Minolta Company, Ltd.

Shingo Hirota

Kouji Matsushita

Kuniya Matsuura

Mineyuki Sako

Kuniaki Kashiwakura

Naotoshi Kawai

Futoshi Okazaki

Hiroshi Fukao

Yasunori Nakayama

Hiroshi Sakakibara

An image forming apparatus, such as a printer or photocopier, has a cleaning device for cleaning an image carrier. The efficiency with which the cleaning device cleans the image carrier is varied in dependence upon the image forming conditions, to thereby reduce wear on both the cleaning device and the image carrier. In one embodiment, cleaning efficiency is varied by changing the contact pressure between a cleaning blade and the image carrier. In a color apparatus with multiple image-forming units, the image forming conditions relate to whether the image to be formed is monochrome, composite color or simul-color.

Image forming apparatus with variable efficiency cleaning mechanism

A cleaning device for cleaning residual toner on a toner image carrier. The cleaning device includes a blade that comes into contact with the toner image carrier at an acute angle with respect to an immediate downstream portion of the toner image carrier at a toner removal area where the blade scrapes off residual toner from the toner image carrier. A collecting device moves in a direction opposite the direction of movement of the toner image carrier at the toner removal area and collects the residual toner scraped off by the blade member.

Cleaning device

A cleaning device for removing residual toner on the image bearing member includes a cleaning blade contacting with the surface of the image bearing member and sealing members provided on both end portions of the image bearing member and confronting the cleaning edge of the cleaning blade with a gap. The gap meets the following condition when the average particle diameter per unit volume of the toner used is between 4 .mu.m and 15 .mu.m and the level of condensation is between 5% and 40%, if the width and length of the gap between the cleaning edge and the sealing member are W and L, respectively:

Cleaning device for removing residual toner from an image carrier in an

An image forming apparatus and a cleaning blade employed in the image forming apparatus which is operable to form an electrostatic latent image on an image carrying member, develop the latent image with toner into a visible toner image, transfer the toner image onto a record member and fix the same, and having an edge pressed against the image carrying member with a predetermined pressure for removing residual toner on the image carrying member after the transfer. A degree of toluene swelling of the cleaning blade is in a range from 20% to 100%, and the cleaning blade has an impact resilience in a range from 10% to 65%, a Young's modulus in a range from 30 to 120 kg/cm.sup.2, and a 300%-modulus in a range from 100 to 600 kg/cm.sup.2.

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Kobe, Japan

Shingo Hirota