Image forming device and process cartridge

Abstract

To provide a cleaning blade which is less susceptible to turning up.SOLUTION: An image forming device is provided, comprising a cleaning target member, and a cleaning blade designed to be brought into contact with the cleaning target member for cleaning and arranged such that two ends thereof in a longitudinal direction are positioned protruding from the cleaning target member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a process cartridge. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and facsimiles, cleaning blades have been used as cleaning means for removing residual toner and other deposits from the surfaces of members to be cleaned, such as image carriers (photoconductors, etc.), charging members (charging rolls, etc.), transfer members (intermediate transfer belts, secondary transfer rolls, etc.), fixing members (heating belts, pressure rolls, etc.), and transport members (transport belts, etc.).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fixing device having "a heating member and a pressure member that heat and pressurize a toner image formed on a recording material to fix it to the recording material, a cleaning roller that cleans toner adhering to the surface of at least one of these members, and a cleaning blade for scraping off toner accumulated on the surface of the cleaning roller, the fixing device being characterized in that the cleaning blade is provided with a backing blade that supports the cleaning blade, and the cleaning blade is arranged longer in the direction of contact with the cleaning roller than the backing blade."

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses "an image forming apparatus having a cleaning blade, a movable cleaned member from which toner adhering to the surface is removed by the cleaning blade, and L-shaped end members arranged on both longitudinal ends of the cleaning blade, the end members covering the end of the cleaning blade and an overlapping region where the end members overlap with the cleaning blade when the cleaning blade is viewed from the movement direction of the cleaned member, wherein the cleaned member has a surface roughness that is smoother in an area of ​​the overlapping region from the longitudinal end side to the boundary line, the area being smoother than the surface roughness of an area of ​​the overlapping region from the longitudinal center side to the boundary line." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-186335 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5754896 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an image forming device which has a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned for cleaning, and in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to a case in which both longitudinal ends of the cleaning blade are arranged so as not to protrude beyond the member to be cleaned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The means for solving the problems include the following aspects. <1> A member to be cleaned; a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean the member, and both ends of the cleaning blade in a longitudinal direction are provided protruding from the member to be cleaned; An image forming apparatus comprising: <2> The length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the end in the longitudinal direction is 0.1 mm or more. <1> 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 . <3> The length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the end in the longitudinal direction is 1.0 mm or more. <2> 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 . <4> The contact line pressure of the cleaning blade against the member to be cleaned is 1.5 gf / mm or more and 4.0 gf / mm or less. <1> ~ <3> 13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 . <5> The contact angle of the cleaning blade with respect to the member to be cleaned is 18° or more and 50° or less. <1> ~ <4> 13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 . <6> The Young's modulus of the contact portion of the cleaning blade that contacts the member to be cleaned is 5 MPa or more and 30 MPa or less. <1> ~ <5> 13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 . <7> A member to be cleaned; a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean the member, and both ends of the cleaning blade in a longitudinal direction are provided protruding from the member to be cleaned; The process cartridge is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus. Effect of the Invention

[0008] <1> According to the invention, there is provided an image forming device in which a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean it is provided, and in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to a case in which both longitudinal ends of the cleaning blade are arranged so as not to protrude beyond the member to be cleaned.

[0009] <2> According to the invention, an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to when the length of the cleaning blade at the longitudinal end portion protruding from the member to be cleaned is less than 0.1 mm. <3> According to the invention, an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to when the length of the cleaning blade at the longitudinal end portion protruding from the member to be cleaned is less than 1.0 mm.

[0010] <4> According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed while ensuring good cleaning performance, compared to when the contact line pressure of the cleaning blade member against the member to be cleaned is less than 1.5 gf / mm and exceeds 4.0 gf / mm. <5> According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed while ensuring good cleaning performance, compared to when the contact angle of the cleaning blade member with respect to the member to be cleaned is less than 18° and more than 50°. <6> According to the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed, compared to when the Young's modulus of the contact portion of the cleaning blade that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned is less than 5 MPa.

[0011] <7> According to the invention, a process cartridge is provided in which a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean it is provided, and in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to a case in which a cleaning blade is provided in which both longitudinal ends do not extend beyond the member to be cleaned. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams for explaining the installation conditions of a cleaning blade relative to a member to be cleaned in the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams for explaining the installation conditions of a cleaning blade relative to a member to be cleaned in the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0014] Hereinafter, the present embodiment, which is an example of the present invention, will be described. These descriptions and examples are merely illustrative of the embodiment, and do not limit the scope of the embodiment.

[0015] In the numerical ranges described in the present embodiment, the upper or lower limit of one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit of another numerical range described in the present embodiment. In addition, in the numerical ranges described in the present embodiment, the upper or lower limit of the numerical range may be replaced with a value shown in the examples. In this 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. When the embodiment is described with reference to the drawings, the configuration of the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the size of the members in each drawing is conceptual, and the relative relationship between the sizes of the members is not limited to this. In this embodiment, each component may contain multiple types of corresponding substances. When referring to the amount of each component in the composition in this embodiment, if multiple types of substances corresponding to each component are present in the composition, the amount refers to the total amount of the multiple types of substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified.

[0016] <Image forming device> The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes: A member to be cleaned; A cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean it, and has both longitudinal ends that protrude beyond the member to be cleaned (hereinafter also referred to as "blade"); Equipped with.

[0017] Here, conventionally, when a member to be cleaned is cleaned with a cleaning blade, the cleaning blade may turn over (hereinafter, also referred to as "blade turn over"). In particular, when the contact line pressure of the blade with respect to the member to be cleaned and the contact angle of the blade with respect to the member to be cleaned are increased for the purpose of improving cleaning performance, the blade turn over is more likely to occur.

