Cleaning device, reading device, and image forming apparatus

1 . A cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning unit comprising a brush that cleans a cleaning section by coming into contact with the cleaning section, the cleaning section being disposed in a transport space through which a medium is transported;

a support unit comprising a drum that supports the cleaning unit, the support unit rotating about a rotation center to cause the cleaning unit to pass the cleaning section in a direction along a transporting direction in which the medium is transported; and

a removing unit comprising a rib that is disposed upstream of the cleaning section with respect to the transporting direction of the medium, wherein an end portion of the removing unit is bent upward toward the cleaning unit to form a reservoir unit disposed on an upper surface of the end portion, and the upper surface of the end portion of the removing unit comes into contact with the cleaning unit to remove a substance adhering to the cleaning unit.

2 . The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the removing unit is disposed in a region through which the cleaning unit passes from an outside to an inside of the transport space.

3 . The cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein

the reservoir unit is formed to have a recessed shape and being capable of storing the substance.

4 . The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the cleaning unit is disposed on a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the support unit in a rotation direction in which the support unit rotates.

5 . The cleaning device according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a guide unit comprising a guide that is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the support unit and that guides the medium in a state such that the guide unit faces the cleaning section.

6 . The cleaning device according to claim 5 ,

wherein the support unit causes the guide unit to continuously face the cleaning section when the medium is transported, and rotates to cause the cleaning unit to pass the cleaning section and clean the cleaning section in a predetermined cleaning period.

7 . A reading device comprising:

a reading unit comprising an image sensor including a reading portion disposed in a transport space through which a medium is transported, the reading unit reading an image on the medium;

a cleaning unit comprising a brush that cleans the reading portion by coming into contact with the reading portion;

a support unit comprising a drum that supports the cleaning unit, the support unit rotating about a rotation center to cause the cleaning unit to pass the reading portion in a direction along a transporting direction in which the medium is transported; and

a removing unit comprising a rib that is disposed upstream of the reading portion with respect to the transporting direction of the medium, wherein an end portion of the removing unit is bent upward toward the cleaning unit to form a reservoir unit disposed on an upper surface of the end portion, and the upper surface of the end portion of the removing unit comes into contact with the cleaning unit, which moves as the support unit rotates, to remove a substance adhering to the cleaning unit.

8 . The reading device according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a calibrating unit comprising a calibration plate that is supported on an outer peripheral surface of the support unit and that calibrates the reading unit in a state such that the calibrating unit faces the reading portion.

9 . The reading device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the calibrating unit includes:

a first calibrating unit comprising a first calibration plate having a predetermined color; and

a second calibrating unit comprising a second calibration plate having a color that differs from the color of the first calibrating unit.

10 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

a recording unit including a plurality of photoconductors that records an image on a medium; and

the reading device according to claim 9 that reads the image recorded on the medium by the recording unit.

11 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

a recording unit including a plurality of photoconductors that records an image on a medium; and

the reading device according to claim 8 that reads the image recorded on the medium by the recording unit.

12 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

a recording unit including a plurality of photoconductors that records an image on a medium; and

the reading device according to claim 7 that reads the image recorded on the medium by the recording unit.

13 . A cleaning device comprising:

cleaning means comprising a brush for cleaning a cleaning section by coming into contact with the cleaning section, the cleaning section being disposed in a transport space through which a medium is transported;

support means comprising a drum for supporting the cleaning means, the support means rotating about a rotation center to cause the cleaning means to pass the cleaning section in a direction along a transporting direction in which the medium is transported; and

removing means comprising a rib that is disposed upstream of the cleaning section with respect to the transporting direction of the medium, wherein an end portion of the removing means is bent upward toward the cleaning means to form a reservoir means disposed on an upper surface of the end portion, and the upper surface of the end portion of the removing means comes into contact with the cleaning means to remove a substance adhering to the cleaning means.