CN117930611A - Fixing rotary member, fixing apparatus, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus - Google Patents
Fixing rotary member, fixing apparatus, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- CN117930611A CN117930611A CN202311399351.XA CN202311399351A CN117930611A CN 117930611 A CN117930611 A CN 117930611A CN 202311399351 A CN202311399351 A CN 202311399351A CN 117930611 A CN117930611 A CN 117930611A
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- fixing
- conductive layer
- rotary member
- layer
- resin
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
- G03G15/20—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat
- G03G15/2003—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat
- G03G15/2014—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using contact heat
- G03G15/2064—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using contact heat combined with pressure
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
- G03G15/20—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat
- G03G15/2003—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat
- G03G15/2014—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using contact heat
- G03G15/2053—Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating
- G03G15/2057—Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating relating to the chemical composition of the heat element and layers thereof
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Fixing For Electrophotography (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a fixing rotary member, a fixing apparatus, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. A rotary member for fixing, comprising: a substrate comprising a resin; a conductive layer on the substrate; and a resin layer on a surface of the conductive layer, the surface being opposite to a side of the conductive layer facing the substrate, the conductive layer extending in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface of the substrate, the conductive layer containing silver, the conductive layer having a through hole in a thickness direction thereof, wherein at least a part of the through hole is penetrated by a resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer.
Description
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a rotary member for fixing used in a fixing device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, and to a fixing device and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Background
In a fixing apparatus mounted in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, a recording material bearing an unfixed toner image is generally heated at a nip portion formed between a heated fixing rotary member and a pressing roller in contact with the fixing rotary member while being conveyed, whereby the toner image is fixed onto the recording material.
A fixing apparatus that relies on an electromagnetic induction heating scheme and has a conductive layer on a rotary member for fixing so that the conductive layer can directly generate heat has been developed and put into practical use. An advantage of the electromagnetic induction heat-generating type fixing device is that it provides a short warm-up time.
As a fixing member used in such a fixing apparatus, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2021-051136 discloses a fixing member having: a substrate layer comprising a resin; an electromagnetic induction metal layer containing copper and provided on an outer peripheral surface of the base material layer; a metal protective layer containing nickel and disposed in contact with the electromagnetic induction metal layer; and an elastic layer provided on an outer peripheral surface of the metal protective layer.
Disclosure of Invention
At least one aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a rotary member for fixing that is excellent in durability, and that includes a conductive layer containing silver, which exhibits high adhesion to a substrate. Further, at least one aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a fixing apparatus that helps provide a stable high-quality electrophotographic image. Further, at least one aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing an electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of forming a stable high-quality electrophotographic image.
According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rotary member for fixing, including:
A substrate comprising a resin;
A conductive layer on the substrate; and
A resin layer on a surface of the conductive layer, the surface being opposite to a side of the conductive layer facing the substrate,
The conductive layer extends in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface of the base material,
The conductive layer comprises silver and the conductive layer comprises silver,
The conductive layer has a through hole in a thickness direction thereof;
wherein at least a portion of the through holes is permeated by a resin constituting at least a portion of the resin layer.
Further, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a fixing apparatus including the above-described rotary member for fixing and an induction heating device that heats the rotary member for fixing by induction heating.
Further, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes:
An image bearing member bearing a toner image;
a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a recording material; and
A fixing device that fixes the transferred toner image to the recording material,
The fixing device is the above fixing device.
Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a form of a conductive layer;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to an embodiment;
fig. 3 is a schematic view showing a cross-sectional configuration of a fixing apparatus according to an embodiment;
fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a fixing apparatus according to an embodiment;
fig. 5 is a schematic view of a magnetic core and an exciting coil of a fixing device according to an embodiment;
fig. 6 is a diagram showing a magnetic field formed when a current is caused to flow through an exciting coil according to an embodiment;
Fig. 7 is a sectional structural view of a rotary member for fixing according to an embodiment;
Fig. 8A to 8C are a set of schematic diagrams of a mechanism of forming a hole penetrating through a conductive layer of a rotary member for fixing in a thickness direction according to an embodiment; and
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional image (photograph of a substitute sheet) of the substrate, conductive layer and resin layer of example 4.
Detailed Description
In the present disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, the recitations "from XX to YY" and "XX to YY" representing a numerical range denote a numerical range including the lower and upper limits of that range as endpoints. In the case where numerical ranges are described in sections, the upper and lower limits of the respective numerical ranges may be arbitrarily combined. In the present disclosure, for example, expressions such as "at least one selected from the group consisting of XX, YY, and ZZ" include XX, YY, ZZ, a combination of XX and YY, a combination of XX and ZZ, a combination of YY and ZZ, and a combination of XX, YY, and ZZ.
