Lubricant Control in Image Forming Apparatus Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, maintaining an appropriate range of lubricant amount on the image bearing member is challenging due to variations in toner consumption and coverage rates, leading to issues like cleaning failures, grain noise, and image degradation.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a control section that adjusts the removing performance of the first cleaning section based on toner consumption information, including changing the relative moving speed of the cleaning section and applying voltage, to maintain the lubricant amount within an appropriate range by optimizing the toner removing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lubricant is supplied onto the image bearing member to reduce frictional coefficient, then transfer failures are suppressed and image quality is improved, but cleaning blade durability is reduced due to adhesive wear and image degradation occurs due to lubricant mixture to developer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a lubricant concentration gradient on the image bearing member surface. The lubricant is supplied to form a coating with higher concentration at the transfer zone to suppress transfer failures, while the concentration naturally decreases toward the cleaning blade contact zone, reducing adhesive wear on the cleaning blade and preventing lubricant mixture into the developer
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamics by controlling the relative moving speed between the cleaning blade and image bearing member. By adjusting the cleaning blade speed to be different from the image bearing member speed, the lubricant coating is dynamically managed - allowing sufficient lubricant presence for reliable transfer while preventing excessive lubricant accumulation that would cause cleaning blade wear and developer contamination
2Reliability
If an insufficient amount of lubricant is coated onto the image bearing member, then cleaning failures and grain noise occur, but an excessive amount of lubricant causes reduction of cleaning blade durability and image degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by monitoring the lubricant coating amount on the image bearing member and adjusting the lubricant supply rate accordingly. When the lubricant amount falls below the appropriate range, the supply rate is increased to prevent cleaning failures and grain noise. When the lubricant amount approaches the upper limit, the supply rate is reduced to prevent cleaning blade wear and image degradation, maintaining the lubricant amount within the optimal range
3Reliability
If a cleaning blade is brought into contact with the image bearing member to remove remaining toner, then toner removal is achieved, but shaving (abrasion) of the surface layer of the image bearing member occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses lubricant as an intermediary substance between the cleaning blade and the image bearing member surface. The lubricant coating reduces the direct frictional contact and adhesive forces between the cleaning blade and the photoconductor surface, enabling effective toner removal while minimizing shaving and abrasion of the image bearing member surface layer
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 stabilizes the lubricant amount on the image bearing member, preventing issues like grain noise and image degradation, and maintaining image quality across varying coverage rates.
Implementation Method 1
a plate-shaped cleaning blade composed of an elastic body and serving as a device for removing remaining toner such as untransferred toner and transfer residual toner on an image bearing member is brought into contact with the surface of the image bearing member to thereby remove the remaining toner on the image bearing member
Implementation Method 2
lubricant (e.g., metal soap of metal stearate) is supplied onto the image bearing member to form coating of the lubricant such that cleaning is performed in the state where the attaching force between the toner particle and the image bearing member is suppressed to a low level
Implementation Method 3
a brush is brought into contact with lubricant formed in a rod shape to scrape the lubricant and supply the lubricant to the surface of the image bearing member
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member that is rotatable and supplied with toner to which lubricant has been added; a first cleaning section configured to remove the toner remaining on the image bearing member; a second cleaning section configured to remove the toner remaining on the image bearing member and left without being removed by the first cleaning section; and a control section that performs control to change removing performance in the first cleaning section.