Blade and image forming apparatus incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9977396-B2
Application number	US-201615353184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

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

2. The elastic blade according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a blade end face adjoining the opposing face via the contact edge, wherein
the 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.

3. The elastic 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.

4. The elastic blade according to claim 1 , wherein
an elastic power of the edge layer is 30% or greater, and
the contact edge is to contact a lubricated surface of the contact object.

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

6. The elastic blade according to claim 5 , wherein the edge layer is greater in Martens hardness than the at least one backup layer.

7. The elastic blade according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a blade end face adjoining the opposing face via the contact edge, wherein
the 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.

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

9. 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 electrostatic 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 elastic blade according to claim 1 .

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the charger applies AC voltage to the surface of the image bearer.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the image bearer comprises inorganic particles at the surface thereof.

12. 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 electrostatic 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 elastic 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

• G03G21/0011 Primary

  using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming · CPC title

• G03G15/161

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

• G03G21/0017 Primary

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

• G03G2215/0132

  vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer · CPC title

• B32B27/08

  of synthetic resin · CPC title