Patent Grant
7352983
The present application claims priority and contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-286485 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Aug. 5, 2003, and the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus of electrophotography such as copiers, facsimile apparatuses and printers, and more particularly relates to a two-component development device in which a two-component developer born on the surface of a development roller is caused to rise in a form of a series of ears to contact a latent image bearing member and thereby a latent image on the latent image bearing member is visualized with toner of the developer.
2. Discussion of the Background
Two-component development devices using a two-component developer in which magnetic particles called carriers and toner are mixed are widely used in image forming apparatuses. Improvement in reliability and enhancement of image quality are demanded in image forming apparatuses, and in particular decreasing carrier adhesion is demanded for improving reliability and decreasing trailing edge omission is demanded for improving image quality.
In a two-component development device, a two-component developer including carriers and toner is born on the surface of a development roller, and in a development area where the development roller faces an electrostatic latent image bearing member, the developer born on the surface of the development roller is caused to rise in a form of a series of ears to contact the latent image bearing member and thereby a latent image on the latent image bearing member is developed with toner of the developer into a toner image. At this time, an electric force from the latent image bearing member and a magnetic force from the development roller are applied to carriers of the developer, and if the electric force from the latent image bearing member is greater than the magnetic force from the development roller, carriers that must remain on the development roller move together with toner and adhere to the latent image bearing member. This phenomenon is called carrier adhesion. When the toner image formed on the latent image bearing member is transferred onto a transfer sheet by a transfer device, the carriers adhered to the latent image bearing member are transferred to the transfer sheet together with the toner forming the toner image. This causes adverse effects to the transfer device. Further, when the toner image transferred onto the transfer sheet is fixed onto the sheet by a fixing device, the carriers transferred to the transfer sheet are also fixed to the sheet. This causes adverse effects to the fixing device. Thus, carrier adhesion is a factor decreasing reliability of an image forming apparatus.
To avoid carrier adhesion, it is conceivable to decrease the electric force applied to the carriers from the latent image bearing member by adjusting the charging potential of the latent image bearing member and the potential of the development roller, which, however, causes other problems in an image such as background soiling, etc.
A method of avoiding carrier adhesion is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-open publication No. 8-15988, in which a magnetic flux density distribution curve in a development area is formed such that a width in a circumferential direction of a development sleeve of a development roller is narrower at the peak point side. By making the magnetic flux density in the development area locally larger, the action direction of a magnetic attraction force applied to carriers from the development roller is greatly changed. This results not only in that the magnetic attraction force from the development roller is made stronger than the electric force of a latent image bearing member, but also in that a rotation force acts on the carriers. Thereby, the attraction balance between the latent image bearing member and the carriers is rapidly lost, so that carrier adhesion is avoided.
A development roller in a two-component development device conveys a developer born on the surface of the development roller in a circumferential direction thereof, and the developer is caused to rise in a form of a series of ears at a part of the development roller coming close to a latent image bearing member. The ears of the developer have some widths in the circumferential direction of the development roller, and an electrostatic latent image on the latent image bearing member is developed with toner of the developer while the ears of the developer rub the latent image bearing member. At this time, if the widths of the ears of the developer are too large, a phenomenon that toner once moved to the latent image bearing member is scraped off the latent image bearing member occurs. This phenomenon is called trailing edge omission, and is a factor of deteriorating image quality. The trailing edge omission phenomenon is more noticeable as the widths of ears of the developer are wider.
The applicant of the present invention has proposed, for example, in JP Laid-open publications No. 2000-305360 and No. 2001-27849, a method of avoiding a trailing edge omission phenomenon by narrowing a half-value region width of a magnetic flux density distribution in a normal line direction of a development pole while making the magnetic flux density of the development pole relatively large. The half-value region width refers to an angular width at parts of a magnetic force distribution curve indicating values corresponding to one-half of the maximum (peak) normal line magnetic force. In the proposed method, however, because the attenuation ratio of magnetic flux density in the normal line direction of a development pole is relatively high (e.g., 40% or greater), depending upon the states of magnetic poles at the upstream and downstream sides relative to the development pole in the circumferential direction of a development sleeve of a development roller, a relatively large plunge is generated in the waveform of a magnetic force of the development pole and thereby carrier adhesion is occasionally caused.