In recent years, with the increase in printer speed, further improvement in the durability of the conductive layer has been demanded. In the case where the electromagnetic induction layer contains copper, since copper is easily oxidized, the electromagnetic induction layer must be protected from copper oxidation by covering the electromagnetic induction layer with a layer of a metal such as nickel, as disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2021-051136, for example.
Accordingly, the inventors have studied the use of silver as a constituent material of an electromagnetic induction layer, silver being relatively resistant to oxidation and exhibiting high conductivity. In this method, the inventors found that, when an electromagnetic induction layer (heat generating layer) composed of silver is formed on a substrate by silver plating, the adhesion of silver plating to the substrate is not necessarily sufficient, and there is still room for improvement in further improving the durability of the fixing member.
The fixing rotary member is repeatedly strained at the nip portion under heat, and thus needs to exhibit long-term durability. Interlayer delamination is a failure mode herein that affects durability. Specifically, peeling between the base material made of resin and the conductive layer made of silver and between the conductive layer and the resin layer formed on the conductive layer occurs due to differences in stress acting on the base material, the conductive layer, and the resin layer. When such a defect occurs, a crack or the like is generated in the conductive layer from the defect, and the conductivity is impaired.
Studies by the inventors have revealed that by providing a hole penetrating through the conductive layer in the thickness direction so that a resin as a protective layer penetrates into the through hole, as shown in fig. 1, the base material, the conductive layer, and the resin layer become integral with each other and thus firmly bonded to each other, thereby suppressing occurrence of peeling and improving durability.
Next, a fixing rotary member having a conductive layer, and a fixing apparatus and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus configured using the fixing rotary member will be explained in detail based on the following specific configurations.
However, the size, material, shape, relative arrangement, etc. of the constituent parts described in this aspect will be appropriately modified according to the configuration of the member to which the present disclosure is applied and depending on various conditions. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is not meant to be limited by the following aspects. In the following explanation, features causing the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and explanation thereof may be omitted.
(Electrophotographic image Forming apparatus)
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter also simply referred to as an "image forming apparatus") includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image onto a recording material, and a fixing apparatus that fixes the transferred toner image to the recording material.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the overall configuration of a color laser beam printer (hereinafter referred to as printer) 1 as an example of an image forming apparatus in which a fixing apparatus (image heating device) 15 is installed according to an embodiment. The cartridge 2 is accommodated at the bottom of the printer 1 so that it can be pulled out. Sheets P as recording materials are stacked and accommodated in the cassette 2. The sheets P in the cassette 2 are supplied to the registration rollers 4 while being separated one by the separation rollers 3.
Various sheets of different sizes and materials, for example, paper such as plain paper and thick paper, surface-treated sheet materials such as plastic film, cloth, coated paper, and the like, and sheet materials of special shapes such as envelopes and index papers, and the like, can be used as the sheet P as the recording material.
The printer 1 includes an image forming unit 5 as an image forming means in which image forming stations 5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K of respective colors corresponding to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are juxtaposed in horizontal rows. The image forming station 5Y is provided with a photosensitive drum 6Y and a charging roller 7Y, the photosensitive drum 6Y being an image bearing member (electrophotographic photosensitive member) for bearing a toner image, and the charging roller 7Y being a charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 6Y.
The scanner unit 8 is disposed below the image forming unit 5. Each scanner unit 8 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 6Y by projecting a laser beam, which is switch-modulated according to a digital image signal, which is generated by an image processing means and has been input from an external device (not shown) such as a computer or the like based on image information, onto the photosensitive drum 6Y. The image forming station 5Y also has a developing roller 9Y as a developing means for developing, which develops toner of the electrostatic latent image adhering to the photosensitive drum 6Y in the form of a toner image (toner image), and a primary transfer unit 11Y which transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 6Y to the intermediate transfer belt 10.
The toner images similarly formed according to the similar process at the other image forming stations 5M, 5C, 5K are superimposed and transferred onto the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 10, which intermediate transfer belt 10 already has the toner image transferred thereto at the primary transfer unit 11Y. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 10. The full-color toner image is transferred onto the sheet P in the secondary transfer unit 12 as a transfer means. The primary transfer unit 11Y and the secondary transfer unit 12 are examples of fixing devices that fix the transferred toner image onto a recording material.
Thereafter, the toner image transferred onto the sheet P (recording material) passes through the fixing device 15 and is fixed as a fixed image. The sheet P passes through the discharge conveying unit 13 and is discharged and stacked on the stacking unit 14.
