This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-018887 filed Jan. 31, 2011.
(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to methods for producing photoreceptors and process cartridges and image-forming apparatuses including photoreceptors.
(ii) Related Art
In the related art, a photoreceptor having a surface deliberately roughened during production is used because an as-produced photoreceptor having a nearly mirror surface might cause a problem, for example, during a cleaning step due to an excessive coefficient of friction between the surface of the photoreceptor and a cleaning blade.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a photoreceptor. This method includes forming at least a photosensitive layer as a coating layer on a surface of a substantially cylindrical photoreceptor; and polishing a surface of the coating layer formed on the photoreceptor in the layer formation by rotating the photoreceptor and moving a polishing member in a direction crossing a circumferential direction of the photoreceptor in contact with the surface of the coating layer on the photoreceptor.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in
As shown in
In this exemplary embodiment, the photoreceptor drum 3, the charging roller 4, and the cleaning device 7 in each of the yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) image-forming sections 2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K are integrated into a process cartridge 20 in view of, for example, maintenance of the image-forming apparatus 1. These process cartridges 20 are attachable to and detachable from the image-forming apparatus 1 with a guide rail and a securing unit (not shown).
For example, if one of the photoreceptor drums 3 of the image-forming apparatus 1 reaches the end of its life, the user may replace the photoreceptor drum 3 by replacing the process cartridge 20 with a new one for maintenance of the image-forming apparatus 1.
The process cartridges 20 each include at least the photoreceptor drum 3; optionally, they may include another member such as the developing device 6, or may lack the charging roller 4 or the cleaning device 7.
In the yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) image-forming sections 2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K, as shown in
The toner images formed on the surfaces of the photoreceptor drums 3 of the yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) image-forming sections 2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K are transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt 10 by first transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K such that they are superimposed on each other, are transferred together by a second transfer roller 12 from the intermediate transfer belt 10 onto recording paper 11, as a recording medium, fed at a predetermined timing, and are fixed on the recording paper 11 by a fixing device 13, thus forming a full-color or monochrome image. The recording paper 11 is then discharged to a paper output tray 14 disposed outside the image-forming apparatus 1.
Whereas the intermediate transfer belt 10 is disposed below the image-forming sections 2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K in the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the intermediate transfer belt 10 may be disposed above the image-forming sections 2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K from the viewpoint of the arrangement of the image-forming apparatus 1.
As the recording paper 11, sheets of paper of desired size and material are separately fed one by one from a feed cassette 15 by a feed roller 16 and is transported to a second transfer position by a registration roller 17 in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 10.
After the completion of the first transfer step described above, residual toner or toner additive is removed from the surfaces of the photoreceptor drums 3 by the cleaning blades 8 of the cleaning devices 7 to prepare for the next image-forming process. Similarly, after the completion of the second transfer step described above, residual toner or toner additive is removed from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 10 by a belt cleaning device 18 to prepare for the next image-forming process.
Steps of Producing Photoreceptor
A photoreceptor used as a photoreceptor drum in the image-forming apparatus configured as described above is produced, for example, as follows.
Whereas various photoreceptors having photosensitive layers formed of inorganic or organic photoconductive materials are available, photoreceptors having photosensitive layers formed of organic photoconductive materials have often been used recently in view of, for example, environmental impact and productivity.
In this exemplary embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
Conductive-Substrate Preparing Step
The conductive substrate 101 used may be any conductive substrate used in the related art. Examples of conductive substrates include metal substrates such as aluminum, nickel, chromium, and stainless steel substrates and insulating substrates having conductive materials applied or deposited thereon.
The conductive substrate 101 is formed in a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape with a predetermined outer diameter. As the conductive substrate 101, for example, a metal pipe may be used as it is. A metal pipe may be used as produced or may be subjected to surface treatment such as mirror grinding, etching, anodizing, rough cutting, centerless grinding, sand blasting, or wet honing.
Layer-Forming Step
In a layer-forming step, at least the photosensitive layer 103 is formed as a coating layer on the surface of the conductive substrate 101 prepared as described above.
As shown in
The undercoat layer 102 does not necessarily have to be formed in the layer-forming step, but may be formed in the step of preparing the conductive substrate 101 described above.
The undercoat layer 102 may be formed of, for example, a powder of a metal such as aluminum, copper, nickel, or silver, a conductive metal oxide such as antimony oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, or zinc oxide, or a conductive material such as carbon fiber, carbon black, or graphite, dispersed in a binder resin and applied to the conductive substrate 101.
