Cleaning Member Edge Hardness and Geometry for Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cleaning members for photoconductor drums in image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining optimal rubber hardness and edge geometry, leading to issues with static torque, blade friction noise, and toner leakage, which affect the uniformity of image formation and drum surface wear.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning member with a body of rubber hardness between 68 to 75 degrees and an edge with specific thickness and hardness ratios, designed to fit into a corner portion of the body, ensuring the edge's rubber hardness satisfies the conditions 80≦y≦90 and y≧−40x+95 and y≦−40x+110, where x is the ratio of edge length to body length, to balance Young's modulus and prevent excessive vibration or wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rubber hardness of the cleaning member body is reduced to improve flexibility and reduce static torque, then the edge geometry stability deteriorates causing increased wear and toner leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is divided into two distinct parts: a body portion with rubber hardness of 68-75 degrees and an edge portion with rubber hardness of 80-90 degrees. This segmentation allows each part to have optimized properties - the softer body reduces static torque while the harder edge maintains geometric stability and resists wear.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cleaning member are given different rubber hardness values to optimize local functions. The body has lower hardness (68-75 degrees) for flexibility and reduced torque, while the edge has higher hardness (80-90 degrees) for maintaining precise geometry and reducing wear, creating a gradient of material properties within the single component.
2Strength
If the edge thickness is increased to improve edge strength and reduce wear, then the blade friction noise increases due to excessive rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The rubber hardness parameter of the edge is specifically controlled within the range of 80-90 degrees, which is harder than the body but not excessively so. This parameter optimization provides sufficient edge strength to prevent wear while maintaining enough flexibility to reduce blade friction noise, avoiding the rigidity that would cause excessive noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member functions as a composite structure with two material zones of different rubber hardness values. The body (68-75 degrees) and edge (80-90 degrees) act as composite components, combining the flexibility of softer rubber with the strength of harder rubber to achieve both low noise and high durability.
3Reliability
If the rubber hardness of the cleaning member is increased to reduce wear and prevent toner leakage, then the static torque increases affecting image formation uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is segmented into body and edge portions with different hardness values. The body portion (68-75 degrees) maintains low static torque for uniform image formation, while the edge portion (80-90 degrees) provides high wear resistance and prevents toner leakage, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member exhibits local quality variation where the edge region has higher rubber hardness (80-90 degrees) for wear resistance and toner leakage prevention, while the body region has lower hardness (68-75 degrees) for maintaining low static torque, allowing each local region to optimize its function.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning member includes a body and an edge. The body has rubber hardness of about 68 to 75 degrees and is fixed to a support member at one end of the body. The body has a plate-like shape in which a corner portion of the body is missing. The edge is provided at the corner portion and fits into it. The edge is in contact with a subject to be cleaned and has a thickness of about 0.1 to 1 mm. The cleaning member satisfies the following conditions:80≦y≦90;y≧−40x+95; andy≦−40x+110where x denotes a ratio of a length of the edge in a predetermined direction to a length of a portion of the body which is not fixed to the support member in the predetermined direction, and y denotes rubber hardness of the edge.