Cleaning Blade Surface Layer Gradient for Toner Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in effectively removing polymerized toner from image carriers due to its small particle diameter and spheroid shape, leading to cleaning failure, and existing solutions struggle to maintain long operation life and prevent curling and wear of the cleaning blade.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning mechanism with a strip-shaped elastic blade and a surface layer harder than the blade, where the layer thickness increases towards the leading-edge ridge line, and an initial contact width between 12 μm to 30 μm is used to enhance contact pressure and prevent curling and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact pressure between the cleaning blade and the image carrier surface is enhanced to improve cleaning performance, then the cleaning effectiveness against polymerized toner is improved, but the cleaning blade experiences curling and local wear that reduces its operation life
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning blade is designed with a surface layer having different properties from the base material. The surface layer has higher hardness than the elastic blade material, creating a gradient structure where the softer base provides elasticity and the harder surface layer provides wear resistance. This local quality differentiation allows the blade to maintain effective contact pressure without suffering from uniform wear across the entire blade structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning blade comprises a composite structure with an elastic blade material (such as polyurethane rubber) as the base and a surface layer with different material properties. This composite construction combines the advantages of both materials: the elasticity of the rubber base for conforming to the image carrier surface and the hardness of the surface layer for resisting wear and preventing curling during prolonged operation.
2Reliability
If a strip shaped cleaning blade is used to achieve good cleaning performance, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the blade cannot effectively remove polymerized toner due to the toner slipping through the space between the blade and image carrier surface
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the cleaning blade, specifically the hardness of the surface layer, to be higher than the base elastic material. This parameter change increases the contact pressure and reduces the gap between the blade and image carrier surface, preventing polymerized toner particles from slipping through while maintaining the elasticity needed for effective scraping action.
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 ensures effective removal of toner residue while preventing curling and wear of the cleaning blade, maintaining good cleanability over a long period and extending the operation life of the cleaning mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
when the contact pressure is enhanced, a friction force between a conventional cleaning blade 262 and a surface of an image carrier 23 is enhanced
Implementation Method 2
The strip shaped cleaning blade is formed of a strip shaped elastic body such as polyurethane rubber
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging mechanism to charge a surface of the image carrier, an electrostatic latent image forming mechanism to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier, a developing mechanism to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image, a transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image on the surface of the image carrier to a transfer body, and a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade to clean a transfer residue toner adhering to the surface of the image carrier by contacting the surface of the image carrier. The cleaning blade includes a strip shaped elastic blade and a surface layer formed on an opposing surface of the strip shaped elastic blade opposite the surface of the image carrier.