Image Forming Apparatus Lubricant Control via Toner Patch Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining the optimal amount of lubricant on image bearing members, leading to issues like grain noise and blade turn-up due to imbalances in lubricant supply and abrasion, which conventional techniques fail to adequately control.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a toner patch image formation section, a charging amount adjusting section, and a control system that determines and adjusts the lubricant application based on historical data to maintain the lubricant within a proper range by adjusting the charging amount and transfer bias of the toner patch image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If toner particle size is reduced to enhance image quality, then image quality is improved, but the attaching force between toner particle and image bearing member increases, reducing ease of removal of remaining toner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the cleaning blade by controlling the JIS A hardness to 40 to 70 degrees and the impact resilience coefficient to 20 to 60%, creating a softer, more compliant blade that can effectively remove small toner particles without causing blade turn-up
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning blade is designed with porous structure having specific porosity (5 to 30%) to improve toner removal efficiency while maintaining blade stability, allowing the blade to adapt to surface variations and maintain consistent contact pressure
2Ease of operation
If lubricant is supplied onto the image bearing member to reduce attaching force between toner particle and image bearing member, then ease of removal of remaining toner is improved, but the amount of lubricant varies depending on toner consumption amount, causing grain noise when lubricant amount is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a feedback control system that monitors the amount of lubricant in the developing device and adjusts the lubricant supply amount accordingly. The control section calculates the lubricant supply amount based on the detected lubricant amount and the area of the toner patch image, ensuring the lubricant amount on the image bearing member is maintained within the proper range
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the toner patch image formation process itself to simultaneously achieve two functions: maintaining lubricant supply to the developing device and controlling lubricant amount on the image bearing member, making the system self-regulating without requiring external intervention
3Quantity of substance
If toner patch image is formed to maintain lubricant amount in developing device, then lubricant supply is improved, but excessive lubricant amount causes cleaning blade to make close contact with image bearing member, causing blade turn-up
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors lubricant amount and adjusts the toner patch image area and charging amount to maintain lubricant within the proper range, preventing both deficiency and excess that would cause respective problems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the area and charging amount of the toner patch image based on real-time lubricant amount detection, making the lubricant supply adaptive rather than fixed, allowing the system to respond to varying toner consumption patterns
4Ease of operation
If cleaning blade is brought into contact with image bearing member to remove remaining toner, then ease of removal of remaining toner is improved, but cleaning defects occur when toner particles roll on image bearing member and slip through cleaning blade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the physical parameters of the cleaning blade including JIS A hardness (40 to 70 degrees), impact resilience coefficient (20 to 60%), and porosity (5 to 30%) to create a blade that is soft enough to capture rolling toner particles yet stable enough to maintain consistent contact and prevent blade turn-up
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 solution effectively maintains the lubricant level, preventing grain noise and blade turn-up by ensuring the desired balance between lubricant supply and abrasion, thereby stabilizing the lubricant amount on the image bearing member across varying coverage rates.
Implementation Method 1
a charging amount adjusting section provided on an upstream side of the cleaning member in the rotational direction of the first image bearing member, and configured to adjust a charging amount of the toner patch image formed by the toner patch image formation section
Implementation Method 2
an image forming section configured to form a toner image on the first image bearing member with use of toner mixed with lubricant, and apply a transfer bias when the toner image passes through a transfer nip to transfer the toner image to a second image bearing member
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus determines the amount of lubricant to be applied to an image bearing member on the basis of a history of toner image formation by image forming section, and in accordance with a result thus determined, adjusts the charging amount of a toner patch image formed by a toner patch image formation section.