Cylindrical developer carrier and production method thereof

Abstract

A cylindrical developer carrier capable of fully charging a toner compound on a developing sleeve via frictional force even after being used repeatedly. The cylindrical developer carrier includes an electrically conductive substrate having an evenly roughened surface, and an alumite layer formed on the roughened surface, wherein the alumite layer has a uniform distribution of minute holes that reach the substrate surface. A method for manufacturing the cylindrical developer carrier includes roughening the electrically conductive substrate surface by blasting it with spherical fine particles, forming the alumite layer on the roughened surface by an anodizing method, and blasting the surface of the alumite-layer with amorphous fine particles that a diameter greater than that of the spherical fine particles.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to a cylindrical developer carrier loaded on an electrophotographic apparatus such as an electrophotographic printer, copying machine, or fax machine. DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND ARTS [0002] Conventionally, any electrophotographic apparatus, such as a laser printer, LED printer, or copying machine using normal paper, executes the formation of images through application of a so-called Carlson process. The Carlson process is a method for forming an image via the output of a toner image transcribed and fixed on copy paper or the like every cycle of an electrophotographic process executed via components for performing an electrification (i.e., charging), an exposure, a toner development, an image transcription, and an electrical discharge. Such components respectively are disposed on the circumferential surface of a cylindrical photoconductor provided with a photosensitive layer. [0003] In the course of executing the above processes, whe...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] In consideration of the technical problems described thus far, the invention aims at providing a novel cylindrical developer carrier and a method for manufacturing it, wherein the cylindrical developer carrier is capable of fully charging a toner compound on a developing sleeve via friction force even after being used repea

Problems solved by technology

Likewise, when an excessively thick or thin toner layer is formed on the developing sleeve, in terms of developing density, a satisfactory image cannot be obtained.

A fully smoothed surface is not always the optimal choice.

On the other hand, depending on the hardness of the developing sleeve, these projections and recesses are subject to wear after repeated use.

This causes the quality of images to be gradually degraded, thus leading to a problem.

Thereby, the toner compound becomes more difficult to shift onto the surface of the photoconductor.

This in turn leads to another problem in that a difference in depth is apt to be generated on the developed image of the photoconductor through the generation of a specific pattern corresponding to the image generated during the last developing process.

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