Lubricant Application Blade Downstream Support for Image Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in controlling the lubricant amount on image carrying members, leading to issues like high friction coefficients, lubricant adhesion, and uneven image quality due to vibrations and improper contact angles of lubricant smoothing blades.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant application apparatus with a blade that applies lubricant in a counter-direction configuration, maintaining a contact angle of 85 degrees or more, effectively smoothing the lubricant and preventing lubricant passing through, thereby stabilizing the lubricant amount and improving image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a lubricant smoothing blade is used to control lubricant amount on the image carrying member, then lubricant distribution is improved, but vibrations occur and contact angle becomes improper leading to unstable performance
Solution Approach 1:
The blade support position is inverted from the conventional upstream side to the downstream side of the image carrying member's surface movement direction. This counter-direction support configuration stabilizes the blade during operation, prevents vibrations, and maintains a proper contact angle between the blade and the image carrying member surface, thereby ensuring stable lubricant distribution without the instability problems of conventional configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The contact angle between the blade and the image carrying member surface is optimized to 85 degrees or more. This specific parameter change in the contact geometry ensures proper blade engagement with the surface, preventing vibration while achieving uniform lubricant distribution. The downstream support position also changes the mechanical parameters of blade deflection and contact pressure distribution
2Force
If lubricant amount is increased to reduce friction coefficient, then cleaning blade friction is reduced, but lubricant adheres to surrounding devices causing abnormal images
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant application amount and distribution are precisely controlled by optimizing the blade contact angle to 85 degrees or more and positioning the support at the downstream side. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient lubricant is applied to reduce friction between the cleaning blade and image carrying member, while preventing excessive lubricant from adhering to surrounding devices like the charging device, thus avoiding abnormal images
Solution Approach 2:
The downstream support configuration creates a self-regulating system where the blade naturally maintains optimal contact pressure and lubricant distribution. The support position provides mechanical feedback that prevents over-application of lubricant, ensuring the friction reduction function is achieved without the harmful side effect of lubricant adhesion to charging devices
3Object-generated harmful factors
If lubricant amount is decreased to prevent lubricant adhesion, then charging device contamination is reduced, but friction coefficient remains high causing blade curling
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of simply reducing lubricant amount, the invention optimizes the lubricant application parameters through blade geometry (contact angle of 85 degrees or more) and support positioning (downstream side). This parameter optimization achieves efficient lubricant utilization, providing sufficient friction reduction to prevent blade curling while minimizing lubricant adhesion to charging devices through improved distribution control
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 ensures controlled lubricant distribution, reduces vibrations, and enhances image quality by maintaining a stable contact area, preventing lubricant adhesion and curling, and maintaining the blade's performance over time.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricant supply unit, which supplies lubricant (e.g., aliphatic acid metal salt) to a surface of the image carrying member to reduce the friction coefficient between a cleaning blade and an image carrying member
Data Source
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AI summary
A lubricant application apparatus including a lubricant application member (33) and an elastic member (30). The lubricant application member applies lubricant to a lubricant receiving member (8) moving in a given surface movement direction (B). The elastic member contacts the lubricant receiving member in a counter direction with respect to the surface movement direction of the lubricant receiving member, and smoothes the lubricant applied on the lubricant receiving member. The elastic member is in contact with the lubricant receiving member at a contact area of the elastic member, in the counter direction. The elastic member is positioned in a downstream side of the surface movement direction of the lubricant receiving member with respect to the contact area of the elastic member. The elastic member is in contact with the lubricant receiving member at the contact area with a contact angle of 85 degrees or more.