CHARGING MEMBER, CHARGING DEVICE, DETACHABLE BODY, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20140056619A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: IWASAKI, Jin, KOJIMA, Noriaki, TAKAHASHI, Yoshinori, TANAKA, Kei
• Granted Patent: US 9,110,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/174
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0233 Structure, details of the charging member, e.g. chemical composition, surface properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/05 for imagewise charging, e.g. photoconductive control screen, optically activated charging means charging means controlled by electric image signals B41J
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A charging member includes a contact section and a supported section. The contact section is in contact with a charged body. The supported section is integrated with the contact section and is supported by a support member. The supported section has a lower hardness than the contact section.

Claims

1. A charging member comprising:

a contact section that is in contact with a charged body; and

a supported section that is integrated with the contact section and is supported by a support member, the supported section having a lower hardness than the contact section.

2. The charging member according to claim 1, wherein the contact section has a higher volume resistivity than the supported section, and

wherein discharging toward the charged body is performed at the supported section.

3. The charging member according to claim 1, wherein the contact section has a JIS-A hardness of 84°

or higher.

4. The charging member according to claim 1, wherein the supported section has a JIS-A hardness of 74°

or lower.

5. A charging device comprising:

the charging member according to claim 1; and

a support member that supports the charging member at a supported section of the charging member.

6. A detachable body that allows a photoconductor, the charging device according to claim 5, an exposure device, and a developing device to be integrally attachable to and detachable from an image-forming-apparatus body, wherein

the photoconductor serves as a charged body,

the charging device electrostatically charges the photoconductor,

the exposure device exposes the photoconductor electrostatically charged by the charging device to light so as to form a latent image on the photoconductor, and

the developing device develops the latent image formed by the exposure device.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a photoconductor as a charged body;

charging device according to claim 5 that electrostatically charges the photoconductor;

an exposure device that exposes the photoconductor electrostatically charged by the charging device to light so as to form a latent image on the photoconductor; and

a developing device that develops the latent image formed by the exposure device.