Image-Forming Cleaning Blade Coating for Low-Torque Cleaning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning blades in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses experience increased torque and wear due to friction with the image bearer, leading to potential stalling and cleaning defects, particularly during continuous printing of high-density images.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning blade with a coating layer containing fine particles and a binding component, where the maximum penetration depth of the indenter is between 4.0 µm and 10.0 µm inward from the front edge ridge part, enhancing sliding properties and preventing curling and torque increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning blade is used to remove residual toner from the image bearer surface, then cleaning performance is improved, but friction increases causing torque increase and potential stalling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the indentation depth of the coating layer to be between 4.0 μm and 10.0 μm. This specific parameter range allows the coating layer to collapse appropriately during operation, reducing friction and torque while maintaining effective cleaning performance through optimal contact pressure distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning blade uses a composite structure combining an elastic cleaning blade substrate with a coating layer containing fine particles and binding component. This composite material design provides both the elasticity needed for effective cleaning and the controlled collapse特性 to reduce friction, resolving the contradiction between cleaning performance and torque reduction.
2Reliability
If the cleaning blade contacts the image bearer surface, then residual toner is removed, but abrasion occurs causing wear and curling at the contact portion
Solution Approach 1:
By controlling the indentation depth parameter to be between 4.0 μm and 10.0 μm, the coating layer is designed to collapse in a controlled manner during operation. This prevents excessive wear and curling at the contact portion while maintaining effective cleaning performance, thereby extending the blade's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful friction and abrasion into a beneficial controlled collapse of the coating layer. The collapse, which might initially seem like degradation, actually reduces friction and prevents curling, transforming a harmful effect into a protective mechanism that extends service life.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the coating layer is made harder to prevent wear, then blade durability is improved, but torque increase occurs due to increased friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by changing the physical state of the coating layer through controlled collapse. The indentation depth parameter (4.0-10.0 μm) is optimized so that the coating layer maintains sufficient hardness to prevent wear during normal operation, yet collapses appropriately under pressure to reduce friction and torque, achieving both durability and low torque.
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 maintains effective cleaning performance and reduces torque even during continuous high-density printing by ensuring the coating layer collapses appropriately, exposing the blade edge for optimal contact pressure.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic cleaning blade substrate including a front end portion, a front edge ridge part, an undersurface
Implementation Method 2
the maximum penetration depth hmax of an indenter of a microhardness tester is between 4.0 μm and 10.0 μm at a position 100 μm inward from the front edge ridge part of the coating layer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charging device, an irradiator, a developing device, a transfer device, a fixing device, and a cleaning device that includes a cleaning blade including an elastic cleaning blade substrate including the front end portion to clean the surface of the image bearer, the front edge ridge part, the undersurface, an edge layer, a coating layer disposed on the front end portion, the coating layer being in contact with the surface of the image bearer to clean the surface of the image bearer, and a cleaning blade supporting member, wherein the maximum penetration depth hmax of the indenter of a microhardness tester is between 4.0 µm and 10.0 µm at a position 100 µm inward from the front edge ridge part on the undersurface of the elastic cleaning blade substrate as measured according to a nanoindentation hardness test.