Cleaning blade for belt, image formation device and transfer device

Abstract

To provide a cleaning blade for belt that is superior in wear resistance and chipping resistance.SOLUTION: There is provided a cleaning blade for belt that has a contact region which comes into contact with at least a surface of a belt as a cleaned member, wherein the contact region is made of polyurethane rubber including a hard segment and a soft segment, the ratio HX of a domain of the hard segment is 15.2 to 26.1%, and the ratio HY of the area of the domain of a hard segment having an area of 200 to 1,000 nm2 to the total area of the domain of the hard segment on the surface is 38.9 to 60.8%.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning blade for a belt, an image forming apparatus, and a transfer device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses (such as copiers, facsimiles, and printers), a cleaning blade is often used to clean off any toner that has adhered to the surface.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cleaning blade in which at least the contact portion that comes into contact with the member to be cleaned is formed of a polyurethane member that contains a polyurethane material containing a hard segment and a soft segment, and in which the area ratio of hard segment aggregates having a diameter in the range of 0.3 μm to 0.7 μm in cross section is 2% to 10%. Patent Document 2 describes a cleaning blade in which at least a contact portion that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned is constituted by a polyurethane member containing a polyurethane that includes a hard segment component and a soft segment component, and the hard segment component has a domain particle size of 45 nm or more and 100 nm or less. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-14740 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-49558 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning roller having a contact portion that contacts at least the surface of a belt that is a member to be cleaned, the contact portion being made of polyurethane rubber containing hard segments and soft segments, and a ratio H of the domains of the hard segments on the surface of the contact portion being 100%. X is less than 15.2% or more than 26.1%, or is less than 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y The object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning blade for a belt which is excellent in wear resistance and chipping resistance as compared with a cleaning blade for a belt having a surface roughness of less than 38.9% or more than 60.8%. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Means for solving the above problems include the following aspects. <1> The cleaning roller has a contact portion that contacts at least the surface of the belt, which is the member to be cleaned; the contact portion is made of a polyurethane rubber including a hard segment and a soft segment, The ratio H of the domain of the hard segment to the surface of the contact area X is 15.2% or more and 26.1% or less, and the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments on the surface is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y A belt cleaning blade, wherein the surface roughness is 38.9% or more and 60.8% or less. <2> The ratio H X is between 18.4% and 25.3%. <1> 2. A cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1. <3> The ratio H Y is between 39.9% and 59.2%. <1> 2. A cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1. <4> The ratio H X is 18.4% or more and 25.3% or less, and the ratio HY is between 39.9% and 59.2%. <1> 2. A cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1. <5> 200 nm for the total number of domains of the hard segments on the surface 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the number of domains of the hard segment having an area of Z is between 31.2% and 48.7%. <1> ~ <4> 2. A cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1 . <6> In the cross section of the contact portion, the ratio of the domain of the hard segment to the total area of ​​the cross section is defined as D X and the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments in the cross section is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is defined as D Y When The ratio H X The ratio D to X The ratio is 0.58 or more and 1.64 or less, and the ratio H Y The ratio D to Y The ratio is 0.29 or more and 1.19 or less. <1> ~ <5> 2. A cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1 . <7> In the cross section of the contact portion, the total number of domains of the hard segment is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the number of domains of the hard segment having an area of ​​the following is defined as D Z When The ratio H Z The ratio D to Z The ratio is 0.04 or more and 0.34 or less. <5> or <6> 2. A cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1.

[0007] <8> A photoconductor; a charging device for charging the photoconductor; an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the photoconductor; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor with toner to form a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a surface of a recording medium; A belt that is a member to be cleaned; bringing the contact portion into contact with a surface of the belt to clean the surface; <1> ~ <7> a belt cleaning blade according to any one of claims 1 to 5; An image forming apparatus comprising: <9> an intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image is transferred; a primary transfer device that primarily transfers a toner image formed on a surface of a photoconductor onto a surface of the intermediate transfer belt; a secondary transfer device that secondarily transfers the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt onto a surface of a recording medium; bringing the contact portion into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to clean the surface; <1> ~ <7> a belt cleaning blade according to any one of claims 1 to 5; A transfer device comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0008] <1> According to the present invention, the cleaning roller has a contact area that contacts at least the surface of a belt that is a member to be cleaned, the contact area is made of polyurethane rubber containing hard segments and soft segments, and the proportion H of the domains of the hard segments on the surface of the contact area is X is less than 15.2% or more than 26.1%, or is less than 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y This provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance as compared with a belt cleaning blade having a surface roughness of less than 38.9% or more than 60.8%. <2> or <4> According to the invention, the ratio H XThis provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance, as compared with a case in which the surface roughness is less than 18.4% or exceeds 25.3%. <3> or <4> According to the invention, the ratio H Y This provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance as compared with a belt cleaning blade having a surface roughness of less than 39.9% or more than 59.2%. <5> According to the invention, the ratio H Z This provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance, as compared with a cleaning blade having a surface roughness of less than 31.2% or more than 48.7%. <6> According to the invention, the ratio H X The ratio D to X is less than 0.58 or more than 1.64, or Y The ratio D to Y In comparison with cases where the ratio is less than 0.29 or exceeds 1.19, a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance is provided. <7> According to the invention, the ratio H Z The ratio D to Z In comparison with cases where the ratio is less than 0.04 or exceeds 0.34, a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance is provided. <8> or <9> According to the present invention, the cleaning roller has a contact area that contacts at least the surface of a belt that is a member to be cleaned, the contact area is made of polyurethane rubber containing hard segments and soft segments, and the proportion H of the domains of the hard segments on the surface of the contact area is X is less than 15.2% or more than 26.1%, or is less than 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y The present invention provides an image forming apparatus or a transfer apparatus equipped with a belt cleaning blade that has excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance, as compared with a case where the cleaning blade has a surface roughness of less than 38.9% or exceeds 60.8%. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining contact conditions between a belt and a belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] 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.

[0011] 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.

[0012] <Belt cleaning blade> The belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment has at least a contact portion that contacts the surface of a belt, which is a member to be cleaned, and the contact portion is made of polyurethane rubber containing hard segments and soft segments, and the proportion H of the domains of the hard segments on the surface of the contact portion is X is 15.2% or more and 26.1% or less, and the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments on the surface is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y is between 38.9% and 60.8%. The belt cleaning blade is a cleaning blade that comes into contact with the surface of the belt, which is the member to be cleaned, and is used to clean the surface of the belt. The belt cleaning blade removes toner (toner particles, external additives, etc.), discharge products, paper powder, etc. that adhere to or remain on the surface of the belt, thereby cleaning the surface of the belt.

[0013] The belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment has excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance due to the above-mentioned configuration of the contact portion. The reason for this is presumed to be as follows. In an image forming apparatus, an example of a member whose surface is cleaned using a cleaning blade is a photoreceptor. When cleaning a photoreceptor with a cleaning blade, the surface of the photoreceptor is scraped off and thus deposits on the surface can be removed. On the other hand, the surface of a belt such as an intermediate transfer belt is often very abrasion resistant. In this case, when cleaning the surface with a cleaning blade, the surface is rarely scraped off, and the adherent matter on the surface of the belt often remains. As a result, the belt cleaning blade tends to wear out. Therefore, in a belt cleaning blade, it is desirable to increase the hardness of the portion that comes into contact with the belt to improve its abrasion resistance. However, increasing the hardness and abrasion resistance can cause chipping in the portion that comes into contact with the belt.

[0014] In the belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment, the contact area with the belt surface is made of polyurethane rubber containing hard segments and soft segments. The proportion of hard segment domains on the surface of the contact area (the above-mentioned proportion H X ) and the proportion of hard segment domains with a specific area to the total domains (the above-mentioned proportion H Y ) and are each within a specific range. In contact areas having such a surface, it is possible to have many domains of hard segments, which are harder than the soft segments, and this increases the hardness and improves wear resistance. In addition, since the elongation rate of the hard segment domains and the soft segment differ, cracks may occur at the interface between the two, leading to chipping. However, the above configuration contains hard segment domains that are not too large but of an appropriate size, and the distance between the hard segment domains is not too small, so it is believed that cracks occurring at the interface between the hard segment domains and the soft segment can be suppressed and chipping at the contact areas can be effectively suppressed.

[0015] [Contact parts of belt cleaning blade] The contact portion of the belt cleaning blade is the portion that comes into contact with the surface of the belt, and is made of polyurethane rubber containing a hard segment and a soft segment. The ratio of the domains of the hard segments to the surface of the contact area is H X is 15.2% or more and 26.1% or less, and the surface hard segment domain total area is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the area of ​​the domain of hard segments having the following area H Y is between 38.9% and 60.8%. The term "hard segment domain" refers to an aggregate formed by aggregation of hard segments of a polyurethane rubber.

[0016] (Ratio H X ) The proportion of hard segment domains on the surface of the contact area, H X is between 15.2% and 26.1%. X indicates the ratio of the total area of ​​the hard segment domains to the total area of ​​the surfaces of the contact sites. Percentage H X From the viewpoint of enhancing the wear resistance, the content of C is preferably 18.4% or more, and more preferably 19.0% or more. Also, the ratio X X From the viewpoint of enhancing chipping resistance, the content of the Cr content is preferably 25.3% or less, and more preferably 24.8% or less. From the above, in order to further improve the wear resistance and chipping resistance, the ratio X X is preferably 18.4% or more and 25.3% or less, and more preferably 19.0% or more and 24.8% or less.

[0017] (Ratio H Y ) At the surface of the contact area, the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments on the surface is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the area of ​​the domain of hard segments having the following area H Y is between 38.9% and 60.8%. Y is the ratio of the total area of ​​the surface hard segment domains to the total area of ​​the hard segment domains of 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 This refers to the percentage of the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments having an area of: Percentage H Y From the viewpoint of enhancing chipping resistance, the percentage is preferably 59.2% or less, and more preferably 58.5% or less. In addition, the ratio H Y From the viewpoint of enhancing abrasion resistance, the ratio is preferably 39.9% or more, and more preferably 44.4% or more. From the above, in order to further improve the wear resistance and chipping resistance, the ratio H Y is preferably 39.9% or more and 59.2% or less, and more preferably 44.4% or more and 58.5% or less.

[0018] In this embodiment, in order to further improve the wear resistance and chipping resistance, the ratio H X is between 18.4% and 25.3%, and the ratio H Y is preferably 39.9% or more and 59.2% or less.

[0019] (Ratio H Z ) At the surface of the contact area, the total number of domains of the hard segments on the surface is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The percentage of domains of hard segments with an area of Z It is preferable that the ratio H is 31.2% or more and 48.7% or less. Z is the ratio of 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 This refers to the percentage of the total number of domains of the hard segment having the following area: Percentage H Z From the viewpoint of enhancing abrasion resistance, the content is more preferably 33.7% or more, and further preferably 35.0% or more. In addition, the ratio H Z From the viewpoint of enhancing chipping resistance, the content is more preferably 47.9% or less, and further preferably 47.6% or less. From the above, in order to further improve the wear resistance and chipping resistance, the ratio H Z is more preferably 33.7% or more and 47.9% or less, and further preferably 35.0% or more and 47.6% or less.

[0020] In addition, in the belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment, in order to maintain the conformability of the entire contact portion of the blade due to deformation and to further improve the wear resistance and chipping resistance, the ratio of the domain of the hard segment to the total area of ​​the cross section of the contact portion is set to DX The total area of ​​the domain of the hard segment in the cross section is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is D Y Then, the ratio H X Ratio D to X The ratio is 0.58 to 1.64, and the ratio H Y Ratio D to Y It is preferable that the ratio is 0.29 or more and 1.19 or less. In addition, the ratio H X Ratio D to X The ratio is more preferably 0.60 or more and 1.36 or less, and further preferably 0.61 or more and 1.32 or less. In addition, the ratio H Y Ratio D to Y The ratio is more preferably 0.30 or more and 1.16 or less, and further preferably 0.30 or more and 1.05 or less.

[0021] Here, the ratio D X indicates the ratio of the total area of ​​the hard segment domains to the total area of ​​the cross section. Ratio D X is the above ratio H X Ratio D to X Any value that satisfies the ratio D is acceptable. X is preferably 14.9% or more and 25.1% or less, more preferably 16.0% or more and 24.0% or less, and even more preferably 18.0% or more and 23.5% or less.

