Patent Application
20070292161
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
An example of a toner particle used in the present invention is explained.
Because the spindle-shaped toner particle according to the embodiment has a properly adjusted fluidity, it is possible to perform a friction charging process smoothly, place no smudges on the background, accurately develop the latent images even with the significantly small dots, and efficiently transfer the toner image. It means that the spindle-shaped toner particles also have a high dot reproductivity. Moreover, the properly adjusted fluidity causes the spindle-shaped toner particles not to be scattered easily. Still moreover, because the number of rotation axes of the spindle-shaped toner particle is much smaller than those of the sphere toner particle, the spindle-shaped toner particle is not likely to get into under the cleaning member. Therefore, the amount of the residual toner that is still remains after cleaning decrease, and the charging unit (charging roller) located downstream is not likely to be defiled with the residual toner.
More particularly, the toner particle is spindle-shaped having a ratio of a length in the minor axis (r2) to a length in the major axis (r1) (i.e., r2/r1) in a range from 0.5 to 0.8, and a ratio of the thickness (r3) to the length in the minor axis (i.e., r3/r2) in a range from 0.7 to 1.0.
If the ratio of the length in the minor axis to the length in the major axis (r2/r1) is smaller than 0.5, that is, the shape is apart from a perfect sphere, the cleaning efficiency becomes higher, but it is not possible to obtain an image with high quality due to the lower dot reproductivity and the lower transfer efficiency. If the ratio of the length in the minor axis to the length in the major axis and (r2/r1) is larger than 0.8, that is, the shape is substantially sphere, there is a possibility that the imperfect cleaning occurs especially in an environment at a low temperature and with a low humidity.
If the ratio of the thickness to the length in the minor axis (r3/r2) is smaller than 0.7, that is, the toner particle is flat, the toner particles are less likely to be scattered like the indefinite-shaped toner particles are scattered. However, it is not possible to obtain the transfer efficiency as high as the sphere-shaped toner particles have. Especially, if the ratio of the thickness to the length in the minor axis (r3/r2) is 1.0, the toner particle becomes a rotational body having the major axis as a rotation axis. If the spindle-shaped toner particle has the ratio r3/r2 closer to 1, that is, the toner particle is not any one of indefinite, flat, and sphere, the toner particles can enjoy the advantages of both the sphere shape and the flat shape, that is, can obtain the appropriate properties in the friction charging, the dot productivity, the transfer efficiency, the scattering resistance, and the cleaning efficiency.
It is possible to measure r1, r2, and r3 by, for example, uniformly scattering and adhering the toner particles to a smooth surface for measurement, and magnifying a hundred of the toner particles at 500 times with a color laser microscope “VK-8500” (manufactured by KEYENCE CORPORATION), measuring the length in the major axis r1 (micrometers), the length in the minor axis r2 (micrometers), and the thickness r3 (micrometers) of each of the hundred toner particles, and calculating an arithmetic average from the results of measurement.
As shown in
A basic operation is explained along a copying process performed by a copying machine. First, when a print start key in an operating unit (not shown) provided on the top of the copying machine is pushed, a series of copying process starts. An original document to be copied is illuminated by the optical system (not shown). While the original document is illuminated, a reflected light that is reflected by a lens or a mirror (not shown) projected onto the surface of the photoconductor 101 (the exposure process L). When the reflected light corresponding to the image on the original document have been projected onto the surface of the photoconductor 101, the electric charges in the exposed parts are removed depending on the intensity of the reflected light, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor 101. Subsequently, the magnetic brush roller 104a of the developing unit 104 develops the electrostatic latent image (i.e., adheres the toner to the electrostatic latent image) to form a toner image on the photoconductor 101.
Recording paper conveyed by a paper conveying unit (not shown) is further conveyed to the transfer unit by the resist roller 113 at the proper timing so that the paper is aligned with the forward end of the toner image formed on the photoconductor 101.
The transfer charger 105 transfers the toner image formed on the photoconductor 101 onto the recording paper that is conveyed by the resist roller 113. After the transfer process, the recording paper is separated from the photoconductor 101 by the separating charger 106. After that, the recording paper is conveyed to a fixing unit (not shown) where the fixing process is performed on the recording paper, and is ejected from the copying machine. Thus, the series of processes are completed.
After the transfer process, the cleaning unit 107 removes the residual toner from the photoconductor 101. The QL 108 removes the residual electric charge from the photoconductor 101 to initialize the photoconductor 101. After that, the copying machine is in a standby state until receiving a next image processing instruction.
The process cartridge is also applicable when the charging roller 102 is the non-contact type and has members (e.g. a roller ring, a tape) on the ends of the charging roller 102 to form the gap of 5 micrometers to 60 micrometers.
