Polyurethane Cleaning Blade Shape Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, cleaning blades used to remove toner and other foreign substances often suffer from permanent deformation due to prolonged contact and temperature changes, leading to changes in pressing pressure and increased passage of toner and additives, resulting in streak-like image defects.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning blade with a polyurethane member having a specific infrared absorption spectrum peak intensity ratio of 1.1 or more, indicating a higher amount of carbonyl groups not forming hydrogen bonds, which reduces domain aggregation and enhances molecular mobility, thereby reducing deformation and improving chipping and abrasion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional polyurethane cleaning blade is used, then it can remove toner and foreign substances, but it undergoes permanent deformation due to prolonged contact and temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polyurethane by controlling the peak intensity ratio (A/B) of carbonyl groups in the infrared spectrum to be 1.1 or more. This parameter change reduces domain aggregation and enhances molecular mobility, thereby reducing permanent deformation while maintaining cleaning performance consistency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the polyurethane member has high molecular mobility to reduce deformation, then shape stability improves, but abrasion resistance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the balance between molecular mobility and abrasion resistance by precisely controlling the peak intensity ratio (A/B) of carbonyl groups. This parameter control ensures adequate molecular mobility to reduce deformation while maintaining sufficient domain aggregation for abrasion resistance.
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 cleaning blade maintains its shape and resistance to deformation and chipping, ensuring consistent performance and reducing image defects, while maintaining adequate abrasion resistance and low-temperature characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
B represents an intensity of a spectral peak due to a carbonyl group that forms a hydrogen bond
Implementation Method 2
an infrared absorption spectrum obtained by infrared spectroscopy of the polyurethane member has a peak intensity ratio (A/B)
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning blade includes a polyurethane member that contains a polyurethane, the polyurethane member constituting at least a contact portion that comes in contact with a member to be cleaned. An infrared absorption spectrum obtained by infrared spectroscopy of the polyurethane member has a peak intensity ratio (A/B) of about 1.1 or more, where A represents an intensity of a spectral peak due to a carbonyl group that does not form a hydrogen bond, the spectral peak appearing in a range of about 1,730 cm−1 or more and about 1,740 cm−1 or less, and B represents an intensity of a spectral peak due to a carbonyl group that forms a hydrogen bond, the spectral peak appearing in a range of about 1,670 cm−1 or more and about 1,720 cm−1 or less.