[0022] Ratio D Y is the ratio of the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments in the cross section to 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 This refers to the percentage of the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments having an area of: Ratio D Y is the above ratio H Y Ratio D to Y Any value that satisfies the ratio D is acceptable. Yis preferably 17.8% or more and 46.5% or less, more preferably 18.0% or more and 45.0% or less, and more preferably 19.0% or more and 44.0% or less.

[0023] Furthermore, in the belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment, the cross section of the contact portion has a hard segment domain number of 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the number of domains of the hard segment having an area of ​​the following is defined as D Z Then, the ratio H Z Ratio D to Z It is preferable that the ratio is 0.04 or more and 0.34 or less. In addition, the ratio H Z Ratio D to Z The ratio is more preferably 0.04 or more and 0.32 or less, and further preferably 0.04 or more and 0.30 or less.

[0024] Here, the ratio D Z is the ratio of 200 nm to the total number of domains in the hard segments of the cross section. 2 More than 1000nm 2 This refers to the percentage of the total number of domains of the hard segment having the following area: Ratio D Z is the above ratio H Z Ratio D to Z Any value that satisfies the ratio D is acceptable. Z is preferably 2.2% or more and 11.1% or less, more preferably 3.5% or more and 10.8% or less, and even more preferably 5.0% or more and 10.5% or less.

[0025] The above-mentioned ratio H X , percentage H Y , percentage H Z , percentage D X , percentage D Y , and ratio D Z is determined by AFM (atomic force microscope) of the surface or cross section of the contact area. Specifically, the ratio H X , percentage HY , and the ratio H Z When calculating the area of ​​the surface of the contact area, an AFM (AFM5000II, Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation) is used to obtain five images of 500 nm square. The images obtained are subjected to Otsu's binarization using image processing software, with the hard segment domains shown in black and the soft segment domains shown in white. From the binarized images, the total surface area, the total area of ​​the hard segment domains, and the 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The area of ​​the hard segment domains having an area of ​​200 nm or less, the total number of the hard segment domains, 2 More than 1000nm 2 The total number of domains of the hard segment having the following areas and the diameters of the domains of the hard segment are measured. Also, percentage D X , percentage D Y , and ratio D Z When determining the area of ​​the contact area, an arbitrary cross section (approximately 1 mm away from the surface) of the contact area made of polyurethane rubber is obtained by cryomicrotome method, and an AFM (AFM5000II, Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation) is used to obtain five 500 nm square images of this cross section. The images obtained are subjected to Otsu's binarization using image processing software, with the hard segment domains shown in black and the soft segment in white. From the binarized images, the total area of ​​the cross sections, the total area of ​​the hard segment domains, and the 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The area of ​​the hard segment domains having an area of ​​200 nm or less, the total number of the hard segment domains, 2 More than 1000nm 2 The total number of domains of the hard segment having the following areas and the diameters of the domains of the hard segment are measured.

[0026] The above-mentioned ratio H X , percentage H Y , percentage H Z , percentage D X , percentage D Y , and ratio D Zare adjusted by the amount of hard segments in the polyurethane rubber, the degree of aggregation of the hard segments, the degree of surface treatment, and the like. In particular, the ratio H X , percentage H Y , and the ratio H Z is adjusted by adjusting the conditions in the surface treatment (for example, the treatment for forming an impregnated cured layer using an isocyanate compound described later). Incidentally, the specific method is not particularly limited, but for example, in the process of forming an impregnated hardened layer using an isocyanate compound, by extending the time of the impregnation process with the isocyanate compound, it is possible to increase all of the ratios Hx, Hy, and Hz.

[0027] Next, the configuration of the belt cleaning blade according to this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0028] [Layer composition] The belt cleaning blade according to this embodiment 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 belt, is made of a single material (that is, a cleaning blade whose contact portion is made of the above-mentioned polyurethane rubber). An example of a two-layer cleaning blade is a cleaning blade having a first layer consisting of a contact portion including a contact portion that comes into contact with a belt, and a second layer (also called a non-contact portion) serving as a back surface layer that is formed on the back surface side of the first layer and is made of a material different from that of the contact portion. 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 used while being supported by, for example, a rigid plate-like supporting member.

[0029] (Polyurethane that makes up the contact area) As mentioned above, the contact portion is made of polyurethane rubber. 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] Polyol component The polyol component includes a high molecular weight polyol and a low molecular weight polyol.

[0032] 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.

[0033] Here, the number average molecular weight is a value measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The same applies hereinafter.

[0034] The polymer polyols may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

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

[0039] 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%.

[0040] 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.

[0041] The polyisocyanate component may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] An example of a commercially available acrylic resin containing two or more hydroxyl groups is Actflow (grades: UMB-2005B, UMB-2005P, UMB-2005, UME-2005, etc.) manufactured by Soken Chemical & Engineering Co., Ltd.

[0045] An example of a commercially available polybutadiene resin containing two or more hydroxyl groups is R-45HT manufactured by Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.

[0046] 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.

[0047] The reactive group-containing resin may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0048] -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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] Examples of the organotin compound include dialkyltin compounds such as dibutyltin dilaurate and dibutyltin di(2-ethylhexoate), stannous 2-ethylcaproate, and stannous oleate.

[0052] 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 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 because of their high reactivity.

[0053] The catalyst may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0054] 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.

[0055] (impregnated hardened layer) It is preferable that the surface layer of the polyurethane rubber constituting the contact portion has 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.

[0056] 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 obtained by impregnating the surface layer of the contact portion made of polyurethane rubber with a surface treatment liquid containing an isocyanate compound and an organic solvent, 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 area so as to become gradually sparser from the surface toward the inside.

[0057] 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.

[0058] In this embodiment, the ratio H X , percentage H Y , and the ratio H Z In order to adjust each of these to the above-mentioned ranges, for example, the polymerization degree of 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), the impregnation treatment time, the impregnation treatment temperature, etc. are changed.

[0059] 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.

[0060] (Physical properties of contact area) The Young's modulus of the polyurethane rubber constituting the contact portion is preferably 3 MPa or more and 25 MPa or less, more preferably 5 MPa or more and 22 MPa or less, and even more preferably 10 MPa or more and 20 MPa or less, from the viewpoint of excellent abrasion resistance and chipping resistance.

[0061] 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.

[0062] The hardness of the polyurethane rubber constituting 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 abrasion resistance and chipping resistance.

[0063] 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).