Shown in Tables 1 and 2 are results of a printing test of 300,000 sheets on the toner and the image forming apparatus according to the embodiments.
In the printing test, the toner adhered to the charging roller and the charging efficiency are evaluated on two types of the charging rollers having the surface roughness of 10 micrometers and 15 micrometers. The printing test is conducted on each of the two charging rollers, changing each of the hardness and the surface resistance to three different levels.
In Table 1, under each of all the conditions, the toner is adhered to the surface of the charging roller, and the background was smudged due to lowering of the charging efficiency.
In Table 2, “Not good” indicates that the toner is slightly adhered to the charging roller, but no smudge due to lowering of the charging efficiency was found in the background, and “Good” indicates that no toner is adhered to the charging roller, and the charging efficiency does not decrease.
As described above, when the extremely small sphere-shaped toner particles are used, there increase an amount of the residual toner that is still remained on the photoconductor 101 after the cleaning device cleans the toner from the photoconductor after the transfer process, and the residual toner accumulates on the surface of the charging roller, which causes lowering of the charging efficiency over the course of time. In contrary, when the spindle-shaped toner particles are used, more particularly, each having the ratio of the length in the minor axis r2 to the length in the major axis r1 (r2/r1) in a range from 0.5 to 0.8 and the ratio of the thickness r3 to the length in the minor axis r2 (r3/r2) in a range from 0.7 to 1.0, there is a lower possibility that the problem caused by the imperfect cleaning occurs. Moreover, the charging roller 102 that electrically charges the photoconductor 101 serving as an electrostatic latent-image carrier is charged with the bias voltage and has the surface roughness Rz equal to or smaller than 10 micrometers. Thus, even if some of the toner is not caught by the cleaning blade 107b and is adhered to the charging roller 102, because the number of the rotation axes of the toner particle is small, it is possible to easily clean up the toner by using the charging-roller cleaner 102a. Consequently, the lowering of the charging efficiency caused by adhesion of toner is prevented, and it is therefore possible to obtain an image with a high quality. The residual toner due to the imperfect cleaning is adhered to the charging roller electrostatically or mechanically. When the charging roller 102 is a contact type, the toner is adhered both electrostatically and mechanically. When the charging roller 102 is a non-contact type, the toner is adhered electrostatically.
As for the hardness of the charging roller, the harder the charging roller is, the higher the pressure applied to the toner is. Thus, when the hardness is higher, the toner is more likely to adhere to the charging roller, and it is disadvantageous in terms of keeping the charging roller clean. On the contrary, when the hardness of the charging roller is low, it is difficult to apply a sufficient contact charge to the photoconductor. Thus, there is a higher possibility that defective charging occurs, that the pressure on a part in contact with the cleaner becomes uneven, and that the cleaning efficiency becomes lower.
However, when the hardness of the charging roller 102 and the toner are adjusted in the ranges defined according to the embodiments, it is possible to prevent the residual toner from adhering to the charging roller and to prevent the cleaning efficiency from lowering. Thus, it is possible to easily clean up the toner and to prevent adherence of the toner.
As for the surface resistance of the charging roller, the lower the surface resistance of the charging roller is, the more advantageous it is in terms of keeping the charging roller clean. This is because when the toner that is not caught by the cleaning blade comes in contact with the charging roller, a charge injection (i.e., a counter charge) is less likely to occur. Therefore, an electrostatic adhesion is less likely to occur. However, if the surface resistance is too low, the force of an electric absorption between the charging roller and the toner that has once adhered to the charging roller is stronger, and it tends to be more difficult to clean up the toner with the cleaner.
To cope with the problem, according to the embodiments, the surface resistance of the charging roller and the toner particle are adjusted in the ranges as described above. As a result, it is possible to prevent the adherence of toner to the charging roller and the lowering of the cleaning efficiency. Thus, it is possible to easily clean up the toner and to prevent the adherence of toner.
Because the charging roller is in the shape of a stick having a small diameter, a test piece in the shape of a flat plate is prepared to measure the surface resistance. A donut-shaped (tube-shaped) electrode placed on the test piece and a cylinder-shaped electrode placed in the middle of the donut-shaped electrode are used for the measurement (a distance between the electrodes is 1 centimeter). The resistance is calculated from an electric current flowing when a 100-volt direct current voltage is applied to the donut-shaped electrode and the cylinder-shaped electrode for 30 seconds.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus that can obtain a high quality image by preventing the lowering of the charging efficiency caused by the adhesion of toner and that can easily clean up the toner.
Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-169489 | Jun 2006 | JP | national |
