Two-Layer Cleaning Blade for Toner Image Carrier Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning blades for electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in preventing toner particles from passing through the cleaning mechanism, leading to black streaky noise and partial defects, and suffer from increased wear and rebound issues due to the use of cleaning aids and lubricants, which affect the frictional forces and contact between the blade and image carrier.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning blade with a two-layer structure, comprising a contact layer and a supporting layer, where the tensile stress characteristic curves of the materials for both layers intersect, is designed to minimize wear and rebound while maintaining effective toner removal. The contact layer is made of a material with high hardness for wear resistance and the supporting layer is made of a material with low hardness to prevent permanent distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-layer cleaning blade is used, then the structure is simple, but the blade suffers from increased wear and rebound issues
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning blade is divided into two distinct layers: a contact layer that directly contacts the photoreceptor and a supporting layer that provides structural strength. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and wear resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade uses a composite structure combining a soft contact layer (hardness 40-60 Shore A) and a hard supporting layer (hardness 70-90 Shore A). This composite material approach enables the blade to simultaneously achieve low rebound through the soft layer and high wear resistance through the hard layer, while maintaining overall structural integrity.
2Force
If the blade hardness is increased to reduce rebound, then rebound is suppressed, but the blade edge wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented into a soft contact layer that suppresses rebound through elastic deformation, and a hard supporting layer that prevents edge wear through high structural strength. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different mechanical properties to different functional zones of the same component.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact layer is designed with locally optimized softness (40-60 Shore A) specifically at the blade edge that contacts the photoreceptor, while the supporting layer provides locally optimized hardness (70-90 Shore A) for structural support. This local quality differentiation allows the blade to simultaneously achieve low rebound and low wear at the critical contact point.
3Loss of substance
If the blade hardness is decreased to reduce wear, then wear is reduced, but the blade rebound increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite blade structure combines a soft contact layer for rebound suppression with a hard supporting layer for wear resistance. The soft contact layer (40-60 Shore A) provides elastic compliance to reduce rebound, while the hard supporting layer (70-90 Shore A) provides structural integrity to prevent edge wear, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
4Reliability
If cleaning aid particles are used to prevent toner passage, then toner cleaning is improved, but the frictional force in the nip section is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning aid particles act as an intermediary substance in the nip section between the blade and photoreceptor. These particles prevent direct contact between the blade edge and toner particles, thereby preventing toner passage while the blade's elastic recovery force maintains sufficient contact pressure for effective cleaning.
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 two-layer structure effectively reduces wear and rebound of the cleaning blade, ensuring consistent contact with the image carrier and preventing toner particles from passing through, thereby improving image quality and extending the blade's lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
tensile stress characteristic curves of a material of the contact layer and a material of the supporting layer intersect with each other
Implementation Method 2
The cleaning aid particles that slipped into the nip section reduce the frictional force of the nip section, thereby preventing a rebound of the blade
Implementation Method 3
The cleaning aid particles that slipped into the nip section reduce the frictional force of the nip section, thereby preventing a rebound of the blade and suppressing wear of the edge of the blade. Thus, the cleaning aid serves as a lubricant.
Implementation Method 4
A size reduction of toner particles strengthens the van der Waals force and accordingly strengthens the adhesive force between the toner and the image carrier
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning blade, which is configured to be pressed against a toner image carrier that rotates in one direction, for removing residual toner from the toner image carrier, the cleaning blade having: a contact layer that is located in a side to come into contact with the toner image carrier; and a supporting layer that is located in a side not to come into contact with the toner image carrier, wherein tensile stress characteristic curves of a material of the contact layer and a material of the supporting layer intersect with each other. An image forming apparatus having a toner image carrier and the cleaning blade.