[0064] (Molding of contact areas) The contact portion made of polyurethane rubber (i.e., the above-mentioned contact portion) is produced by using a cleaning blade molding composition containing the polyurethane rubber or prepolymer obtained by the above-mentioned method, forming the composition into a sheet by, for example, centrifugal molding, extrusion molding, or the like, and then subjecting the sheet to cutting processing or the like. Incidentally, since the contact site 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.

[0065] [Cleaning blade manufacturing] The cleaning blade having a single layer structure is produced, for example, by the above-mentioned method for molding the contact portion. A cleaning blade having a two-layer structure or a cleaning blade having three or more layers is produced, for example, by bonding together a first layer as a contact portion and a second layer as a non-contact portion (multiple layers in the case of a layer structure of three or more layers). As a method for bonding, double-sided tape, various adhesives, etc. are suitably 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.

[0066] (Composition of non-contact parts) The composition of the non-contact portion of the cleaning blade, when the contact portion and the non-contact portion such as the second layer and other layers described above are made of different materials, will be described below. The non-contact portion is not particularly limited and may be made of any known material as long as it has the function of supporting the contact portion. Specifically, examples of materials used for the non-contact portion include polyurethane rubber, silicon rubber, fluororubber, propylene 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.

[0067] [Contact conditions with belt] The belt cleaning blade according to this embodiment cleans the surface of a belt, which is a member to be cleaned, by being brought into contact with the surface of the belt. At this time, the contact conditions between the belt and the belt cleaning blade will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the contact conditions between a belt and a belt cleaning blade, in which BE denotes an intermediate transfer belt (an example of a belt), CB denotes a belt cleaning blade, and CBS denotes a support member that supports the cleaning blade.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 1, the pressing force NF with which the belt cleaning blade CB is pressed against the belt BE is preferably 0.05 N·m to 5 N·m, more preferably 0.1 N·m to 3 N·m, from the viewpoint of obtaining good cleaning performance. The amount of penetration d of the belt cleaning blade CB into the belt BE is preferably 0 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and more preferably 0.01 mm or more and 5 mm or less. Furthermore, the angle WA (Working Angle) at the contact portion between the belt BE and the belt cleaning blade CB is preferably 3° or more and 35° or less, and more preferably 5° or more and 30° or less.

[0069] Here, the pressing force NF of the cleaning blade is calculated by the following formula. Formula: Pressing force 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 belt (see FIG. 1). 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 belt is found by calculating the amount of displacement of the belt when the cleaning blade fixed to a supporting member is brought into contact with the belt.

[0070] [Material to be cleaned] Examples of the belt that is the member to be cleaned in the belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment include intermediate transfer belts, secondary transfer belts, paper transport belts, etc., which are used in image forming apparatuses. Among these, the member to be cleaned is preferably an intermediate transfer belt, from the viewpoint of obtaining good cleaning properties by combining with the belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment.

[0071] (Intermediate transfer belt) A secondary transfer belt suitable as a member to be cleaned will now be described.

[0072] ·Layer composition The intermediate transfer belt may be a single layer of a polyimide-based resin layer or a laminate having a polyimide-based resin layer as the outermost layer. In other words, it is preferable that the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt is made of a polyimide resin layer.

[0073] When the intermediate transfer belt is composed of a laminate having a polyimide-based resin layer as the outermost layer, an intermediate transfer belt having a polyimide-based resin layer provided on a resin substrate layer is used. An intermediate layer (such as an elastic layer) may be provided between the substrate layer and the polyimide-based resin layer. The resin substrate layer and the intermediate layer (elastic layer, etc.) may be any well-known layer that is used in an intermediate transfer belt.

[0074] Polyimide resin layer composition The polyimide-based resin layer contains, for example, a polyimide-based resin and conductive carbon particles. The polyimide-based resin layer preferably contains a release agent. The polyimide-based resin layer may contain other well-known components as necessary.

[0075] Here, the polyimide-based resin layer is a layer that contains polyimide-based resin in the largest amount by mass among the resin layer constituent components.

[0076] -Polyimide resin- The polyimide resin means a resin containing a structural unit having an imide bond. Examples of the polyimide resin include polyimide resin, polyamideimide resin, and polyetherimide resin. Among these, from the viewpoint of cleaning maintenance, the polyimide resin is preferably a polyimide resin or a polyamideimide resin, and more preferably a polyimide resin.

[0077] Examples of polyimide resins include imidized products of polyamic acids (precursors of polyimide resins), which are polymers of tetracarboxylic dianhydrides and diamine compounds. An example of the polyimide resin is a resin having a structural unit represented by the following general formula (I).

[0078] [ka]

[0079] In general formula (I), R 1 represents a tetravalent organic group, R 2 represents a divalent organic group. R 1Examples of the tetravalent organic group represented by the formula (1) include an aromatic group, an aliphatic group, a cyclic aliphatic group, a group in which an aromatic group and an aliphatic group are combined, and groups in which these groups are substituted. Specific examples of the tetravalent organic group include residues of tetracarboxylic dianhydrides, which will be described later. R 2 Examples of the divalent organic group represented by the formula (1) include an aromatic group, an aliphatic group, a cyclic aliphatic group, a group in which an aromatic group and an aliphatic group are combined, and a group in which these groups are substituted. Specific examples of the divalent organic group include residues of diamine compounds described below.

[0080] Specific examples of tetracarboxylic dianhydrides used as raw materials for polyimide resins 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 dianhydride, perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)ether dianhydride, and ethylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride.

[0081] Specific examples of diamine compounds used as raw materials for polyimide resins 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'-biphenyldiamine, benzidine, and 3,3'-dimethyl Benzidine, 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, 4,4'-diaminodiphenylpropane, 2,4-bis(β-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-xylylenediamine, p-xylylenediamine, di(p -aminocyclohexyl)methane, hexamethylenediamine, heptamethylenediamine, octamethylenediamine, nonamethylenediamine, decamethylenediamine, diaminopropyltetramethylene, 3-methylheptamethylenediamine, 4,4-dimethylheptamethylenediamine, 2,11-diaminododecane, 1,2-bis-3-aminopropoxyethane, 2,2-dimethylpropylenediamine, 3-methoxyhexamethylenediamine, 2,5-dimethylheptamethylenediamine, Examples include 3-methylheptamethylenediamine, 5-methylnonamethylenediamine, 2,17-diaminoeicosadecane, 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, and H2N(CH2)3N(CH3)2(CH2)3NH2.

[0082] The polyamide-imide resin includes a resin having an imide bond and an amide bond in the repeating unit. More specifically, the polyamide-imide resin may be a polymer of a trivalent carboxylic acid compound (also called tricarboxylic acid) having an acid anhydride group, and a diisocyanate compound or a diamine compound.

[0083] As the tricarboxylic acid, trimellitic anhydride and its derivatives are preferable. In addition to the tricarboxylic acid, tetracarboxylic dianhydride, aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, aromatic dicarboxylic acid, etc. may be used in combination.

[0084] Examples of the diisocyanate compound include 3,3'-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate, 2,2'-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate, biphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate, biphenyl-3,3'-diisocyanate, biphenyl-3,4'-diisocyanate, 3,3'-diethylbiphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate, 2,2'-diethylbiphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate, 3,3'-dimethoxybiphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate, 2,2'-dimethoxybiphenyl-4,4'-diisocyanate, naphthalene-1,5-diisocyanate, and naphthalene-2,6-diisocyanate. The diamine compound may be a compound having a structure similar to that of the above-mentioned isocyanate, but having an amino group instead of the isocyanato group.

[0085] From the viewpoints of mechanical strength and volume resistivity adjustment, the content of the polyimide-based resin in the polyimide-based resin layer is preferably 60% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, more preferably 70% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, and even more preferably 75% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less.

[0086] -Conductive carbon particles- An example of the conductive carbon particles is carbon black. Examples of carbon black include ketjen black, oil furnace black, channel black, acetylene black, etc. As the carbon black, surface-treated carbon black (hereinafter also referred to as "surface-treated carbon black") may be used. Surface-treated carbon black can be obtained by imparting, for example, a carboxy group, a quinone group, a lactone group, a hydroxy group, etc. to its surface. Examples of the surface treatment method include an air oxidation method in which the carbon black is reacted by contacting with air in a high-temperature atmosphere, 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 with air in a high-temperature atmosphere and then oxidized with ozone at a low temperature.

[0087] The average particle size of the conductive carbon particles is preferably 2 nm to 40 nm, more preferably 8 nm to 20 nm, and even more preferably 10 nm to 15 nm, from the viewpoints of dispersibility, mechanical strength, volume resistivity, film-forming properties, and the like.

[0088] The average particle size of the conductive carbon particles is measured by the following method. First, a measurement sample with a thickness of 100 nm is taken from the polyimide resin layer using a microtome, and this measurement sample is observed using a TEM (transmission electron microscope).Then, the diameter of a circle equal to the projected area of ​​each of 50 conductive carbon particles (i.e., the equivalent circle diameter) is taken as the particle diameter, and the average of these is taken as the average particle diameter.

[0089] The content of the conductive carbon particles is preferably 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less with respect to the polyimide-based resin layer, from the viewpoints of mechanical strength and volume resistivity.

[0090] -Other ingredients- Examples of other components include conductive agents other than conductive carbon particles, fillers for improving mechanical strength, antioxidants for preventing thermal deterioration of the belt, surfactants for improving fluidity, heat-resistant anti-aging agents, and release agents. When other components are contained, the content of the other components is preferably more than 0 mass% and not more than 10 mass%, more preferably more than 0 mass% and not more than 5 mass%, and even more preferably more than 0 mass% and not more than 1 mass%, relative to the polyimide resin layer.

[0091] Thickness of polyimide resin layer When the intermediate transfer belt is composed of a single layer of a polyimide resin layer, the thickness of the polyimide resin layer is preferably 60 μm or more and 120 μm or less, and more preferably 80 μm or more and 120 μm or less, from the viewpoint of mechanical strength. When the intermediate transfer belt is formed of a laminate having a polyimide-based resin layer as the outermost layer, the thickness of the polyimide-based resin layer is preferably 1 μm or more and 60 μm or less, and more preferably 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less, from the viewpoints of manufacturability and suppression of discharge.

[0092] The thickness of the polyimide-based resin layer is measured as follows. That is, a cross section of the polyimide resin layer in the thickness direction is observed with an optical microscope or a scanning electron microscope, the thickness of the layer to be measured is measured at 10 points, and the average value is taken as the thickness.

[0093] Surface roughness on the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt From the viewpoint of improving the cleaning performance by the belt cleaning blade according to this embodiment, the surface roughness Rz of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt is preferably 0.001 μm or more and 1 μm or less, more preferably 0.005 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less, and even more preferably 0.01 μm or more and 0.3 μm or less.

[0094] The surface roughness Rz of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt is the ten-point average roughness Rz measured in accordance with JIS B 0601:1994. The surface roughness Rz is measured using a contact type surface roughness measuring device (Surfcom 570A, manufactured by Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd.) in an environment of 23°C and 55% RH. The contact needle used is a contact needle with a diamond tip (5 μmR, 90° cone). The measurement conditions are contact needle = contact needle with a diamond tip (5 μmR, 90° cone), measurement distance = 2.5 mm, cutoff wavelength = 0.8 mm, and measurement speed = 0.60 mm / s. The measurement is performed at three locations in the center in the width direction on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and the average value is calculated.

[0095] -Volume resistivity of intermediate transfer belt From the viewpoint of transferability, the common logarithm of the volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer belt when a voltage of 500 V is applied for 10 seconds is preferably 9.0 (log Ω·cm) or more and 13.5 (log Ω·cm) or less, more preferably 9.5 (log Ω·cm) or more and 13.2 (log Ω·cm) or less, and particularly preferably 10.0 (log Ω·cm) or more and 12.5 (log Ω·cm) or less. The volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer belt when a voltage of 500 V is applied for 10 seconds is measured by the following method. A microcurrent meter (Advantest R8430A) is used as the resistance measuring device, and a UR probe (Mitsubishi Chemical Analytech Co., Ltd.) is used as the probe to measure the volume resistivity (log Ω cm) at 6 equally spaced points around the periphery of the intermediate transfer belt, and 3 points at the center and both ends in the width direction, for a total of 18 points, at a voltage of 500 V, application time of 10 seconds, and pressure of 1 kgf, and the average value is calculated. The measurements are also performed in an environment with a temperature of 22°C and a humidity of 55% RH.

