Electrophotographic Belt Surface Composition for Wrinkle-Free Sliding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Belt members in electrophotographic apparatuses suffer from wrinkles and undulations during long-term storage and use, leading to paper transport failures and sliding noise with cleaning blades, and inadequate sealing between the surface and base layers.
Innovation Solution
A belt member with a base layer made of polyimide or polyamideimide and a surface layer formed from a resin composition containing a fluorine resin, an isocyanate curing agent, a fluorine-based surfactant, and a silane coupling agent, with specific mass ratios and molecular weights to enhance flexibility, sliding properties, and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional surface layers are used on belt members, then manufacturing is simpler, but wrinkles and undulations occur during long-term storage and use
Solution Approach 1:
The surface layer uses a composite resin composition containing fluorine resin, isocyanate curing agent, fluorine-based surfactant, and silane coupling agent. This composite formulation provides both long-term stability and resistance to wrinkles/undulations while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through a涂覆 and curing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention specifies precise parameter ranges for the resin composition: isocyanate curing agent (10-30 parts by mass per 100 parts fluorine resin), fluorine-based surfactant (5-10 parts by mass), and silane coupling agent (1.0-5 parts by mass). These controlled parameters ensure the surface layer maintains stability without developing wrinkles during storage and use.
2Strength
If the surface layer has sufficient sealing force to the base layer, then peeling is prevented, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The silane coupling agent acts as an intermediary substance between the fluorine resin and the base layer. It enhances adhesion and sealing force between the surface layer and base layer through chemical bonding, preventing peeling without requiring complex manufacturing processes. The silane coupling agent bridges the interface between layers, providing strong bonding.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the belt member surface has high sliding properties to reduce noise with cleaning blades, then sliding noise is reduced, but sealing properties may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The surface layer has locally optimized properties: the fluorine-based surfactant provides low friction and sliding noise reduction at the outermost surface, while the silane coupling agent ensures strong sealing force at the interface with the base layer. This local differentiation of functional properties allows the surface to simultaneously achieve low noise sliding and strong adhesion without compromising either property.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution suppresses wrinkles and undulations, reduces sliding noise, and ensures favorable sealing and appearance, while maintaining excellent sliding properties.
Implementation Method 1
The surface layer is configured as a cured product of a resin composition containing a fluorine resin having a hydroxyl group, an isocyanate curing agent
Implementation Method 2
a silane coupling agent having an amino group or an isocyanate group
Implementation Method 3
a fluorine-based surfactant
Data Source
AI summary
A belt member 10 for an electrophotographic apparatus has: a surface layer 14 provided on an outer circumferential surface of a tubular base layer 12, the surface layer serving as a cured resin composition including: for 100 parts by mass of a fluorine resin having a hydroxyl group, 10 or more and 30 or less parts by mass or less of an isocyanate curing agent having isocyanate groups at both ends and having a molecular weight of 600 g/mol or more and 4000 g/mol or less or 5 or more and 18 or less parts by mass of an isocyanate curing agent having an isocyanate group at a single end; and 5 or more and 10 or less parts by mass of a fluorine-based surfactant, and 1.0 or more and 5 or less parts by mass of a silane coupling agent having an amino group or an isocyanate group.