Film, member, transfer device, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A film containing a structure A having the formula: [RSiO1.5] n (wherein R represents an organic group and n represents an integer of 2 or more), a member, a transfer device, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus. ) and at least one R in the structure A has an alkyl group-containing group, and the surface free energy is 40 mJ / m2 or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film, a component, a transfer device, a fixing device and an image forming device. Background Art

[0002] In an image forming apparatus (copier, facsimile machine, printer, etc.) using an electrophotographic method, a toner image formed on the surface of an image holding member is transferred to the surface of a recording medium and fixed on the recording medium to form an image.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses "a water-repellent and oil-repellent film, comprising: a resin layer containing silicone having no fluorine atoms on the side chain group R1 bonded to the silicon atom (excluding organic silsesquioxanes of T2m+6 (m≥1) structure); and a water-repellent and oil-repellent layer, laminated on the resin layer, containing organic silsesquioxanes of T2m+6 (m≥1) structure having a hydrocarbon group R2 bonded to the silicon atom, at least a portion of the organic silsesquioxane being exposed on the surface, and the Hansen solubility parameter of the silicone being: the dispersion term δD is 10 MPa 1 / 2 Above and 15MPa 1 / 2 Below, the polarization term δP is 0MPa 1 / 2 Above and 5MPa 1 / 2 Below, the hydrogen bond term δH is 0MPa 1 / 2 Above and 5MPa 1 / 2 Hereinafter, the organosilisesquioxane is octamethylsilsesquioxane. ".

[0004] Patent document 2 discloses "an electronic photographic component having a substrate and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer contains a binder resin having an acrylic skeleton and a modified silicone compound having a polyether group and a hydroxyl group in one molecule, and the surface layer has a surface contact angle of n-hexadecane of 30° or more."

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6801474

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 6305220 Summary of the invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment, compared with a film consisting only of a resin and dimethyl silicone and containing no fluorine atoms.

[0008] Means for solving the above-mentioned problems include the following.

[0009] <1>

[0010] A membrane having a formula: [RSiO 1.5 ] nA siloxane compound having a structure A (wherein R in the formula represents an organic group and n represents an integer greater than 2) and at least one R in the structure A has a group containing an alkyl group, and a surface free energy of 40 mJ / m 2 the following.

[0011] <2>

[0012] The film according to <1>, wherein

[0013] The group containing the alkyl group is an alkyl group itself or a siloxy group containing an alkyl group.

[0014] <3>

[0015] The film according to <2>, wherein

[0016] The alkyl group is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

[0017] <4>

[0018] The film according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein

[0019] The n is an integer of 3 or more and 10,000 or less.

[0020] <5>

[0021] The film according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein

[0022] The content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is 3 volume % or more.

[0023] <6>

[0024] The film according to <5>, wherein

[0025] The content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is 6 volume % or more.

[0026] <7>

[0027] The film according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein

[0028] The peel force of the surface of the film at 140° C. is 24 kPa or less.

[0029] <8>

[0030] The film according to any one of <1> to <7>, wherein

[0031] It does not contain compounds having Si-O-Ti bonds.

[0032] <9>

[0033] The film according to any one of <1> to <8>, wherein

[0034] Contains no fibrous fillers.

[0035] <10>

[0036] A component having the film according to any one of <1> to <9> as a layer constituting an outer surface.

[0037] <11>

[0038] A member for an image forming apparatus, comprising, in this order, a substrate, an elastic layer, and the film described in any one of <1> to <9>,

[0039] The film is disposed in contact with the elastic layer.

[0040] <12>

[0041] A fixing device comprises a first rotating body and a second rotating body arranged in contact with an outer surface of the first rotating body.

[0042] At least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is formed of the component described in <10> or the image forming apparatus component described in <11>.

[0043] <13>

[0044] An image forming device comprising:

[0045] Image holding body;

[0046] A charging device for charging the surface of the image holding body;

[0047] An electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding body;

[0048] a developing device containing a developer containing a toner and developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding body with the developer to form a toner image;

[0049] a transfer device for transferring the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium; and

[0050] <12> The fixing device fixes the toner image onto the surface of the recording medium.

[0051] <14>

[0052] A transfer device comprising:

[0053] An intermediate transfer body, which is composed of the member described in <10> or the member for the image forming apparatus described in <11>, and has a toner image transferred to its outer peripheral surface;

[0054] a primary transfer device for primarily transferring a toner image formed on the surface of the image holding body to the surface of the intermediate transfer body; and

[0055] The secondary transfer device secondarily transfers the toner image transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer body to the surface of a recording medium.

[0056] <15>

[0057] An image forming device comprising:

[0058] Image holding body;

[0059] A charging device for charging the surface of the image holding body;

[0060] An electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding body;

[0061] a developing device containing a developer containing a toner and developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding body with the developer to form a toner image;

[0062] <14> The transfer device transfers the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium; and

[0063] The fixing device fixes the toner image onto the surface of the recording medium.

[0064] Effects of the Invention

[0065] According to the inventions <1>, <2>, <3>, <4>, <8>, and <9>, there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment compared to a film consisting only of a resin and dimethyl silicone and containing no fluorine atoms.

[0066] According to the invention according to <5>, there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment, compared with a film in which the content of the siloxane compound in the film is less than 3% by volume.

[0067] According to the invention according to <6>, there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment, compared with a film in which the content of the siloxane compound in the film is less than 6% by volume.

[0068] According to the invention according to <7>, there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment, compared with a film in which the peel strength of the film surface at 140°C is less than 24 kPa.

[0069] According to the inventions described in <10>, <11>, <12>, <13>, <14> and <15>, there are provided a component, a transfer device and an image forming device having an intermediate transfer body formed by the component, and a fixing device and an image forming device having a rotating body formed by the component, which have high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment compared to a case where the film has no fluorine atoms and is composed only of resin and dimethyl silicone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.

[0071] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram showing an example of a first embodiment of the fixing device involved in this embodiment;

[0072] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram showing an example of a second embodiment of the fixing device involved in this embodiment;

[0073] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram showing an example of a third embodiment of the fixing device involved in this embodiment;

[0074] Figure 4 It is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0075] Explanation of symbols

[0076] 60-fixing device, 62-pressure belt, 63-belt stroke guide, 64-pressing pad, 64a-front clamping component, 64b-peeling clamping component, 65-holding component, 66-halogen lamp, 68-sliding component, 69-temperature sensitive element, 70-peeling component, 71-separation claw, 72-holding component, 80-fixing device, 82-sliding component, 84-heating belt, 86-fixing belt assembly, 88-pressure roller, 89A-halogen heater, 89-heating pressing roller, 90A-halogen heater, 90-support roller, 92A-halogen heater, 92-support roller, 94-posture correction roller, 96-support component, 98-support roller, 100-image forming device, 200-fixing device, 211-pressure roller, 212-electromagnetic induction heating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] Hereinafter, the present embodiment as an example of the present invention will be described. These descriptions and examples illustrate the embodiment and do not limit the scope of the embodiment.

[0078] In the numerical ranges recorded in stages in this embodiment, the upper limit or lower limit recorded in one numerical range can be replaced by the upper limit or lower limit of the numerical range recorded in other stages. In addition, in the numerical ranges recorded in this embodiment, the upper limit or lower limit of the numerical range can be replaced by the value shown in the embodiment.

[0079] In the present embodiment, the term "process" includes not only an independent process but also a process that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes as long as the intended purpose of the process is achieved.

[0080] In the present embodiment, when the embodiment is described with reference to the drawings, the structure of the embodiment is not limited to the structure shown in the drawings. In addition, the sizes of the components in each figure are conceptual, and the relative relationship between the sizes of the components is not limited thereto.

[0081] In this embodiment, each component may contain a plurality of corresponding substances. In the case of referring to the amount of each component in the composition in this embodiment, when there are a plurality of substances corresponding to each component in the composition, unless otherwise specified, it refers to the total amount of the plurality of substances present in the composition.

[0082] <Film>

[0083] The film involved in this embodiment is a film containing a film having the formula: [RSiO 1.5 ] n A siloxane compound (hereinafter also referred to as "siloxane compound SQ") having a structure A (wherein R in the formula represents an organic group and n represents an integer greater than 2) in which at least one R in the structure A has a group containing an alkyl group.

[0084] Here, the "film" refers to a thin film having a film thickness of 1 mm or less.

[0085] The film according to the present embodiment has the above-mentioned structure and can be a highly oil-repellent film even in a high-temperature environment. The reason for this is presumably as follows.

[0086] Dimethyl silicone is a highly oil-repellent compound and has a higher dielectric constant than fluorine compounds. Therefore, compared with the case of using fluorine compounds, the use of dimethyl silicone not only imparts high oil repellency to the film, but is also advantageous in terms of strength stability.

[0087] Here, when dimethyl silicone is added to the film, the methyl groups are oriented on the film surface, thereby imparting high oil repellency.

[0088] However, when a film containing dimethyl silicone is exposed to high temperatures at which molecular motion becomes intense, the main chain of dimethyl silicone rotates, and the methyl groups migrate and penetrate into the resin, which may reduce the oil repellency.

[0089] In contrast, [RSiO 1.5 ] n The structure A is a multidimensional structure with high skeleton strength. Therefore, the heat resistance of the siloxane compound SQ is high, and the molecular motion is also reduced in a high temperature environment, and the alkyl group that imparts oil repellency to at least one R in the structure A is difficult to move. Thus, it is easy to maintain the orientation of the alkyl group on the film surface, and the high oil repellency is difficult to reduce. In order to impart sufficient high oil repellency, the surface free energy is 40mJ / m 2 the following.

[0090] Therefore, it is estimated that the film according to the present embodiment becomes a highly oil-repellent film even in a high-temperature environment.

[0091] Hereinafter, the film according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0092] The film according to this embodiment contains a siloxane compound SQ, and the surface free energy of the surface is 40 mJ / m 2 the following.

[0093] The film according to the present embodiment may be a film containing the siloxane compound SQ as a main component, or may be a film containing a binder resin as a main component and containing the siloxane compound SQ as an additive.

[0094] Here, the main component refers to the largest component among the components constituting the film.

[0095] From the viewpoint of high oil repellency, the surface free energy of the surface of the film according to the present embodiment is preferably 35 mJ / m 2 Below, more preferably 30mJ / m 2 the following.

[0096] The surface free energy of the film surface was measured by the following method.

[0097] According to the OWRK (Owens-Wendt-Rabel-Kabel) method, water, diiodomethane and N-decane, whose surface free energies are known, are used to measure the contact angle of water by dropping water on the film, the contact angle of diiodomethane by dropping diiodomethane on the film, and the contact angle of N-decane by dropping N-decane on the film, and the surface free energy (mJ / m 2 ).

[0098] Here, each contact angle is a value measured 5 seconds after water, diiodomethane or N-dodecane was dropped onto the film.

[0099] (Siloxane compound SQ)

[0100] The siloxane compound SQ has the formula: [RSiO 1.5 ] n A compound having a structure A (wherein R in the formula represents an organic group and n represents an integer greater than or equal to 2) wherein at least one R in the structure A has a group containing an alkyl group.

[0101] In structure A, the organic group represented by R in the formula represents, for example, a hydroxyl group, a silaneoxy group, a hydrocarbon group, a hydrocarbon group in which one or more methylene groups are substituted by a carbonyl group, a hydrocarbon group in which one or more carbon atoms are substituted by a heteroatom (oxygen atom, nitrogen atom or sulfur atom), or a group formed by combining these.

[0102] Examples of the silyloxy group described above as the organic group represented by R include monoalkylsilyloxy, dialkylsilyloxy, and trialkylsilyloxy groups. Preferred are dialkylsilyloxy and trialkylsilyloxy groups, and more preferred are trialkylsilyloxy groups.

[0103] Examples of the hydrocarbon group described above as the organic group represented by R include an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an aromatic hydrocarbon group.

[0104] Examples of the aliphatic hydrocarbon group include a linear, branched or alicyclic saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group and a linear, branched or alicyclic unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group.

[0105] The aliphatic hydrocarbon group is preferably a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and more preferably a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms.

[0106] The aliphatic hydrocarbon group may be substituted with a substituent such as a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an amino group, or an aryl group.

[0107] Examples of the aromatic hydrocarbon group include hydrocarbon groups having 6 to 18 carbon atoms (for example, preferably 6 to 14 carbon atoms). Examples of the aromatic hydrocarbon group include phenyl, naphthyl, anthracenyl, and the like.

[0108] The aromatic hydrocarbon group may be substituted with a substituent such as a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an amino group, an alkyl group, or an alkoxy group.

[0109] The organic group represented by R may have a reactive group. Examples of the reactive group include vinyl, allyl, styryl, maleimide, epoxy, oxetanyl, (meth)acryloyl, etc. That is, the siloxane compound may be a cured product of the reactive group.

[0110] A plurality of Rs in the structure A may be the same organic group or different organic groups.

[0111] However, at least one of the R groups present in plurality in the structure A is a group containing an alkyl group.

[0112] Here, from the viewpoint of high oil repellency, the group containing an alkyl group is preferably an alkyl group itself or a siloxy group containing an alkyl group. That is, at least one of the plurality of Rs in the structure A is preferably an alkyl group or a siloxy group containing an alkyl group.

[0113] The alkyl group is preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and more preferably an alkyl group having 1 carbon atom (i.e., methyl group). In order to make the surface free energy 40 mJ / m 2 Hereinafter, the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group is preferably, for example, 1 or more and 4 or less.

[0114] Furthermore, when the film of this embodiment is used in a component for an image forming apparatus using an electronic photographic method described later, compared with the case of using a siloxane compound in which none of the multiple Rs in structure A has an alkyl group, it is possible to obtain a film that is excellent in the removal of offset toner due to suppression of gloss unevenness and poor paper peeling when the leading edge margin is narrowed, or after paper clogging.

[0115] The siloxane compound SQ is a polymer compound called silsesquioxane having various skeleton structures.

[0116] The siloxane compound SQ may have any framework structure of a cage structure (complete cage structure or cage structure), a ladder structure, or a random structure.

[0117] In the structure A, n in the formula represents an integer of 2 or more, and from the viewpoint of high temperature oil repellency, for example, it is preferably an integer of 3 or more, more preferably an integer of 8 or more, and still more preferably an integer of 8 or more and 10,000 or less.

[0118] (Content of Siloxane Compound SQ)

[0119] From the viewpoint of improving the oil repellency at high temperature, the content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is, for example, preferably 3% by volume or more, more preferably 6% by volume or more, and even more preferably 10% by volume or more.

[0120] (Binder resin)

[0121] Examples of the binder resin include polyimide resin (PI resin), polyamideimide resin (PAI resin), polyetherketone resin (for example, aromatic polyetheretherketone resin, etc.), polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS resin), polyetherimide resin (PEI resin), polyester resin, polystyrene resin, polyamide resin, polycarbonate resin, silicone resin, and the like.

[0122] Furthermore, the binder resin can be selected according to, for example, the application of the film.

[0123] For example, when the film is applied to a single-layer intermediate transfer belt, the binder resin is preferably an imide resin (i.e., a resin containing a structural unit having an imide bond, such as a polyimide resin, a polyamide-imide resin), a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) resin, a polycarbonate resin, or the like.

[0124] For example, when the film is applied to the outermost layer of the fixing belt, the binder resin is preferably an imide resin (i.e., a resin containing a structural unit having an imide bond, such as a polyimide resin, a polyamide-imide resin), a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) resin, a polycarbonate resin, or the like.

[0125] In addition, the film involved in the present embodiment, for example, preferably does not contain fluorine atoms. Specifically, for example, a resin (specifically, a resin other than a fluorine resin) that does not contain fluorine atoms is preferably used as a binding resin. And, from the viewpoint of oil repellency at high temperatures, the film involved in the present embodiment, for example, preferably does not contain Si-O-Ti bonds in the film.

[0126] Furthermore, in the film according to the present embodiment, the ratio of the siloxane compound in all the resins contained in the film may be 100% by volume.

[0127] Here, polyimide will be described as a representative binder resin.

[0128] As a polyimide resin, the imidation product of the polyamic acid (precursor of a polyimide resin) which is a polymer of a tetracarboxylic dianhydride and a diamine compound is mentioned, for example.

[0129] Examples of the polyimide resin include resins having a structural unit represented by the following general formula (I).

[0130] [Chemical formula 1]

[0131]

[0132] In the general formula (I), R 1 Represents a 4-valent organic group, R 2 It represents a divalent organic group.

[0133] As R 1 The tetravalent organic group represented by may include an aromatic group, an aliphatic group, a cycloaliphatic group, a group formed by combining an aromatic group and an aliphatic group, or a group substituted with these groups. Specifically, as the tetravalent organic group, for example, the residue of tetracarboxylic dianhydride described below may be mentioned.

[0134] As R 2The divalent organic group represented by may be an aromatic group, an aliphatic group, a cycloaliphatic group, a group formed by combining an aromatic group and an aliphatic group, or a group substituted with these groups. Specifically, as the divalent organic group, for example, a residue of a diamine compound described below may be mentioned.

[0135] Specific examples of the tetracarboxylic dianhydride used as a raw material for the polyimide resin include pyromellitic dianhydride, 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, 2,3,3',4-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, 2,3,6,7-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 1,2,5,6-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 2,2'-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)sulfonic acid dianhydride, perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)ether dianhydride, and ethylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride.

[0136] Specific examples of the diamine compound used as a raw material for the polyimide resin include 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether, 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane, 3,3'-diaminodiphenylmethane, 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfide, 3,3'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, m-phenylenediamine, p-phenylenediamine, 3,3'-dimethyl-4,4'-biphenylenediamine, benzidine, 3,3'-dimethyl Benzidine, 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl propane, 2,4-bis(amino tert-butyl)toluene, bis(p-β-amino-tert-butylphenyl) ether, bis(p-β-methyl-δ-aminophenyl)benzene, bis-p-(1,1-dimethyl-5-amino-pentyl)benzene, 1-isopropyl-2,4-m-phenylenediamine, m-phenylenediamine, p-phenylenediamine, di(p-aminocyclohexyl)methyl alkane, hexamethylenediamine, heptamethylenediamine, octamethylenediamine, nonamethylenediamine, decamethylenediamine, diaminopropyltetramethyldiamine, 3-methylheptylenediamine, 4,4-dimethylheptylenediamine, 2,11-diaminododecane, 1,2-bis-3-aminopropoxyethane, 2,2-dimethylpropylenediamine, 3-methoxyhexamethylenediamine, 2,5-dimethylheptylenediamine, 3-methylheptylenediamine, 5-methylnonamethylenediamine, 2,17-Diaminoethylhexadecane, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane, 1,10-diamino-1,10-dimethyldecane, 12-diaminooctadecane, 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]propane, piperazine, H2N(CH2)3O(CH2)2O(CH2)NH2, H2N(CH2)3S(CH2)3NH2, H2N(CH2)3N(CH3)2(CH2)3NH2, etc.

[0137] The content of the resin is defined as the amount of the main component of the film. Here, the amount of the main component of the film refers to the amount of the largest component among the components contained in the film.

[0138] (Other additives)

[0139] Examples of other additives include known additives such as a conductive agent, a reinforcing agent, an antioxidant, a surfactant, and a heat-resistant antioxidant, depending on the application of the film.

[0140] Here, a conductive agent will be described as a representative additive.

[0141] Examples of the conductive agent include carbon black, metals (eg, aluminum and nickel), metal oxides (eg, yttrium oxide, tin oxide), and ion conductive substances (eg, potassium titanate, LiCl), among which carbon black is preferred.

[0142] These conductive agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0143] Examples of carbon black include Ketjen black, oil furnace black, channel black (ie, gas black), acetylene black, etc. As carbon black, surface-treated carbon black (hereinafter also referred to as "surface-treated carbon black") may be used.

[0144] Surface treated carbon black is obtained by imparting, for example, a carboxyl group, a quinone group, a lactone group, a hydroxyl group, etc. to its surface. Examples of surface treatment methods include air oxidation in which the carbon black is exposed to air in a high temperature atmosphere and reacts, a method in which the carbon black is reacted with nitrogen oxides or ozone at room temperature (e.g., 22° C.), and a method in which the carbon black is oxidized by air in a high temperature atmosphere and then oxidized by ozone at a low temperature.

[0145] The conductive agent may be, for example, channel black, and particularly, acidic carbon black having a pH of 5.0 or less.

[0146] Examples of the acidic carbon black include carbon blacks whose surfaces have been oxidized, for example, carbon blacks whose surfaces have been provided with carboxyl groups, quinone groups, lactone groups, hydroxyl groups, and the like.

[0147] As acidic carbon black, from the viewpoint of improving the transferability to embossed paper, for example, carbon black having a pH of less than 4.5 is preferred, acidic carbon black having a pH of less than 4.0 is more preferred, acidic carbon black having a pH of less than 3.0 is further preferred, acidic carbon black having a pH of greater than 2.0 and less than 3.0 is particularly preferred, and acidic carbon black having a pH of greater than 2.0 and less than 2.8 is extremely preferred.

[0148] The pH of acidic carbon black is a value measured by the pH measurement method specified in JIS Z8802 (2011).

[0149] The content of the conductive agent relative to the film is, for example, preferably 10 mass % to 50 mass %, more preferably 12 mass % to 40 mass %, further preferably 14 mass % to 30 mass %, particularly preferably 15 mass % to 20 mass %.

[0150] The film according to the present embodiment may contain a fibrous filler such as carbon nanotubes as a conductive agent to the extent that the effect is not impaired. However, from the viewpoint of oil repellency and flexibility at high temperatures, for example, it is preferred that the fibrous filler is not contained.

[0151] The film according to the present embodiment may contain a curing agent in the film to such an extent that the effect is not impaired, but preferably does not contain a curing agent containing at least one selected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acids and polycarboxylic acid anhydrides and a cyanamide derivative compound.

[0152] The peeling force of the surface of the film according to the present embodiment at 140° C. is, for example, preferably 28 kPa or less, more preferably 23 kPa or less, and further preferably 20 kPa or less.

[0153] Since the peel strength at 140° C. of the surface of the film according to the present embodiment is within the above range, the film becomes a highly oil-repellent film even in a high-temperature environment.

[0154] Here, the peeling force of the film surface at 140° C. is measured as follows.

[0155] First, as preliminary preparation, A4-size P paper (manufactured by FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.) was prepared, and a test paper on which a 100% black image was fully output was prepared using a copier (ApeosPort-V C3375) manufactured by FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. Then, a 1 cm×1 cm square sample piece was collected from the film to be measured.

[0156] Next, the surface of the sample piece was attached to the probe of a viscosity tester (TA-500, manufactured by UBM) heated to 140°C, and the probe was brought close to the test paper at a speed of 0.1 mm / s. After pressing on the image surface of the test paper, the probe was kept at a pressing load of 3900 gf for 10 seconds, and the peeling force when lifted at a lifting speed of 10 mm / s was measured.

[0157] <Parts>

[0158] The component according to the present embodiment has the film according to the present embodiment described above as a layer constituting the outer peripheral surface.

[0159] The member according to the present embodiment may be any of a single-layer member of the film according to the present embodiment described above and a member in which the film according to the present embodiment described above is provided on a substrate.

[0160] The member according to the present embodiment can be used as a member for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0161] When the component involved in the present embodiment is applied to an intermediate transfer body for an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic method, the component can be applied to a single layer of the film involved in the present embodiment or a laminate having the film as the outermost layer. In the laminate, the layers other than the film (for example, a base layer on which the film is provided, an elastic layer provided between the film and the base layer, etc.) can be applied to a known layer provided on the intermediate transfer body. Furthermore, when the intermediate transfer body is provided as a laminate of a base layer, an elastic layer, and an outermost layer using the film involved in the present embodiment, it is preferred that the elastic layer is provided in direct contact with the outermost layer.

[0162] The base layer used in the intermediate transfer body contains, for example, a resin and a conductive agent. The base layer may contain other known components as necessary.

[0163] When the components involved in this embodiment are applied to fixing components (heating components, pressure components, sliding components, etc.) for an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic method, the components can be applied to components having a substrate, an elastic layer provided on the substrate, and a release layer provided on the elastic layer and composed of the film involved in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the substrate and the elastic layer can be used as known substrates and elastic layers provided as fixing components. In addition, the fixing component can have a known metal heating layer for electromagnetic induction heating between the substrate and the elastic layer. In addition, for example, it is preferred that the fixing component is provided with the elastic layer in direct contact with the release layer.

[0164] The shape of the substrate used in the fixing member can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the fixing member to be produced, and can be, for example, a roller shape or a belt shape (for example, a seamless belt shape).

[0165] The material constituting the roller-shaped base material layer is not particularly limited, and metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and copper, as well as glass, ceramics, and the like can be used.

[0166] The material constituting the tape-shaped base material layer is not particularly limited, and resins such as polyimide, polyamide, and polyamideimide, and metals such as nickel and stainless steel can be used.

[0167] The elastic layer used in the fixing member is not particularly limited as long as it has elasticity.

[0168] The elastic layer is a layer provided from the viewpoint of providing elasticity to the fixing belt when pressurized from the outer peripheral side, and plays a role in following the unevenness of the toner image on the recording medium so that the surface of the fixing belt is closely attached to the toner image. As the elastic layer, it is preferable that a layer that ensures elasticity so as not to crush the toner during fixing is not included in the fixing member. The presence or absence of a layer that ensures elasticity so as not to crush the toner during fixing in the fixing member can be determined based on the change in the shape of the toner before and after fixing.

[0169] Examples of the elastic material used in the elastic layer include fluororesins, silicone resins, silicone rubbers, fluororubbers, fluorosilicone rubbers, etc. The material of the elastic layer is preferably silicone rubber and fluororubber, and more preferably silicone rubber, from the viewpoints of heat resistance, thermal conductivity, insulation, etc.

[0170] The member according to the present embodiment may include, in addition to the intermediate transfer member and the fixing member, a paper conveying member for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and the like.

[0171] <Transfer device>

[0172] The transfer device according to this embodiment includes:

[0173] An intermediate transfer body, which is composed of the components involved in the above-mentioned embodiment, and has a toner image transferred to its outer peripheral surface;

[0174] a primary transfer device for primarily transferring a toner image formed on the surface of the image holding body to the surface of the intermediate transfer body; and

[0175] The secondary transfer device secondarily transfers the toner image transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer body to the surface of the recording medium.

[0176] (Primary transfer device)

[0177] In the primary transfer device, the primary transfer member is disposed opposite to the image holder via the intermediate transfer belt. In the primary transfer device, the primary transfer member applies a voltage of opposite polarity to the charging polarity of the toner to the intermediate transfer belt, thereby primarily transferring the toner image to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer body.

[0178] (Secondary transfer device)

[0179] In the secondary transfer device, the secondary transfer member is arranged on the toner image holding side of the intermediate transfer body. And the secondary transfer device includes, for example, the secondary transfer member and a back member arranged on the side of the intermediate transfer body opposite to the toner image holding side. In the secondary transfer device, the toner image on the intermediate transfer body is secondarily transferred to the recording medium by sandwiching the intermediate transfer body and the recording medium with the secondary transfer member and the back member and forming a transfer electric field.

[0180] The secondary transfer member may be a secondary transfer roller or a secondary transfer belt. In addition, the back member may be, for example, a back roller.

[0181] In addition, the transfer device involved in this embodiment may be a transfer device that transfers the toner image to the surface of the recording medium via a plurality of intermediate transfer bodies. That is, the transfer device may be, for example, a transfer device that transfers the toner image from the image holding body to the first intermediate transfer body, transfers the toner image from the first intermediate transfer body to the second intermediate transfer body, and then transfers the toner image from the second intermediate transfer body to the recording medium for a tertiary period.

[0182] The transfer device uses an intermediate transfer body composed of the members according to the present embodiment as at least one of the plurality of intermediate transfer bodies.

[0183] <Fixing unit>

[0184] The fixing member according to the present embodiment includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body arranged in contact with an outer surface of the first rotating body.

[0185] At least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is constituted by the member according to the above-described present embodiment.

[0186] Hereinafter, with respect to the fixing device involved in the present embodiment, a fixing device including a heating roller and a pressure belt as a first embodiment, a fixing device including a heating belt and a pressure roller as a second embodiment, and a fixing device using an electromagnetic induction heating method including a heating belt and a pressure roller as a third embodiment will be described.

[0187] In addition, the fixing device according to the present embodiment is not limited to the first to third embodiments, and may be a fixing device including a heating roller or a heating belt and a pressure belt.

[0188] Then, in the fixing device according to the present embodiment, the components according to the present embodiment described above may be applied to any of the heating roller, the heating belt, the pressure roller, and the pressure belt.

[0189] (First Embodiment of Fixing Device)

[0190] refer to Figure 1 A first embodiment of the fixing device will be described. Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the fixing device according to the first embodiment (that is, the fixing device 60 ).

[0191] like Figure 1As shown, the fixing device 60 is composed of, for example, a rotationally driven heating roller 61 (an example of a first rotating body), a pressure belt 62 (an example of a second rotating body), and a pressing pad 64 (an example of a pressing member) that presses the heating roller 61 via the pressure belt 62.

[0192] The pressing pad 64 may be formed by pressing the pressure belt 62 and the heating roller 61 relative to each other. Therefore, the pressure belt 62 side may be pressed by the heating roller 61 or the heating roller 61 side may be pressed by the pressure belt 62.

[0193] A halogen lamp 66 (an example of a heating device) is disposed inside the heating roller 61. The heating device is not limited to the halogen lamp, and other heat-generating members that generate heat may be used.

[0194] On the other hand, a temperature sensor 69 is disposed in contact with the surface of the heating roller 61. The lighting of the halogen lamp 66 is controlled based on the temperature measurement value of the temperature sensor 69, and the surface temperature of the heating roller 61 is maintained at a target setting temperature (for example, 150°C).

[0195] The pressure belt 62 is rotatably supported by, for example, a pressing pad 64 and a belt stroke guide 63 disposed inside thereof, and is pressed against the heating roller 61 by the pressing pad 64 in a nip region N (nip portion).

[0196] The pressing pad 64 is disposed, for example, inside the pressure belt 62 in a state of being pressed by the heating roller 61 via the pressure belt 62 , and a nip region N is formed between the pressing pad 64 and the heating roller 61 .

[0197] The pressing pad 64 has, for example, a front nip member 64 a for ensuring a wide nip region N disposed on the entrance side of the nip region N, and a peeling nip member 64 b for applying strain to the heating roller 61 disposed on the exit side of the nip region N.

[0198] In order to reduce the sliding resistance between the inner peripheral surface of the pressure belt 62 and the pressing pad 64, for example, a sheet-like sliding member 68 is provided on the surface of the front sandwich member 64a and the peeling sandwich member 64b that contacts the pressure belt 62. Then, the pressing pad 64 and the sliding member 68 are held by a metal holding member 65.

[0199] The sliding member 68 is provided, for example, so that its sliding surface contacts the inner peripheral surface of the pressure belt 62 , and participates in retaining and supplying the oil between the sliding member 68 and the pressure belt 62 .

[0200] The structure is such that, for example, the belt stroke guide 63 is attached to the holding member 65 and the pressure belt 62 rotates.

[0201] The heating roller 61 is rotated in the direction of arrow S by, for example, a driving motor (not shown), and the pressure belt 62 is driven by the rotation to rotate in the direction of arrow R opposite to the rotation direction of the heating roller 61. Figure 1 The pressure belt 62 rotates in the clockwise direction and the pressure belt 62 rotates in the counterclockwise direction.

[0202] Then, the paper K (an example of a recording medium) having an unfixed toner image is guided by, for example, a fixing entrance guide 56 and conveyed to the nip region N. Then, when the paper K passes through the nip region N, the unfixed toner image on the paper K is fixed by the pressure and heat acting on the nip region N.

[0203] In the fixing device 60 , for example, a wider nip region N is ensured by the concave front nip member 64 a following the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller 61 , compared with a configuration in which the front nip member 64 a is not provided.

[0204] Furthermore, in the fixing device 60 , for example, by arranging the peeling nip member 64 b to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller 61 , the strain of the heating roller 61 is locally increased in the exit region of the nip region N.

[0205] If the peeling nip member 64 b is arranged in this way, for example, when the fixed paper K passes through the peeling nip area, the paper K is easily peeled from the heating roller 61 due to the strain that is locally greatly formed.

[0206] As a peeling auxiliary device, a peeling member 70 is provided, for example, on the downstream side of the nip region N of the heating roller 61. The peeling member 70 is held by a holding member 72, for example, in a state where the separation claw 71 is close to the heating roller 61 in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the heating roller 61 (reverse direction).

[0207] (Second Embodiment of Fixing Device)

[0208] refer to Figure 2 A second embodiment of the fixing device will be described. Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the fixing device according to the second embodiment (that is, the fixing device 80 ).

[0209] like Figure 2 As shown, the fixing device 80 is composed of, for example, a fixing belt assembly 86 including a heating belt 84 (an example of a first rotating body), and a pressure roller 88 (an example of a second rotating body) arranged to be pressed against the heating belt 84 (fixing belt assembly 86). Then, for example, a nip region N (nip portion) is formed at a contact portion between the heating belt 84 (fixing belt assembly 86) and the pressure roller 88. In the nip region N, the paper K (an example of a recording medium) is pressurized and heated, and a toner image is fixed thereon.

