Electroconductive rubber roller

• US 7,070,552 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Mizumoto, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HUNG CHARLIE
• Application Number:
  US10/716,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20040110617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 492/53, 492/56, 492/59, 492/25, 399/279, 399/281
• US Class Current: 492/56
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0808 characterised by the developer supplying means, e.g. structure of developer supply roller

Abstract

An electroconductive rubber roller (10) whose outermost layer consists of a rubber layer (1) made of a rubber composition containing an ionic-conductive rubber as a main component thereof. The surface of the rubber layer consists of an oxide film; and the rubber composition contains a dielectric loss tangent-adjusting filler to set a dielectric loss tangent of the electroconductive rubber roller to 0.1 to 1.5. Weak electroconductive carbon black and/or calcium carbonate treated with fatty acid can be used as the dielectric loss tangent-adjusting filler.

Claims

1. An electroconductive rubber roller having an outermost rubber layer made of a rubber composition containing an ionic-conductive rubber as a main component thereof,

wherein the surface of said outermost rubber layer comprises an oxide film formed by oxidation of the outermost rubber layer by irradiating with ultraviolet rays and/or ozone;

and said rubber composition contains a dielectric loss tangent-adjusting filler to set a dielectric loss tangent of said electroconductive rubber roller to 0.1 to 1.5.

2. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 1, wherein a weak electroconductive carbon black having an average diameter of 40 nm to 200 nm and/or a calcium carbonate treated with a fatty acid are used as said dielectric loss tangent-adjusting filler.

3. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 1, wherein supposing that an electric resistance of said electroconductive rubber roller is R100 when a voltage of 100V is applied thereto and is R500 when a voltage of 500V is applied thereto, the following relationship establishes:

log R100−

log R500<

0.5.

4. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 2, wherein supposing that an electric resistance of said electroconductive rubber roller is R100 when a voltage of 100V is applied thereto and is R500 when a voltage of 500V is applied thereto, the following relationship establishes:

log R100−

log R500<

0.5.

5. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 1, wherein not less than 5 nor more than 70 parts by weight of weak electroconductive carbon black is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

6. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 2, wherein not less than 5 nor more than 70 parts by weight of said weak electroconductive carbon black is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

7. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 3, wherein not less than 5 nor more than 70 parts by weight of weak electroconductive carbon black is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

8. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 4, wherein not less than 5 nor more than 70 parts by weight of said weak electroconductive carbon black is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

9. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 1, wherein not less than 30 nor more than 80 parts by weight of a calcium carbonate treated with a fatty acid is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

10. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 2, wherein not less than 30 nor more than 80 parts by weight of said calcium carbonate treated with said fatty acid is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

11. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 3, wherein not less than 30 nor more than 80 parts by weight of a calcium carbonate treated with a fatty acid is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

12. The electroconductive rubber roller according to claim 4, wherein not less than 30 nor more than 80 parts by weight of said calcium carbonate treated with said fatty acid is added to 100 parts by weight of said rubber component contained in said rubber composition.

13. The electroconductive rubber roller, according to claim 1, which is used as a development roller for making toner adhere to a photosensitive member of an image-forming mechanism of an electrophotographic apparatus.

14. The electroconductive rubber roller, according to claim 2, which is used as a development roller for making toner adhere to a photosensitive member of an image-forming mechanism of an electrophotographic apparatus.

15. The electroconductive rubber roller, according to claim 3, which is used as a development roller for making toner adhere to a photosensitive member of an image-forming mechanism of an electrophotographic apparatus.

16. The electroconductive rubber roller, according to claim 4, which is used as a development roller for making toner adhere to a photosensitive member of an image-forming mechanism of an electrophotographic apparatus.

17. An electroconductive rubber roller which is used as a development roller used for single-component toner and having an outermost rubber layer made of a rubber composition containing an ionic-conductive rubber as a main component thereof,

wherein said rubber layer has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 10 mm and a surface of said outermost rubber layer comprises an oxide film formed by oxidation of the outermost rubber;

and said rubber composition contains a dielectric loss tangent-adjusting filler to set a dielectric loss tangent of said electroconductive rubber roller to 0.1 to 1.5.