Image-Forming Apparatus Cleaning Blade Control With Angled Toner Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses using electrophotographic technology, improper cleaning of toner at the edge of the cleaning blade occurs due to high toner flowability, leading to issues like chattering noise, turning-up of the blade, and reduced productivity when forming low-print ratio images, especially with spherical toner.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a controller to form predetermined toner images that are not transferred onto the recording material, which are then removed by the cleaning blade, with these images having specific patterns of print portions angled at 30° or less relative to the image bearing member's movement direction, preventing excessive toner supply to the blade edge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If spherical toner with high flowability is used, then image quality and toner distribution improve, but improper cleaning at the cleaning blade edge occurs leading to chattering noise and blade turning-up
Solution Approach 1:
The invention forms a lubricating toner band on the image bearing member before the cleaning blade reaches it. This preliminary action ensures that toner is already present at the blade contact point, preventing the cleaning blade from directly contacting the image bearing member surface and avoiding chattering noise and blade turning-up while maintaining proper cleaning function
2Reliability
If a lubricating toner band is formed to prevent improper cleaning, then cleaning stability improves, but excessive toner supply causes toner to pass through the cleaning blade without being scraped off
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a lubricating toner band with specific local characteristics: it is formed only in a predetermined region upstream of the cleaning blade contact point, has controlled toner concentration, and extends only partially across the image bearing member surface. This localized approach provides lubrication where needed while preventing excessive toner supply that would cause improper cleaning
3Productivity
If low-print ratio images are continuously formed, then productivity is maintained, but toner charging property and flowability deteriorate due to friction with developing device members
Solution Approach 1:
The invention forms a discharge toner band that is intentionally not transferred to the recording material. This toner band serves to discharge deteriorated toner from the developing device, removing toner that has lost its charging properties due to continuous friction with developing device members, thereby preventing toner scattering and fog in subsequent image formation
4Manufacturing precision
If cleaning blade contact pressure is increased to improve cleaning, then cleaning performance improves, but noise and blade turning-up occur with high-flowability spherical toner
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces toner as an intermediary substance between the cleaning blade and the image bearing member. This toner layer acts as a mediator that reduces direct contact and friction between the cleaning blade and the image bearing member surface, thereby eliminating chattering noise and blade turning-up while maintaining effective cleaning through the lubricating effect
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 approach effectively suppresses improper cleaning, reduces noise and blade turning, and maintains productivity by optimizing toner removal, even with high-flowability spherical toner, thus enhancing image quality and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning blade constituted as a cleaning member by a plate-like elastic member is contacted to a surface of the image bearing member and then the deposited matter such as the transfer residual toner is scraped off from the surface of the rotating image bearing member
Implementation Method 2
the toner reaches an edge portion of the cleaning blade, and a component of the toner and an external additive of the toner enter a blade nip which is a contact portion (nip) between the cleaning blade and the image bearing member. By this, a lubricating effect between the cleaning blade and the image bearing member is exhibited
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, an image forming portion, a transfer portion, a cleaning blade, and a controller configured to carry out control so as to execute a predetermined cleaning operation At least in a predetermined range of a leading end portion of the predetermined toner image with respect to a first direction which is a surface movement direction of the image bearing member, when the predetermined toner image is viewed per unit area of 1 mm in each of the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the predetermined toner image includes a plurality of print portions extending along a predetermined direction and formed at different positions with respect to the second direction, and the predetermined direction forms an angle of 30° or less between itself and the first direction.