[0096] Surface resistivity of intermediate transfer belt From the viewpoint of transferability to textured paper, the common logarithm of the surface resistivity when a voltage of 500 V is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt for 10 seconds is preferably 10.0 (log Ω / suq.) or more and 15.0 (log Ω / suq.) or less, more preferably 10.5 (log Ω / suq.) or more and 14.0 (log Ω / suq.) or less, and particularly preferably 11.0 (log Ω / suq.) or more and 13.5 (log Ω / suq.) or less. The unit of surface resistivity, logΩ / suq., is a logarithmic value of the resistance per unit area, and is also expressed as log(Ω / suq.), logΩ / suquare, logΩ / □, etc. The surface resistivity when a voltage of 500 V is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt for 10 seconds is measured by the following method. A microammeter (R8430A manufactured by Advantest) is used as the resistance measuring device, and a UR probe (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Analytech Co., Ltd.) is used as the probe to measure the surface resistivity (logΩ / suq.) of the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt at 6 equally spaced points in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and 3 points in the center and both ends in the width direction, for a total of 18 points, at a voltage of 500V, an application time of 10 seconds, and a pressure of 1kgf, and the average value is calculated. The measurements are also performed in an environment with a temperature of 22°C and a humidity of 55%RH.

[0097] <Image forming device> The image forming apparatus according to this embodiment includes a photoconductor, a charging device which charges the photoconductor, an electrostatic latent image forming device which forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the photoconductor, a developing device which develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor with toner to form a toner image, a transfer device which transfers the toner image formed on the photoconductor to the surface of a recording medium, a belt which is a member to be cleaned, and a belt cleaning blade which brings the contact portion into contact with the surface of the belt to clean the surface. Here, as described above, examples of the belt that is the member to be cleaned include an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer belt, a paper transport belt, etc. As the belt cleaning blade, the belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment is applied.

[0098] The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment may be any of known image forming apparatuses, such as an apparatus equipped with a fixing means for fixing a toner image transferred onto the surface of a recording medium; an apparatus equipped with a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of a photoconductor before charging after the toner image is transferred; an apparatus equipped with a static elimination device for irradiating the surface of a photoconductor with static elimination light to eliminate static electricity before charging after the toner image is transferred; and an apparatus equipped with a photoconductor heating member for increasing the temperature of the photoconductor and reducing the relative temperature. In addition, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment may be a direct transfer type apparatus in which a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member is directly transferred onto a recording medium; or an intermediate transfer type apparatus in which a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member is primarily transferred onto the surface of an intermediate transfer belt, and the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt is then secondarily transferred onto 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 belt onto whose surface a toner image is transferred, a primary transfer device which primarily transfers the toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and a secondary transfer device which secondarily transfers the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt onto the surface of a recording medium.

[0099] 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).

[0100] In the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, for example, a portion including a photoconductor may have a cartridge structure (process cartridge) that is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus.

[0101] 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. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0102] 2, 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 secondarily 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).

[0103] Each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K of the image forming apparatus 100 includes a photoconductor 11 that rotates in the direction of arrow A and holds a toner image formed on its surface.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] The intermediate transfer belt 15 is driven (rotated) in a circular manner by various rolls at a speed suited to the purpose in the direction B shown in Fig. 2. The various rolls include a drive roll 31 driven by a motor (not shown) excellent in constant speed performance to rotate the intermediate transfer belt 15, a support roll 32 supporting the intermediate transfer belt 15 extending in a substantially straight line along the arrangement direction of the photoconductors 11, a tensioning roll 33 that applies tension to the intermediate transfer belt 15 and functions as a correction roll to prevent the intermediate transfer belt 15 from meandering, a back roll 25 provided in the secondary transfer unit 20, and a cleaning back roll 34 provided opposite a secondary transfer belt cleaning blade 35 that scrapes off residual toner and the like on the intermediate transfer belt 15. Here, the belt cleaning blade according to the present embodiment is applied as the secondary transfer belt cleaning blade 35. In this case, the intermediate transfer belt 15 corresponds to the belt that is the member to be cleaned.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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 .

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, as transport means for transporting the paper K, there are provided a paper storage section 50 for storing the paper K, a paper feed roll 51 for taking out and transporting the paper K accumulated in the paper storage section 50 at a predetermined timing, a transport roll 52 for transporting the paper K fed by the paper feed roll 51, a transport guide 53 for sending the paper K transported by the transport roll 52 to the secondary transfer section 20, a transport belt 55 for transporting the paper K transported after secondary transfer by the secondary transfer roll 22 to the fixing device 60, and a fixing entrance guide 56 for guiding the paper K to the fixing device 60.

[0115] Next, a basic image forming process of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described using the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 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 is performed by image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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.

[0121] Thereafter, the paper K onto which the toner image has been electrostatically transferred is transported as it is after being peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 15 by the secondary transfer roll 22, and is transported to a transport belt 55 provided downstream of the secondary transfer roll 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 an ejected paper storage section (not shown) provided in the ejection section of the image forming apparatus.

[0122] 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.

[0123] <Transfer device> The transfer device according to this embodiment includes an intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image is transferred, a primary transfer device which performs primary transfer of a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer device which performs secondary transfer of the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt onto the surface of a recording medium, and a cleaning blade which brings the contact portion into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to clean the surface. Here, as the cleaning blade, the belt cleaning blade according to this embodiment is applied.

[0124] The intermediate transfer belt in the transfer device according to this embodiment is as described above. The primary transfer device has a primary transfer member disposed opposite to the photoconductor with the intermediate transfer belt interposed therebetween. In the primary transfer device, the primary transfer member applies a voltage of a polarity opposite to the charge polarity of the toner to the intermediate transfer body, thereby performing primary transfer of the toner image onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer body. The secondary transfer device also has a secondary transfer member arranged on the toner image carrying side of the intermediate transfer body. The secondary transfer device also has, for example, a backing member arranged on the opposite side of the intermediate transfer belt from the toner image carrying side together with the secondary transfer member. In the secondary transfer device, the intermediate transfer belt and the recording medium are sandwiched between the secondary transfer member and the backing member to form a transfer electric field, whereby the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt is secondarily transferred to the recording medium. The secondary transfer member may be a secondary transfer roll or a secondary transfer belt. The backing member may be, for example, a backing roll.

[0125] The transfer device according to the present embodiment may be a transfer device that transfers a toner image onto a surface of a recording medium via multiple intermediate transfer belts. That is, the transfer device may be, for example, a transfer device that performs primary transfer of a toner image from a photoconductor to a first intermediate transfer belt, secondary transfer of the toner image from the first intermediate transfer belt to a second intermediate transfer belt, and then tertiary transfer of the toner image from the second intermediate transfer belt to a recording medium.

