murauchi; Noritoshi Hagimoto; Yoshiki Nakane; Takuya Okada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481547B2

## CPC

- G03G 21/0011: {using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming}
- G03G 21/0029: {Details relating to the blade support}
- G03G 2215/0132: vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A cleaning device scrapes off and removes toner that has adhered to a surface of a rotating photoreceptor, and includes: a cleaning member formed of an elastic body; a leaf spring member for pressing the cleaning member against the surface of the photoreceptor; and a support portion supporting the leaf spring member. The cleaning member is fixed to one end of the leaf spring member, and the other end of the leaf spring member is fixed to the support portion with a cushioning member formed of an elastic body interposed therebetween. The cushioning member is fixed to the other end of the leaf spring member by an adhesive.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cleaning device comprising:
a cleaning member formed of an elastic body that scrapes off and removes toner that has adhered to a surface of a rotating photoreceptor;
a leaf spring member that presses the cleaning member against the surface of the photoreceptor; and
a support portion that supports the leaf spring member, wherein
the cleaning member is fixed to one end of the leaf spring member,
the other end of the leaf spring member is fixed to the support portion with a cushioning member formed of an elastic body interposed therebetween,
the cushioning member is fixed to the other end of the leaf spring member by an adhesive, and is fixed to the support portion by an adhesive,
the cushioning member has an Asker C hardness of not less than 50 degrees and not more than 80 degrees, and
the leaf spring member includes a portion where the cleaning member and the support portion do not overlap, satisfying Equation 1:
L0>L1 (1)
where L0 is a design free length of the leaf spring member and L1 is a length of the cleaning member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein
the cleaning member is fixed to the one end of the leaf spring member by an adhesive.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein
the cleaning member is fixed to a main surface of the leaf spring member opposite to a main surface of the leaf spring member facing the cushioning member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein
the cleaning member is fixed to a main surface of the leaf spring member facing the cushioning member.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An image forming apparatus comprising the cleaning device according to claim 1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein
the leaf spring member includes a portion where the cleaning member and the support portion do not overlap, further satisfying Equation 2:
L1>L2 (2)
where L1 is a length of the cleaning member and L2 is a length of the cushioning member L2.