[0018] The blade curl is likely to occur at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the blade. If the blade is not extended beyond the member to be cleaned, the contact line pressure with the member to be cleaned is lower at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the blade than at the center of the blade in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the blade curl is likely to occur at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the blade.

[0019] Therefore, in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the cleaning blade is provided so as to protrude beyond the member to be cleaned. This allows the blade to be in contact with the member to be cleaned with sufficient contact line pressure even at both ends of the blade in the longitudinal direction, thereby preventing the blade from turning over.

[0020] As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the above-described configuration suppresses blade curling.

[0021] The image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0022] (Arrangement of cleaning blade relative to member to be cleaned) The cleaning blade is provided so that both longitudinal ends of the blade protrude beyond the cleaning member (see FIG. 1). Specifically, for example, the blade is provided along the axial direction or width direction of the member to be cleaned, and both longitudinal ends of the blade protrude from both axial ends or both width ends of the member to be cleaned. The blade may be provided such that the longitudinal direction of the blade is inclined toward the axial direction or width direction of the member to be cleaned.

[0023] The length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the longitudinal end is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.5 mm or more, and even more preferably 1.0 mm or more. By setting the protrusion amount of the longitudinal end of the blade within the above range, the blade can be brought into contact with the member to be cleaned with a sufficient contact line pressure even at both longitudinal ends of the blade, which makes it easier to prevent the blade from curling up. From the viewpoint of reducing the installation space required for the blades, the protruding length of the longitudinal end of the blade is preferably 10 mm or less.

[0024] Here, "the protruding length of the longitudinal end of the blade" refers to the length along the longitudinal direction of the blade, and means the length from the edge of the axial or width end of the member to be cleaned to the edge of the longitudinal end of the blade (see T in Figure 1). In FIG. 1, CB denotes a cleaning blade, MC denotes a member to be cleaned, and T denotes a protruding length of an end of the blade in the longitudinal direction.

[0025] The contact line pressure of the cleaning blade against the member to be cleaned is preferably 1.5 gf / mm or more and 4.0 gf / mm or less, and more preferably 1.7 gf / mm or more and 3.0 gf / mm or less. When the linear contact pressure of the blade is within the above range, the cleaning performance is improved, that is, the blade is prevented from turning over while the cleaning performance is sufficiently ensured.

[0026] The contact angle of the cleaning blade with respect to the member to be cleaned is preferably 18° or more and 50° or less, and more preferably 20° or more and 40° or less. When the contact angle of the blade is within the above range, the cleaning performance is improved, that is, the blade is prevented from turning over while the cleaning performance is sufficiently ensured.

[0027] Here, the contact line pressure NF of the blade is calculated by the following formula. Formula: NF=k×d In the formula, k is the spring constant specific to the cleaning blade, and d is the amount of penetration of the cleaning blade into the member to be cleaned (see FIG. 2). The spring constant k specific to the cleaning blade is obtained by applying a displacement to the cleaning blade and measuring the load with a load cell. The amount of penetration d of the cleaning blade into the member to be cleaned is found by calculating the amount of displacement of the member to be cleaned when the cleaning blade fixed to a fixture is brought into contact with the member to be cleaned.

[0028] The contact angle of the blade means the angle (acute angle θ) formed by an imaginary line along the non-bent portion of the underside of the blade and a tangent to the point where the imaginary line touches the surface of the member to be cleaned when the blade is in contact with the member to be cleaned (see Figure 2).

[0029] In FIG. 2, CB is the cleaning blade, MC is the member to be cleaned, FI is a fixture, NF is the contact line pressure of the cleaning blade, d is the amount of penetration of the cleaning blade into the member to be cleaned, and θ is the contact angle of the cleaning blade.

[0030] (Material to be cleaned) The member to be cleaned is the member that is the target for cleaning by the cleaning blade. Examples of the member to be cleaned include an image carrier (such as a photoconductor), a charging member (such as a charging roll), a transfer member (such as an intermediate transfer belt or a secondary transfer roll), a fixing member (such as a heating belt or a pressure roll), and a transport member (such as a transport belt).

[0031] (cleaning blade) [Layer composition] The cleaning blade may have, for example, a single layer structure, a two-layer structure, a three or more layer structure, or another structure. An example of a cleaning blade having a single layer structure is a cleaning blade whose entirety, including the contact portion that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned, is made of a single contact member. An example of a two-layer cleaning blade is a cleaning blade having a first layer made of a contact member including a contact portion that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned, and a second layer (also called a non-contact member) serving as a back layer that is formed on the back side of the first layer and made of a material different from the contact member. An example of a cleaning blade having three or more layers is a cleaning blade having another layer (also referred to as a non-contact portion) between the first and second layers of the two-layer cleaning blade. The cleaning blade is fixed and supported by, for example, a rigid plate-shaped fixture.

[0032] (Contact member) The contact member is a member that includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned. The contact member (i.e., the contact portion) is made of, for example, a rubber elastic body. Examples of the rubber elastic body include polyurethane rubber, polyimide rubber, silicone rubber, fluororubber, propylene rubber, butadiene rubber, etc. However, from the viewpoint of excellent abrasion resistance and mechanical strength, it is preferable that the rubber elastic body contains urethane rubber.

[0033] The polyurethane rubber is obtained by polymerizing at least a polyol component and a polyisocyanate component. If necessary, the polyurethane rubber may be a polyurethane rubber obtained by polymerizing a resin having a functional group capable of reacting with an isocyanate group in the polyisocyanate component in addition to the polyol component.

