Blade-type cleaning device for electrophotographic copying machine

An electrophotographic copying apparatus comprising:

• a frame having upper and lower portions which are movable away from each other;
• an electrophotographic photoconductive member mounted on said upper frame portion for being exposed when said upper frame portion is moved away from said lower frame portion to enable said member to be removed from said upper frame portion;
• a blade-type cleaning device having an elastic blade member for contacting the surface of said electrophotographic photoconductive member for removing residual toner from said surface during movement of said member and a blade holder means holding said blade member and mounted on said upper frame portion for movement toward and away from the surface of said electrophotographic photoconductive member, and biasing means connected to said holder means for biasing said holder means to urge said blade member into contact with said surface when said frame portions are together;
• and
• retracting means connected to said cleaning device for retracting said holder means from said surface when said upper frame portion is moved away from said lower frame portion.

In an electrophotographic copying apparatus, an improved blade-type cleaning device comprising:

• an elastic blade member which is held in pressing contact with the surface of an electrophotographic photoconductive member for removing residual toner from the surface during movement of the photoconductive member;
• holder means for holding the blade member, said holder means being turnable about a support point for bringing the blade member into or out of contact with the surface and holding said blade member when it is in contact with the surface positioned at an angle .theta. defined by 65.degree..ltoreq..theta..ltoreq.85.degree. relative to the portion of a tangent to the surface through the point of contact between the blade member and the surface and which portion extends on the side of the blade toward which the uncleaned portion of said surface is moving, said support point lying on a line through said point of contact and on the same side of said blade as said tangent portion and which is at an angle .alpha. relative to said blade defined by 0.degree..ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.90.degree.;
• and
• a spring member connected to said holder means for biasing said holder means to urge said blade member into contact with said surface, the elastic modulus of said spring member being larger than the elastic modulus of said blade member.

An electrophotographic copying apparatus comprising:

• a frame having upper and lower portions which are movable away from each other;
• an electrophotographic photoconductive member mounted on said upper frame portion for being exposed when said upper frame portion is moved away from said lower frame portion to enable said member to be removed from said upper frame portion;
• a blade-type cleaning device having an elastic blade member for contacting the surface of said electrophotographic photoconductive member for removing residual toner from said surface during movement of said member and a blade holder means holding said blade member and mounted on said upper frame portion for movement toward and away from the surface of said electrophotographic photoconductive member, and a spring member connected to said holder means for biasing said holder means to urge said blade member into contact with said surface when said frame portions are together, the elastic modulus of said spring member being larger than the elastic modulus of said blade member;
• and
• retracting means connected to said cleaning device and said upper frame portion for retracting said holder means from said surface when said upper frame portion is moved away from said lower frame portion.