The present invention has been made in views of the above-discussed and other problems and addresses the above-discussed and other problems.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a novel development magnet roller, for use in a development device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, that has a development pole with a magnetic waveform characteristic enabling improvement in trailing edge omission while suppressing carrier adhesion.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention further provide a novel development device including the development magnet roller, a novel process cartridge including the development device, and a novel image forming apparatus including the development device.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a development magnet roller for use in a development roller of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided. The development magnet roller has a development pole to form a magnetic field causing a developer born on a surface of the development roller including the development magnet roller to rise in a form of a series of ears in a development area of the image forming apparatus where the development roller opposes an image bearing member, and in a magnetic flux density distribution in a normal line direction of the development pole, a peak magnetic flux density is 120 mT or greater, a zero gauss region width is 70° or greater, and a half-value region width is 40° or smaller. Thereby, while obtaining a relatively large surface magnetic force of the development roller necessary for development, by making a zero gauss region width in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole relatively large, carrier adhesion can be suppressed, and at the same time, by narrowing a half-value region width in the magnetic flux density distribution, trailing edge omission can be improved.
In the above-described development magnet roller, the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole may be formed such that a half-value region center angle is shifted 3° or more toward a downstream side of a zero gauss region center angle in a direction in which the developer born on the surface of the development roller is conveyed. Thereby, a magnetic force between the development pole and a downstream side pole is prevented from rapidly plunging, so that carrier adhesion can be further suppressed.
The above-described development magnet roller may be configured such that a magnet block is buried in the development magnet roller at a part thereof corresponding to the development pole. Thereby, adjusting the half-value region center angle relative to the zero gauss region center angle in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole is facilitated.
In the development magnet roller described immediately above, a zero gauss region width in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole before the magnet block is buried in the development magnet roller may be 70° or greater and a center line of the magnet block may be located 3° or more shifted toward a downstream side, in the direction in which the developer born on the surface of the development roller is conveyed, of the zero gauss region center angle of the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole before the magnet block is buried in the development magnet roller. Because the zero gauss region width and the zero gauss region center angle in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole hardly change before and after the magnet block is buried in the development magnet roller, a desired development magnet roller can be obtained. Further, it is preferable that a (BH) max of the development magnet roller is greater than that of the magnet block buried in the development magnet roller. Thereby, the half-value region width in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole can be narrowed while making the zero gauss region width relatively large. Furthermore, the magnet block may preferably include a rare earth magnet. Thereby, the surface magnetic force of the development roller necessary for development can be easily obtained. Further, the development magnet roller may be configured such that the magnet block buried in the development magnet roller protrudes from the development magnet roller. Thereby, adjusting the position where the magnet block is arranged is facilitated, so that narrowing the half-value region width in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole can be facilitated. It is preferable that a protrusion amount of the magnet block from the development magnet roller is at least 0.2 mm. Further, parts of a circumferential surface of the development magnet roller in a vicinity of the groove into which the magnet block is buried may be made flat. Thereby, adjusting the protruding distance of the magnet block from the development magnet roller can be facilitated.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a development device including the above-described development magnet roller, a process cartridge including the development device, and an image forming apparatus including the development device are provided.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attended advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, preferred embodiment of the present invention are described.
In a two-component development device, the magnetic waveform of a development pole of a development roller has been examined to improve carrier adhesion and trailing edge omission phenomena. First, the peak magnetic flux density (maximum magnetic force in a magnetic force distribution curve in the normal line direction) of the development pole has been examined, and it has been found that higher the peak magnetic flux density is, it is more advantageous for improving carrier adhesion. It is believed that as the peak magnetic flux density of a development pole is higher, the magnetic force in a development area is higher, so that carrier adhesion is hard to occur.
Next, the zero gauss region width (angle width at parts of a magnetic force distribution curve in the normal line direction where the normal line magnetic force is zero) of the development pole has been examined, and it has been found that greater the zero gauss region width is, it is advantageous for improving carrier adhesion. It is believed that if the zero gauss region width is too narrow, ears of developer sharply rise, which is disadvantageous for avoiding carrier adhesion. However, when the zero gauss region width is made greater, the widths of ears of developer increase, which causes trailing edge omission to increase. Trailing edge omission is caused by that toner is scraped off the latent image bearing member, so that it can be improved by making the widths of ears of developer smaller. Therefore, it has been examined in the magnetic waveform of a development pole to narrow the half-value region width while keeping the zero gauss region width relatively large. As a result, it has been found that by narrowing the half-value region width, trailing edge omission can be improved while maintaining carrier adhesion within an allowable range. It is believed that ears of developer are caused to sharply rise by narrowing the half-value region width, and thereby the widths of ears of developer contacting the latent image bearing member are made smaller, so that trailing edge omission has been improved.