Although not shown, an intermediate layer may be further provided on the undercoat layer 102 for purposes such as improved electrical properties, improved image quality, improved image durability, and improved adhesion of the photosensitive layer 103.
The charge generating layer 104 is formed of a charge generating material dispersed in a suitable binder resin. Examples of charge generating materials include phthalocyanine pigments such as metal-free phthalocyanine, chlorogallium phthalocyanine, hydroxygallium phthalocyanine, dichlorotin phthalocyanine, and titanyl phthalocyanine. These charge generating materials may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more.
Examples of binder resins used for the charge generating layer 104 include polycarbonate resins such as those of bisphenol A or bisphenol Z type, acrylic resins, methacrylic resins, polyarylate resins, polyester resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polystyrene resins, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer resins, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer resins, polyvinyl acetate resins, polyvinyl formal resins, polysulfone resins, styrene-butadiene copolymer resins, vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride copolymer resins, silicone resins, phenolic-formaldehyde copolymer resins, polyacrylamide resins, polyamide resins, and poly-N-vinylcarbazole resins. These binder resins may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more.
The resulting coating solution containing the material of the charge generating layer 104 may be applied to the undercoat layer 102 by, for example, dip coating, lift coating, wire bar coating, spray coating, blade coating, ring coating, knife coating, or curtain coating. The thickness of the charge generating layer 104 is set to, for example, 0.01 to 5 μm.
On the other hand, the charge transport layer 105, as shown in
Examples of binder resins used for the charge transport layer 105 include polycarbonate resins such as those of bisphenol A or bisphenol Z type, acrylic resins, methacrylic resins, polyarylate resins, polyester resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polystyrene resins, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer resins, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer resins, polyvinyl acetate resins, polyvinyl formal resins, polysulfone resins, styrene-butadiene copolymer resins, vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride copolymer resins, silicone resins, phenolic-formaldehyde copolymer resins, polyacrylamide resins, polyamide resins, chlorine rubbers, and organic photoconductive polymers such as polyvinylcarbazole, polyvinylanthracene, and polyvinylpyrene. These binder resins may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more.
The resulting coating solution for forming the charge transport layer 105 may be applied to the charge generating layer 104 by a common method such as dip coating, lift coating, wire bar coating, spray coating, blade coating, ring coating, knife coating, or curtain coating. The thickness of the charge transport layer 105 is set to, for example, 5 to 50 μm.
In addition, additives such as an antioxidant, a light stabilizer, and a heat stabilizer may be added to the layers forming the photosensitive layer 103 to prevent deterioration of the photoreceptor 100 due to ozone and nitrogen oxide produced in an image-forming apparatus or due to light or heat.
If the photoreceptor 100 having the coating layers formed by coating and curing as described above is incorporated into the image-forming apparatus 1 as it is for use as the photoreceptor drum 3, the as-produced photoreceptor 100 has a mirror surface or nearly mirror surface with extremely low surface roughness due to, for example, the method for forming the coating layers, the properties of the materials of the coating layers, and the additive added to ensure uniform thickness.
Accordingly, if the photoreceptor 100 is incorporated into the image-forming apparatus 1 as it is as the photoreceptor drum 3, the edge of the cleaning blade 8, which often has relatively low hardness in view of, for example, cleaning performance, tends to adhere to the surface of the photoreceptor 100. As a result, the cleaning blade 8 has an excessive coefficient of static friction and coefficient of kinetic friction μ on the surface of the photoreceptor 100. This tends to cause problems such as “blade noise” (unusual sound due to fine vibrations of the edge of the cleaning blade 8), “turning up” (inversion of the edge of the cleaning blade 8 to the downstream side in the rotational direction of the photoreceptor drum 3), and “chipping” (chipping of the edge of the cleaning blade 8). In particular, the problems such as “blade noise,” “turning up,” and “chipping” of the cleaning blade 8 tend to occur noticeably when a relatively soft cleaning blade with relatively low rubber hardness (JIS-A hardness) is used in view of, for example, cleaning performance.