[0126] 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

[0127] 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.

[0128] [Example 1] (Production of Belt Cleaning Blade (CB1)) Polycaprolactone polyol (Daicel Corporation, Plaxel 205, and polycaprolactone polyol (Daicel Corporation, Plaxel 240) were used as the hard segment material of the polyol component. In addition, an acrylic resin containing two or more hydroxyl groups (Soken Chemical & Engineering Co., Ltd., Actflow UMB-2005B) was used as the soft segment material, and the hard segment material and soft segment material were mixed in a ratio of 8:2 (mass ratio). Next, 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 hard segment material and the soft segment material, and the mixture was reacted for 3 hours at 70°C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The above isocyanate compound was then further added, and the mixture was reacted for 3 hours at 70°C under a nitrogen atmosphere to obtain a prepolymer. Next, the prepolymer was heated to 100°C and degassed under reduced pressure for 1 hour. After that, a mixture of 1,4-butanediol and trimethylolpropane was added to the prepolymer and mixed for 3 minutes to prevent air bubbles from being introduced, to prepare a cleaning blade molding composition. Next, the cleaning blade molding composition was poured into a conditioned centrifugal molding machine and subjected to a curing reaction. This resulted in a blade-shaped molding. Next, the blade-shaped molded product was immersed in a 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (Millionate MT, Tosoh Corporation) bath at 80°C for 45 minutes for impregnation treatment, then removed from the bath, aged and heated, then dried at room temperature, and cut to a length of 15 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. By the above operations, a belt cleaning blade (CB1) was obtained.

[0129] [Examples 2 to 21] (Production of Belt Cleaning Blades (CB2) to (CB21)) For 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, the degree of polymerization, the impregnation time, and the impregnation temperature were appropriately changed as necessary to perform the impregnation treatment, and the physical properties were adjusted to those shown in Table 1 below. Except for this, cleaning blades (CB2) to (CB21) were obtained in the same manner as cleaning blade (CB1).

[0130] [Comparative Examples A1 to A8] (Production of Belt Cleaning Blades (CBC1) to (CBC8)) For 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, the degree of polymerization, the impregnation time, and the impregnation temperature were appropriately changed as necessary to perform the impregnation treatment, and the physical properties were adjusted to those shown in Table 1 below. Except for this, cleaning blades (CBC1) to (CBC8) were obtained in the same manner as cleaning blade (CB1).

[0131] <Ratio H X , percentage H Y , percentage H Z , percentage D X , percentage D Y , and ratio D Z Measurements > The belt cleaning blades of the obtained examples were subjected to the above-mentioned method to obtain a ratio H X , percentage H Y , percentage H Z , percentage D X , percentage D Y , and ratio D Z Measurements were taken. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0132] <Preparing the intermediate transfer belt> An intermediate transfer belt (BE1) made of a single layer of a polyimide resin layer was prepared. The surface roughness Rz of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt (BE1) was 0.07 μm.

[0133] <Evaluation> The intermediate transfer belt and intermediate transfer belt cleaning blade were attached to an image forming apparatus "FUJIFILM Business Innovation Co., Ltd. Apeos C8180" in the combination shown in Table 1 to obtain an image forming apparatus for evaluation. The attachment conditions for the intermediate transfer belt cleaning blade were set to a pressing force NF (Normal Force) of 2.6 gf / mm and an angle W / A (Working Angle) of 20°. Then, the following evaluations were carried out using this image forming apparatus.

[0134] - Evaluation of wear resistance and chipping resistance - Using the image forming apparatus for evaluation described above, images with an image density of 50% were printed on A4 paper (210 x 297 mm, Fujifilm Business Innovation Co., Ltd., P paper) in an environment of 32.5°C and 85% RH until the cumulative number of rotations of the photoreceptor reached 100K cycles. After printing, the edge portion of the cleaning blade (contact angle with the belt) was evaluated as follows.

[0135] The amount of wear on the edge of the cleaning blade was measured from the maximum wear depth of the edge on the belt surface side, as confirmed when observing with a Keyence laser microscope VK-8510. Based on the obtained values, the wear resistance was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. The edge of the cleaning blade was observed for the presence or absence of chipping and its size using a laser microscope VK-8510 manufactured by Keyence Corp. Based on the observation results, the chipping resistance was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0136] -Abrasion resistance standards- G1: The wear amount of the edge is 3 μm or less. G2: The wear amount of the edge is more than 3 μm and less than 5 μm. G3: The wear amount of the edge is more than 5 μm and less than 7 μm. G4: The wear amount of the edge is more than 7 μm and less than 9 μm. G5: The wear amount of the edge is more than 9 μm and less than 11 μm. G6: The wear amount of the edge part is more than 11 μm.

[0137] - Standards for chipping resistance - G1: No chipping occurred at the edge. G2: The size of the chips on the edge is 1 μm or less, and the number of chips is 1 to less than 5. G3: The size of the chips on the edge is 1 μm or less, and the number of chips is 5 or more. G4: The size of the chips on the edge is more than 1 μm and less than 5 μm, and the number of chips is 1 to less than 5. G5: The size of the chips on the edge is more than 1 μm and not more than 5 μm, and the number of chips is 5 to less than 10. G6: The size of the chips on the edge is more than 1 μm and less than 5 μm, and the number of chips is 10 or more.

[0138] [Table 1]

[0139] From the above results, it is apparent that the belt cleaning blade of this embodiment is superior in both wear resistance and chipping resistance to the comparative example.

