| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process unit and an image forming apparatus which enable removal of foreign matter sticking to a photoreceptor while ensuring decrease of damage to the photoreceptor. <P>SOLUTION: A cleaning roller 52 is disposed in a lateral direction of a photoreceptor drum 27 in such a manner that the roller 52 can be brought into pressure contact with or separated from the photoreceptor drum 27 by a contact/separation mechanism 53. Under control by a CPU 71, the cleaning roller 52 is brought into pressure contact with the photoreceptor drum 27 with timing such as when toner empty alarm is started or stopped, a predetermined number of prints have been output, warm-up takes place, or a power source is turned on. This eliminates the need to keep the cleaning roller 52 in contact with the photoreceptive drum 27 and enables the roller 52 to be brought into pressure contact with the drum 27 with timing when cleaning of the drum 27 is necessary. Even if the cleaning roller 52 is brought into contact with the photoreceptor drum 27 at pressure higher than that applied to the roller 52 kept in contact with the drum 27, the length of time that the roller 52 is in pressure contact with the drum 27 is short. Therefore, damage to the photoreceptor drum 27 can be decreased and foreign matter sticking to the surface of the drum 27 can also be sufficiently cleared away. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO |
