Cleaning blade, cleaning device, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018196387-A1
Application number	US-201815861804-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Jan 12, 2017
Publication date	Jul 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cleaning blade includes an elastic blade body. The elastic blade body having an edge contacts a surface of a contact object such as a photoconductor. The cleaning blade removes substances on the surface of the contact object that moves in contact with the edge. With respect to an elastic power Y OPC of the contact object, an elastic power E BL of the cleaning blade satisfies a relation:
Y OPC ≥0.55× E BL −3.33.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cleaning blade comprising
an elastic blade body, the elastic blade body having an edge to contact a surface of a contact object that moves in contact with the edge, the cleaning blade to remove substance on the surface of the contact object, with respect to an elastic power of the contact object, an elastic power of the cleaning blade satisfying a relation:
Y OPC ≥0.55× E BL −3.33,

where Y OPC represents the elastic power of the contact object, and E BL represents the elastic power of the cleaning blade.

2 . The cleaning blade according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact object has a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or more and 0.7 μm or less.

3 . The cleaning blade according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact object has a surface roughness of 0.3 μm or more and 0.6 μm or less.

4 . The cleaning blade according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact object has a Martens hardness of 190 N/mm 2 or more and less than 350 N/mm 2 .

5 . The cleaning blade according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact object has a Martens hardness of 190 N/mm 2 or more and less than 310 N/mm 2 .

6 . The cleaning blade according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic blade body includes an edge region including the edge and a non-edge-region on a cross-section perpendicular to a direction in which the edge extends, the non-edge-region different in at least one of material and physical property from the edge region, and wherein an elastic power of the edge region is smaller than an elastic power of the non-edge-region.

7 . The cleaning blade according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic blade body includes an edge region including the edge and a non-edge-region on a cross-section perpendicular to a direction in which the edge extends, the non-edge-region different in at least one of material and physical property from the edge region, and wherein a Martens hardness of the edge region is greater than a Martens hardness of the non-edge-region.

8 . A cleaning device comprising:
the cleaning blade according to claim 1 ; and a spring to press the edge of the elastic blade body against the contact object.

9 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearer to bear an image; a charger to charge a surface of the image bearer, an exposure device to expose the surface of the image bearer charged with the charger, to form an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer; a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a recording medium; a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium; and the cleaning device according to claim 8 to remove toner on the image bearer as the contact object.

10 . A process cartridge detachably attachable to a body of an image forming apparatus as a single unit, the process cartridge comprising:
an image bearer to bear a toner image; and the cleaning device according to claim 8 to remove toner on the image bearer as the contact object.

11 . A cleaning blade comprising
an elastic blade body, the elastic blade body having an edge to contact a surface of a contact object that moves in contact with the edge, the cleaning blade to remove substance on the surface of the contact object, with respect to an elastic power of the contact object, an elastic power of the cleaning blade satisfying a relation:
Y OPC ≥0.61× E BL −3.85,

where Y OPC represents the elastic power of the contact object, and E BL represents the elastic power of the cleaning blade.

12 . The cleaning blade according to claim 11 ,
wherein the contact object has a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or more and 0.7 μm or less.

13 . The cleaning blade according to claim 11 ,
wherein the contact object has a surface roughness of 0.3 μm or more and 0.6 μm or less.

14 . The cleaning blade according to claim 11 ,
wherein the contact object has a Martens hardness of 190 N/mm 2 or more and less than 350 N/mm 2 .

15 . The cleaning blade according to claim 11 ,
wherein the contact object has a Martens hardness of 190 N/mm 2 or more and less than 310 N/mm 2 .

16 . The cleaning blade according to claim 11 ,
wherein the elastic blade body includes an edge region including the edge and a non-edge-region on a cross-section perpendicular to a direction in which the edge extends, the non-edge-region different in at least one of material and physical property from the edge region, and wherein an elastic power of the edge region is smaller than an elastic power of the non-edge-region.

17 . The cleaning blade according to claim 11 ,
wherein the elastic blade body includes an edge region including the edge and a non-edge-region on a cross-section perpendicular to a direction in which the edge extends, the non-edge-region different in at least one of material and physical property from the edge region, and wherein a Martens hardness of the edge region is greater than a Martens hardness of the non-edge-region.

18 . A cleaning device comprising:
the cleaning blade according to claim 11 ; and a spring to press the edge of the elastic blade body against the contact object.

19 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearer to bear an image; a charger to charge a surface of the image bearer, an exposure device to expose the surface of the image bearer charged with the charger, to form an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer; a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a recording medium; a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium; and the cleaning device according to claim 18 to remove toner on the image bearer as the contact object.

20 . A process cartridge detachably attachable to a body of an image forming apparatus as a single unit, the process cartridge comprising:
an image bearer to bear a toner image; and the cleaning device according to claim 18 to remove toner on the image bearer as the contact object.

Assignees

• Watanabe Kazuhiko
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Kazuhiko

Classifications

• G03G15/0225

  provided with means for cleaning the charging member · CPC title

• G03G15/0131

  for transferring a pattern to a second base · CPC title

• G03G2215/0404

  Laser · CPC title

• G03G15/04036

  Details of illuminating systems, e.g. lamps, reflectors (lamp housings for copying cameras, reflex exposure lighting G03B27/542) · CPC title

• G03G21/0017 Primary

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