# US 8,543,049 B2 · Cleaning apparatus and image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 8,543,049 B2
- Document ID: US8543049B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/964,039
- Filed: 2010-12-09
- Published: 2011-06-30
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-25
- Assignees: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
- Applicants: Kiyotaka Kobayashi; Takahiko Murata; Ai Takagami; Yoshimi Shimizu; Mitsuhiro Goda; Susumu Hanano; Hirofumi Tsuji; Chisato Hatakeyama; Katsuya Ota
- Inventors: Kiyotaka Kobayashi; Takahiko Murata; Ai Takagami; Yoshimi Shimizu; Mitsuhiro Goda; Susumu Hanano; Hirofumi Tsuji; Chisato Hatakeyama; Katsuya Ota
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543049B2

## CPC

- G03G 21/0058: {using a roller or a polygonal rotating cleaning member; Details thereof, e.g. surface structure (G03G21/0064 takes precedence)}
- G03G 2221/1627: Details concerning the cleaning process
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A cleaning apparatus is provided with a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with a photosensitive drum, and with a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of this cleaning roller. The toner layer thickness regulating member is formed by a toner layer thickness regulating roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cleaning apparatus for a photosensitive drum, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drum;
a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates a thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of the cleaning roller; and
the toner layer thickness regulating member comprises a toner layer thickness regulating roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller,
wherein a depth to which the toner layer thickness regulating roller presses into the cleaning roller is in a range of 0.2 to 0.6 mm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
rotation directions of the toner layer thickness regulating roller and the cleaning roller are the same direction at the point of contact between the two rollers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the linear velocity of the toner layer thickness regulating roller is between 0.8 and 1.2 times that of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
an outer diameter of the toner layer thickness regulating roller is not an integral multiple of the outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
an outer diameter of the toner layer thickness regulating roller is smaller than the outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
an outermost layer of the photosensitive drum is amorphous silicon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the toner layer thickness regulating roller is a foaming body roller or a brush roller.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
the toner layer thickness regulating roller is a foaming body roller, and a hardness of the foaming body roller is less than that of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the toner layer thickness regulating roller is a metal roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
rotation directions of the metal roller and the cleaning roller are the same direction at the point of contact between the two rollers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
a ratio (X) of the linear velocity of the metal roller relative to that of the cleaning roller is set such that 0<X≦2.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an outer diameter of the metal roller is not an integral multiple of the outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an outer diameter of the metal roller is smaller than the outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein processing to create an uneven surface is performed on the metal roller.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a surface of the metal roller is covered by a synthetic resin.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an outermost layer of the photosensitive drum is amorphous silicon.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

An image forming apparatus comprising the cleaning apparatus according to claim 9.

### Claim 19

A cleaning apparatus for a photosensitive drum, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drum;
a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of the cleaning roller; and
the toner layer thickness regulating member comprising a toner layer thickness regulating roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller,
wherein an outer diameter of the toner layer thickness regulating roller is not an integral multiple of the outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 20

A cleaning apparatus for a photosensitive drum, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drum;
a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of the cleaning roller; and
the toner layer thickness regulating member comprising a toner layer thickness regulating roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller,
wherein an outer diameter of the toner layer thickness regulating roller is smaller than the outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

### Claim 21

A cleaning apparatus for a photosensitive drum, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drum; and
a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of the cleaning roller; and
the toner layer thickness regulating member comprises a metal roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller,
wherein rotation directions of the metal roller and the cleaning roller are the same direction at the point of contact between the two rollers, and
a ratio (X) of the linear velocity of the metal roller relative to that of the cleaning roller is set such that 0<X≦2.

### Claim 22

A cleaning apparatus for a photosensitive drum, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drum;
a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of the cleaning roller;
the toner layer thickness regulating member comprising one of a foaming body roller or a brush roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller; and
the cleaning roller comprising a foaming body roller different from the toner layer thickness regulating member,
wherein an outermost layer of the photosensitive drum is amorphous silicon.