Cleaning device, image holding body unit, and image forming apparatus
A cleaning device, for cleaning an image holding body that rotates while holding a toner image on an outer circumferential surface of the image holding body, includes: a scraping member that scrapes toner sticking to the outer circumferential surface of the image holding body in a rotating state by a distal end of the scraping member being in contact with, in the outer circumferential surface, in a region in which the image holding body moves upward from below; a trapping member in which toner scraped from the outer circumferential surface to fall is trapped; and at least one raising member that raises up toner trapped in the trapping member, toward the distal end of the scraping member.
1 . A cleaning device for cleaning an image holding body that rotates while holding a toner image on an outer circumferential surface of the image holding body, the cleaning device comprising:
a scraping member that scrapes toner sticking to the outer circumferential surface of the image holding body in a rotating state by a distal end of the scraping member being in contact with, in the outer circumferential surface, a region in which the image holding body moves upward from below;
a trapping member in which toner scraped from the outer circumferential surface to fall is trapped;
at least one raising member comprised of a sheet member being elastically deformable that raises up toner trapped in the trapping member, toward the distal end of the scraping member; and
a transport member that, while rotating, transports toner trapped in the trapping member in an axial direction of the image holding body, wherein:
rotation of the transport member causes the at least one raising member to move from an original state to an elastically deformed state and further rotation of the transport member causes the raising member to elastically return to the original state thereby causing the raising up of the toner.
2 . The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one raising member is disposed in a region in which toner is trapped in the trapping member, and the at least one raising member raises up toner while reciprocating in a thickness direction of the at least on raising member in conjunction with rotation of the transport member.
3 . The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein
the transport member comprises a shaft portion extending in an axial direction of the image holding body and a blade portion helically formed around the shaft portion, the transport member, while rotating, transporting toner trapped in the trapping member in the axial direction of the image holding body, wherein:
the at least one raising member raises up toner by being pushed by the blade portion in a rotating state to be elastically deformed and by becoming separated from the blade portion in the rotating state to be elastically returned.
4 . The cleaning device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the at least one raising member comprises a plurality of raising members separated from one another in the axial direction with a pitch smaller than or equal to a pitch of a helix of the blade portion.
5 . An image holding body unit comprising:
an image holding body that rotates while holding a toner image on an outer circumferential surface of the image holding body; and
the cleaning device according to claim 1 .
6 . An image holding body unit comprising:
an image holding body that rotates while holding a toner image on an outer circumferential surface of the image holding body; and
the cleaning device according to claim 2 .
7 . An image holding body unit comprising:
an image holding body that rotates while holding a toner image on an outer circumferential surface of the image holding body; and
the cleaning device according to claim 3 .
8 . An image holding body unit comprising:
an image holding body that rotates while holding a toner image on an outer circumferential surface of the image holding body; and
the cleaning device according to claim 4 .
9 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the image holding body unit according to claim 5 ; and
a transfer member that transfers, onto a recording medium, a toner image held on the outer circumferential surface of the image holding body included in the image holding body unit.
10 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the image holding body unit according to claim 6 ; and
a transfer member that transfers, onto a recording medium, a toner image held on the outer circumferential surface of the image holding body included in the image holding body unit.
11 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the image holding body unit according to claim 7 ; and
a transfer member that transfers, onto a recording medium, a toner image held on the outer circumferential surface of the image holding body included in the image holding body unit.
12 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the image holding body unit according to claim 8 ; and
a transfer member that transfers, onto a recording medium, a toner image held on the outer circumferential surface of the image holding body included in the image holding body unit.