Charging member, charging device, detachable body, and image forming apparatus

• US 9,110,400 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kojima, Noriaki, Takahashi, Yoshinori, Tanaka, Kei, Iwasaki, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): HYDER, G.M. ALI
• Application Number:
  US13/771,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20140056619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 399/174, 399/168, 399/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 rotating around an axis; 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,

wherein the charging member is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from a direction along the axis, and

wherein a length in a thickness direction of the contact section of the charging member decreases continuously as a distance from an edge of the charging member in a length direction increases, the edge contacts with the charged body.