Electrophotographic image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9235186-B2
Application number	US-201514603455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable member; a web; a mechanism; a contact portion; a plurality of displacing portions; a detecting portion; a notifying portion; a first counting portion; a prohibiting portion; and a second counting portion. The prohibiting portion prohibits an image forming process when the detecting portion detects displacement of the contact portion when the number of times of the image forming process counted by the second counting portion is less than a predetermined number. The notifying portion prompts an exchange of the web when the detecting portion detects the displacement of the contact portion when the number of times is not less than the predetermined number.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising:
a rotatable member;
a web configured to remove a toner, deposited on the rotatable member, in a cleaning position;
a mechanism configured to feed an unused portion of the web to the cleaning position every predetermined number of times of an image forming process;
a contact portion configured to contact a surface of the web;
a plurality of displacing portions formed in different positions with respect to a movement direction of the web and configured to permit displacement of the contact portion;
a detecting portion configured to detect the displacement of the contact portion at each of the displacing portions;
a notifying portion configured to notify an exchange of the web depending on an output of the detecting portion;
a first counting portion configured to count the number of times of the image forming process executed after the contact portion is displaced at each of the displacing portions;
a prohibiting portion configured to prohibit the image forming process when the number of times of the image forming process counted by the first counting portion reaches a number of prohibition; and
a second counting portion configured to count the number of times of the image forming process executed after the contact portion returns to a contact state with the surface of the web,
wherein the prohibiting portion prohibits the image forming process when the detecting portion detects the displacement of the contact portion when the number of times of the image forming process counted by the second counting portion is less than the predetermined number, and
wherein the notifying portion prompts the exchange of the web when the detecting portion detects the displacement of the contact portion when the number of times is not less than the predetermined number.

2. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanism includes a first roller about which the web is wound, a second roller configured to wind up the web, and a third roller configured to urge the web toward the rotatable member in the cleaning position,
wherein the second roller is driven for a predetermined time every execution of the predetermined number of times of the image forming process.

3. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the web and the mechanism are detachably mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus as a unit.

4. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an urging portion configured to urge the contact portion toward the surface of the web.

5. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first displacing portion and the second displacing portion is a recessed portion formed at an end portion of the web.

6. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the notifying portion includes a display portion configured to display a message to urge the exchange of the web.

7. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet;
a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming portion;
a rotatable member provided in the fixing portion;
a web configured to remove a toner, deposited on the rotatable member, in a cleaning position;
a mechanism configured to feed an unused portion of the web to the cleaning position every predetermined number of times of an image forming process;
a contact portion configured to contact a surface of the web;
a plurality of displacing portions formed in different positions with respect to a movement direction of the web and configured to permit displacement of the contact portion;
a detecting portion configured to detect the displacement of the contact portion at each of the displacing portions;
a notifying portion configured to notify an exchange of the web depending on an output of the detecting portion;
a first counting portion configured to count the number of times of the image forming process executed after the contact portion is displaced at each of the displacing portions;
a prohibiting portion configured to prohibit the image forming process when the number of times of the image forming process counted by the first counting portion reaches a number of prohibition; and
a second counting portion configured to count the number of times of the image forming process executed after the contact portion returns to a contact state with the surface of the web,
wherein the prohibiting portion prohibits the image forming process when the detecting portion detects the displacement of the contact portion when the number of times of the image forming process counted by the second counting portion is less than the predetermined number, and
wherein the notifying portion prompts the exchange of the web when the detecting portion detects the displacement of the contact portion when the number of times is not less than the predetermined number.

8. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the mechanism includes a first roller about which the web is wound, a second roller configured to wind up the web, and a third roller configured to urge the web toward the rotatable member in the cleaning position,
wherein the second roller is driven for a predetermined time every execution of the predetermined number of times of the image forming process.

9. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the web and the mechanism are detachably mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus as a unit.

10. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising an urging portion configured to urge the contact portion toward the surface of the web.

11. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein each of the first displacing portion and the second displacing portion is a recessed portion formed at an end portion of the web.

12. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the notifying portion includes a display portion configured to display a message to urge the exchange of the web.

13. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the fixing portion includes a rotatable heating member configured to heat the toner image on the sheet, and
wherein the rotatable member collects a toner deposited on the rotatable heating member while being rotated by rotation of the rotatable heating member.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Hatazaki Kazunari

Classifications

• G03G15/2025 Primary

  with special means for lubricating and/or cleaning the fixing unit, e.g. applying offset preventing fluid · CPC title

• G03G2215/1695

  at the second or higher order transfer point · CPC title

• G03G2215/0129

  horizontal medium transport path at the secondary transfer · CPC title

• G03G15/161

  with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent · CPC title

• G03G15/2064

  combined with pressure · CPC title