Accordingly, a technique for deliberately roughening the surface of the photoreceptor 100 during production has been employed. To roughen the surface of the photoreceptor 100, the photoreceptor 100 is rotated with a polishing member in contact with the surface thereof. As a result, as shown in
However, if the rotational direction of the photoreceptor 100 is identical to the polishing direction, as described above, ridges and grooves are formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 100 at the same positions in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100 after the polishing. According to research by the inventors, if the photoreceptor 100 thus polished is used, ridges 111 of the lines 110 due to polishing formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 100 by polishing wear the edge of the cleaning blade 8 like a file during image formation. As a result, as shown in
As a result of intensive research, the inventors have invented a polishing step as described below in addition to the method for producing the photoreceptor 100 described above.
In addition to the layer-forming step of forming at least the photosensitive layer 103 as a coating layer on the surface of the cylindrical or substantially cylindrical conductive substrate 101 described above, the method for producing the photoreceptor 100 according to this exemplary embodiment includes a polishing step of polishing the surface of the coating layer formed on the conductive substrate 101 in the layer-forming step by rotating the conductive substrate 101 and moving a polishing member in a direction crossing the circumferential direction of the conductive substrate 101 in contact with the surface of the coating layer on the conductive substrate 101.
Polishing Step
The photoreceptor 100 having the coating layers formed as described above is not attached as it is to the process cartridge 20 to be mounted on the image-forming apparatus 1; the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished in a polishing step as one of a series of production steps continuous with the above steps of producing the photoreceptor 100 or as one of the production steps temporally and/or spatially separated from the above steps of producing the photoreceptor 100.
As shown in
Although there is no upper or lower limit on the rotational speed (movement speed) of the photoreceptor 100, it may be set to, for example, 100 to 1,500 rpm for a photoreceptor having a diameter of 40 mm in view of, for example, the precision and productivity of the polishing step. A rotational speed below 100 rpm causes no problem with the accuracy of the polishing step, although such a rotational speed is undesirable in that the productivity decreases because it takes a longer period of time to polish the surface of each photoreceptor. On the other hand, a rotational speed above 1,500 rpm is desirable in terms of productivity because it takes a shorter period of time to polish the surface of each photoreceptor, although an excessive rotational speed is undesirable in that it may cause damage to the surface layer of the photoreceptor 100 due to, for example, frictional heat from contact with the polishing member. It is to be understood, however, that the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 may be set to a speed higher than 1,500 rpm as long as damage to the surface layer of the photoreceptor 100 is avoided, for example, by polishing the surface layer while cooling it.
As shown in
The polishing member 210 is not limited and may be any polishing member that can polish the surface of the photoreceptor 100 to roughen the surface. Examples of polishing members include polishing sheets, polishing rollers, polishing brushes, and polishing wheels.
Among such polishing members, for example, a polishing sheet 210 such as one known as a lapping film sheet is available. A lapping film sheet is, for example, a synthetic resin film, such as a polyester film, having uniform thickness and a smooth surface coated with abrasive grains having a predetermined grain size distribution and formed of, for example, aluminum oxide. A lapping film sheet coated with abrasive grains of controlled size may be used as the polishing sheet 210 to perform uniform ultraprecision polishing to a surface roughness, namely, calculated average roughness (Ra), of a minimum of about 0.01 μm. In addition, a lapping film sheet is economical and suitable for polishing the surface of the photoreceptor 100 because the desired surface roughness is achieved by easy polishing treatment in a short period of time.
As the polishing sheet 210, for example, ones having fine aluminum oxide particles with varying grain sizes, such as 0.3 μm, 1 μm, 3 μm, 5 μm, 10 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, and 60 μm, are available, and one having a predetermined grain size is selected depending on the desired polished condition of the surface of the photoreceptor 100.
The length (width) of the polishing sheet 210 in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100 may be set to, for example, but not limited to, about 10 to 100 mm. It is to be understood, however, that the width of the polishing sheet 210 is not limited to the above range and may be shorter or longer than that range.
Whereas the polishing sheet 210 may be used as it is in sheet form, as shown in
For example, as shown in
The pressure at which the polishing sheet 210 is pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor 100, which directly affects the polishing properties of the surface of the photoreceptor 100, is set together with, for example, the surface roughness of the polishing sheet 210 so as to achieve the desired polished condition of the surface of the photoreceptor 100.
In the polishing apparatus 200, as shown in
The feed direction of the polishing sheet 210 may be set to be identical to the rotational direction of the photoreceptor 100 or may be set to be opposite to the rotational direction of the photoreceptor 100. In this exemplary embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
The housing 220 is movable at a predetermined movement speed in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100 by a moving unit such as a ball screw or a timing belt (not shown).
The polishing apparatus 200 is configured such that the movement direction of the housing 220 can be switched by reversing the movement direction of the moving unit, such as a ball screw or a timing belt. As shown in
Alternatively, the housing 220 is configured to be movable back and forth between the two ends 100a and 100b any number of times, for example, multiple times, such that it is moved from the end 100a to the other end 100b in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100 and is then returned from the other end 100b to the end 100a, with the polishing sheet 210 kept in contact with the surface 100c of the photoreceptor 100.
As shown in
As shown in
The movement speed of the housing 220 of the polishing apparatus 200, which may be set to any speed, is set in view of, for example, the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 and productivity. The movement speed of the housing 220 of the polishing apparatus 200 is set to, for example, about 25 to 100 mm/sec. It is to be understood, however, that the movement speed may be lower or higher than the above range. The movement speed of the housing 220, as well as the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100, is one of the factors that determine the number of times the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished at the same position.
That is, the larger the ratio of the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 to the movement speed of the polishing apparatus 200, the larger the number of times the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished at the same position tends to be. Conversely, the smaller the ratio of the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 to the movement speed of the polishing apparatus 200, the smaller the number of times the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished at the same position tends to be.
If the diameter (outer diameter) of the photoreceptor 100 is 40 mm (circumference: about 125.7 mm), the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 is 320 mm/sec, and the time taken for the housing 220 of the polishing apparatus 200 to move from the end 100a to the other end 100b of the photoreceptor 100 is 30 seconds (the movement speed of the polishing apparatus 200: about 11 mm/sec), it takes about 0.4 second for the photoreceptor 100 to make one turn, during which the polishing sheet 210 of the polishing apparatus 200 is moved by a distance of 4 to 5 mm.
As a result, the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished at the same position about twice by the polishing sheet 210. The number of times the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished, as well as the surface roughness of the polishing sheet 210, is one of the factors that determine the polished condition of the surface of the photoreceptor 100.
As used herein, the number of times the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished means how many times the polishing sheet 210 contacts and polishes the same position of the surface of the photoreceptor 100 while moving from the end 100a to the other end 100b of the photoreceptor 100 in a single polishing process; it does not mean how many times the polishing sheet 210 is moved from the end 100a to the other end 100b of the photoreceptor 100, that is, the number of times the polishing process is executed.
As described above, the number of times the surface of the photoreceptor 100 is polished is determined by the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 and the width and movement speed of the polishing sheet 210. Assume that a polishing sheet 210 having a width of 10 mm in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100 is moved in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100 while rotating the photoreceptor 100 at a rotational speed of 335 mm/sec to form polishing grooves inclined with respect to the rotational direction (circumferential direction) on the surface of the photoreceptor 100. The movement speed of the polishing sheet 210 is set such that the ratio of the movement speed of the polishing sheet 210 to the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 is, for example, 1:5 to 1:50 or about 1:5 to 1:50. That is, if the rotational speed of the photoreceptor 100 is 335 mm/sec, the movement speed of the polishing sheet 210 is set to, for example, about 25 to 100 mm/sec. It is to be understood, however, that the movement speed of the polishing sheet 210 is not limited to the above range but may be higher or lower than that range.
According to the results of research by the inventors, as demonstrated by the experimental results described later, it is desirable that the polished condition of the surface of the photoreceptor 100 be equivalent to the condition of a new, unpolished photoreceptor 100 after formation of images on about 3,000 sheets of A4 size recording paper 11 for short edge feed, where the load torque measured when the photoreceptor 100 is rotated with the cleaning blade 8 being pressed against the surface thereof converges to a certain value with little variation. According to the results of research by the inventors, as the wear condition of the surface of the photoreceptor 100 after formation of images on about 3,000 sheets, a calculated average roughness (Ra) of about 0.01 μm and a maximum height (Rmax) of about 0.1 μm are desirable.
Assembly Step
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the process cartridge 20 and the image-forming apparatus 1 including the photoreceptor 100 produced by the method for producing a photoreceptor according to this exemplary embodiment, the polished surface of the photoreceptor 100 causes few local image defects in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100 due to wear of the cleaning blade 8 at the same positions during image formation, as described below.
