Elastic Blade Toner Cleaning for Squeak Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to reduce the attachment force of toner and the amount of accumulated toner on the image bearing member to prevent squeaking of the blade and ensure good cleanability, especially when using a pulverized toner with low average circularity in image formation.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus is designed with a pulverized toner having a void ratio of 52 to 58% and a toner torque of 1.0 to 2.5 mNm, along with an elastic blade with a rebound resilience of 40 to 80%, to effectively manage toner attachment and detachment, utilizing a specific torque and surface exposure amount relationship to optimize cleaning performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact pressure of the blade to the image bearing member is increased to improve cleaning performance, then the cleaning level is improved, but the vibration and squeaking of the blade increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the blade material, specifically selecting materials with low rebound resilience (40-80%) and appropriate hardness to reduce vibration and squeaking while maintaining effective cleaning pressure. This resolves the contradiction by optimizing material properties rather than simply adjusting operational parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite blade structures combining different materials with complementary properties - typically a rigid substrate providing structural support and an elastic coating layer providing vibration damping and toner release properties. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of cleaning effectiveness and vibration reduction.
2Ease of manufacture
If a pulverized toner with low average circularity is used, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the toner attachment force increases and cleanability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies toner particle parameters including surface roughness, porosity (52-58% void ratio), and surface chemistry to reduce attachment force to the image bearing member. These parameter changes enable use of cost-effective pulverized toner while maintaining cleanability by controlling how toner interacts with the photoreceptor surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces surface treatment layers or coating materials on the image bearing member that act as intermediaries between the toner and the substrate. These intermediary layers facilitate easier toner release and improve cleanability without requiring changes to the toner manufacturing process.
3Reliability
If the rebound resilience of the elastic blade is increased to reduce toner accumulation, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the blade vibration and squeaking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the rebound resilience parameter within a specific range (40-80%) rather than maximizing it. This parameter optimization balances two competing requirements: sufficient elasticity for effective toner release and appropriate damping characteristics to minimize vibration and squeaking during blade operation.
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
This configuration reduces toner attachment force, minimizes blade squeak, and enhances cleanability, even with low average circularity pulverized toner, resulting in improved image formation quality and reduced toner accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic blade having a board form to remove the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member
Implementation Method 2
the friction coefficient of the image bearing member to stabilize the cleaning effect
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member (2K) including a tube, the image bearing member (2K) to bear a latent electrostatic image, a development device (5K) including a pulverized toner including a resin, a coloring agent and a releasing agent component, the development device (5K) to develop the latent electrostatic image with the toner to form a visualized image on the image bearing member (2K), a transfer device (20) to transfer the visualized image to a recording medium (P), a fixing device (34) including a fixing member (34a), the fixing device (34) to fix the visualized image on the recording medium and an elastic blade (308K) to remove the toner on the surface of the image bearing member (2K), wherein the toner has a void ratio of from 52 to 58 % and a toner torque of from 1.0 to 2.5 mNm according to a torque measuring method using a circular conical rotor and the following relationships 1 to 4 are satisfied: 45≤WA≤60 2×WA-40≤50×T≤2×WA+5 1.2≤t≤2.0 40×T-70≤15×t≤40×T-22 where WA, expressed in %, represents a surface exposure amount of the releasing agent component of the toner, T, expressed in mNm, represents the toner torque at 58 % of the void ratio and t, expressed in mm, represents a thickness of the tube.