[0034] The polyurethane rubber constituting the contact portion contains hard segments and soft segments. Here, the terms "hard segment" and "soft segment" refer to segments in which the material constituting the former is harder than the material constituting the latter, and the material constituting the latter is softer than the material constituting the former. Examples of materials constituting the hard segment (hard segment materials) include low molecular weight polyols among polyol components, resins having functional groups capable of reacting with isocyanate groups in the polyisocyanate component, etc. On the other hand, examples of materials constituting the soft segment (soft segment materials) include high molecular weight polyols among polyol components.

[0035] Polyol component The polyol component includes a high molecular weight polyol and a low molecular weight polyol.

[0036] The polymer polyol is a polyol having a number average molecular weight of 500 or more (preferably 500 or more and 5,000 or less). Examples of the polymer polyol include well-known polyols such as polyester polyols obtained by dehydration condensation of low molecular weight polyols and dibasic acids, polycarbonate polyols obtained by reaction of low molecular weight polyols and alkyl carbonates, polycaprolactone polyols, and polyether polyols. Commercially available polymer polyols include, for example, PLACCEL 205 and PLACCEL 240 manufactured by Daicel Corporation.

[0037] Here, the number average molecular weight is determined by the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) method. The same applies below.

[0038] The polymer polyols may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0039] The polymerization ratio of the high molecular weight polyol is preferably 30 mol % or more and 50 mol % or less, and more preferably 40 mol % or more and 50 mol % or less, based on the total polymerization components of the polyurethane rubber.

[0040] A low molecular weight polyol is a polyol having a molecular weight (or number average molecular weight) of less than 500. A low molecular weight polyol is also a material that functions as a chain extender and a crosslinker.

[0041] Examples of low molecular weight polyols include 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,7-heptanediol, 1,8-octanediol, 1,9-nonanediol, 1,10-decanediol, 1,11-undecanediol, 1,12-dodecanediol, 1,13-tridecanediol, 1,14-tetradecanediol, 1,18-octadecanediol, and 1,20-eicosanediol. Among these, 1,4-butanediol is preferably used as the low molecular weight polyol. The low molecular weight polyol component may also include polyols such as diols (2-functional), triols (3-functional), or tetraols (4-functional), which are well known as chain extenders and crosslinkers.

[0042] The low molecular weight polyols may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0043] The polymerization ratio of the low molecular weight polyol component is preferably more than 50 mol% and not more than 75 mol%, more preferably 52 mol% to 75 mol%, more preferably 55 mol% to 75 mol%, and even more preferably 55 mol% to 60 mol%.

[0044] Polyisocyanate component Examples of the polyisocyanate component include 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), 1,6-hexane diisocyanate (HDI), 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate (NDI), and 3,3-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4-diisocyanate (TODI). Among these, 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate (NDI), and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) are more preferable as the polyisocyanate component.

[0045] The polyisocyanate component may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0046] The polymerization ratio of the polyisocyanate component is preferably 5 mol % or more and 25 mol % or less, and more preferably 10 mol % or more and 20 mol % or less, based on the total polymerization components of the polyurethane rubber.

[0047] Resins with functional groups that can react with isocyanate groups The resin having a functional group capable of reacting with an isocyanate group (hereinafter also referred to as "reactive group-containing resin") is preferably a flexible resin, and from the viewpoint of flexibility, is more preferably an aliphatic resin having a linear structure. Specific examples of reactive group-containing resins include acrylic resins containing two or more hydroxyl groups, polybutadiene resins containing two or more hydroxyl groups, and epoxy resins having two or more epoxy groups.

[0048] Commercially available acrylic resins containing two or more hydroxyl groups include those from Soken Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Examples of suitable fluororesin products include Actflow (grades: UMB-2005B, UMB-2005P, UMB-2005, UME-2005, etc.) manufactured by Actflow Co., Ltd.

[0049] An example of a commercially available polybutadiene resin containing two or more hydroxyl groups is R-45HT manufactured by Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.

[0050] The epoxy resin having two or more epoxy groups is not hard and brittle like conventional epoxy resins, but is more flexible and tough than conventional epoxy resins. For example, in terms of molecular structure, the epoxy resin preferably has a structure (also called flexible skeleton) in its main chain structure that can increase the mobility of the main chain, and examples of the flexible skeleton include an alkylene skeleton, a cycloalkane skeleton, and a polyoxyalkylene skeleton, and the polyoxyalkylene skeleton is particularly preferred. In terms of physical properties, epoxy resins with a lower viscosity relative to the molecular weight are preferred compared to conventional epoxy resins. Specifically, the weight average molecular weight is preferably within the range of 900±100, and the viscosity at 25°C is preferably within the range of 15000±5000 mPa·s, more preferably within the range of 15000±3000 mPa·s. An example of a commercially available epoxy resin with these characteristics is EPLICON EXA-4850-150 manufactured by DIC Corporation.

[0051] The reactive group-containing resin may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0052] -Method of manufacturing polyurethane rubber The polyurethane rubber may be produced by using the raw materials for producing the polyurethane rubber, including the polyol component, the polyisocyanate component, and, if necessary, a resin having a functional group capable of reacting with a reactive isocyanate group, and by using a general production method for polyurethane, such as a prepolymer method or a one-shot method. The prepolymer method is suitable for this embodiment because it can produce a polyurethane rubber having excellent abrasion resistance and chipping resistance, but is not limited by the production method. In addition, it is preferable to use a catalyst when producing the polyurethane rubber.

[0053] Examples of catalysts used in the production of polyurethane rubber include amine compounds such as tertiary amines, quaternary ammonium salts, and organometallic compounds such as organotin compounds. Examples of the tertiary amine include trialkylamines such as triethylamine, tetraalkyldiamines such as N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,3-butanediamine, aminoalcohols such as dimethylethanolamine, ethoxylated amines, ethoxylated diamines, ester amines such as bis(diethylethanolamine) adipate, triethylenediamine (TEDA), cyclohexylamine derivatives such as N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine, morpholine derivatives such as N-methylmorpholine and N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-dimethylmorpholine, piperazine derivatives such as N,N'-diethyl-2-methylpiperazine and N,N'-bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-2-methylpiperazine, and the like.