That is, as shown in
As a result, as shown in
Accordingly, the use of the photoreceptor 100 produced by the method for producing a photoreceptor according to this exemplary embodiment avoids or reduces wear of the edge of the cleaning blade 8 at the same positions 112 in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100. This avoids or reduces adverse influences on images, including leakage of some toner or toner additive through the cleaning blade 8, degraded image quality due to contamination of the charging roller 4, smudges of the leaking toner on the background of an image, uneven wear in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100, and unevenness in image quality in the axial direction of the photoreceptor 100.
To examine the conditions under which the surface of a photoreceptor is polished in the above method for producing a photoreceptor, the inventors conduct an experiment in which photoreceptors produced by the above method for producing a photoreceptor are mounted on a benchmark model of an image-forming apparatus and are examined for surface condition, specifically, surface roughness, drive torque, and microscopic surface appearance.
In Example 1, as shown in
Surface Roughness
First, as shown in
In Example 1, the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the circumferential direction is equivalent to that of the unpolished photoreceptor 3, namely, less than 0.006 μm, whereas the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the axial direction is more than 0.01 μm, namely, 0.0106 μm, indicating that the surface of the photoreceptor drum is roughened in the axial direction.
In Example 2, the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the circumferential direction is equivalent to that of the unpolished photoreceptor 3, namely, less than 0.006 μm, whereas the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the axial direction is more than 0.01 μm, namely, 0.0124 μm, indicating that the surface of the photoreceptor drum is roughened in the axial direction.
In Example 3, the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the circumferential direction is equivalent to that of the unpolished photoreceptor, namely, less than 0.006 μm, whereas the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the axial direction is less than but close to 0.01 μm, namely, 0.0077 μm, indicating that the surface of the photoreceptor drum is roughened in the axial direction.
In Example 4, the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the circumferential direction is equivalent to that of the unpolished photoreceptor, namely, less than 0.006 μm, whereas the calculated average roughness (Ra) of the photoreceptor drum in the axial direction is less than 0.01 μm, namely, 0.0053 μm, indicating that the surface of the photoreceptor drum is roughened in the axial direction, but to a lesser extent.
As shown in
Surface Appearance
In Example 1, as shown in
Drive Torque of Photoreceptor Drum
As shown in
For the polished photoreceptor drums, the initial drive torque is low, namely, about 1.5 to 2.5 kgf·cm. The drive torque then remains within the range of about 1.5 to 3.5 kgf·cm and decreases to about 2.5 to 2.8 kgf·cm after formation of images on 3,000 sheets.
As shown in
However, if a lapping film having a grain size as large as 30 μm is used as the polishing sheet 210, the edge of the cleaning blade 8 may be damaged by large ridges and grooves formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 3 by polishing.
Although no defective cleaning due to damage to the cleaning blade 8 occurs in any of the series of experiments conducted by the inventors, the polishing sheet 210 for polishing the surface of the photoreceptor 100 may be selected taking into account possible damage to the cleaning blade 8.
According to the above exemplary embodiment, defective cleaning tends not to occur because, as described above, the edge of the cleaning blade 8 is substantially uniformly worn.
Contamination of Charging Roller
In addition, the inventors conduct an experiment in which the surface of the charging roller is visually checked for contamination.
As a result, for the unpolished photoreceptor drum, a white residue of toner additive is found on the surface of the charging roller substantially over the entire length after formation of images on 3,000 sheets.
In Examples 1 and 2, on the other hand, the surface of the charging roller is hardly contaminated after formation of images on 3,000 sheets.
Electrical Properties and Image Quality
In addition, the inventors conduct an experiment in which the photoreceptor drums are examined for electrical properties and image quality. As a result, the electrical properties and the image quality are good for both of the unpolished and polished photoreceptor drums.
Although a tandem image-forming apparatus including multiple image-forming sections has been described as an example of an image-forming apparatus including a photoreceptor in the above exemplary embodiment, the type of image-forming apparatus used is not limited thereto; for example, it may be a four-cycle image-forming apparatus including a single photoreceptor in which images of different colors are sequentially formed on the surface of the photoreceptor and are transferred onto an intermediate transfer body or a recording medium, or may be a monochrome image-forming apparatus including a single photoreceptor.
As used herein, the term “photoreceptor” refers to both a photoreceptor having a polished surface and a photoreceptor having an unpolished surface; photoreceptors according to exemplary embodiments of the invention finally have a polished surface.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
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