Cleaning device, process cartridge incorporating the cleaning device, and image forming apparatus incorporating the cleaning device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10042314-B2
Application number	US-201715660311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A cleaning device, which is included in a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, includes a cleaning blade configured to remove a material attached to a surface of an image bearer, a cleaning case configured to contain the material removed by the cleaning blade, and a removed material receiver configured to receive the material failed to enter into the cleaning case when the material is removed by the cleaning blade, the removed material receiver having a first range at both ends in a width direction of the cleaning blade and a second range at a center in the width direction of the cleaning blade. A volume per unit length in a width direction of the first range is greater than a volume per unit length in a width direction of the second range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device comprising:
a cleaning blade configured to remove a material attached to a surface of an image bearer;
a cleaning case configured to contain the material removed by the cleaning blade; and
a removed material receiver configured to receive the material failed to enter into the cleaning case when the material is removed by the cleaning blade, the removed material receiver having a first range at both ends in a width direction of the cleaning blade and a second range at a center in the width direction of the cleaning blade,
a volume per unit length in a width direction of the first range being greater than a volume per unit length in a width direction of the second range.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first range of the removed material receiver extends beyond an end portion in the width direction of the cleaning blade.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of a vertical length and a lateral length perpendicular to a width direction in the first range of the removed material receiver is greater than at least one of a vertical length and a lateral length perpendicular to the width direction in the second range of the removed material receiver.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the removed material receiver comprising:
a bottom portion disposed in a lower part of the cleaning device, below a position at which the cleaning blade contacts the image bearer, the bottom portion including an elastic plate;
an upright portion extending upright from the bottom portion, at a leading end of the bottom portion on an image bearer side in the second range, the upright portion including a rubber; and
a wall extending upright and surrounding an area other than a lateral center area of the bottom portion in the first range, the wall including a sponge.

5. A process cartridge detachably attachable to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising:
the cleaning device according to claim 1 ; and
an image bearer disposed close to the cleaning device.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a lubricant application roller configured to apply a lubricant to a surface of the image bearer in a lubricant application range extending in a width direction thereof, the lubricant application range being substantially equal to a width range of the cleaning blade;
a regulating body configured to regulate the lubricant applied on the surface of the image bearer in a lubricant regulation range extending in a width direction thereof, the lubricant regulation range being substantially equal to the width range of the cleaning blade;
a charging body configured to charge the surface of the image bearer in a charging range extending in a width direction thereof, the charging range being substantially equal to the second range; and
a developing body configured to develop a latent image formed on the surface of the image bearer in a developing range extending in a width direction thereof, the developing range being substantially equal to or smaller than the second range.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the cleaning device according to claim 1 ; and
an image bearer disposed close to the cleaning device.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a lubricant application roller configured to apply a lubricant to a surface of the image bearer in a lubricant application range extending in a width direction thereof, the lubricant application range being substantially equal to a width range of the cleaning blade;
a regulating body configured to regulate the lubricant applied on the surface of the image bearer in a lubricant regulation range extending in a width direction thereof, the lubricant regulation range being substantially equal to the width range of the cleaning blade;
a charging body configured to charge the surface of the image bearer in a charging range extending in a width direction thereof, the charging range being substantially equal to the second range; and
a developing body configured to develop a latent image formed on the surface of the image bearer into a toner image in a developing range extending in a width direction thereof, the developing range being substantially equal to or smaller than the second range.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an intermediate transfer body onto which a toner image formed on the surface of the image bearer is transferred in an image receiving range extending in a width direction thereof, the image receiving range being substantially equal to or smaller than the second range; and
a primary transfer body disposed in contact with the image bearer via the intermediate transfer body in a primary transfer range extending in a width direction thereof, the primary transfer range being substantially equal to or smaller than the image receiving range in the width direction of the intermediate transfer body.

10. A cleaning device comprising:
a cleaning blade configured to remove a material attached to a surface of an image bearer;
a cleaning case configured to contain the material removed by the cleaning blade; and
a removed material receiver configured to receive the material failed to enter into the cleaning case when the material is removed by the cleaning blade, the removed material receiver having a first range at both ends in a width direction of the cleaning blade and a second range at a center in the width direction of the cleaning blade,
the removed material receiver comprising:
a bottom portion disposed in a lower part of the cleaning device, below a position at which the cleaning blade contacts the image bearer, the bottom portion including an elastic plate;
an upright portion extending upright from the bottom portion, at a leading end of the bottom portion on an image bearer side in the second range, the upright portion including a rubber; and
a wall extending upright and surrounding an area other than a lateral center area of the bottom portion in the first range, the wall including a sponge.

11. The cleaning device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first range of the removed material receiver extends beyond an end portion in the width direction of the cleaning blade.

12. The cleaning device according to claim 10 ,
wherein at least one of a vertical length and a lateral length perpendicular to a width direction in the first range of the removed material receiver is greater than at least one of a vertical length and a lateral length perpendicular to the width direction in the second range of the removed material receiver.

13. A process cartridge detachably attachable to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising:
the cleaning device according to claim 10 ;
an image bearer disposed close to the cleaning device;
a lubricant application roller configured to apply a lubricant to a surface of the image bearer in a lubricant application range extending in a width direction thereof, the lubricant application range being substantially equal to a width range of the cleaning blade;
a regulating body configured to regulate the lubricant applied on the surface of the image bearer in a lubricant regulation range extending in a width direction thereof, the lubricant regulation range being substantially equal to the width range of the cleaning blade;
a charging body configured to charge the surface of the image bearer in a charging range extending in a width direction thereof, the charging range being substantially equal

Assignees

• Tomita Daisuke
• Kuwabara Nobuo
• Maehata Yasuhiro
• Kudoh Norio
• Kuboshima Yasuhito
• AOKI Kento
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tomita Daisuke
• Kuwabara Nobuo
• Maehata Yasuhiro
• Kudoh Norio
• Kuboshima Yasuhito
• AOKI Kento

Classifications

• G03G21/10

  Collecting or recycling waste developer · CPC title

• G03G21/0076

  Plural or sequential cleaning devices · CPC title

• G03G21/0011 Primary

  using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming · CPC title