Image Forming Apparatus Additive Supply for Cleaning Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image forming apparatus configurations, such as those described in Japanese Patent Applications H9-50167 and 2009-205012, suffer from faulty cleaning of the photosensitive drum leading to vertical black stripes due to insufficiency of toner additives, causing charging faults and image defects when the developing roller is separated from the drum during non-image formation periods.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a developer bearing member with added additive particles, an image bearing member that makes rubbing contact with a cleaning member, and an intermediate transfer member, where the image bearing member is separated from both the developer bearing member and intermediate transfer member during a first operation, and the developer bearing member temporarily contacts the image bearing member to supply additive particles to the cleaning member during a second operation, ensuring continuous drive of the intermediate transfer member and photosensitive drum by a common drive source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum during non-image formation periods, then toner recovery and cleaning operations can be performed on the intermediate transfer member, but faulty cleaning occurs on the photosensitive drum leading to vertical black stripes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by temporarily placing the developer bearing member in contact with the image bearing member before the cleaning operation to supply additive particles to the cleaning member. This preparatory step ensures that the cleaning blade has sufficient additive particles to prevent faulty cleaning and vertical black stripes, while still allowing the photosensitive drum to be driven continuously for intermediate transfer member cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the additive particles as an intermediary substance that is transferred from the developer bearing member to the image bearing member through temporary contact. These additive particles then migrate to the cleaning member, enhancing its cleaning performance and preventing direct harmful interactions between the cleaning blade and toner residues that cause vertical black stripes.
2Quantity of substance
If the photosensitive drum is driven continuously for a long period during toner expulsion operations, then the intermediate transfer member can be cleaned, but the cleaning blade becomes insufficient in additive particles causing faulty cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by supplying additive particles to the image bearing member before the cleaning operation. This ensures that the cleaning blade has sufficient additive particles available at the start of the cleaning process, preventing the degradation of cleaning uniformity that would otherwise occur during prolonged drum rotation for toner recovery operations.
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 the occurrence of image defects by maintaining an inhibiting layer of additive particles at the cleaning blade edges, preventing faulty cleaning and vertical black stripes, even during prolonged non-image formation periods.
Implementation Method 1
the developer bearing member temporarily contacts the image bearing member to supply additive particles to the cleaning member
Implementation Method 2
an image bearing member that makes rubbing contact with a cleaning member
Data Source
AI summary
A developer bearing member, which bears developer to which additive particles have been added, and an image bearing member, on which an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface thereof is developed by rubbing contact with the developer bearing member, are configured so as to be separable; and during a first operation in which the image bearing member, while in a separated state from the developer bearing member, makes rubbing contact with a cleaning member, a second operation is carried out to place the developer bearing member temporarily in contact with the image bearing member and supply the additive particles to the contact portion between the cleaning member and the image bearing member.