Segmented Solid Lubricant Block for Image Bearing Member Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming technologies face challenges in maintaining the quality of image-bearing members due to abrasion, toner filming, and toner leakage, leading to defective images and reduced lifespan of components like photoconductors and cleaning blades, especially with the use of fatty acid metal salts which lose lubricating properties under electric discharge.
Innovation Solution
A block-shaped image-bearing member protecting agent with oriented surfaces is applied using a roll-shaped brush, comprising fatty acid metal salts and inorganic lubricants, allowing for efficient scraping and maintaining a consistent coating quality over time, preventing abrasion and toner leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a solid lubricant is pressed against a brush roller with a spring to maintain constant pressing force, then the pressing force remains stable, but the lubricant consumption amount still reduces over time
Solution Approach 1:
The solid lubricant block is segmented into multiple small blocks (first small blocks and second small blocks) with different orientations. This segmentation allows the brush to scrape lubricant from multiple orientations simultaneously, preventing the consumption reduction that occurs when scraping from a single orientation, while maintaining constant pressing force through the spring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces asymmetric orientation of the small blocks within the lubricant block. The first small blocks are oriented in a first direction and the second small blocks are oriented in a second direction different from the first. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that as the brush presses against the block, lubricant can be scraped from multiple directional orientations, preventing the consumption amount from reducing over time even under constant pressing force.
2Reliability
If fatty acid metal salts are used as lubricants, then initial lubricating properties are good, but they lose lubricating properties under electric discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure within the solid lubricant block, combining fatty acid metal salts with inorganic lubricants having different crystal orientations. The inorganic lubricants (such as graphite, molybdenum disulfide, or tungsten disulfide) provide stable lubricating properties under electric discharge conditions where fatty acid metal salts fail, creating a composite material that maintains reliability throughout the service life.
3Manufacturing precision
If toner particles are made smaller and rounder to improve image quality, then image quality improves, but the image bearing member deteriorates faster due to increased physical and electrical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies a solid lubricant block as a protective layer on the image bearing member before the member undergoes the image formation process. This pre-applied lubricant cushioning reduces the physical and electrical stress that smaller, rounder toner particles exert on the image bearing member during charging and image formation, thereby protecting the member and extending its durability while allowing the use of high-quality small toner particles.
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 effectively prevents abrasion and toner leakage, ensuring stable and high-quality image formation over a long period, extending the lifespan of image-bearing members and reducing maintenance costs by maintaining the lubricating properties of the protective layer.
Implementation Method 1
a block-shaped image-bearing member protecting agent... is applied using a roll-shaped brush... while being scraped off with a roll-shaped brush
Implementation Method 2
comprising fatty acid metal salts and inorganic lubricants, allowing for efficient scraping and maintaining a consistent coating quality over time, preventing abrasion and toner leakage
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an image-bearing member protecting agent, which has a block shape and is used in an image forming process where the image-bearing member protecting agent is applied or attached to a surface of an image bearing member while being scraped off with a roll-shaped brush, the image-bearing member protecting agent including: a fatty acid metal salt, wherein the image-bearing member protecting agent includes a plurality of small blocks and has such an orientation that one or more of the small blocks are easily separated from other small blocks, and a plurality of oriented surfaces of the plurality of small blocks are arranged in a laminated state in a substantially same direction.