[0210] The fixing belt assembly 86 includes, for example: an annular heating belt 84; a heating and pressing roller 89, on which the heating belt 84 is wound on the side of the pressure roller 88, which is driven to rotate by the rotational force of a motor (not shown) and presses the heating belt 84 from its inner circumference toward the pressure roller 88; and a supporting roller 90, which supports the heating belt 84 from the inside at a position different from the heating and pressing roller 89.

[0211] The fixing belt assembly 86 is provided with, for example: a support roller 92, which is arranged on the outer side of the heating belt 84 and limits its winding path; a posture correction roller 94, which corrects the posture of the heating belt 84 from the heating pressing roller 89 to the support roller 90; and a support roller 98, which applies tension to the heating belt 84 from the inner circumference on the downstream side of the sandwich area N formed by the heating belt 84 and the pressure roller 88.

[0212] Then, the fixing belt assembly 86 is provided, for example, so that the sheet-like sliding member 82 is interposed between the heating belt 84 and the heating and pressing roller 89 .

[0213] The sliding member 82 is provided, for example, so that its sliding surface contacts the inner peripheral surface of the heating belt 84 , and participates in retaining and supplying the oil between the heating belt 84 .

[0214] Here, the sliding member 82 is provided in a state where both ends thereof are supported by the supporting members 96 , for example.

[0215] A halogen heater 89A (an example of a heating device), for example, is provided inside the heating and pressing roller 89 .

[0216] The support roller 90 is a cylindrical roller formed of, for example, aluminum, and has a halogen heater 90A (an example of a heating device) disposed therein to heat the heating belt 84 from the inner peripheral surface side.

[0217] At both end portions of the support roller 90 , for example, spring members (not shown) are disposed to press the heating belt 84 outward.

[0218] The support roller 92 is a cylindrical roller formed of, for example, aluminum, and a release layer having a thickness of 20 μm is formed on the surface of the support roller 92 .

[0219] The release layer of the support roller 92 is formed, for example, to prevent toner or paper powder from being deposited on the support roller 92 from the outer peripheral surface of the heating belt 84 .

[0220] For example, a halogen heater 92A (an example of a heating device) is disposed inside the support roller 92 to heat the heating belt 84 from the outer peripheral surface side.

[0221] That is, for example, the heating belt 84 is heated by the heating pressing roller 89 , the support roller 90 , and the support roller 92 .

[0222] The posture correction roller 94 is a cylindrical roller formed of, for example, aluminum, and an end position measuring mechanism (not shown) for measuring the end position of the heating belt 84 is arranged near the posture correction roller 94 .

[0223] The posture correction roller 94 is provided with an axial displacement mechanism (not shown) for displacing the contact position of the heating belt 84 in the axial direction according to the measurement result of the end position measurement mechanism, so as to control the meandering of the heating belt 84 .

[0224] On the other hand, the pressure roller 88 is supported rotatably, and is provided to press the heating belt 84 at a position where it is wound around the heating pressure roller 89 by a biasing device such as a spring (not shown). Thus, as the heating belt 84 (heating pressure roller 89) of the fixing belt assembly 86 rotates in the arrow S direction, the pressure roller 88 is driven by the heating belt 84 (heating pressure roller 89) to rotate in the arrow R direction.

[0225] Then, the paper K with the unfixed toner image (not shown) is transported in the direction of arrow P and guided to the nip region N of the fixing device 80. Then, when the paper K passes through the nip region N, the unfixed toner image on the paper K is fixed by the pressure and heat acting on the nip region N.

[0226] In addition, in the fixing device 80, a method of using a halogen heater (halogen lamp) as an example of multiple heating devices is described, but it is not limited to this. In addition to the halogen heater, a radiation lamp heating element (a heating element that emits radiation (infrared rays, etc.)) and a resistance heating element (a heating element that generates Joule heat by passing an electric current through a resistor: for example, a heating element formed by forming a film with resistance on a ceramic substrate and calcining it, etc.) may also be used.

[0227] (Third Embodiment of Fixing Device)

[0228] refer to Figure 3 A third embodiment of the fixing device will be described. Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a fixing device according to a third embodiment (that is, a fixing device 200 ).

[0229] like Figure 3 As shown, the fixing device 200 is an electromagnetic induction heating type fixing device including a conveyor belt 220 having a metal layer.

[0230] In the fixing device 200, a pressure roller (pressure member) 211 is arranged so as to pressurize a part of the conveyor belt 220. From the viewpoint of effective fixing, a contact area (nip) is formed between the conveyor belt 220 and the pressure roller 211, and the conveyor belt 220 is bent along the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 211. In addition, from the viewpoint of ensuring the releasability of the recording medium, a curved portion where the conveyor belt is curved is formed at the end of the contact area (nip).

[0231] The pressure roller 211 is configured by forming an elastic layer 211B made of silicone rubber or the like on a base material 211A, and further forming a release layer 211C on the elastic layer 211B.

[0232] An opposing member 213 is disposed inside the conveyor belt 220 at a position opposing the pressure roller 211. The opposing member 213 is made of metal, heat-resistant resin, heat-resistant rubber, etc., and has a pad 213B that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 220 to locally increase the pressure, and a support body 213A that supports the pad 213B.

[0233] An electromagnetic induction heating device 212 having an electromagnetic induction coil (excitation coil) 212a built therein is provided at a position opposite to the pressure roller 211 (an example of a pressure member) with the conveyor belt 220 as the center. The electromagnetic induction heating device 212 applies an alternating current to the electromagnetic induction coil, causing the generated magnetic field to change in the excitation circuit, thereby generating an eddy current in a metal layer (e.g., an electromagnetic induction metal layer) not shown in the figure of the conveyor belt 220. The eddy current is converted into heat (Joule heat) by the resistance of the metal layer not shown in the figure, and as a result, the surface of the conveyor belt 220 is heated.

[0234] In addition, the position of the electromagnetic induction heating device 212 is not limited to Figure 3 The position shown, for example, relative to the contact area of ​​the conveyor belt 220 , can be set on the upstream side of the rotation direction B, or can be set on the inner side of the conveyor belt 220 .

[0235] In the fixing device 200, the driving force is transmitted from the driving device to the gear fixed to the end of the conveyor belt 220, and the conveyor belt 220 rotates in the direction of arrow B. As the conveyor belt 220 rotates, the pressure roller 211 rotates in the opposite direction, that is, the direction of arrow C.

[0236] The recording medium 215 on which the unfixed toner image 214 is formed passes through the contact area (nip) between the conveyor belt 220 and the pressure roller 211 in the fixing device 200 in the direction of arrow A, and the unfixed toner image 214 is fixed to the recording medium 215 by applying pressure in a molten state.

[0237] <Image forming device>

[0238] Next, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0239] The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes:

[0240] An image holder; a charging device for charging the surface of the image holder; an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charged image holder; a developing device for containing a developer containing a toner and developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holder with the developer to form a toner image; a transfer device for transferring the toner image to the surface of a recording medium; and a fixing device for fixing the toner image on the surface of the recording medium.

[0241] Then, the transfer device according to this embodiment is applied as the transfer device.

[0242] Furthermore, the fixing device according to the present embodiment is applied as the fixing device.

[0243] Here, in the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, the transfer device and the fixing device can be boxed in a manner of being attached and detached from the image forming apparatus. That is, the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment can be provided with the transfer device of the present embodiment and the fixing device of the present embodiment as components of the process box.

[0244] Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0245] Figure 4 1 is a schematic structural diagram showing the structure of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0246] like Figure 4 As shown, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is, for example, an image forming apparatus of an intermediate transfer method generally called a tandem type, and includes: a plurality of image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, which form toner images of each color component by an electrophotographic method; a primary transfer unit 10, which sequentially transfers (primary transfers) the toner images of each color component formed by each image forming unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K to an intermediate transfer belt 15; a secondary transfer unit 20, which transfers (secondary transfers) the overlapping toner images transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 15 to a sheet of paper K as a recording medium; and a fixing device 60, which fixes the secondary transferred image on the sheet of paper K. In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 40 for controlling the operation of each device (unit).

[0247] Each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K of the image forming apparatus 100 includes a photoreceptor 11 that rotates in the direction of arrow A and is an example of an image holding member that holds a toner image formed on the surface.

