Solid lubricant, solid lubricant application apparatus and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10216125-B2
Application number	US-201815879641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A solid lubricant to be applied onto an image carrier of an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic system, includes a metal soap and resin particles, and the resin particles have a particle main body constituted by a rigid resin other than fluorine-based resins, and fluorine atoms carried on the surface of the particle main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid lubricant to be applied onto an image carrier of an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic system,
wherein the solid lubricant comprises a metal soap and resin particles,
the resin particles have a particle main body constituted by a rigid resin other than fluorine-based resins, and fluorine atoms carried on the surface of the particle main body, and
the abundance ratio of the fluorine on the resin particles is 5 to 60 atom %.

2. The solid lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein the resin particles have a volume average particle size of 30 to 300 nm.

3. The solid lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid resin is one or more resins selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins and styrene resins.

4. The solid lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein the metal soap is zinc stearate.

5. A solid lubricant application apparatus for applying a solid lubricant onto a surface of an image carrier in an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic system, wherein the solid lubricant application apparatus comprises:
an application member having elasticity, which is abuttably disposed on the surface of the image carrier,
a bias member for biasing a solid lubricant toward the application member to allow the solid lubricant to abut on the application member, and
a solid lubricant,
wherein the solid lubricant is the solid lubricant according to claim 1 .

6. An image forming apparatus of electrophotographic system comprising:
an image carrier;
a cleaning apparatus for allowing an elastic member to abut on the surface of the image carrier to remove a transfer residual toner on the surface; and
a solid lubricant application apparatus for applying a solid lubricant onto the surface of the image carrier,
wherein the solid lubricant application apparatus is the solid lubricant application apparatus according to claim 5 .

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Ogura Kunihiro
• Hosoya Yukio
• Amemiya Taiki

Classifications

• C10N2050/08

  Solids · CPC title

• G03G15/2025 Primary

  with special means for lubricating and/or cleaning the fixing unit, e.g. applying offset preventing fluid · CPC title

• C10M2213/0623

  used as base material · CPC title

• C10M169/04

  Mixtures of base-materials and additives · CPC title

• C10M2205/04

  containing aromatic monomers, e.g. styrene · CPC title