Polyether Rubber Conductive Member for Stable Electrical Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conductive members in image forming apparatuses, such as printers and copiers, face challenges in maintaining low and stable electrical resistance values over time without the use of conductivity imparting materials, which is essential for high-speed operations and image quality.
Innovation Solution
A polyether rubber with a specific ratio of cationic nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic rings is used, which is cross-linked with epihalohydrin and unsaturated oxide monomers, providing a conductive member with low electrical resistance and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the unit amount of ethylene oxide monomer is increased to lower electrical resistance, then electrical resistance decreases, but the rubber becomes water soluble and difficult to produce
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing specific heterocyclic ring structures (imidazole, pyridine, pyrimidine, triazine) and controlling their content (0.1-30 mol%) to achieve the desired electrical resistance without increasing water solubility. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between electrical performance and manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite rubber material containing multiple monomer units (ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide) combined with heterocyclic ring-containing units. This composite structure achieves low electrical resistance through the heterocyclic components while the polyether backbone maintains water insolubility and processability.
2Reliability
If the unit amount of ethylene oxide monomer is increased to lower electrical resistance, then electrical resistance decreases, but contamination of photoconductor occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters by incorporating heterocyclic ring structures that provide conductivity through ionic mechanisms rather than water solubility. This changes the conduction mechanism to eliminate photoconductor contamination while maintaining low electrical resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of water solubility (which causes contamination) into a benefit by using heterocyclic rings that provide ionic conductivity without water solubility. The heterocyclic structures enable electrical conduction through a different mechanism that does not involve water release or photoconductor contamination.
3Reliability
If conductivity imparting material is added to rubber to control electrical resistance, then electrical resistance can be controlled, but dispersity control is difficult and variation in resistance occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes from adding external conductivity materials to incorporating conductive heterocyclic units directly into the rubber polymer chain. This structural integration ensures uniform distribution at the molecular level, eliminating dispersity issues while maintaining controllable electrical resistance through composition adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an intrinsically conductive composite rubber material where heterocyclic ring-containing monomer units are polymerized together with polyether monomers. This results in a homogeneous composite structure with uniform conductivity distribution, avoiding the aggregation and dispersity problems of added conductivity materials.
4Reliability
If conductivity imparting material is added to rubber, then electrical resistance can be controlled, but sharp image is difficult to obtain due to resistance variation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves precise electrical resistance control by adjusting the molar percentage of heterocyclic ring-containing units (0.1-30 mol%) in the polymer structure. This molecular-level parameter control ensures uniform electrical properties that enable sharp image formation, eliminating the resistance variations caused by imperfect dispersion of added conductivity materials.
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 achieves a conductive member with minimal variation in electrical resistance, low electrical resistance values, and suppressed increase in resistance even under continuous use, suitable for high-speed image forming applications.
Implementation Method 1
polyether rubber having a group which contains a cationic nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic ring
Data Source
AI summary
A polyether rubber comprising units expressed by the following general formula (1) in 0.1 mol % or more but less than 30 mol % is provided.(wherein in the above general formula (1), A+ is a group which contains a cationic nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic ring. Said group which contains a cationic nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic ring is bonded with the carbon atom at the “2” position which is shown in the above general formula (1) through a nitrogen atom which forms said cationic nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic ring. X− is arbitrary counter anion.)