Electrophotographic image forming apparatus

• US 6,560,427 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubo, Norihiko, Nakayama, Yuji, Hisakuni, Hisataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Royer, William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/941,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20020028100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 399/159, 399/350, 399/297, 399/298, 399/299, 399/303
• US Class Current: 399/159
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/75 Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/0005 for removing solid developer or debris from the electrographic recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00957 Compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/147 Cover layers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14726 Halogenated polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0819 characterised by the dimensions of the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0827 characterised by their shape, e.g. degree of sphericity

Abstract

An image forming apparatus has a first image bearing body for bearing an image formed by a substantially spherical toner, transferring belt for transferring a toner image formed on the first image bearing body onto a second image bearing body, and a cleaning member, abutting on the first image forming body, for sweeping away the toner remaining on the first image bearing body after a transferring operation by the transferring belt, wherein the first image bearing body contains a fluororesin on its surface, a content ratio F (% by weight) of the fluororesin is in a range of 10≦F≦50, a surface roughness Rz (μm) of the first image bearing body is Rz<5.0, and a dynamic friction coefficient μ between the first image bearing body and the cleaning member is in a range of 0.5≦μ≦2.5.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a first image bearing body for bearing an image formed with a substantially spherical toner;

a transferring means for transferring a toner image on said first image bearing body onto a second image bearing body; and

a cleaning member for sweeping away the toner remaining on said first image bearing body after a transferring operation by said transferring means, the cleaning member abutting on said first image bearing body,

wherein it is simultaneously satisfied that said first image bearing body contains a fluororesin on its surface,

wherein a content ratio F (% by weight) of said fluororesin is in a range of 10≦

F≦

50,

wherein a surface roughness Rz (μ

m) of said first image bearing body is Rz<

5.0,

and wherein a dynamic friction coefficient μ

between said first image bearing body and said cleaning member is in a range of 0.5≦

μ

≦

2.5.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first image bearing body comprises a plurality of layers and contains a fluororesin on the surface of each layer.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of said first image bearing body has a surface roughness of Rz<

5.0.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a weight average grain size R (μ

m) of said toner is in a range of 6≦

R≦

10 μ

m.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a shape factor SF1 of said toner is in a range of 100≦

SF1≦

140, and a shape factor SF2 of said toner is in a range of 100≦

SF2≦

120.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a linear pressure A (N/cm) of said cleaning member abutting on said first image bearing body is in a range of 200×

10<sup>−

3</sup><

A<

600×

10<sup>−

3</sup>.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning member comprises a blade member having elasticity.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said blade member abuts in a direction counter to a moving direction of said first image bearing body.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said blade member is made of a urethane rubber.

10. An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 4 and 5, wherein said toner is a nonmagnetic toner.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said toner is manufactured by a polymerization method.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a conveying body for conveying said second image bearing body.

wherein a plurality of first image bearing bodies are provided in a conveying direction of said conveying body,

and wherein toner images carried by said plurality of first image bearing bodies are formed to be overlaid in turn on the second image bearing body conveyed by said conveying body.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the toner images formed on said plurality of first image bearing bodies have different colors, respectively.

14. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dynamic friction coefficient μ

is obtained from the following equation;