# US 7,610,008 B2 · Cleaning device, and process unit and image forming apparatus including the cleaning device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,008 B2 - Document ID: US7610008B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/455,825 - Filed: 2006-06-20 - Published: 2006-12-21 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-20 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Kazuhiko Watanabe; Osamu Naruse; Masahiko Shakuto; Hidetoshi Yano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610008B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/0017: {Details relating to the internal structure or chemical composition of the blades} - G03G 2221/0015: Width of cleaning device related to other parts of the apparatus, e.g. transfer belt width - G03G 2221/1618: for the cleaning unit - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A cleaning device including an elastic blade whose tip is contacted with a surface of a rotating member in such a manner as to counter the rotated member to remove particles of a toner on the rotated member; and a holder configured to support the elastic blade, wherein a nip formed by longitudinal end portions of the tip of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a first nip width in a rotation direction of the rotated member, and a nip formed by a central portion of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a second nip width, and wherein the first nip width is less than the second nip width. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cleaning device, comprising: an elastic blade whose tip is contacted with a surface of a rotated member in such a manner as to counter the rotated member to remove particles of a toner on the rotated member; and a holder configured to support the elastic blade, wherein a nip formed by a tip of longitudinal end portions of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a first nip width in a rotation direction of the rotated member, and a nip formed by a tip of a central portion of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a second nip width, the first nip width is less than the second nip width, and the elastic blade satisfies the following relationships AcBe wherein Bc represents the distance between a front end of the holder and the tip of the elastic blade contacted with the surface of the rotated member at the end portions of the blade, and Be represents the distance between a front end of the holder and the tip of the elastic blade contacted with the surface of the rotated member at the central portion of the blade. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein each of the longitudinal end portions of the elastic blade has a reinforcing portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein the each of the longitudinal end portions of the elastic blade has a thick portion having a thickness greater than the tip of the elastic blade as the reinforcing portion, wherein a rear surface of the thick portion is contacted with a front end of the holder. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a pressure per unit area applied to the tip of the central portion of the blade contacted with the surface of the photoreceptor, and a pressure per unit area applied to the tip of each of the end portions of the blade contacted with the surface of the photoreceptor are not less than 3.0 MPa. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the first nip width and the second nip width are not less than 10 μm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the first nip width and the second nip width are not greater than 40 μm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a linear pressure applied to the tip of the central portion of the blade contacted with the surface of the photoreceptor, and a linear pressure applied to the tip edge of each of the end portions of the blade contacted with the surface of the photoreceptor are from 0.2 to 1.2 N/cm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic blade has a repulsion elasticity of not greater than 30% at 23° C. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the toner has an average circularity of not less than 0.98. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A process unit, comprising: a rotating member; and a cleaning device configured to remove particles of a toner on the rotating member, wherein the cleaning device is the cleaning device according to claim 1, and the process unit is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus, comprising: a latent image bearing member; a charger configured to charge the latent image bearing member; a latent image forming device configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the latent image bearing member; a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image onto a receiving material; and a cleaning device configured to remove particles of the toner present on at least one rotating member, wherein the cleaning device is the cleaning device according to claim 1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the latent image bearing member has an outermost layer comprising a particulate inorganic material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the latent image bearing member has an outermost layer comprising a crosslinked resin. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the latent image bearing member has an outermost layer comprising a polymer having a charge transport ability. ### Claim 19 A cleaning device, comprising: an elastic blade whose tip is contacted with a surface of a rotated member in such a manner as to counter the rotated member to remove particles of a toner on the rotated member; and a holder configured to support the elastic blade, wherein a nip formed by a tip of longitudinal end portions of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a first nip width in a rotation direction of the rotated member, and a nip formed by a tip of a central portion of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a second nip width, wherein the first nip width is less than the second nip width, and a pressure per unit area applied to the tip of the central portion of the blade contacted with the surface of the photoreceptor, and a pressure per unit area applied to the tip of each of the end portions of the blade contacted with the surface of the photoreceptor are not less than 3.0 MPa. ### Claim 20 A cleaning device, comprising: an elastic blade whose tip is contacted with a surface of a rotated member in such a manner as to counter the rotated member to remove particles of a toner on the rotated member; and a holder configured to support the elastic blade, wherein a nip formed by a tip of longitudinal end portions of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a first nip width in a rotation direction of the rotated member, and a nip formed by a tip of a central portion of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a second nip width, wherein the first nip width is less than the second nip width, and the first nip width and the second nip width are not greater than 40 μm.