Device for cleaning optical fiber tube incorporated in image forming apparatus

Claim 1

In an image-forming apparatus which includes an optical fiber tube for producing an image to be electrostatically copied in the surface of a photoconductive member, the optical fiber tube having a light-emitting surface which is susceptible to becoming dirty, the improvement wherein said image-forming apparatus includes first moving means connected to said optical fiber tube to position said optical fiber tube either at a first position in close proximity to the surface of said photoconductive member or at a second position located remotely of said surface of said photoconductive member; said optical fiber tube, when at said first position, producing an image to be reproduced on the surface of said photoconductive member from light emitted from said light-emitting surface thereof, and, when in said second position, being capable of having its light-emitting surface cleaned; cleaning means capable of cleaning the tight-emitting surface of said optical fiber tube when said optical fiber tube is at said second position; second moving means connected to said cleaning means for moving said cleaning means over said light-emitting surface of said optical fiber tube; control means for controlling the operation of said first moving means and said second moving means; a power switch operable to turn on the supply of electrical current to said image-forming apparatus or turnoff the supply of electrical current to said image-forming apparatus; first detection means connected to said control unit for supplying a signal thereto when said optical fiber tube is at said second position; said control means causing said second moving means to move said cleaning means over said light-emitting surface of said optical fiber tube when said power switch is turned on and said first detection means detects the positioning of said optical fiber tube at said second position.