[0248] Around the photosensitive body 11, as an example of a charging device, a charger 12 for charging the photosensitive body 11 is provided, and as an example of an electrostatic latent image forming device, a laser exposer 13 (the exposure beam is represented by the symbol Bm in the figure) for writing an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body 11 is provided.

[0249] In addition, around the photosensitive body 11, as an example of a developing device, there is provided a developer 14 that contains toners of each color component and uses the toners to visualize the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body 11, and there is provided a primary transfer roller 16 that transfers the toner images of each color component formed on the photosensitive body 11 to the intermediate transfer belt 15 through the primary transfer section 10.

[0250] In addition, a photoreceptor cleaner 17 for removing residual toner on the photoreceptor 11 is provided around the photoreceptor 11, and the electrophotographic devices of the charger 12, the laser exposure device 13, the developer 14, the primary transfer roller 16, and the photoreceptor cleaner 17 are arranged in sequence along the rotation direction of the photoreceptor 11. These image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are arranged in a substantially straight line from the upstream side of the intermediate transfer belt 15 in the order of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K).

[0251] The intermediate transfer belt 15 as an intermediate transfer body is composed of a film-like pressure belt with a resin such as polyimide or polyamide as a base layer and containing an appropriate amount of antistatic agent such as carbon black. 6 Ωcm or more and 10 14 The thickness is formed to be less than Ωcm, and the thickness is configured to be, for example, about 0.1mm.

[0252] The intermediate transfer belt 15 passes through various rollers. Figure 4 The various rollers include a driving roller 31 for rotating the intermediate transfer belt 15 driven by a motor (not shown) having excellent constant speed, a supporting roller 32 for supporting the intermediate transfer belt 15 extending substantially linearly along the arrangement direction of the photosensitive bodies 11, a tension applying roller 33 for applying tension to the intermediate transfer belt 15 and functioning as a correction roller for preventing the intermediate transfer belt 15 from meandering, a back roller 25 provided in the secondary transfer section 20, and a cleaning back roller 34 provided in the cleaning section for scraping off residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0253] The primary transfer section 10 is composed of a primary transfer roller 16 disposed opposite to the photosensitive body 11 via an intermediate transfer belt 15. The primary transfer roller 16 is composed of a core body and a sponge layer as an elastic layer fixed around the core body. The core body is a cylindrical rod made of metal such as iron and SUS. The sponge layer is formed of a mixed rubber of NBR, SBR and EPDM mixed with a conductive agent such as carbon black, and has a volume resistivity of 10 7.5 Ωcm or more and 10 8.5 Sponge-like cylindrical roller with a thickness of less than Ωcm.

[0254] The primary transfer roller 16 is placed in pressure contact with the photosensitive body 11 via the intermediate transfer belt 15, and a voltage (primary transfer bias) having a polarity opposite to the charged polarity of the toner (negative polarity, the same below) is applied to the primary transfer roller 16. As a result, the toner images on the photosensitive bodies 11 are electrostatically attracted to the intermediate transfer belt 15 in sequence, forming overlapping toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0255] The secondary transfer section 20 includes a back roller 25 and a secondary transfer roller 22 disposed on the toner image holding surface side of the intermediate transfer belt 15 .

[0256] In the back roller 25, the surface is composed of a mixed rubber tube of EPDM and NBR in which carbon is dispersed, and the inside is composed of EPDM rubber. Then, the surface resistivity is 10 7 Ω / Υ or more and 10 10 The back roller 25 is arranged on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 15 and constitutes the counter electrode of the secondary transfer roller 22, and is contacted with a metal power supply roller 26 for stably applying a secondary transfer bias.

[0257] On the other hand, the secondary transfer roller 22 is composed of a core body and a sponge layer as an elastic layer fixed around the core body. The core body is a cylindrical rod made of metal such as iron and SUS. The sponge layer is formed of a mixed rubber of NBR, SBR and EPDM mixed with a conductive agent such as carbon black, and has a volume resistivity of 10 7.5 Ωcm or more and 10 8.5 Sponge-like cylindrical roller with a thickness of less than Ωcm.

[0258] The secondary transfer roller 22 is placed in pressure contact with the back roller 25 via the intermediate transfer belt 15 . The secondary transfer roller 22 is grounded to form a secondary transfer bias between the secondary transfer roller 22 and the back roller 25 . The toner image is secondarily transferred onto the paper K transported to the secondary transfer unit 20 .

[0259] In addition, on the downstream side of the secondary transfer section 20 of the intermediate transfer belt 15, an intermediate transfer belt cleaner 35 is provided to be freely contactable and detachable with respect to the intermediate transfer belt 15. The intermediate transfer belt cleaner 35 removes residual toner or paper powder on the intermediate transfer belt 15 after the secondary transfer and cleans the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0260] The intermediate transfer belt 15 , the primary transfer section 10 (primary transfer roller 16 ), and the secondary transfer section 20 (secondary transfer roller 22 ) correspond to an example of a transfer device.

[0261] On the other hand, a reference sensor (home position sensor) 42 is provided on the upstream side of the yellow image forming unit 1Y. The reference sensor generates a reference signal that serves as a reference for obtaining the timing of image formation in each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K. The reference sensor 42 is configured to recognize a mark provided on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 15 and generate a reference signal. In response to an instruction from the control unit 40 based on the recognition of the reference signal, each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K starts image formation.

[0262] Furthermore, an image density sensor 43 for image quality adjustment is disposed on the downstream side of the black image forming unit 1K.

[0263] In addition, in the image forming apparatus involved in the present embodiment, as a conveying device for conveying paper K, there is a paper accommodating portion 50 for accommodating paper K, a paper supply roller 51 for taking out and conveying the paper K stacked in the paper accommodating portion 50 at a predetermined time, a conveying roller 52 for conveying the paper K delivered by the paper supply roller 51, a conveying guide 53 for conveying the paper K conveyed by the conveying roller 52 to the secondary transfer portion 20, a conveying belt 55 for conveying the paper K conveyed after secondary transfer by the secondary transfer roller 22 to the fixing device 60, and a fixing entrance guide 56 for guiding the paper K to the fixing device 60.

[0264] Next, a basic image forming process of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0265] In the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, image data output from an image reading device (not shown) or a personal computer (PC) (not shown) is processed by an image processing device (not shown) and then image forming operations are performed by image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K.

[0266] In the image processing device, the input image data is subjected to image processing such as shading correction, position shift correction, brightness / color space conversion, gamma correction, frame removal or various image editing such as color editing and motion editing. The image data subjected to image processing is converted into color material grayscale data of four colors, Y, M, C, and K, and output to the laser exposure device 13.

[0267] In the laser exposure device 13, according to the input color material grayscale data, for example, an exposure beam Bm emitted from a semiconductor laser is irradiated to each photoreceptor 11 of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K. In each photoreceptor 11 of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, after the surface is charged by the charger 12, the surface is scanned and exposed by the laser exposure device 13 to form an electrostatic latent image. The formed electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image of each color of Y, M, C, and K by each image forming unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K.

[0268] The toner images formed on the photosensitive bodies 11 of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 15 in the primary transfer section 10 where each photosensitive body 11 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 15. More specifically, in the primary transfer section 10, a voltage (primary transfer bias) having a polarity opposite to the charged polarity (negative polarity) of the toner is applied to the substrate of the intermediate transfer belt 15 by the primary transfer roller 16, and the toner images are sequentially superimposed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15 to perform primary transfer.

[0269] After the toner images are transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15 in sequence, the intermediate transfer belt 15 moves and the toner images are output to the secondary transfer section 20. When the toner images are transported to the secondary transfer section 20, in the transport device, the paper feed roller 51 rotates in synchronization with the timing when the toner images are transported to the secondary transfer section 20, and paper K of a target size is supplied from the paper storage section 50. The paper K supplied by the paper feed roller 51 is transported by the transport roller 52 and reaches the secondary transfer section 20 via the transport guide 53. Before reaching the secondary transfer section 20, the paper K stops temporarily, and the registration roller (not shown) rotates in synchronization with the movement timing of the intermediate transfer belt 15 holding the toner images, thereby aligning the position of the paper K with the position of the toner images.

[0270] In the secondary transfer section 20, the secondary transfer roller 22 is pressed against the back roller 25 via the intermediate transfer belt 15. At this time, the paper K that is transported in time is sandwiched between the intermediate transfer belt 15 and the secondary transfer roller 22. At this time, if a voltage (secondary transfer bias) having the same polarity as the charging polarity (negative polarity) of the toner is applied from the power supply roller 26, a transfer electric field is formed between the secondary transfer roller 22 and the back roller 25. Then, the unfixed toner image held on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is electrostatically transferred onto the paper K in the secondary transfer section 20 that is pressed by the secondary transfer roller 22 and the back roller 25.