[0054] Examples of quaternary ammonium salts include 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium octylate, 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]nonene-5 (DBN) octylate, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecene-7 (DBU) octylate, DBU-oleate, DBU-p-toluenesulfonate, DBU-formate, and 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium formate.

[0055] Examples of the organic tin compounds include dialkyl tin compounds such as dibutyltin dilaurate and dibutyltin di(2-ethylhexoate), stannous 2-ethylcaproate, and stannous oleate. 1Tin, etc.

[0056] Among these catalysts, the tertiary ammonium salt triethylenediamine (TEDA) is used in terms of hydrolysis resistance, and quaternary ammonium salts are preferred in terms of processability. Among the quaternary ammonium salts, 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]nonene-5 (DBN) octylate, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecene-7 (DBU) octylate, and DBU formate are preferred, as they have high reactivity.

[0057] The catalyst may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0058] The content of the catalyst is preferably in the range of 0.0005% by mass or more and 0.03% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 0.001% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, of the entire polyurethane rubber.

[0059] (impregnated hardened layer) The surface layer of the polyurethane rubber constituting the contact portion may have an impregnated and cured layer of an isocyanate compound. The impregnated hardened layer increases the hardness of the contact area, providing better wear resistance and chipping resistance. Here, the surface layer of the polyurethane rubber constituting the contact portion refers to the region extending from the surface of the contact portion to a depth of 200 μm.

[0060] The impregnated hardened layer is obtained by modifying the polyurethane rubber that constitutes the contact portion. Specifically, the impregnated and cured layer is a layer formed by impregnating a surface treatment liquid containing an isocyanate compound and an organic solvent into the surface layer of the contact portion made of polyurethane rubber, and then curing the impregnated surface treatment liquid (i.e., the isocyanate compound). The impregnated hardened layer is formed integrally with the surface layer of the contact portion so as to become gradually less dense from the surface toward the inside.

[0061] Examples of the isocyanate compound include 2,6-tolylene diisocyanate (TDI), 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), paraphenylene diisocyanate (PPDI), 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate (NDI), and 3,3-dimethyldiphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate (TODI), as well as polymers and modified products thereof.

[0062] The surface layer of the polyurethane rubber constituting the contact portion may have a layer impregnated with diamond-like carbon. Also, the surface of the polyurethane rubber constituting the contact portion may have a diamond-like carbon layer.

[0063] Specifically, the layer impregnated with diamond-like carbon or the diamond-like carbon layer (hereinafter, both layers are also referred to as "Tac-treated layers") is a layer containing tetrahedral amorphous carbon or is tetrahedral amorphous carbon. The composition of the layer is not particularly limited and may be a layer formed by a known tetrahedral amorphous carbon coating. The Tac-treated layer contains 100% sp 3 The proportion of carbons with hybrid orbitals, i.e., sp 3 Hybridized carbon and sp 2 The ratio of carbons having sp3 hybrid orbitals to the total of carbons having hybrid orbitals is preferably 10% or more and 60% or less, and more preferably 20% or more and 50% or less. The above sp3 The proportion of carbon having a hybrid orbital can be measured, for example, by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

[0064] The Tac treatment layer is formed by various deposition methods (PVD: physical vapor deposition, CVD: chemical vapor deposition), which are common methods for forming a treatment film of tetrahedral amorphous carbon on the surface to be formed. For example, when a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) deposition method, which is an ion beam deposition method using an arc plasma source, is applied as the deposition method, the film formation temperature is preferably 0° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower (more preferably 20° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower, particularly preferably 40° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower), and the film formation speed is preferably 1.5 nm / s.

[0065] (Physical properties of contact area) The Young's modulus of the contact portion is preferably 5 MPa or more and 30 MPa or less. Specifically, the Young's modulus of the contact portion is preferably 5 MPa or more, more preferably 10 MPa or more, from the viewpoint of improving the cleaning blade turning-up, and is preferably 30 MPa or less, more preferably 20 MPa or less, from the viewpoint of suppressing back surface staining due to chipping of the contact portion.

[0066] Young's modulus is measured as follows. Young's modulus is measured using the nanoindentation method. Specifically, a PICODENTOR HM500 manufactured by Fisher Instruments and a Berkovich-type diamond indenter are used to measure the indentation depth-load curve, and the load is applied to a maximum indentation depth of 1000 nm. The slope of the unloading curve when the load is subsequently removed is calculated as Young's modulus.

[0067] The hardness of the contact portion is preferably 60 or more and 98 or less, more preferably 65 or more and 97 or less, and even more preferably 70 or more and 95 or less, from the viewpoint of excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance.

[0068] Here, the hardness is a micro rubber hardness, which is measured in accordance with the micro hardness MD-1 test method using a micro rubber hardness tester MD-1 type (polymer A type).

[0069] (Molding of contact components) The contact member (i.e., the contact portion) made of polyurethane rubber is produced by using a cleaning blade molding composition containing polyurethane rubber or a prepolymer, forming it into a sheet by, for example, centrifugal molding, extrusion molding, or the like, and then cutting the sheet into a sheet. Incidentally, since the contact member is obtained by molding the cleaning blade molding composition, it may be configured to contain, in addition to the polyurethane rubber that is the main component, additives used when obtaining the polyurethane rubber, a filler that is used as needed, and the like.