As the half-value region angle between a development pole and a next pole at the downstream side of the development pole in the direction in which developer born on the surface of a development roller is conveyed is greater, the magnetic force between the development pole and the next pole rapidly plunges, which is disadvantageous for avoiding carrier adhesion. Here, the half-value region angle between the development pole and the next pole is the angle between the part of the magnetic force distribution curve in the normal line direction of the development pole at the downstream side and the part of the magnetic force distribution curve of the next pole at the upstream side, at parts respectively having values corresponding to halves of the maximum (peak) normal line magnetic forces. Therefore, it has been examined in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole to shift the position of the half-value region center angle (angle of the center of the half-value region measured from a criterion position) to the downstream side of the zero gauss region center angle (angle of the center of the zero gauss region measured from a criterion position). As the result, it has been found that carrier adhesion can be further suppressed by shifting the position of the half-value region center angle to the downstream side of the zero gauss region center angle in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole.
Thus, it has been found that to improve trailing edge omission while suppressing carrier adhesion, in a magnetic flux density distribution in a normal line direction of a development pole, a peak magnetic flux density should be 120 mT or greater, a zero gauss region width should be 70° or greater, and a half-value region width should be 40° or smaller. Further, it is preferable that in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole, the half-value region center angle is located 3° or more at the downstream side of the zero gauss region center angle in the direction in which developer born on the surface of a development roller is conveyed.
The sheet on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to a fixing device 58, where the toner image is fixed onto the sheet. When forming an image only on one side of a sheet, after fixing a toner image onto the sheet, the sheet is discharged. When forming an image on each side of a sheet, after a toner image has been fixed onto one side of the sheet, the sheet is conveyed, via a reverse path 59, after passing through a duplexing part 60, to the photoconductor drum 1 and the transfer unit again. Residual toner on the photoconductor drum 1 is removed with a cleaning unit 52. Residual charge on the photoconductor drum 1 is removed with a discharging lamp. Toner replenishment bottles 61 are arranged beside the sheet feeding unit 55, and toner is provided using, for example, a Monoue pump, to the development device 2 through a toner hopper 62. Residual toner is collected and stored in a discarding toner bottle 63 arranged beside the toner bottles 61.
The development device 2 further includes a doctor 6 serving as a developer regulation member regulating the quantity of the developer born on the development sleeve of the first development roller 3 and conveyed to the development area, a paddle roller 5 configured to stir and mix developer in the development case, a stirring roller 7, a conveying screw 8 conveying replenished developer in the longitudinal direction of the stirring roller 7, and a toner sensor 9 measuring toner density in the development case to replenish toner from the toner hopper 62.
A magnet roller serving as a magnetic field generation device is fixedly arranged inside of each of the first and second development rollers 3 and 4. The magnet roller is formed by extrusion or injection molding of a plastic magnet, which is made by dispersing magnetic powder in plastic resin powder (high molecular compound), or a rubber magnet. By using an anisotropic substance for the magnetic powder and by applying a magnetic field in a mold in molding, magnetism is made anisotropic, and thereby a desired magnetic characteristic is obtained. A groove is formed at a part of the magnet roller corresponding to a development pole, in the longitudinal direction of the magnet roller, and a magnet block is buried into the groove. The groove may be provided by molding or cutting. As illustrated in
The zero gauss region width in a magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of a development pole of a magnet roller after a magnet block has been arranged in the magnet roller depends on the zero gauss region width before the magnet block has been arranged. Therefore, in magnetizing the magnet roller (plastic magnet), the zero gauss region width in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole is made 70° or greater. The magnet block is arranged and fixed by adhesion in the groove of the magnet roller that has been magnetized. In order to narrow a half-value region width in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole after the magnet block has been arranged in the groove of the magnet roller, the magnet block preferably has a (BH) max greater than that of the magnet roller (plastic magnet) and includes a rare earth magnet as magnetic powder. In particular, an Nd—Fe—B magnet, which can obtain a (BH) max of 10 MGOe or greater by making magnetism anisotropic, is suitable for the magnetic powder. The development pole configured as described above has a magnetic waveform as indicated in
The half-value region center angle in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of a development pole of a magnet roller after a magnet block has been arranged in a groove of the magnet roller depends on the position where the magnet block has been arranged in the groove of the magnet roller. Further, the half-value region width can be easily made narrower by causing the magnet block to protrude from the magnet roller. In order to make the half-value region center angle in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole after the magnet block has been arranged in the groove of the magnet roller to be at the downstream side of the zero gauss region center angle, the position where the magnet block must be arranged in the groove of the magnet roller such that the center line of the magnet block is preferably 3° or more at the downstream side, in the direction in which developer born on the surface of the development roller is conveyed, of the zero gauss region center angle in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole before the magnet block is arranged in the groove of the magnet roller. Thus, the development pole of a magnet roller in which a magnet block has been arranged can have a magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction formed such that a zero gauss region width is 70° or greater, a half-value region center angle is 40° or smaller, and the half-value region center angle is located at the downstream side of the zero gauss region center angle. Thereafter, the magnet roller is covered with a sleeve of a non-magnetic member, and thereby a development roller of the present invention is obtained.
