Sliding Member Recessed Tip Angles Lubricant Accumulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding members for fixing devices face challenges in maintaining low sliding resistance and preventing friction coefficient increases due to direct contact regions, especially when lubricants are discontinuous.
Innovation Solution
A sliding member with a resin layer featuring recessed portions on its surface, where the recessed portions have a tip angle less than 90° and an area ratio of 30% to 70% in a top view, effectively catching and accumulating lubricant to reduce friction and maintain low sliding resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If recessed portions with tip angle of 90° or more are used, then manufacturing is easier, but sliding resistance maintainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the recessed portions by specifying a tip angle of less than 90° (preferably 60° to 80°). This parameter modification optimizes the balance between lubricant accumulation capability and manufacturing feasibility, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and sliding resistance maintainability.
2Reliability
If area ratio of recessed portions exceeds 70%, then lubricant accumulation improves, but gloss unevenness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the area ratio parameter of the recessed portions to be 30% to 70% of the total surface area. This parameter range ensures sufficient lubricant accumulation to maintain low sliding resistance while preventing excessive surface modification that would cause gloss unevenness, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and harmful factors.
3Reliability
If recessed portions have sharp tips, then lubricant accumulation is enhanced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a tip angle range of 60° to 80° for the recessed portions, which provides sharp enough tips for effective lubricant accumulation while remaining within achievable manufacturing precision limits. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between lubricant accumulation effectiveness and manufacturing precision requirements.
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 described sliding member achieves improved sliding resistance maintainability and reduced friction coefficients by effectively accumulating lubricant at recessed portion tip angles, thereby extending the life of fixing devices and reducing gloss unevenness.
Implementation Method 1
the recessed portions have a tip angle less than 90° and an area ratio of 30% to 70% in a top view, effectively catching and accumulating lubricant to reduce friction and maintain low sliding resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding member for a fixing device includes a resin layer that includes plural recessed portions on a surface of the resin layer, in which, in a top view, the recessed portion has a shape having a tip angle less than 90° in a sliding direction and an area ratio of an area of the recessed portions to a surface area of the resin layer is 30% or more and 70% or less.