IP Library Granted Patent US 8,543,049
Granted Patent B2
US 8,543,049 · App. 12/964,039 · Granted Sep 24, 2013

Cleaning apparatus and image forming apparatus

Inventors: Kiyotaka Kobayashi (Osaka, JP); Takahiko Murata (Osaka, JP); Ai Takagami (Osaka, JP); Yoshimi Shimizu (Kyoto, JP); Mitsuhiro Goda (Osaka, JP); Susumu Hanano (Osaka, JP); Hirofumi Tsuji (Nara, JP); Chisato Hatakeyama (Kawasaki, JP); Katsuya Ota (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,543,049
App. No.
12/964,039
Granted
Sep 24, 2013
Kind
B2
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 (54)

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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

an outermost layer of the photosensitive drum is amorphous silicon.

7. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the toner layer thickness regulating roller is a foaming body roller or a brush roller.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 6, 2012
From: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
To: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 028330/0473 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2010
From: KOBAYASHI, KIYOTAKA; MURATA, TAKAHIKO; TAKAGAMI, AI; SHIMIZU, YOSHIMI; GODA, MITSUHIRO; HANANO, SUSUMU; TSUJI, HIROFUMI; HATAKEYAMA, CHISATO; OTA, KATSUYA
To: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025484/0198 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP P2009-295799 · Dec 25, 2009 · national
JP P2009-295800 · Dec 25, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110158722A1 · Jun 30, 2011