[0070] [Cleaning blade manufacturing] The cleaning blade having a single layer structure is manufactured, for example, by a molding method for a contact member. A cleaning blade having a two-layer structure or a cleaning blade having three or more layers is produced, for example, by bonding a first layer as a contact member and a second layer as a non-contact member (multiple layers in the case of a layer structure of three or more layers) to each other. As a method for bonding, double-sided tape, various adhesives, etc. are preferably used. In addition, multiple layers may be bonded by pouring the materials of each layer into a mold with a time difference during molding and bonding the materials together without providing an adhesive layer.

[0071] (Composition of non-contact components) When the cleaning blade has a contact member and a non-contact member such as the second layer and other layers, each made of a different material, the composition of the non-contact member will be described. The non-contact member is not particularly limited and may be made of any known material as long as it has the function of supporting the contact member. Specifically, examples of materials used for the non-contact member include polyurethane rubber, silicon rubber, fluororubber, chloroprene rubber, and butadiene rubber. Among these, polyurethane rubber is preferable. Examples of polyurethane rubber include ester-based polyurethane and ether-based polyurethane, and ester-based polyurethane is particularly preferable.

[0072] (Image forming device) The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it is an image forming apparatus equipped with a member to be cleaned and a cleaning blade.

[0073] Specifically, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment may include, for example, an apparatus including an image holder, a charging device that charges the image holder, an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holder, a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holder with toner to form a toner image, and a transfer device that transfers the toner image formed on the image holder to the surface of a recording medium.

[0074] The image forming apparatus according to this embodiment is a device equipped with a fixing device that fixes a toner image transferred onto the surface of a recording medium; a device equipped with a cleaning device that cleans the surface of an image holder before charging after the toner image is transferred; a device equipped with a static elimination device that irradiates the surface of the image holder with static elimination light to eliminate static electricity before charging after the toner image is transferred; a device equipped with an image holder heating member that increases the temperature of the image holder and reduces the relative temperature; and a conveying device that conveys a recording medium. Here, the transfer device may be a direct transfer type device that transfers a toner image formed on the surface of an image carrier directly to a recording medium; or an intermediate transfer type device that performs primary transfer of a toner image formed on the surface of an image carrier to the surface of an intermediate transfer medium, and then performs secondary transfer of the toner image transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer medium to the surface of a recording medium. In the case of an intermediate transfer type device, the transfer device is configured to have, for example, an intermediate transfer body onto whose surface a toner image is transferred, a primary transfer device which primarily transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier onto the surface of the intermediate transfer body, and a secondary transfer device which secondarily transfers the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer body onto the surface of a recording medium.

[0075] The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment may be either a dry development type image forming apparatus or a wet development type image forming apparatus (a development type using a liquid developer).

[0076] In the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, for example, a portion including a member to be cleaned and a cleaning blade may have a cartridge structure (process cartridge) that is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus.

[0077] Hereinafter, an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is not limited to this. Note that only the main parts shown in the drawings will be described, and the description of the rest will be omitted. Here, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0078] 3, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is, for example, an intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus generally called a tandem type, and includes a plurality of image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K (an example of a toner image forming apparatus) in which toner images of each color component are formed by an electrophotographic method, a primary transfer section 10 that sequentially transfers (primary transfer) the toner images of each color component formed by each image forming unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K onto an intermediate transfer belt 15, a secondary transfer section 20 that collectively transfers (secondary transfer) the superimposed toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 15 onto a recording medium, paper K, and a fixing device 60 that fixes the secondary transferred image onto the paper K. The image forming apparatus 100 also has a control section 40 that controls the operation of each device (each section).

[0079] Each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K of the image forming apparatus 100 includes a photoconductor 11 (an example of an image carrier) that rotates in the direction of arrow A and carries a toner image formed on its surface.

[0080] Around the photoconductor 11, there is provided a charger 12 as an example of a charging device that charges the photoconductor 11, and there is provided a laser exposure device 13 (the exposure beam is indicated by the symbol Bm in the figure) as an example of an electrostatic latent image forming device that writes an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 11.

[0081] In addition, around the photoconductor 11, there is provided a developing device 14 as an example of a developing device, which contains toner of each color component and makes the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 11 visible using the toner, and there is provided a primary transfer roll 16 which transfers the toner image of each color component formed on the photoconductor 11 to an intermediate transfer belt 15 at the primary transfer section 10.

[0082] Furthermore, a photoreceptor cleaner 17 that removes residual toner on the photoreceptor 11 is provided around the photoreceptor 11, and electrophotographic devices including a charger 12, a laser exposure device 13, a developer 14, a primary transfer roll 16, and the photoreceptor cleaner 17 are sequentially arranged along the rotation direction of the photoreceptor 11. These image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are arranged in a substantially linear fashion in the order of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) from the upstream side of the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0083] 3 at a speed suited to the purpose. These rolls include a drive roll 31 that is driven by a motor (not shown) with excellent constant speed performance to rotate the intermediate transfer belt 15, a support roll 32 that supports the intermediate transfer belt 15 that extends in a substantially straight line along the arrangement direction of the photoconductors 11, a tension applying roll 33 that applies tension to the intermediate transfer belt 15 and functions as a correction roll that prevents the intermediate transfer belt 15 from meandering, a back roll 25 provided in the secondary transfer unit 20, and a roller 36 that is provided in the intermediate transfer unit 20. The secondary transfer belt 15 has a cleaning back roll 34 disposed opposite a secondary transfer belt cleaning blade 35 for scraping off residual toner and the like on the transfer belt 15 .