[0271] Then, the paper K to which the toner image is electrostatically transferred is conveyed as it is in a state of being peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 15 by the secondary transfer roller 22, and is conveyed to the conveying belt 55 provided on the downstream side of the secondary transfer roller 22 in the paper conveying direction. The conveying belt 55 conveys the paper K to the fixing device 60 in accordance with the optimal conveying speed in the fixing device 60. The unfixed toner image on the paper K conveyed to the fixing device 60 is fixed on the paper K by receiving a fixing process with heat and pressure by the fixing device 60. Then, the paper K on which the fixed image is formed is conveyed to a paper discharge storage portion (not shown) provided in a discharge portion of the image forming apparatus.

[0272] On the other hand, after the transfer to the paper K is completed, the residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is transported to the cleaning section as the intermediate transfer belt 15 rotates, and is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 15 by the cleaning back roller 34 and the intermediate transfer belt cleaning member 35 .

[0273] As mentioned above, although this embodiment was demonstrated, it is not limited to the said embodiment, Various deformation|transformation, change, and improvement are possible.

[0274] Example

[0275] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following Examples.

[0276] <Examples A1 to A6>

[0277] The siloxane compound of the type shown in Table 1 was weighed in such a manner that the amount added in the final film became Table 1, and was dispersed in tetrahydrofuran (THF, FUJIFILM Wako PureChemical Corporation) as a solvent by stirring with a stirrer chip to obtain a siloxane compound dispersion. At this time, THF was weighed in such a manner that the solid content of the mixture of the resin, siloxane compound and THF described later became 15% by mass. Then, for the siloxane compound dispersion, polycarbonate (TEIJIN, TS-2040) as a resin was added in such a manner that the additive became the content of Table 1, and a stirring chip was stirred to obtain a coating liquid. Then, the coating liquid was applied to a metal plate, and vacuum dried after natural drying, thereby obtaining a film with a film thickness shown in Table 1.

[0278] The amount of the coating liquid applied to the metal plate was adjusted so that a film having a film thickness shown in Table 1 could be obtained.

[0279] <Comparative Examples A1 to A5>

[0280] A film was obtained in the same manner as in Example A1 except that the additives shown in Table 1 were used instead of the siloxane compound. However, the additives shown in Table 1 were added in such amounts that the amounts in the obtained film became the amounts shown in Table 1.

[0281] <Examples A101 to A106>

[0282] (Preparation of Carbon Black Dispersed Polyamic Acid Solution)

[0283] A mixture was obtained by adding dried oxidized carbon black ("SPECIAL BLACK 4" manufactured by Degussa) to an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution (U-Varnish-S manufactured by UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD.) of a polyamic acid composed of 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) and p-phenylenediamine (PDA). The amount of carbon black added was set to the amount shown in Table 2 relative to the carbon black amount (CB amount) of the polyimide resin of the obtained endless belt.

[0284] The obtained mixture was subjected to a collision type disperser (Geanus PY manufactured by Genas Co., Ltd.) at a pressure of 200 MPa and a minimum area of ​​1.4 mm. 2 After being divided into two parts under the conditions of , the two parts were collided and then mixed by passing through the path of being divided into two parts 5 times again, thereby obtaining a carbon black dispersed polyamic acid solution with a viscosity of 150 poise.

[0285] (Preparation of coating liquid)

[0286] The siloxane compounds of the types shown in Table 2 were weighed so that the final addition amount in the conveyor belt would be as shown in Table 2, and were dispersed in NMP as a solvent by stirring with a stirring blade to obtain a siloxane compound dispersion. At this time, THF was weighed so that the solid content of the mixture of the resin, carbon black, siloxane compound and NMP described later would be 15% by mass.

[0287] Then, the siloxane compound dispersion and the carbon black dispersed polyamic acid solution were stirred by a stirring device to obtain a coating liquid composed of the siloxane compound / carbon black dispersed polyamic acid solution.

[0288] (Manufacturing of the ring belt)

[0289] The aluminum cylinder as a mold was rotated at 100 rpm, and the coating liquid was applied to the outer peripheral surface while the dispenser and the scraper were moved at a speed of 150 mm / min. Then, the coating film was heated at 120°C for 30 minutes while the cylinder was rotated at 5 rpm, and after cooling to room temperature (25°C), it was heated to 320°C for 2 hours to remove the solvent and perform imide conversion to obtain a tubular film.

[0290] Finally, after cooling to room temperature (25° C.), the tubular film was separated from the cylinder (demolded) by injecting air to obtain an endless belt composed of a tubular film having a film thickness shown in Table 2.

[0291] <Example C101>

[0292] (Formation of Base Material Layer)

[0293] Dried oxidized carbon black ("SPECIAL BLACK 4" manufactured by Degussa) was added to an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution (U-Varnish-S manufactured by UBEINDUSTRIES, LTD.) of a polyamic acid composed of 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) and p-phenylenediamine (PDA) in an amount of 20 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the polyimide resin solid content to obtain a mixed solution.

[0294] The obtained mixed solution was dispersed using a collision type disperser (Geanus PY manufactured by Genas Co., Ltd.) at a pressure of 200 MPa and a minimum area of ​​1.4 mm. 2 After being divided into two parts, the two parts were collided and then passed through the path of dividing into two parts five times again to be mixed, thereby obtaining a coating liquid composed of a carbon black dispersed polyamic acid solution with a viscosity of 150 poise.

[0295] The aluminum cylinder as the mold was rotated at 100 rpm, and the coating liquid was applied to the outer peripheral surface with a thickness of 0.5 mm while the dispenser and the scraper were moved at a speed of 150 mm / min. Then, the cylinder was rotated at 5 rpm and heated at 120° C. for 30 minutes, cooled to room temperature (25° C.), and then heated to 320° C. for 2 hours to remove the solvent and perform imide conversion to obtain a substrate layer of a tubular film composition with a film thickness shown in Table 3.

[0296] (Formation of Surface Layer)

[0297] The siloxane compounds of the types shown in Table 1 were weighed so that the added amount in the final film would be as shown in Table 1, and dispersed in tetrahydrofuran (THF, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation) as a solvent by stirring with a stirrer chip to obtain a siloxane compound dispersion. At this time, THF was weighed so that the solid content of the coating solution of the resin, carbon black, siloxane compound and THF described later would be 15% by mass. Then, polycarbonate (TEIJIN, TS-2040) as a resin and dried oxidized carbon black ("SPECIALBLACK 4" manufactured by Degussa) were added to the siloxane compound dispersion to obtain a coating solution.

[0298] Next, the coating liquid was applied to the surface of the base layer formed on the cylindrical body in the same manner as the formation of the base layer. Then, the coating film was naturally dried and then vacuum dried to form a surface layer consisting of a tubular film having a film thickness shown in Table 3.

[0299] Finally, after cooling to room temperature (25° C.), the laminated tubular film of the base layer and the surface layer is separated (demolded) from the cylinder by injecting air to obtain an endless belt composed of the laminated tubular film.

[0300] <Comparative Example B101>

[0301] In Example C101, no surface layer was formed and an endless belt consisting of a single-layer tubular film was obtained.

[0302] <Evaluation>

[0303] (Surface free energy)

[0304] The surface free energy (described as "surface free E" in the table) of the film surface and the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt of each example was measured for the peeling force at 140°C according to the above-described method.

[0305] (Peel force)

[0306] The peeling force at 140° C. of the film surface and the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt in each example was measured according to the above-described method.

[0307] (Image quality evaluation)

[0308] In each example, the endless belts of Examples A101 to A106, C101, and Comparative Example B101 were installed as intermediate transfer belts in an image forming apparatus for evaluation (a modified machine of "DocuPrint C2250" manufactured by FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.).

[0309] A black halftone image with an image density of 30% was printed on 1,500,000 A4 vertical paper sheets by an evaluation image forming apparatus under a temperature of 10°C, a humidity of 15%, and an RH environment. In this printing process, a black halftone image with an image density of 30% was printed on one A3 vertical paper sheet every time the number of printed sheets was 100,000 sheets. Then, the number of printed sheets on the A4 vertical paper sheets until uneven image density occurred was visually inspected.

[0310] In addition, "PV" in the table represents the print volume, that is, the number of printed sheets.

