US 12,111,584 B2
Image forming apparatus with charge eliminating needle protection cover that maintains constant interval between the needle and a sheet
Yasuhiro Michishita, Osaka (JP); Keisuke Oba, Osaka (JP); and Koji Uno, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed by KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/331,678.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-097210 (JP), filed on Jun. 16, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0408948 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03G 15/02 (2006.01); G03G 15/00 (2006.01); G03G 15/04 (2006.01); G03G 15/16 (2006.01); G03G 21/06 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0233 (2013.01) [G03G 15/025 (2013.01); G03G 15/04 (2013.01); G03G 15/1605 (2013.01); G03G 15/167 (2013.01); G03G 15/6535 (2013.01); G03G 15/657 (2013.01); G03G 21/06 (2013.01); G03G 2221/0047 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of image forming portions each including;
an image carrier having a photosensitive layer formed on a surface thereof;
a charging device that charges the surface of the image carrier to a predetermined surface potential;
an exposure device that irradiates the image carrier having been charged by the charging device with light and thereby forms an electrostatic latent image with attenuated charge; and
a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image having been formed on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image;
an intermediate transfer belt that is endless and disposed adjacent to the image forming portions, and onto an outer circumferential surface of which the toner image having been formed on the surface of the image carrier is primarily transferred;
a primary transfer member that primarily transfers the toner image having been formed on the surface of the image carrier onto the intermediate transfer belt;
a secondary transfer roller that, at a secondary transfer nip portion formed between the secondary transfer roller and the intermediate transfer belt, secondarily transfers, onto a recording medium, the toner image having been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt;
a counter roller that is pressed against the secondary transfer roller via the intermediate transfer belt to thereby form the secondary transfer nip portion; and
a charge eliminating device that eliminates residual charge on the recording medium having passed through the secondary transfer nip portion,
wherein
the charge eliminating device includes:
a charge eliminating needle that includes multiple charge eliminating needles that are arranged at constant intervals over an entire region in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording medium, with end parts of the charge eliminating needles pointing to a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and that is grounded; and
a charge eliminating needle protection cover that has a guide surface that is opposed to the recording medium having passed through the secondary transfer nip portion and substantially parallel to a projecting direction of the end parts of the charge eliminating needles, and that maintains a constant interval between the recording medium and the charge eliminating needle.