Transfer Belt Surface Roughness for Vibration Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional transfer belts in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses experience vibration due to friction with image bearing members, leading to inconsistent toner image transfer onto sheets, as roughening the inner peripheral surface to prevent slip can cause vibration and image quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A transfer belt unit with a roughened outer peripheral surface and an optional roughened inner peripheral surface, maintaining the inner surface as a mirror surface to reduce friction-related vibrations, ensuring stable belt movement and consistent toner image transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt is roughened to prevent slip between the transfer belt and driving roller, then the transfer belt can be moved stably at constant speed, but vibration occurs due to friction between the image bearing member and the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different parts of the transfer belt: the inner peripheral surface is roughened to prevent slip with the driving roller, while the outer peripheral surface is kept smooth to prevent vibration during image transfer. This local differentiation of surface properties resolves the contradiction between stable movement and vibration prevention.
2Shape
If the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt is kept as a mirror surface to maintain contact with the image bearing member, then the surface remains smooth, but vibration occurs due to friction caused by errors in driving roller diameter or transfer belt thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent differentiates the surface quality of the transfer belt by making the outer peripheral surface roughened while keeping the inner peripheral surface smooth. This allows the outer surface to accommodate diameter errors and thickness variations through increased friction, preventing vibration during image transfer while the inner surface maintains smooth contact with the driving roller.
3Speed
If the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt is roughened to increase friction with the driving roller, then slip is prevented and constant speed movement is achieved, but the sheet moves forward and backward in the transfer position, preventing correct toner image transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface treatments to different parts of the transfer belt: the inner peripheral surface is roughened to prevent slip with the driving roller and ensure constant speed, while the outer peripheral surface is kept smooth to maintain stable contact with the image bearing member and prevent sheet position deviation during transfer, thereby resolving the contradiction between speed stability and position accuracy.
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 roughened outer peripheral surface stabilizes the transfer belt's movement, preventing pitch spots and ensuring consistent image quality throughout the belt's lifespan, while maintaining the inner surface's mirror finish to prevent vibration-induced issues.
Implementation Method 1
roughening the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt is considered to be capable of: eliminating the slip between the transfer belt and the driving roller... However, in a case of roughening the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt, keeping the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt pressed against the image bearing member as a mirror surface may cause vibration of the transfer belt by friction between the image bearing member and the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt
Implementation Method 2
The transfer belt is pressed against the image bearing member with the transfer belt held therebetween in a transfer position, and forms a transfer electric field by means of a transfer bias being applied from a power supply portion
Data Source
AI summary
A secondary transfer unit stretches a transfer belt in an endless form over a driving roller, a driven roller, a transfer roller, an auxiliary roller, and a support roller therebetween. The transfer belt moves, by rotation of the driving roller, along a circulation path which passes through a transfer position. The transfer roller and the auxiliary roller press the transfer belt from the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt toward an intermediate transfer belt in the transfer position. The transfer belt has an outer peripheral surface thereof which is pressed against the intermediate transfer belt and is roughened so that the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface becomes 6 μm to 10 μm.