Fixing member, method for producing the same, fixing apparatus, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024160137-A1
Application number	US-202318543983-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2023
Priority date	Oct 4, 2021
Publication date	May 16, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fixing member having a base layer and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer includes a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and having at least one pore communicating with an opening on an outer surface thereof. A composition containing perfluoropolyether and a fluoropolymer is contained in at least a part of the at least one pore. The fluoropolymer has a particular repeating unit composed of perfluoropolyether, and at least one structure selected from the group consisting of a T unit of siloxane and a Q unit of siloxane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fixing member comprising a base layer and a surface layer,
the surface layer containing a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and having at least one pore communicating with an opening on an outer surface thereof, a composition containing perfluoropolyether and a fluoropolymer being contained in at least a part of the at least one pore, wherein the fluoropolymer has
a repeating unit represented by the following structural formula (1), and
at least one unit selected from the group consisting of a T unit of siloxane and a Q unit of siloxane:

wherein n represents a positive integer.

2 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the perfluoropolyether has a structure represented by the following structural formula (2):

wherein a, b, c, d, e and f each independently represent 0 or a positive integer, and satisfy 1≤a+b+c+d+e+f≤600; and at least one of a, b, c and d is a positive integer.

3 . The fixing member according to claim 2 , wherein the perfluoropolyether has at least one structure selected from the group consisting of the following structural formulae (3) to (6):

wherein n represents a positive integer, and n is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 30 mPa·s to 500 mPa·s;

wherein n′ represents a positive integer, and n′ is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 10 mPa·s to 2500 mPa·s;

wherein m and n″ each independently represent a positive integer, m/n″ is a number of 0.5 or larger and 2 or smaller, and m+n″ is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 20 mPa·s to 1400 mPa·s; and

wherein m′ and n′″ each independently represent a positive integer, m′/n′″ is a number of 20 or larger and 1000 or smaller, and m′+n′″ is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 20 mPa·s to 1200 mPa·s.

4 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , having an endless belt shape, wherein a ratio (porosity) of an area occupied by the at least one pore to an area including a portion of the at least one pore, in a cross section along a circumferential direction of the fixing member of the surface layer is 25.0% or more and 60.0% or less.

5 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the content ratio of the composition contained in the at least one pore to the total mass of the surface layer including the mass of the composition is 20% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

6 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein a content ratio (mass ratio) of the perfluoropolyether in the composition is 0.20 or more and 0.80 or less.

7 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein a viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at 40° C. is 1000 mPa·s or higher and 2500 mPa·s or lower.

8 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein an average opening diameter of the openings on a first surface constituting the outer surface of the surface layer is 1 nm or larger and 5 μm or smaller.

9 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein an opening ratio on the first surface constituting the outer surface of the surface layer is 1.0% or larger and 15.0% or smaller.

10 . The fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the surface layer is 10 μm or larger and 100 μm or smaller.

11 . A fixing apparatus comprising: a fixing member comprising a base layer and a surface layer; and a heating unit for heating the fixing member, wherein
the surface layer contains a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and having at least one pore communicating with an opening on an outer surface thereof, a composition containing perfluoropolyether and a fluoropolymer is contained in at least a part of the at least one pore, wherein the fluoropolymer has a repeating unit represented by the following structural formula (1), and at least one structure selected from the group consisting of a T unit of siloxane and a Q unit of siloxane:

wherein n represents a positive integer.

12 . The fixing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the fixing member is a fixing belt having an endless belt shape, and the heating unit is a heater arranged in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt.

13 . An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising a fixing apparatus comprising: a fixing member comprising a base layer and a surface layer; and
a heating unit for heating the fixing member, wherein the surface layer contains a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and having at least one pore communicating with an opening on an outer surface thereof, a composition containing perfluoropolyether and a fluoropolymer is contained in at least a part of the at least one pore, wherein the fluoropolymer has a repeating unit represented by the following structural formula (1), and at least one structure selected from the group consisting of a T unit of siloxane and a Q unit of siloxane:

wherein n represents a positive integer.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Miyauchi Yohei
• Toyonori Masatsugu
• Kasai Naoko
• Notoya Yasuharu
• Muramatsu Hiroki
• Miyakai Tomoyo

Classifications

• G03G15/2057 Primary

  relating to the chemical composition of the heat element and layers thereof · CPC title

• G03G2215/2035

  the fixing nip having a stationary belt support member opposing a pressure member · CPC title