[0084] The primary transfer section 10 is composed of a primary transfer roll 16 arranged opposite the photoconductor 11 with the intermediate transfer belt 15 sandwiched therebetween. The primary transfer roll 16 is arranged in pressure contact with the photoconductor 11 with the intermediate transfer belt 15 sandwiched therebetween, and a voltage (primary transfer bias) of the opposite polarity to the charge polarity of the toner (negative polarity; the same applies below) is applied to the primary transfer roll 16. As a result, the toner images on the photoconductors 11 are electrostatically attracted to the intermediate transfer belt 15 in sequence, and superimposed toner images are formed on the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0085] The secondary transfer unit 20 includes a back roll 25 and a secondary transfer roll 22 that is disposed on the toner image bearing surface side of the intermediate transfer belt 15 .

[0086] The back roll 25 has a surface resistivity of 1×10 7 Ω / □ or more 1×10 10 The hardness is set to, for example, 70° (Asker C: manufactured by Kobunshi Keiki Co., Ltd., the same applies below.) The back roll 25 is disposed on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 15 to constitute an opposing electrode of the secondary transfer roll 22, and is in contact with a metallic power supply roll 26 to which a secondary transfer bias is stably applied.

[0087] On the other hand, the secondary transfer roll 22 has a volume resistivity of 10 7.5 Ωcm or more 10 8.5 The secondary transfer roll 22 is a cylindrical roll of Ωcm or less. The secondary transfer roll 22 is arranged in pressure contact with the back roll 25 with the intermediate transfer belt 15 sandwiched therebetween, and the secondary transfer roll 22 is further grounded to form a secondary transfer bias between the secondary transfer roll 22 and the back roll 25, and performs a second transfer of the toner image onto the paper K transported to the secondary transfer unit 20.

[0088] In addition, a secondary transfer belt cleaning blade 35 is provided on the downstream side of the secondary transfer section 20 of the intermediate transfer belt 15 in a manner that allows it to freely come into contact with and separate from the intermediate transfer belt 15. The secondary transfer belt cleaning blade 35 removes residual toner and paper dust from the intermediate transfer belt 15 after the secondary transfer and cleans the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15. Further, a secondary transfer roll cleaning member 22A is provided downstream of the secondary transfer section 20 of the secondary transfer roll 22 to remove residual toner and paper powder on the secondary transfer roll 22 after secondary transfer and clean the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15. The secondary transfer roll cleaning member 22A is exemplified by a cleaning blade, but may also be a cleaning roll. The image forming apparatus 100 may be configured to include a secondary transfer belt (an example of a secondary transfer member) instead of the secondary transfer roll 22.

[0089] Meanwhile, a reference sensor (home position sensor) 42 is provided upstream of the yellow image forming unit 1Y to generate a reference signal that serves as a reference for timing image formation in each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K. An image density sensor 43 for adjusting image quality is provided downstream of the black image forming unit 1K. This reference sensor 42 generates a reference signal by recognizing a mark provided on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 15, and each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K is configured to start image formation in response to an instruction from the control unit 40 based on the recognition of this reference signal.

[0090] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, as a conveying means for conveying the paper K, a paper storage section 50 for storing the paper K, a paper storage section 50 for storing the paper K, and a paper storage section 50 for storing the paper K stacked in the paper storage section 50 according to a predetermined timing are provided. The transfer device 20 includes a paper feed roll 51 which takes out the paper K in a timing and transports it, a transport roll 52 which transports the paper K fed by the paper feed roll 51, a transport guide 53 which sends the paper K transported by the transport roll 52 to the secondary transfer section 20, a transport belt 55 which transports the paper K transported after the secondary transfer by the secondary transfer roll 22 to the fixing device 60, and a fixing entrance guide 56 which guides the paper K to the fixing device 60.

[0091] Next, a basic image forming process of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, image data output from an image reading device (not shown) or a personal computer (PC) (not shown), etc., is subjected to image processing by an image processing device (not shown), and then image formation work is performed by image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K.

[0092] The image processing device performs image processing on the input reflectance data, such as shading correction, positional deviation correction, brightness / color space conversion, gamma correction, and various image editing such as frame erasure, color editing, and movement editing. The image data that has undergone image processing is converted into color material gradation data of four colors, Y, M, C, and K, and is output to the laser exposure device 13.

[0093] In the laser exposure device 13, an exposure beam Bm emitted from, for example, a semiconductor laser is irradiated onto the photoconductor 11 of each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K in accordance with the input color material gradation data. In each of the photoconductors 11 of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, the surface is charged by the charger 12, and then 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 of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K.

[0094] The toner images formed on the photoconductors 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 photoconductor 11 comes into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 15. More specifically, in the primary transfer section 10, a voltage (primary transfer bias) of the opposite polarity to the charging polarity (negative polarity) of the toner is applied to the base material of the intermediate transfer belt 15 by the primary transfer roll 16, and the toner images are sequentially superimposed on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15 to perform the primary transfer.

[0095] After the toner images are sequentially primarily transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15, the intermediate transfer belt 15 moves to transport the toner images to the secondary transfer unit 20. When the toner images are transported to the secondary transfer unit 20, the transport means rotates the paper feed roll 51 in accordance with the timing at which the toner images are transported to the secondary transfer unit 20, and paper K of the desired size is supplied from the paper storage unit 50. The paper K supplied by the paper feed roll 51 is transported by the transport roll 52 and reaches the secondary transfer unit 20 via the transport guide 53. Before reaching the secondary transfer unit 20, the paper K is temporarily stopped, and a positioning roll (not shown) rotates in accordance with the movement timing of the intermediate transfer belt 15 on which the toner images are held, thereby aligning the position of the paper K with the position of the toner image.