By using a development roller of the present invention as described above, a development device improving carrier adhesion and trailing edge omission can be obtained. When the development roller of the present invention is used only for one of two development rollers in a development device, by using the development roller of the present invention at the downstream side in the direction in which developer is conveyed in a development area of an image forming apparatus, reliability of the development device can be increased and a higher image quality can be obtained with the development device.
For confirming an effect of a development roller of the present invention, carrier adhesion and trailing edge omission have been evaluated in an image forming apparatus configured as described above except that one development roller of the present invention is used in a development device, and a result of which is indicated in Table 1. The linear velocity of a photoconductor drum is set at 500 mm/sec, a development roller is driven at 900 rpm, the linear velocity ratio of the development roller and the photoconductor drum is set at 1.9, the charging potential is set at −900V, and the development bias is set at −650V.
A magnet roller of the development roller is made of PA6+Sr ferrite and has the outer diameter of 18 mm and the (BH) max of 2 MGOe. A metal core of the development roller is made of SUM22 with electro-less nickel plating and has the outer diameter of 6 mm. A magnet block of the magnet roller is made of PA6+Nd—Fe—B, and has a cross section of 3 mm×3 mm and the (BH) max of 9 MGOe. A development sleeve of the development roller is made of A6063 and has the outer diameter of 20 mm. The magnetic force of the magnetized magnet roller (plastic magnet) at a part corresponding to the development pole (i.e., base magnetic force) is 45-55 mT, and the magnetic force of the magnet block is 70-80 mT. Carrier adhesion and trailing edge omission have been evaluated while changing the magnetic flux density, the half-value region width, the zero gauss region width, and the shifting distance of the half-value region center angle relative to the zero gauss region center angle toward the downstream side in the direction in which developer is conveyed. With respect to measurement of magnetic characteristics, the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction has been measured by digging a magnetic probe into the development sleeve.
In Table 1, with respect to carrier adhesion rank, the mark of □ indicates that the number of adhered carriers is 5 or less, the mark of ∘ indicates that the number of adhered carriers is 5-10, the mark of □ indicates that the number of adhered carriers is 10-15, and the mark of X indicates that the number of adhered carriers is 15 or more, in an image of A3 size. With respect to trailing edge omission rank, the degree of trailing edge omission has been evaluated at 9 grades from 1.0 (unsatisfactory) to 5.0 (satisfactory) at intervals of 0.5, and the mark of ∘ indicates that the grade is 4.0 or above, the mark of □ indicates that the grade is 3.0 or 3.5, and the mark of X indicates that the grade is 2.5 or below. “C. Ex.” stands for comparative example.
In examples 1-8, a magnet block has been buried in the magnet roller such that the magnet block protrudes 0.25 mm from the magnet roller. In comparative example 1, a magnet block has been buried in the magnet roller such that the magnet block does not protrude from the magnet roller. In comparative example 2, a magnet block has not been buried in the magnet roller.
Satisfactory results have been obtained with respect to carrier adhesion and trailing edge omission in examples 4-8 in which, in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole, a peak magnetic flux is 120 mT or greater, a zero gauss region width is 70° or greater, and a half-value region width is 40° or smaller. In examples 7 and 8 in which, in the magnetic flux density distribution in the normal line direction of the development pole, the half-value region center angle is shifted 3° or more toward the downstream side of the zero gauss region center angle in the direction in which the developer is conveyed, more satisfactory results have been obtained.
Numerous additional modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention can be otherwise practiced than as specifically described herein.
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