Protective layer forming device, image forming apparatus and process cartridge

• US 20100054829A1
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Iio, Masato, Hasegawa, Kunio, Ozaki, Naoyuki, Tanaka, Shinya, Nakai, Hiroshi, Yamashita, Masahide
• Application Number:
  US12/461,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/346
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/0017 Details relating to the internal structure or chemical composition of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1609 protective arrangements for preventing damage

Abstract

A protective layer forming device including an image-bearing member protecting agent which contains a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant, a protecting agent supply member configured to apply a surface of the image bearing member with the image-bearing member protecting agent, and a leveling member configured to level off the image-bearing member protecting agent applied on the surface of the image bearing member, wherein the leveling member serves as a cleaning blade having a ridge part with an obtuse angle, which comes into contact with the surface of the image bearing member in a direction counter to the rotation of the image bearing member.

Claims

1. A protective layer forming device comprising:

an image-bearing member protecting agent which comprises a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant;

a protecting agent supply member configured to apply a surface of the image bearing member with the image-bearing member protecting agent; and

a leveling member configured to level off the image-bearing member protecting agent applied on the surface of the image bearing member,

wherein the leveling member serves as a cleaning blade having a ridge part with an obtuse angle, which comes into contact with the surface of the image bearing member in a direction counter to the rotation of the image bearing member.

2. The protective layer forming device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade has an obtuse angle of 95 degrees to 170 degrees.

3. The protective layer forming device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade has a contact linear pressure of 0.1 N/cm to 2 N/cm.

4. The protective layer forming device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade has a Young'"'"'s modulus at 23°

C. of 0.03 N/cm² to 0.2 N/cm².

5. The protective layer forming device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade is in contact with the image bearing member with a width of 10 η

m to 100 μ

m.

6. The protective layer forming device according to claim 1, wherein the image-bearing member protecting agent is supplied via the protecting agent supply member to the surface of the image bearing member.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image bearing member;

a latent electrostatic image forming unit configured to form a latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member;

a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image using a toner so as to form a visible image;

a transfer unit configured to transfer the visible image onto a recording medium; and

a protective layer forming unit configured to form a protective layer on a surface of the image bearing member,

wherein the protective layer forming unit includes;

an image-bearing member protecting agent which comprises a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant;

a protecting agent supply member configured to apply a surface of the image bearing member with the image-bearing member protecting agent; and

a leveling member configured to level off the image-bearing member protecting agent applied on the surface of the image bearing member,

wherein the leveling member serves as a cleaning blade having a ridge part with an obtuse angle, which comes into contact with the surface of the image bearing member in a direction counter to the rotation of the image bearing member.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a cleaning unit configured to remove a toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member in a downstream of the transfer unit and an upstream of the protective layer forming unit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the latent electrostatic image forming unit comprises a charging unit located in contact with or close to the surface of the image bearing member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the charging unit comprises a voltage applying unit configured to apply a voltage which includes an AC component.

11. A process cartridge comprising:

an image bearing member; and

a protective layer forming unit configured to form a protective layer on a surface of the image bearing member,

wherein the process cartridge is detachably attached to a main body of the image forming apparatus, and

wherein the protective layer forming unit includes;

an image-bearing member protecting agent which comprises a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant;

a protecting agent supply member configured to apply a surface of the image bearing member with the image-bearing member protecting agent; and

a leveling member configured to level off the image-bearing member protecting agent applied on the surface of the image bearing member,

wherein the leveling member serves as a cleaning blade having a ridge part with an obtuse angle, which comes into contact with the surface of the image bearing member in a direction counter to the rotation of the image bearing member.

12. The process cartridge according to claim 11, further comprising a cleaning unit configured to remove a toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member in an downstream of the transfer unit and an upstream of the protective layer forming unit.

13. The process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the latent electrostatic image forming unit comprises a charging unit located in contact with or close to the surface of the image bearing member.