Elastic Intermediate Transfer Belt Cleaning via Electrostatic Brush
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatus with elastic intermediate transfer belts face issues of faulty transfers, coarse images, and short component lifetimes due to high contact loads during cleaning, leading to increased costs and image quality issues.
Innovation Solution
An image forming method using a fur brush or charging roller for cleaning, with specific toner and intermediate transfer member properties to achieve efficient transfer and extended belt life, including toner particles with controlled deformation percentages and circularity, and an elastic deformation percentage range for the intermediate transfer member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a blade method is used to clean the elastic intermediate transfer belt, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the contact load increases causing the blade to eat into the belt and shorten its lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical blade cleaning system with an electrostatic cleaning system. A cleaning brush with electrostatic charge is used to attract and remove toner particles from the intermediate transfer belt without mechanical contact pressure, thereby eliminating the eating into effect while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electrostatic field as an intermediary between the cleaning mechanism and the intermediate transfer belt. The electrostatically charged cleaning brush creates an electric field that attracts toner particles, serving as a mediator that enables cleaning without direct mechanical pressure on the belt
2Duration of action of stationary object
If a fur brush method is used to clean the elastic intermediate transfer belt, then contact load is reduced and lifetime is extended, but cleaning performance is insufficient at high speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of the cleaning mechanism from mechanical contact (fur brush) to electrostatic interaction. By applying electrostatic charge to the cleaning brush, the cleaning force becomes independent of contact pressure and belt speed, enabling effective cleaning at high speeds while maintaining low contact load
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical fur brush cleaning system with an electrostatic cleaning system. The electrostatically charged brush attracts toner particles through electric field forces rather than mechanical scraping, providing sufficient cleaning performance at high speeds without the limitations of mechanical contact
3Device complexity
If conventional intermediate transfer belts with no elasticity are used, then structure is simple, but faulty transfer occurs and hollow characters appear in full-color images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the intermediate transfer belt from rigid (no elasticity) to elastic. The elastic properties enable the belt to conform to the photosensitive member surface and maintain consistent contact pressure during transfer, preventing faulty transfer and hollow characters while preserving relatively simple structure
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 method ensures good transfer efficiency, prevents faulty images, and extends the life of the intermediate transfer belt, reducing costs and improving image quality, especially in high-speed electrophotographic equipment.
Implementation Method 1
an intermediate transfer belt having an elasticity is used. This enables securement of a sufficient transfer region, what is called a transfer nip
Implementation Method 2
the use of the blade method causes the cleaning blade to have a large contact load against the elastic intermediate transfer belt, and the cleaning blade comes into contact with the elastic intermediate transfer belt at so strong a frictional force
Data Source
AI summary
In an image forming method having primarily transferring step for transferring to an intermediate transfer member a toner image formed on a photosensitive member, secondarily transferring step for transferring to a transfer material the toner image held on the intermediate transfer member, and, after the secondary transferring step, cleaning step for removing the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member by bringing a cleaning means into contact with the intermediate transfer member, the cleaning means is a fur brush or a charging roller, and the intermediate transfer member has a specific maximum displacement quantity (Sb) and has a specific elastic deformation percentage (Eb) (%); a toner which forms the toner image has a specific average circularity, has a specific maximum displacement quantity (St), and has a specific elastic deformation percentage (Et) (%); and the elastic deformation percentage of the intermediate transfer member and the elastic deformation percentage of the toner satisfy the following conditional expression:75≦Eb+Et≦135.