Solid lubricant application device and image formation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10274891-B2
Application number	US-201715811211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2017
Priority date	Nov 18, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A solid lubricant application device includes: a rotating body; a solid lubricant applied to the rotating body; a resilient urging member that causes the solid lubricant to abut toward a circumferential surface of the rotating body; and a guide mechanism that guides movement of the solid lubricant. When a straight line parallel to a direction in which the solid lubricant abuts against the rotating body is referred to as a first straight line, and a straight line parallel to a direction in which the resilient urging member and the solid lubricant are connected is referred to as a second straight line, the guide mechanism guides the movement of the solid lubricant such that an intersecting angle, which is a smaller one of angles formed by the first straight line and the second straight line, decreases as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid lubricant application device comprising:
a rotating body that rotates about an axis of rotation;
a solid lubricant applied to the rotating body as the solid lubricant abuts against a circumferential surface of the rotating body;
a support member that supports the solid lubricant;
a resilient urging member that causes the solid lubricant to abut toward the circumferential surface of the rotating body; and
a guide mechanism that guides movement of the solid lubricant caused as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape,
wherein the guide mechanism includes a first guided portion and a second guided portion provided at the support member, and a guide member provided with a guide path that guides the first guided portion and the second guided portion, and
wherein, when a straight line parallel to a direction in which the solid lubricant abuts against the rotating body is referred to as a first straight line, and a straight line parallel to a direction in which the resilient urging member and the solid lubricant are connected is referred to as a second straight line, the guide mechanism guides the movement of the solid lubricant such that an intersecting angle, which is a smaller one of angles formed by the first straight line and the second straight line, decreases as the first guided portion and the second guided portion are guided by the guide path so that a virtual straight line connecting the first guided portion and the second guided portion rotates about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape.

2. The solid lubricant application device according to claim 1 , wherein the guide path includes a first path and a second path connected to the first path, the second path extending in a direction different from the first path, and the first path and the second path guiding the first guided portion and the second guided portion such that the intersecting angle decreases as the first guided portion and the second guided portion are guided by the guide path from the first path to the second path.

3. The solid lubricant application device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first guided portion is located closer to the rotating body than the second guided portion,
the guide path has a first path and a second path disposed side by side and extending toward the rotating body, a confluence portion allowing the first path and the second path to join together, and a third path extending from the confluence portion in a direction in which the first path and the second path extend,
the first path and the second path guide the first guided portion and the second guided portion, respectively, so that the intersecting angle is a first angle,
the confluence portion becomes narrower from a side of the first and second paths toward a side of the third path, and
the third path guides the first guided portion and the second guided portion so that the intersecting angle is a second angle smaller than the first angle.

4. The solid lubricant application device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first guided portion is located closer to the rotating body than the second guided portion,
the guide path has an intermediate portion with an opening for moving the second guided portion to an outside of the guide path, and
the guide mechanism further includes an abutment portion that abuts against the support member to generate a moment about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating body to rotate the support member so that the second guided portion is moved to an outside of the opening and the intersecting angle is thus decreased.

5. The solid lubricant application device according to claim 1 , wherein a contact area of the solid lubricant in contact with the rotating body changes in accordance with a decrease in the intersecting angle as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape.

6. The solid lubricant application device according to claim 5 , wherein the contact area increases in accordance with the decrease in the intersecting angle as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape.

7. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image carrier that carries an image; and
the solid lubricant application device according to claim 1 , the solid lubricant application device applying a lubricant to the image carrier.

8. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image carrier that carries an image; and
the solid lubricant application device according to claim 2 , the solid lubricant application device applying a lubricant to the image carrier.

9. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image carrier that carries an image; and
the solid lubricant application device according to claim 3 , the solid lubricant application device applying a lubricant to the image carrier.

10. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image carrier that carries an image; and
the solid lubricant application device according to claim 4 , the solid lubricant application device applying a lubricant to the image carrier.

11. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image carrier that carries an image; and
the solid lubricant application device according to claim 5 , the solid lubricant application device applying a lubricant to the image carrier.

12. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image carrier that carries an image; and
the solid lubricant application device according to claim 6 , the solid lubricant application device applying a lubricant to the image carrier.

13. A solid lubricant application device comprising:
a rotating body that rotates about an axis of rotation;
a solid lubricant applied to the rotating body as the solid lubricant abuts against a circumferential surface of the rotating body;
a resilient urging member that causes the solid lubricant to abut toward the circumferential surface of the rotating body; and
a guide mechanism that guides movement of the solid lubricant caused as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape,
wherein, when a straight line parallel to a direction in which the solid lubricant abuts against the rotating body is referred to as a first straight line, and a straight line parallel to a direction in which the resilient urging member and the solid lubricant are connected is referred to as a second straight line, the guide mechanism guides the movement of the solid lubricant such that an intersecting angle, which is a smaller one of angles formed by the first straight line and the second straight line, decreases as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape, and
wherein the guide mechanism includes a first restraint portion that restrains a posture of the solid lubricant so that the intersecting angle is a first angle, a resilient member that moves the solid lubricant to decrease the intersecting angle when the first restraint portion no longer provides restraint as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape, and a second restraint portion that restrains the posture of the solid lubricant to maintain the intersecting angle to be a second angle smaller than the first angle.

14. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image carrier that carries an image; and
the solid lubricant application device according to claim 13 , the solid lubricant application device applying a lubricant to the image carrier.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Aoki Shingo

Classifications

• G03G21/007 Primary

  Arrangement or disposition of parts of the cleaning unit · CPC title

• G03G15/2025

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

• G03G15/161

  with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent · CPC title

• G03G21/0094 Primary

  fatigue treatment of the photoconductor · CPC title

• G03G2221/1609

  protective arrangements for preventing damage · CPC title