Fixing Rotating Member With Porous PFPE Surface Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fixing rotating members in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining high toner releasability and abrasion resistance, especially when handling thin paper, due to the low rigidity of the paper and limited capacity for fluorine oil in the surface layer.
Innovation Solution
A fixing rotating member is designed with a base layer, an elastic layer, and a surface layer containing a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer and perfluoropolyether, featuring pores with openings on the surface to accommodate a higher content of perfluoropolyether (20-60 mass%) and optimized molecular orientation (35-75% in the circumferential direction), allowing for enhanced toner releasability and abrasion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the surface layer contains fluororesin and perfluoropolyether without phase separation, then toner releasability is improved, but the amount of fluorine oil that can be incorporated is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The surface layer is designed with a porous structure containing numerous pores filled with perfluoropolyether. This porous configuration allows the surface layer to incorporate a significantly larger amount of PFPE compared to homogeneous structures, while maintaining excellent toner releasability. The pores act as reservoirs for PFPE, enabling sustained supply to the surface during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface layer comprises a composite structure combining fluororesin matrix with perfluoropolyether-filled pores. This composite design integrates the structural integrity provided by the fluororesin with the toner releasability enhancement from PFPE, achieving superior performance that neither material could provide alone.
2Reliability
If more perfluoropolyether is incorporated to improve toner releasability, then toner releasability is improved, but abrasion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The porous structure allows concentrated PFPE storage within pores while maintaining a continuous fluororesin matrix framework. This framework provides mechanical strength and abrasion resistance, preventing the surface layer from deteriorating even with high PFPE content.
Solution Approach 2:
PFPE is localized within the pores rather than being uniformly distributed throughout the surface layer. This local concentration strategy ensures high toner releasability at the pore locations while the surrounding fluororesin matrix maintains structural integrity and abrasion resistance.
3Productivity
If thin paper is used to reduce material consumption, then productivity is improved, but paper wraps around the fixing rotating member due to low rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention enables effective use of thin, single-use paper media by providing a surface layer that maintains excellent toner releasability. The porous PFPE-containing structure prevents toner adhesion that would cause wrapping, allowing thin paper to be processed reliably despite its low rigidity and single-use nature.
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 effectively maintains high toner releasability and abrasion resistance over longer periods, improving the stability and quality of electrophotographic images, particularly on thin paper, by enabling greater PFPE content and stable migration to the surface.
Implementation Method 1
the PFPE can be supplied stably to the outer surface of the fixing rotating member
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a fixing rotating member capable of maintaining high toner releasability over longer periods of time than in conventional instances and that is capable of maintaining abrasion resistance against paper; the fixing rotating member comprises a base layer, an elastic layer, and a surface layer, in this order; the surface layer containing a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer and a perfluoropolyether; the tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer having pores formed therein; the surface layer has pores with openings at a first surface thereof, and constituting an outer surface of the fixing rotating member; at least part of the pores containing the perfluoropolyether; a content of the perfluoropolyether in the surface layer is 20 mass % to 60 mass %; and a degree of orientation A of molecules of the tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether in a direction perpendicular to a circumferential direction of the surface layer is 35 to 75%.