Cleaning Blade Surface Treatment for Curling Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning blades for image bearing members in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses tend to curl up due to lack of lubricant supply outside the image forming region, leading to reduced cleaning efficiency and increased toner slip between the blade and the photosensitive drum.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning blade with a specific surface treatment method, involving a first region with a central position and second regions on either side, where the elastic material has controlled indentation elastic modulus and dynamic hardness differences, and a manufacturing method that includes curing a curable material and an isocyanate compound to create a hardened surface, reducing curling and toner slip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a treating liquid for curing is impregnated in the cleaning blade at the end surface to cure the isocyanate compound, then curling-up of the free end portion is suppressed, but a stepped portion is formed at the end surface due to swelling, causing toner slip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different curing treatments to different regions of the cleaning blade. Specifically, the end surface regions (first and second regions) are cured by impregnating treating liquid containing isocyanate compound, while the central region remains uncured or differently cured. This local differentiation suppresses curling at the ends while controlling the stepped portion formation through precise region definition and curing parameter control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the curing process by adjusting parameters such as the hardness of the treated portions, the depth of impregnation, and the curing conditions. By optimizing these parameters, the patent achieves sufficient curling suppression while minimizing the stepped portion height to prevent toner slip.
2Reliability
If the hardness of the treated portion is increased to prevent curling-up with high reliability, then curling suppression is improved, but the stepped portion becomes larger causing toner slip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates local quality differences by treating only specific end surface regions with the curing liquid, forming first and second regions with different hardness characteristics from the central region. This localized treatment provides curling suppression exactly where needed (at the ends) without creating excessive hardness differences that would cause large stepped portions and toner slip.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial curing action only to the necessary end regions rather than curing the entire blade. This partial action is sufficient to suppress curling at the critical end portions while avoiding excessive hardness increase in the central region, thereby controlling the stepped portion size and preventing toner slip.
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 effectively suppresses curling of the cleaning blade and reduces toner slip between the blade and the photosensitive drum, maintaining cleaning performance and preventing toner slipping through.
Implementation Method 1
a first surface treatment step of curing a curable material
Implementation Method 2
curing an isocyanate compound impregnated in the cleaning blade
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning blade includes an elastic material, a first surface, a second surface and an end surface. The end surface includes a first region and a second region provided on opposite sides of the first region. The elastic material of the cleaning blade has indentation elastic modulus E0 [MPa] of 3 or more and 20 or less, and indentation elastic modulus E1 [MPa] of the end surface in the first region is (E0+1) or more and 40 or less. Dynamic hardness DH1 [mN/μm2] of the first region is 0.10 or more and 0.20 or less, dynamic hardness DH2 [mN/μm2] of the second region is 0.15 or more and 0.50 or less, and a difference (DH2−DH1) is 0.05 [mN/μm2] or more. A difference in thickness between the end surface in the first region and the end surface in the second region is 25 μm or less.