[0096] In the secondary transfer section 20, the secondary transfer roll 22 is pressed against the back roll 25 via the intermediate transfer belt 15. At this time, the paper K, which has been transported in time, is sandwiched between the intermediate transfer belt 15 and the secondary transfer roll 22. At this time, when a voltage (secondary transfer bias) of the same polarity as the charging polarity (negative polarity) of the toner is applied from the power supply roll 26, a transfer electric field is formed between the secondary transfer roll 22 and the back roll 25. Then, the unfixed toner images held on the intermediate transfer belt 15 are electrostatically transferred collectively onto the paper K in the secondary transfer section 20, which is pressed by the secondary transfer roll 22 and the back roll 25.

[0097] Then, the paper K onto which the toner image has been electrostatically transferred is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt by the secondary transfer roll 22. The paper K is transported in that state after being peeled off from the roller 15, and is transported to a transport belt 55 provided downstream of the secondary transfer roller 22 in the paper transport direction. The transport belt 55 transports the paper K to the fixing device 60 at an optimal transport speed for the fixing device 60. The unfixed toner image on the paper K transported to the fixing device 60 is fixed onto the paper K by being subjected to a fixing process using heat and pressure by the fixing device 60. The paper K on which the fixed image has been formed is then transported to a discharged paper storage section (not shown) provided in the discharge section of the image forming apparatus.

[0098] 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 secondary transfer belt cleaning blade 35 as the intermediate transfer belt 15 rotates, and is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 15 by the secondary transfer belt cleaning blade 35.

[0099] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements are possible. EXAMPLES

[0100] Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, all "parts" and "%" are based on mass.

[0101] <Example 1> [Cleaning blade] Polycaprolactone polyol (Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd., Plaxel 205, average molecular weight 529, hydroxyl value 212 KOHmg / g) and polycaprolactone polyol (Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd., Plaxel 240, average molecular weight 4155, hydroxyl value 27 KOHmg / g) were used as soft segment materials of the polyol component. In addition, an acrylic resin containing two or more hydroxyl groups (Soken Chemical Industries, Ltd., Actflow UMB-2005B) was used as a hard segment material, and the soft segment material and hard segment material were mixed in a ratio of 8:2 (mass ratio).

[0102] Next, 6.26 parts of 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (Millionate MT, manufactured by Nippon Polyurethane Industry Co., Ltd.) was added as an isocyanate compound to 100 parts of the mixture of the soft segment material and the hard segment material, and the mixture was reacted for 3 hours at 70°C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The amount of the isocyanate compound used in this reaction was selected so that the ratio of isocyanate groups to hydroxyl groups contained in the reaction system (isocyanate groups / hydroxyl groups) was 0.5.

[0103] Next, 34.3 parts of the isocyanate compound was further added, and the mixture was reacted at 70° C. for 3 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere to obtain a prepolymer. The total amount of the isocyanate compound used in the use of the prepolymer was 40.56 parts. Next, the prepolymer was heated to 100° C. and degassed under reduced pressure for 1 hour. After that, 7.14 parts of a mixture of 1,4-butanediol and trimethylolpropane (mass ratio = 60 / 40) was added to 100 parts of the prepolymer, and mixed for 3 minutes without incorporating bubbles, to prepare a blade-forming composition A. Next, the blade-forming composition A was poured into a centrifugal molding machine with a mold adjusted to 140° C., and cured for 1 hour. Next, the composition was heated and aged at 110° C. for 24 hours, cooled, and then cut to obtain a blade member having a length of 360 mm, a width of 12 mm, and a thickness of 2 mm. The obtained blade material was subjected to the filter cathode vacuum arc (FCVA) method, in which carbon plasma was generated by vacuum arc discharge of graphite, and ionized carbon was extracted and deposited from the plasma. A tetrahedral amorphous coating was performed using an FCVA device manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, and a blade material with a tetrahedral amorphous carbon (Tac) treatment layer was obtained. The deposition conditions were a deposition temperature of 40° C. to 80° C. and a deposition rate of 1.5 nm / s. The obtained blade member having the Tac treatment layer was adhered to a support material (SUS) to obtain a cleaning blade. The Young's modulus of the contact portion of the cleaning blade was 10 MPa.

[0104] [Secondary transfer roll] A secondary transfer roll having a diameter of Φ28 mm and a length of 350 mm was prepared, which was made of an elastic urethane foam roll coated with urethane resin containing fluorine particles.

[0105] [Image forming device] The above-mentioned secondary transfer roll and the above-mentioned cleaning blade as a cleaning blade for cleaning the above-mentioned secondary transfer roll were attached to a secondary transfer unit of an image forming apparatus "ApeosPort VII C6688" manufactured by FUJIFILM Business Innovation Co., Ltd. The cleaning blade was attached to the device with a protruding length of 5 mm from the secondary transfer roll, a total load of 525 gf (linear contact pressure of 1.5 gf / mm) on the secondary transfer roll, and a contact angle of 50° with the secondary transfer roll. The above image forming apparatus was used as the image forming apparatus of Example 1.

[0106] <Examples 2 to 20, Comparative Examples 1 to 2> The image forming apparatuses of Examples 2 to 20 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were similar to those of Example 1, except that the protrusion length from the secondary transfer roll, the contact line pressure with the secondary transfer roll, and the contact angle with the secondary transfer roll were changed according to Table 1. Further, the image forming apparatuses of Examples 1 to 20 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were each equipped with a cleaning blade having a different composition and the like, and a cleaning blade with a Young's modulus at the contact portion shown in Table 1.

[0107] <Evaluation> The following evaluations were carried out using the image forming apparatus of each example.

