Blade and image forming apparatus incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016109846-A1
Application number	US-201514857955-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An elastic blade includes an edge layer and at least one backup layer laminated on the edge layer. The edge layer includes a contact edge to contact a contact object and an opposing face to oppose the contact object, and the backup layer is greater in elastic power than the edge layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An elastic blade comprising:
an edge layer including a contact edge to contact a contact object and an opposing face to oppose the contact object; and at least one backup layer laminated on the edge layer and being greater in elastic power than the edge layer.

2 . The blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a blade end face adjoining the opposing face via the contact edge,
wherein an elastic power of the at least one backup layer measured from the blade end face is 70% or greater.

3 . The blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a blade end face adjoining the opposing face via the contact edge,
wherein an elastic power of the at least one backup layer measured from the blade end face is greater than an elastic power of the edge layer measured from either the blade end face or the opposing face.

4 . The blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a blade end face adjoining the opposing face via the contact edge,
wherein an elastic power of the edge layer measured from either the opposing face or the blade end face is 40% or greater.

5 . The blade according to claim 1 , wherein the edge layer has a Martens hardness of 30% or greater, and
the contact edge is to contact a lubricated surface of the contact object.

6 . The blade according to claim 1 , wherein the edge layer has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm 2 or greater.

7 . The blade according to claim 6 , wherein the edge layer is greater in Martens hardness than the at least one backup layer.

8 . The blade according to claim 6 , further comprising a blade end face adjoining the opposing face via the contact edge,
wherein a Martens hardness of the edge layer measured from either the opposing face or the blade end face is greater than a Martens hardness of the at least one backup layer measured from the blade end face.

9 . A cleaning device comprising:
the blade according to claim 1 ; and a pressing device to press the blade to the contact object, wherein the pressing device keeps a contact pressure of the blade with the contact object constant.

10 . The cleaning device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one backup layer has an elastic power of 50% or greater.

11 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearer serving as the contact object; a charger to charge a surface of the image bearer; an exposure device to expose the surface of the charged image bearer to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; a developing device to develop the latent image with toner into a toner image; a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium; and a cleaning device to remove toner from the image bearer, the cleaning device including the blade according to claim 1 .

12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the charger applies AC voltage to the surface of the image bearer.

13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the image bearer comprises inorganic particles at the surface thereof.

14 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearer serving as the contact object; a charger to charge a surface of the image bearer; an exposure device to expose the surface of the charged image bearer to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; a developing device to develop the latent image with toner into a toner image; a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium; a cleaning device to remove toner from the image bearer, the cleaning device including the blade according to claim 1 ; and a lubrication device to lubricate the surface of the image bearer, wherein the edge layer has an elastic power of 30% or greater.

Assignees

• Shimizu Eisuke
• Watanabe Kazuhiko
• Tawada Takaaki
• Kikuchi Hisashi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Eisuke
• Watanabe Kazuhiko
• Tawada Takaaki
• Kikuchi Hisashi

Classifications

• G03G2215/0132

  vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer · CPC title

• B32B2307/536

  Hardness · CPC title

• G03G21/0017 Primary

  Details relating to the internal structure or chemical composition of the blades · CPC title

• B32B2432/00

  Cleaning articles, e.g. mops or wipes · CPC title

• G03G2221/001

  Plural sequential cleaning devices · CPC title