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US 7,024,150 B2Granted
Separable cleaning device for an image forming apparatus
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazushi Fukuta, Takeshi Takami, Nao Itabashi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contaminant removing member for removing contaminants adhering to the surface of the photoconductive member is contacted to and pressed against the surface of the photoconductive member by an engaging and disengaging mechanism only when a contaminant removing operation is performed. Accordingly, the contaminants adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum can be removed while damage to the surface of the photosensitive drum is minimized. Alternatively the contaminant removing operation can be performed by a contaminant removing member removably mounted to one of a toner container or a photosensitive member container.
Claims27
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a photosensitive body;
- a cleaning member that removes contaminants adhering to a surface of the photosensitive body by contacting and pressing the surface of the photosensitive body;
- a moving device that moves the cleaning member between a position where the cleaning member contacts the surface of the photosensitive body and a position where the cleaning member is positioned at a distance from the surface of the photosensitive body;
- and
- a controller that controls the moving device at a predetermined timing for contacting the cleaning member to the surface of the photosensitive body, wherein the cleaning member includes a contacting member that contacts the photosensitive body and a support member that supports the contacting member, the support member includes an elastic body and the contacting member is made of a fiber material, and the contacting member includes paper which is made from only virgin pulp with 15% or less by weight of a filler mixed therein.
2 more elements
A processing unit, comprising:
- a photosensitive body;
- a cleaning member that removes contaminants adhering to a surface of the photosensitive body by contacting and pressing the surface of the photosensitive body;
- and
- a moving device that moves the cleaning member between a position where the cleaning member contacts the surface of the photosensitive body and a position where the cleaning member is positioned at a distance from the surface of the photosensitive body, wherein the cleaning member includes a contacting member that contacts the photosensitive body and a support member that supports the contacting member, the support member includes an elastic body and the contacting member is made of a fiber material, and the contacting member includes paper which is made from only virgin pulp with 15% or less by weight of a filler mixed therein.
1 more element
A processing device, comprising:
- a photosensitive body;
- a developing agent holding member that is provided so as to face the photosensitive body and holds a developing agent to be supplied to the photosensitive body;
- and
- a contaminant removing member that is provided between the photosensitive body and the developing agent holding member and removes contaminants adhering to the photosensitive body by contacting a surface of the photosensitive body.
1 more element
A developing unit, comprising:
- a container that houses a developing agent;
- a developing agent holding member that holds the developing agent;
- a holding member support member that supports the developing agent holding member;
- and
- a contaminant removing member that is detachably attached to the holding member support member, wherein the container and the holding member support member are a unitary structure to which the contaminant removing member is detachably attached.
2 more elements
A processing device, comprising:
- a photosensitive body;
- a photosensitive body support member that supports the photosensitive body;
- and
- a developing unit that is attached to and detached from the photosensitive body support member;
- the developing unit comprising:
- a container that houses a developing agent;
- a developing agent holding member that holds the developing agent;
- a holding member support member that supports the developing agent holding member;
- and
- a contaminant removing member that is detachably attached to the holding member support member.
7 more elements
A contaminant removing member, comprising:
- a contaminant removing portion that is made of the fiber material;
- and
- a support member that supports the contaminant removing portion, wherein the contaminant removing portion includes paper which is made from only virgin pulp with 15% or less by weight of a filler mixed therein.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a developing agent holding member that holds an developing agent;
- a photosensitive body that is disposed to face the developing agent holding member and holds a developing agent image;
- an intermediate transfer body onto which the developing agent image held by the photosensitive body is transferred;
- a contaminant removing member that is provided between the photosensitive body and the intermediate transfer body so as to be movable between a position where the contaminant removing member contacts a surface of the intermediate transfer body and a position where the contaminant removing member is positioned at a distance from the surface of the intermediate transfer body.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.