[0140] Below, preferred aspects of this embodiment will be additionally described. (((1))) has at least a contact portion that contacts the surface of the belt, which is the member to be cleaned; the contact portion is made of a polyurethane rubber including a hard segment and a soft segment, The ratio H of the domain of the hard segment to the surface of the contact area X is 15.2% or more and 26.1% or less, and the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments on the surface is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y A belt cleaning blade, wherein the surface roughness is 38.9% or more and 60.8% or less. (((2))) The ratio H XThe cleaning blade for a belt according to (((1))), wherein the surface roughness is 18.4% or more and 25.3% or less. (((3))) The ratio H Y The cleaning blade for a belt according to (((1))), wherein the surface roughness is 39.9% or more and 59.2% or less. (((4))) The ratio H X is 18.4% or more and 25.3% or less, and the ratio H Y The cleaning blade for a belt according to (((1))), wherein the surface roughness is 39.9% or more and 59.2% or less. (((5))) 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the number of domains of the hard segment having an area of Z The cleaning blade for a belt according to any one of (((1))) to (((4))), wherein the surface roughness is 31.2% or more and 48.7% or less. (((6))) In the cross section of the contact portion, the ratio of the domain of the hard segment to the total area of ​​the cross section is defined as D X and the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments in the cross section is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is defined as D Y When The ratio H X The ratio D to X The ratio is 0.58 or more and 1.64 or less, and the ratio H Y The ratio D to Y The belt cleaning blade according to any one of (((1))) to (((5))), wherein the ratio is 0.29 or more and 1.19 or less. (((7))) In the cross section of the contact portion, the total number of domains of the hard segment is 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio of the number of domains of the hard segment having an area of ​​the following is defined as D Z When The ratio HZ The ratio D to Z The cleaning blade for a belt according to (((5))) or (((6))), wherein the ratio is 0.04 or more and 0.34 or less.

[0141] (((8))) a photoconductor; a charging device for charging the photoconductor; an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the photoconductor; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor with toner to form a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a surface of a recording medium; A belt that is a member to be cleaned; a belt cleaning blade according to any one of (((1))) to (((7))), which brings the contact portion into contact with a surface of the belt to clean the surface; and An image forming apparatus comprising: (((9))) an intermediate transfer belt onto whose surface a toner image is transferred; a primary transfer device that primarily transfers a toner image formed on a surface of a photoconductor onto a surface of the intermediate transfer belt; a secondary transfer device that secondarily transfers the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt onto a surface of a recording medium; a belt cleaning blade according to any one of (((1))) to (((7))), which brings the contact portion into contact with a surface of the intermediate transfer belt to clean the surface; A transfer device comprising:

[0142] According to the invention of (((1))), there is provided a cleaning device having a contact portion that contacts at least the surface of a belt, which is a member to be cleaned, the contact portion being made of polyurethane rubber containing hard segments and soft segments, and a ratio H of the domains of the hard segments to the surface of the contact portion. X is less than 15.2% or more than 26.1%, or is less than 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y This provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance as compared with a belt cleaning blade having a surface roughness of less than 38.9% or more than 60.8%. According to the invention related to (((2))) or (((4))), the ratio H X This provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance, as compared with a case in which the surface roughness is less than 18.4% or exceeds 25.3%. According to the invention related to (((3))) or (((4))), the ratio H Y This provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance as compared with a belt cleaning blade having a surface roughness of less than 39.9% or more than 59.2%. According to the invention related to (((5))), the ratio H Z This provides a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance, as compared with a cleaning blade having a surface roughness of less than 31.2% or more than 48.7%. According to the invention related to (((6))), the ratio H X The ratio D to X is less than 0.58 or more than 1.64, or Y The ratio D to Y In comparison with cases where the ratio is less than 0.29 or exceeds 1.19, a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance is provided. According to the invention related to (((7))), the ratio H Z The ratio D to Z In comparison with cases where the ratio is less than 0.04 or exceeds 0.34, a belt cleaning blade having excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance is provided. According to the invention of (((8))) or (((9))), there is provided a cleaning device having at least a contact portion that contacts the surface of a belt, which is a member to be cleaned, the contact portion being made of polyurethane rubber containing hard segments and soft segments, and a ratio H of domains of the hard segments on the surface of the contact portion being 100%. Xis less than 15.2% or more than 26.1%, or is less than 200 nm 2 More than 1000nm 2 The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Y The present invention provides an image forming apparatus or a transfer apparatus equipped with a belt cleaning blade that has excellent wear resistance and chipping resistance, as compared with a case where the cleaning blade has a surface roughness of less than 38.9% or exceeds 60.8%. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 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. The cleaning roller has a contact portion that contacts at least the surface of the belt, which is the member to be cleaned; the contact portion is made of a polyurethane rubber including a hard segment and a soft segment, The ratio H of the domain of the hard segment to the surface of the contact portion Ｘ is 15.2% or more and 26.1% or less, and the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments on the surface is 200 nm ２ 1000nm or more ２ The ratio H of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is Ｙ A cleaning blade for a belt, wherein the surface roughness is 38.9% or more and 60.8% or less.

2. The ratio H Ｘ 2. The cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness is 18.4% or more and 25.3% or less.

3. The ratio H Ｙ 2. The cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness is 39.9% or more and 59.2% or less.

4. The ratio H Ｘ is 18.4% or more and 25.3% or less, and the ratio H Ｙ 2. The cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness is 39.9% or more and 59.2% or less.

5. 200 nm relative to the total number of domains of the hard segments on the surface ２ 1000nm or more ２ The ratio H of the number of domains of the hard segment having an area of Ｚ 2. The cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness is 31.2% or more and 48.7% or less.

6. In the cross section of the contact portion, the ratio of the domain of the hard segment to the total area of ​​the cross section is defined as D Ｘ and 200 nm with respect to the total area of ​​the domains of the hard segments in the cross section. ２ 1000nm or more ２ The ratio of the area of ​​the domain of the hard segment having the following area is defined as D Ｙ When The ratio H Ｘ The ratio D Ｘ The ratio is 0.58 or more and 1.64 or less, and the ratio H Ｙ The ratio D Ｙ 2. The cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of is 0.29 or more and 1.19 or less.

7. In the cross section of the contact portion, the total number of domains of the hard segment is 200 nm ２ 1000nm or more ２ The ratio of the number of domains of the hard segment having an area of ​​the following is defined as D Ｚ When The ratio H Ｚ The ratio D Ｚ 6. The cleaning blade for a belt according to claim 5, wherein the ratio is 0.04 or more and 0.34 or less.

8. A photoconductor; a charging device for charging the photoconductor; an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the photoconductor; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor with toner to form a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a surface of a recording medium; A belt that is a member to be cleaned; The belt cleaning blade according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which cleans the surface of the belt by bringing the contact portion into contact with the surface of the belt; An image forming apparatus comprising:

9. an intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image is transferred; a primary transfer device that primarily transfers a toner image formed on a surface of a photoconductor onto a surface of the intermediate transfer belt; a secondary transfer device that secondarily transfers the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt onto a surface of a recording medium; a belt cleaning blade according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which cleans the surface of the intermediate transfer belt by bringing the contact portion into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt; A transfer device comprising:

Images