[0108] (Whether or not cleaning blade curling occurs) After leaving each example of image forming apparatus in an environment of 28°C and 85% RH for 24 hours, 10 sheets of A4 blank paper x 2000 were loaded into the apparatus, and whether or not blade curl occurred while forming a total of 200,000 images was evaluated according to the following criteria. (Evaluation criteria for blade curling) S: Not occurred A: Turning occurs between 100,000 and 200,000 sheets B: Turning occurs between 10,000 and 100,000 sheets C: Curling occurs after less than 10,000 sheets

[0109] (Initial cleaning: Evaluation of backside stains) After leaving each image forming device in an environment of 10℃ and 15% RH for 24 hours, a solid image with a density of 100% (25% for each color of YMCK) was directly transferred to the secondary transfer roll, and then an A3 sheet of paper was run through it to evaluate whether or not there was any backside dirt, according to the following criteria.

[0110] (Post-image cleaning: Evaluation of backside stains) After the evaluation of the occurrence of curling of the cleaning blade was completed, the cleaning performance after image formation was evaluated in the same manner as in the evaluation of the initial cleaning performance, according to the following criteria.

[0111] (Criteria for evaluating cleaning ability) S: Not occurred A: Very slight dirt on the back (almost no problem) B: Slight back staining (acceptable) C: Unacceptable backside staining or blade curling makes it impossible to evaluate

[0112] [Table 1]

[0113] From the above results, it is understood that in this embodiment, the curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed more than in the comparative example. In particular, in Examples 3, 4, and 7, it is clear that the curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed while maintaining good cleaning performance. Comparative Example 2 is an example in which the cleaning blade was installed with excessively low linear contact pressure and contact angle, but the rear surface of the paper was soiled and the cleaning function was not exerted.

[0114] The present embodiment includes the following aspects. (((1))) A member to be cleaned; a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean the member, and both ends of the cleaning blade in a longitudinal direction are provided protruding from the member to be cleaned; An image forming apparatus comprising: (((2))) The image forming apparatus according to (((1))), wherein the length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the end in the longitudinal direction is 0.1 mm or more. (((3))) The image forming apparatus according to (((2))), wherein the length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the end in the longitudinal direction is 1.0 mm or more. (((4))) The image forming apparatus according to any one of (((1))) to (((3))), wherein the contact line pressure of the cleaning blade with respect to the member to be cleaned is 1.5 gf / mm or more and 4.0 gf / mm or less. (((5))) The image forming apparatus according to any one of ((1))) to (((4))), wherein a contact angle of the cleaning blade with respect to the member to be cleaned is 18° or more and 50° or less. (((6))) The image forming apparatus according to any one of (((1))) to (((5))), wherein the Young's modulus of the contact portion of the cleaning blade that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned is 5 MPa or more and 30 MPa or less. (((7))) A member to be cleaned; a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean the member, and both ends of the cleaning blade in a longitudinal direction are provided protruding from the member to be cleaned; The process cartridge is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus.

[0115] The advantages of the above aspect are as follows. According to the invention pertaining to (((1))), there is provided an image forming apparatus which is provided with a cleaning blade which comes into contact with a member to be cleaned for cleaning, and in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to a case in which both longitudinal ends of the cleaning blade are provided so as not to protrude beyond the member to be cleaned.

[0116] According to the invention related to (((2))), an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to when the length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the longitudinal end is less than 0.1 mm. According to the invention related to (((3))), an image forming device is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to when the length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the longitudinal end is less than 1.0 mm.

[0117] According to the invention related to (((4))), an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed while ensuring good cleaning performance, as compared to when the contact line pressure of the cleaning blade member against the member to be cleaned is less than 1.5 gf / mm and more than 4.0 gf / mm. According to the invention related to (((5))), an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed while ensuring good cleaning performance, as compared to when the contact angle of the cleaning blade member with respect to the member to be cleaned is less than 18° and more than 50°. According to the invention related to (((6))), an image forming apparatus is provided in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to when the Young's modulus of the contact portion of the cleaning blade that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned is less than 5 MPa.

[0118] According to the invention pertaining to (((7))), there is provided a process cartridge in which a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned for cleaning, and in which curling of the cleaning blade is suppressed compared to a case in which both longitudinal ends of the cleaning blade are arranged so as not to protrude beyond the member to be cleaned, is provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K Image forming unit 10 Primary transfer section 11 Photoreceptor 12 Charger 13 Laser exposure device 14 Developer 15 Intermediate transfer belt 16 Primary transfer roll 17 Photoconductor cleaner 20 Secondary transfer section 22 Secondary transfer roll 22A Secondary transfer roll cleaning member 25 Back roll 26 Power supply roll 31 Driving Roll 32 Support roll 33 Tensioning roll 34 Cleaning back roll 35 Intermediate transfer belt cleaning blade 40 Control section 42 Reference Sensor 43 Image density sensor 50 Paper storage section 51 Paper feed roll 52 Transport roll 53 Transport guide 55 Conveyor belt 56 Fixing entrance guide 60 Fixing device 100 Image forming device

Claims

1. A member to be cleaned; a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean the member, and both ends of the cleaning blade in a longitudinal direction are provided protruding from the member to be cleaned; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at the end in the longitudinal direction is 0.1 mm or more.

3. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a length of the cleaning blade protruding from the member to be cleaned at an end in the longitudinal direction is 1.0 mm or more.

4. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact line pressure of the cleaning blade with respect to the member to be cleaned is 1.5 gf / mm or more and 4.0 gf / mm or less.

5. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a contact angle of the cleaning blade with respect to the member to be cleaned is in the range of 18 degrees to 50 degrees.

6. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a Young's modulus of the contact portion of the cleaning blade which contacts the member to be cleaned is 5 MPa or more and 30 MPa or less.

7. A member to be cleaned; a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned to clean the member, and both ends of the cleaning blade in a longitudinal direction are provided protruding from the member to be cleaned; The process cartridge is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus.

Images