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US 2004/0105710 A1Published application
Cleaning device and method, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsMasahiko Shakuto, Tohru Nakano, Masanori Horike, Osamu Naruse, Masahiko Katoh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning device includes a blade member having an end that touches an image carrier that caries a toner image made with toner, a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed, and a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that the end of the blade member does not curl.
Claims115
A cleaning device for cleaning toner from an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner, comprising:
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of the image carrier and scraps off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member does not curl.
1 more element
A cleaning device for cleaning toner from an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner, comprising:
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that amplitude of the vibrations is smaller than the specified amount for which the blade member is pressed against the surface of the image carrier.
1 more element
A cleaning device for cleaning toner from an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner, comprising:
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that toner that is not in contact with the end of the blade member is vibrated.
1 more element
A process cartridge comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of the image carrier and scraps off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member does not curl.
4 more elements
A process cartridge comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that amplitude of the vibrations is smaller than the specified amount for which the blade member is pressed against the surface of the image carrier.
4 more elements
A process cartridge comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that toner that is not in contact with the end of the blade member is vibrated.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of the image carrier and scraps off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member does not curl.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that amplitude of the vibrations is smaller than the specified amount for which the blade member is pressed against the surface of the image carrier.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that toner that is not in contact with the end of the blade member is vibrated.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of process cartridges, each process cartridge including
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a charging unit that electrically charges the image carrier;
- a developing unit that develops the toner images on the image carries;
- a transfer unit that transfers the developed toner image onto a recording medium;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of the image carrier and scraps off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member does not curl.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of process cartridges, each process cartridge including
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a charging unit that electrically charges the image carrier;
- a developing unit that develops the toner images on the image carries;
- a transfer unit that transfers the developed toner image onto a recording medium;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that amplitude of the vibrations is smaller than the specified amount for which the blade member is pressed against the surface of the image carrier.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of process cartridges, each process cartridge including
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a charging unit that electrically charges the image carrier;
- a developing unit that develops the toner images on the image carries;
- a transfer unit that transfers the developed toner image onto a recording medium;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end is pressed against a surface of the image carrier for a specified amount to thereby scrap off toner from the surface;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that toner that is not in contact with the end of the blade member is vibrated.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus, in which a latent image is formed on an image carrier, the latent image is developed with a toner having sphericity of 0.96 to 1.00 based on a flow type particle image analyzer (FPIA), the toner image is transferred onto a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising:
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of the image carrier;
- a vibratable member to which to the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that, after the toner image is transferred onto the recording medium, vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean toner remaining on the image carrier.
1 more element
A cleaning device comprising:
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of a image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner having sphericity of 0.96 to 1.00 based on a flow type particle image analyzer;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean the toner on the image carrier.
1 more element
A process cartridge comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of a image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner having sphericity of 0.96 to 1.00 based on a flow type particle image analyzer;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean the toner on the image carrier.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of process cartridges, each process cartridge including
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a charging unit that electrically charges the image carrier;
- a developing unit that develops the toner images on the image carrier;
- a transfer unit that transfers the developed toner image onto a recording medium;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of a image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner having sphericity of 0.96 to 1.00 based on a flow type particle image analyzer;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean the toner on the image carrier.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus, in which a toner image is formed on an image carrier with a toner having sphericity of 0.96 to 1.00 based on a flow type particle image analyzer (FPIA), the image forming apparatus comprising:
- a cleaning unit that includes
- a blade member having an end, wherein the end touches a surface of the image carrier;
- a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean toner remaining on the image carrier,
- wherein friction between the image carrier and the blade member is less when the vibrating unit vibrates the vibratable member than when the vibrating unit does not vibrate the vibratable member.
3 more elements
A cleaning device comprising:
- a blade member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end touches a surface of an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a vibratable member to which to the second end of the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the first end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean the toner from the surface of the image carrier,
- wherein friction between the image carrier and the blade member is less when the vibrating unit vibrates the vibratable member than when the vibrating unit does not vibrate the vibratable member.
2 more elements
A process cartridge comprising:
- an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end touches a surface of an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a vibratable member to which to the second end of the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the first end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean the toner from the surface of the image carrier,
- wherein friction between the image carrier and the blade member is less when the vibrating unit vibrates the vibratable member than when the vibrating unit does not vibrate the vibratable member.
5 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of process cartridges, each process cartridge including an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a charging unit that electrically charges the image carrier;
- a developing unit that develops the toner images on the image carrier;
- a transfer unit that transfers the developed toner image onto a recording medium;
- and
- a cleaning unit having
- a blade member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end touches a surface of an image carrier that carries a toner image made of toner;
- a vibratable member to which to the second end of the blade member is fixed;
- and
- a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member so that the first end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean the toner from the surface of the image carrier,
- wherein friction between the image carrier and the blade member is less when the vibrating unit vibrates the vibratable member than when the vibrating unit does not vibrate the vibratable member.
7 more elements
A method of cleaning toner remaining on an image carrier, wherein the toner having sphericity of 0.96 to 1.00 based on a flow type particle image analyzer, comprising:
- fixing a blade member, having an end, to a vibratable member such that the end of the blade member touches the image carrier;
- and
- vibrating the vibratable member so that the end of the blade member vibrates to thereby clean the toner on the image carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.