Lubricant Application Blade Hardness for Uniform Image Bearer Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lubricant application blades in electrophotography suffer from wear and friction issues, leading to cleaning failures and toner adherence on image bearers, which affect image quality and speed in modern image forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant application blade with a polyurethane elastomer contact portion having a Martens hardness of 5.0 N/mm2 to 30.0 N/mm2, composed of a reaction product of polytetramethylene ether glycol, aromatic isocyanate, and amine, is used to stabilize the leading edge and reduce wear, ensuring uniform lubricant application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing lubricant application blades are used, then lubricant application is performed, but the blade suffers from wear and friction leading to cleaning failures and toner adherence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the Martens hardness of the contact portion within 5.0-30.0 N/mm² and adjusting the thickness ratio between the contact portion and base layer to 1:10 to 1:2. These parameter optimizations reduce wear and friction while maintaining reliable lubricant application functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by constructing the blade with a contact portion made of polyurethane elastomer having specific hardness characteristics, and a base layer providing structural support. This composite structure combines the low-friction properties of the elastomer contact surface with the strength of the base layer, resolving the contradiction between durability and friction resistance.
2Reliability
If the contact portion hardness is increased to reduce wear, then blade durability improves, but image quality may deteriorate due to uneven lubricant distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by establishing an optimal parameter range for Martens hardness (5.0-30.0 N/mm²) and thickness ratio (1:10 to 1:2). This controlled parameter range ensures the contact portion is hard enough to resist wear but soft enough to maintain uniform lubricant distribution, preventing both cleaning failures and image quality deterioration.
3Ease of manufacture
If the blade structure is simplified, then manufacturing cost decreases, but cleaning performance and image quality are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the blade into functionally distinct parts: a contact portion for lubricant application and a base layer for structural support. This segmented structure, while adding some manufacturing complexity, ensures reliable cleaning performance by allowing each part to be optimized for its specific function - the contact portion for low-friction lubricant transfer and the base layer for durability.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective layer forming device includes lubricant including fatty acid metal salt and a lubricant application blade. The lubricant application blade includes a contact portion contacting a surface of an image bearer to apply the lubricant on the surface of the image bearer. The contact portion includes polyurethane elastomer that includes a reaction product of polytetramethylene ether glycol, aromatic isocyanate, and amine. The contact portion has a Martens hardness of 5.0 N/mm2 or more and 30.0 N/mm2 or less. The lubricant applied to the surface of the image bearer by the lubricant application blade has a normalized ionic strength A of a metal ion amount derived from the fatty acid metal salt, satisfying a following expression (1),1E-4<A<20E-4,(1)where the normalized ionic strength A is measured by a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer.