Sliding Member Contact Area Thickness and Modulus Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding members in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in effectively removing fine toner residue without causing chips or durability issues, leading to potential cleaning failures.
Innovation Solution
A sliding member with a contact area having a Young's modulus of 10 MPa to 200,000 MPa and a thickness of 10 nm to 500 nm, formed from a carbon-containing area and a carbon layer, which prevents chip formation and maintains durability by alleviating stress concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning blade with conventional materials and structure is used to scrape off toner residue, then cleaning function is achieved, but chip formation occurs and durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the thickness of the contact area (10-500 nm) and the Young's modulus (10-200,000 MPa) to optimize the balance between hardness and flexibility, preventing chip formation while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by forming a contact area with specific mechanical properties on the sliding member, combining the base material with a surface layer having controlled thickness and elasticity to achieve both durability and chip prevention
2Strength
If the contact area is made harder to improve durability, then resistance to wear increases, but stress concentration increases leading to chip formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the contact area by controlling thickness (10-500 nm) and Young's modulus (10-200,000 MPa) to achieve optimal stress distribution, preventing both wear and chip formation simultaneously
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the contact area is made thinner to reduce stress, then chip formation is prevented, but cleaning effectiveness may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thickness parameter (10-500 nm) to achieve the right balance where the contact area is thin enough to prevent stress concentration and chip formation, yet maintains sufficient cleaning effectiveness through proper mechanical properties
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding member includes a base material including a contact area which contacts with a member to be slid, wherein a Young's modulus E1 with respect to the thickness of the contact area from a surface of the contact area is from 10 MPa to 200,000 MPa and a thickness T of the contact area is from 10 nm to 500 nm.