IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image bearing member, which is configured to rotate while bearing a toner image; and
a cleaning blade, which is to be brought into contact with a surface of the image bearing member, and is configured to clean the image bearing member,wherein the image bearing member has a plurality of recesses on a surface thereof, the plurality of recesses each having an aperture width of 5 μ
m or more and 100 μ
m or less in a rotational direction of the image bearing member, an aperture width of 5 μ
m or more and 100 μ
m or less in a width direction crossing the rotational direction of the image bearing member, and a depth of 0.1 μ
m or more and 3 μ
m or less,wherein the cleaning blade comprises a rubber member, a distal end portion of the cleaning blade, which is to be brought into contact with the image bearing member, having a hardness higher than a hardness of a base end portion, a contact force per unit length in a longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade with respect to the surface of the image bearing member being 0.196 N/cm or more and 0.490 N/cm or less, andwherein, when the cleaning blade is supported so that a free length from a position at which the cleaning blade is supported to a distal end of the cleaning blade is 8 mm, and when the cleaning blade is brought into contact with an opposed object for measurement having a plurality of measurement recesses each having a partially spherical shape with a depth of 0.7 μ
m and a radius of 15 μ
m on a surface so that a contact angle with respect to the opposed object for measurement is 25°
, a contact width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade between the cleaning blade and the opposed object for measurement in each of the measurement recesses is 4 μ
m or more and 8 μ
m or less when the contact force per unit length in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade is 0.196 N/cm, and is 4 μ
m or more and 13.5 μ
m or less when the contact force per unit length in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade is 0.490 N/cm.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cleaning blade, which is to be brought into contact with a surface of a photosensitive drum, satisfies the following condition. First, the cleaning blade having a free length of 8 mm is brought into contact with an opposed object for measurement having a plurality of measurement recesses each having a partially spherical shape with a depth of 0.7 μm and a radius of 15 μm on a surface so that a linear pressure is 0.196 N/cm and 0.490 N/cm, and a contact angle with respect to the opposed object for measurement is 25°. In this case, a contact width of the cleaning blade in each of the measurement recesses is 4 μm or more and 8 μm or less when the linear pressure is 0.196 N/cm and is 4 μm or more and 13.5 μm or less when the linear pressure is 0.490 N/cm.
0 Citations
7 Claims
-
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
-
an image bearing member, which is configured to rotate while bearing a toner image; and a cleaning blade, which is to be brought into contact with a surface of the image bearing member, and is configured to clean the image bearing member, wherein the image bearing member has a plurality of recesses on a surface thereof, the plurality of recesses each having an aperture width of 5 μ
m or more and 100 μ
m or less in a rotational direction of the image bearing member, an aperture width of 5 μ
m or more and 100 μ
m or less in a width direction crossing the rotational direction of the image bearing member, and a depth of 0.1 μ
m or more and 3 μ
m or less,wherein the cleaning blade comprises a rubber member, a distal end portion of the cleaning blade, which is to be brought into contact with the image bearing member, having a hardness higher than a hardness of a base end portion, a contact force per unit length in a longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade with respect to the surface of the image bearing member being 0.196 N/cm or more and 0.490 N/cm or less, and wherein, when the cleaning blade is supported so that a free length from a position at which the cleaning blade is supported to a distal end of the cleaning blade is 8 mm, and when the cleaning blade is brought into contact with an opposed object for measurement having a plurality of measurement recesses each having a partially spherical shape with a depth of 0.7 μ
m and a radius of 15 μ
m on a surface so that a contact angle with respect to the opposed object for measurement is 25°
, a contact width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade between the cleaning blade and the opposed object for measurement in each of the measurement recesses is 4 μ
m or more and 8 μ
m or less when the contact force per unit length in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade is 0.196 N/cm, and is 4 μ
m or more and 13.5 μ
m or less when the contact force per unit length in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade is 0.490 N/cm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
Specification