[0311] (Cleanliness Evaluation)

[0312] In each example, the endless belts of Examples A101 to A106, C101, and Comparative Example B101 were installed as intermediate transfer belts in an image forming apparatus for evaluation (a modified "DocuPrint C2250" manufactured by FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.).

[0313] A black / thin line grid pattern chart was continuously printed on 1,500,000 A4 vertical paper using an evaluation image forming apparatus under a temperature of 10° C., a humidity of 15%, and an RH environment. During the printing process, the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt was visually observed every time 100,000 sheets were printed.

[0314] Then, the number of printed sheets on which adherent matter was generated on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt was visually inspected.

[0315] In addition, the abbreviations shown in Table 1 are as follows.

[0316] PC: Polycarbonate (TEIJIN, TS-2040)

[0317] PI: Polyimide resin formed from a polyamic acid N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution (U-Varnish-S manufactured by UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD.)

[0318] CB: Oxidized carbon black ("SPECIAL BLACK 4" manufactured by Degussa)

[0319] ·SQ1: In [RSiO 1.5 ] n In structure A, R is a siloxane compound SQ1 (PSS-Octakis (dimethylsilyloxy) substituted)

[0320] ·SQ2: In [RSiO 1.5 ] n In the structure A, R is a siloxane compound SQ2 (Octakis (trimethylsiloxy) silsesquioxane)

[0321] KP-126: Polyether modified dimethyl polysiloxane, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., KP-126

[0322] ·SQ4: In [RSiO 1.5 ] n In structure A, R is a siloxane compound SQ4 which is a chloropropyl group.

[0323]

[0324]

[0325]

[0326] From the above results, it is understood that the film of this example is a highly oil-repellent film even in a high-temperature environment, compared with the film of the comparative example.

[0327] Furthermore, compared with the film of the comparative example, the film of the present example can impart high oil repellency to the outer peripheral surface of the component even in a high temperature environment by being applied as a layer constituting the outer peripheral surface of the component.

[0328] Furthermore, it was found that when the endless belt composed of the endless film of this embodiment is used as an intermediate transfer belt of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, image density non-uniformity is unlikely to occur over time and the cleanability is good.

[0329] This embodiment includes the following aspects. (1)

[0331] A membrane having a formula: [RSiO 1.5 ] nA siloxane compound having a structure A (wherein R in the formula represents an organic group and n represents an integer greater than 2) and at least one R in the structure A has a group containing an alkyl group, and a surface free energy of 40 mJ / m 2 the following. (2)

[0333] The film according to (1), wherein

[0334] The group containing the alkyl group is an alkyl group itself or a siloxy group containing an alkyl group. (3)

[0336] The film according to (2), wherein

[0337] The alkyl group is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms. (4)

[0339] The film according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein

[0340] The n is an integer of 3 or more and 10,000 or less. (5)

[0342] The film according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein

[0343] The content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is 3 volume % or more. (6)

[0345] The film according to (5), wherein

[0346] The content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is 6 volume % or more. (7)

[0348] The film according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein

[0349] The peel force of the surface of the film at 140° C. is 24 kPa or less. (8)

[0351] The film according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein

[0352] It does not contain compounds having Si-O-Ti bonds. (9)

[0354] The film according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein

[0355] Contains no fibrous fillers. (10)

[0357] A component having the film according to any one of (1) to (9) as a layer constituting an outer surface. (11)

[0359] A member for an image forming apparatus, comprising a substrate, an elastic layer, and the film according to any one of (1) to (9) in this order, wherein the film is provided in contact with the elastic layer. (12)

[0361] A fixing device comprises a first rotating body and a second rotating body arranged in contact with an outer surface of the first rotating body.

[0362] At least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is constituted by the component described in (((10))) or the image forming apparatus component described in (((11))). (13)

[0364] An image forming device comprising:

[0365] Image holding body;

[0366] A charging device for charging the surface of the image holding body;

[0367] An electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding body;

[0368] a developing device containing a developer containing a toner and developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding body with the developer to form a toner image;

[0369] a transfer device for transferring the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium; and

[0370] (12) The fixing device fixes the toner image onto the surface of the recording medium. (14)

[0372] A transfer device comprising:

[0373] An intermediate transfer body, which is composed of the member described in (10) or the member for an image forming apparatus described in (11), and has a toner image transferred to its outer peripheral surface;

[0374] a primary transfer device for primarily transferring a toner image formed on the surface of the image holding body to the surface of the intermediate transfer body; and

[0375] The secondary transfer device secondarily transfers the toner image transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer body to the surface of a recording medium. (15)

[0377] An image forming device comprising:

[0378] Image holding body;

[0379] A charging device for charging the surface of the image holding body;

[0380] An electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding body;

[0381] a developing device containing a developer containing a toner and developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding body with the developer to form a toner image;

[0382] (14) The transfer device transfers the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium; and

[0383] The fixing device fixes the toner image onto the surface of the recording medium.

[0384] The effects of the above method are as follows.

[0385] According to the inventions of (1), (2), (3), (4), (8) and (9), there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment compared to a film consisting only of a resin and dimethyl silicone and containing no fluorine atoms.

[0386] According to the invention as set forth in (5), there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment, compared with a film in which the content of the siloxane compound in the film is less than 3% by volume.

[0387] According to the invention pertaining to (6), there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment, compared with a film in which the content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is less than 6% by volume.

[0388] According to the invention pertaining to (7), there is provided a film having high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment, compared with a film having a peel strength at 140° C. of less than 24 kPa on the film surface.

[0389] According to the inventions involved in (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) and (15), there are provided a component, a transfer device and an image forming device having an intermediate transfer body composed of the component, and a fixing device and an image forming device having a rotating body composed of the component, which have high oil repellency even in a high temperature environment compared to a case where the film has no fluorine atoms and is composed only of resin and dimethyl silicone.

[0390] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are provided for the purpose of illustration and description. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention do not fully and exhaustively include the present invention, and do not limit the present invention to the disclosed methods. Obviously, various modifications and changes are self-evident to those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The present embodiment is selected and described in order to most easily understand the principles of the present invention and its application. Thus, other technicians in the art can understand the present invention through various variations optimized for specific uses assumed to be various embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the above claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A membrane comprising a film having the formula: [RSiO 1.5 ] n A siloxane compound having a structure A of which at least one R in the structure A has a group containing an alkyl group, and a surface free energy of 40 mJ / m 2 The following, among which, In the formula, R represents an organic group, and n represents an integer of 2 or more.

2. The film according to claim 1, wherein The group containing the alkyl group is an alkyl group itself or a siloxy group containing an alkyl group.

3. The film according to claim 2, wherein The alkyl group is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

4. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The n is an integer of 3 or more and 10,000 or less.

5. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is 3 volume % or more.

6. The film according to claim 5, wherein The content of the siloxane compound relative to the film is 6 volume % or more.

7. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The peel force of the surface of the film at 140° C. is 24 kPa or less.

8. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein It does not contain compounds having Si-O-Ti bonds.

9. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein Contains no fibrous fillers. 10 . A component having the film according to claim 1 as a layer constituting an outer surface.

11. A member for an image forming apparatus, comprising a substrate, an elastic layer, and the film according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in this order, The film is disposed in contact with the elastic layer.

12. A fixing device comprising a first rotating body and a second rotating body arranged in contact with an outer surface of the first rotating body, At least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is formed of the member according to claim 10 or the image forming apparatus member according to claim 11 .

13. An image forming apparatus comprising: Image holding body; A charging device for charging the surface of the image holding body; An electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding body; a developing device containing a developer containing a toner and developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding body with the developer to form a toner image; a transfer device for transferring the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium; and The fixing device according to claim 12 fixes the toner image onto the surface of the recording medium.

14. A transfer device comprising: An intermediate transfer body, which is composed of the component according to claim 10 or the component for an image forming apparatus according to claim 11, and has a toner image transferred to its outer peripheral surface; a primary transfer device for primarily transferring a toner image formed on the surface of the image holding body to the surface of the intermediate transfer body; and The secondary transfer device secondarily transfers the toner image transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer body to the surface of a recording medium.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising: Image holding body; A charging device for charging the surface of the image holding body; An electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding body; a developing device containing a developer containing a toner and developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding body with the developer to form a toner image; The transfer device according to claim 14, which transfers the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium; and The fixing device fixes the toner image onto the surface of the recording medium.

Images