Developing member and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

• US 7,799,398 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Masaki, Kurachi, Masahiro, Yamamoto, Arihiro, Nakamura, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Shewareged; Betelhem
• Application Number:
  US11/850,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20080081277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 399/279, 399/333, 428/35.8, 428/36.91, 428/447
• US Class Current: 428/35.8
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0818 characterised by the structure of the donor member, e.g. surface properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1355 Elemental metal containing [e.g., substrate, foil, film, coating, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1393 Multilayer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A developing member is provided which is capable of forming a high-quality image by simultaneously solving the problem of fogging in a high temperature and high humidity environment and the problem of ghosts in a low temperature and low humidity environment. The developing member includes a mandrel and a resin layer formed on the periphery of the mandrel, and has an outermost surface layer containing a non-reactive silicone compound. The non-reactive silicone compound satisfies the following requirements: (A) a copolymer of silicone and polyoxyethylene; (B) a specific gravity (25° C.) d of 0.99≦d≦1.03; and (C) a solubility in water (25° C.) of less than 0.1% by mass.

Claims

1. A developing member which comprises a mandrel and a resin layer formed on the periphery of the mandrel, and has an outermost surface layer containing a non-reactive silicone compound, wherein

the non-reactive silicone compound satisfies the following requirements (A) to (C):

(A) a copolymer of silicone and polyoxyethylene;

(B) a specific gravity (25°

C.) d of 0.99≦

d≦

1.03; and

(C) a solubility in water (25°

C.) of less than 0.1% by mass.

2. A developing member according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer has at least two layers.

3. A developing member according to claim 1, wherein the non-reactive silicone compound has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 6,000≦

Mw≦

11,000.

4. A developing member according to claim 1, wherein the non-reactive silicone compound has a structure represented by formula (1):

5. A developing member according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer contains polyether urethane obtained by reaction of polyether polyol with isocyanate.

6. A developing member according to claim 5, wherein the non-reactive silicone compound has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) which satisfies Mw<

N where a weight average molecular weight of the polyether polyol is defined as N.

7. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image;

a charging device for primarily charging the image carrier;

an exposure device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the primarily charged image carrier;

a development device for developing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; and

a transfer device for transferring the toner image to a transfer material, wherein

the development device includes the developing member according to claim 1.