Cleaning Blade Friction Reduction via Fluorine-Modified Polyurethane
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning blades in electrophotographic devices often cause streaky image defects due to high friction with the member to be cleaned, leading to ineffective toner removal and image quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning blade with a contact portion configured using a cured substance containing a polyisocyanate, a polyol, and at least one of a fluorine-containing surfactant having a hydroxyl group or a fluorine-containing polymer with a hydroxyl value between 50 KOH mg/g and 300 KOH mg/g, which reduces friction and maintains a slippery surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning blade with a cured substance containing polyisocyanate and polyol is used, then the cleaning blade can effectively remove toner, but friction between the cleaning blade and the member to be cleaned increases causing streaky image defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the cleaning blade material by introducing fluorine-containing polymers with specific hydroxyl values (50-300 KOH mg/g) and fluorine-containing surfactants with hydroxyl groups. This chemical parameter modification reduces the friction coefficient between the cleaning blade and photoreceptor surface, thereby suppressing streaky image defects while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining polyisocyanate, polyol, and fluorine-containing compounds (polymers or surfactants). This composite structure integrates the toner removal capability of the polyurethane base material with the low-friction properties of fluorine-containing additives, resolving the contradiction between effective cleaning and reduced friction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cleaning blade material is made with polyisocyanate and polyol cured substance, then the blade structure is stabilized, but friction increases leading to image quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the compositional parameters of the cured substance by incorporating fluorine-containing polymers with controlled hydroxyl values (50-300 KOH mg/g) or fluorine-containing surfactants with hydroxyl groups. This parameter adjustment maintains the structural stability provided by the polyisocyanate-polyol matrix while reducing friction to prevent image quality deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention develops a composite material where fluorine-containing compounds are integrated into the polyurethane cured substance matrix. This composite structure preserves the mechanical stability of the base material while the fluorine components provide low-friction surface properties, thereby maintaining both structural stability and image quality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a fluorine-containing polymer with hydroxyl value between 50-300 KOH mg/g is used in the cleaning blade, then friction is reduced and streaky image defects are suppressed, but the complexity of material selection and formulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for fluorine-containing polymers (hydroxyl value: 50-300 KOH mg/g) to achieve the desired balance between friction reduction and formulation manageability. These defined parameters provide clear selection criteria that reduce the complexity of material selection while ensuring effective suppression of streaky image defects.
4Manufacturing precision
If a fluorine-containing surfactant with hydroxyl group is added to the cleaning blade composition, then friction is reduced improving image quality, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies the use of fluorine-containing surfactants with hydroxyl groups in the cleaning blade composition. This chemical parameter specification enables friction reduction and image quality improvement while providing clear material selection guidelines that help manage manufacturing process complexity.
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 streaky image defects by reducing friction between the cleaning blade and the member to be cleaned, ensuring consistent and high-quality image formation even after extended use.
Implementation Method 1
a contact portion that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned is configured with a cured substance of a composition containing a polyisocyanate, a polyol, and at least one of the following (1) or (2): (1) a fluorine-containing surfactant having a hydroxyl group, and (2) a fluorine-containing polymer having a hydroxyl value of 50 KOH mg/g or more and 300 KOH mg/g or less
Data Source
AI summary
In a cleaning blade, a contact portion that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned is configured with a cured substance of a composition containing a polyisocyanate, a polyol, and at least one of the following (1) or (2):(1) a fluorine-containing surfactant having a hydroxyl group, and(2) a fluorine-containing polymer having a hydroxyl value of 50 KOH mg/g or more and 300 KOH mg/g or less.