The image forming unit 5 is an example of image forming means. Although the primary transfer unit 11Y and the secondary transfer unit 12 are shown here as examples of a fixing device, the fixing device may be, for example, a direct transfer type fixing device in which a toner image is directly transferred from an image bearing member to the sheet P. Further, the image forming apparatus may have a monochrome configuration in which only one color of toner is used.
(Fixing device)
The fixing device 15 of the present embodiment is an induction heating type fixing device (image heating apparatus) that heats a fixing rotary member by electromagnetic induction. Fig. 3 shows a sectional configuration of the fixing device 15, and fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fixing device 15. The housing and the like of the fixing device 15 are omitted in fig. 3 and 4. In the following description, a longitudinal direction X1 with respect to a member constituting the fixing device 15 indicates a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording material and a thickness direction of the recording material.
The fixing device 15 includes a fixing rotary member 20, a film guide 25, a pressing roller 21, a pressing stay 22, a magnetic core 26, an exciting coil 27 (fig. 5), a thermistor 40, and a current sensor 30. The fixing device 15 heats the recording material on which the image is formed to fix the image on the recording material. The fixing rotary member 20 is a rotary member of the present embodiment, and the pressing roller 21 is an opposing member of the present embodiment. The exciting coil 27 serves as a magnetic field generating means of the present embodiment. Details of the rotary member for fixing will be further described.
The fixing rotary member 20 includes a conductive layer 20b as a heat generating layer on a base material. The conductive layer 20b may generate heat, for example, by inducing a current. The conductive layers (heat generating layers) 20b are formed as respective rings electrically connected in the circumferential direction, thereby forming heat generating patterns in which the heat generating rings 201 (fig. 4) electrically separated from each other in the longitudinal direction X1 (the rotation axis direction of the fixing rotary member 20) are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction.
That is, the conductive layer 20b is divided into a plurality of annular regions, which are each connected in the circumferential direction of the fixing rotary member 20, but are not conductive to each other in the rotation axis direction of the fixing rotary member 20. Each heat generating ring 201 as a constituent element of the heat generating pattern is formed to be uniformly wide in the longitudinal direction X1.
The pressing roller 21, which is an opposing member (pressing member) that faces the fixing rotary member 20, has a metal core 21a, an elastic layer 21b that is concentric around the metal core and integrally formed in a roller shape that covers the metal core, and a release layer 21c provided on a surface layer. The elastic layer 21b is preferably made of a material having good heat resistance, such as silicone rubber, fluororubber, fluorosilicone rubber, or the like. Both ends of the metal core 21a in the length direction are rotatably held between metal plates (not shown) on the chassis side of the apparatus via conductive bearings.
As shown in fig. 4, the pressing springs 24a, 24b are compressed between the respective ends in the longitudinal direction of the pressure stay 22 and the respective spring receiving members 23a, 23b on the device chassis side, as a result of which a downward pushing force is applied to the pressure stay 22.
In the fixing apparatus 15 of the present embodiment, a total pressure of about 100N to 300N (about 10kgf to about 30 kgf) is applied. As a result, the lower surface of the film guide 25 made of the heat-resistant resin PPS or the like and the upper surface of the pressing roller 21 are pressed against each other with the fixing rotary member 20 interposed as a cylindrical rotary member, thereby forming the fixing nip portion N having a predetermined width.
The film guide 25 functions as a nip forming member that forms a nip that nips and conveys a recording material bearing a toner image via the fixing rotary member 20 located therebetween, together with the pressing roller 21.
Here PPS is polyphenylene sulfide.
The pressing roller 21 is rotationally driven clockwise by a driving means not shown, so that a counterclockwise rotational force acts on the fixing rotary member 20 due to a frictional force with the outer surface of the fixing rotary member 20. The fixing rotation member 20 rotates while sliding on the film guide 25.
Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the magnetic core 26 and the exciting coil 27 of fig. 3, in which the fixing rotary member 20 is indicated by a broken line for explaining a positional relationship with respect to the fixing rotary member 20. An induction heating device for heating the fixing rotary member 20 by electromagnetic induction in the induction heating type fixing apparatus may include a magnetic core 26 and an exciting coil 27.
The exciting coil 27 is provided inside the fixing rotary member 20. The exciting coil 27 having a spiral-shaped portion, the spiral axis of which is substantially parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the fixing rotation member 20, forms an alternating magnetic field that causes the conductive layer 20b to generate heat by electromagnetic induction. The language "substantially parallel" here means not only a state in which two axes are completely parallel to each other, but also a slight deviation from this state is permissible as long as the conductive layer can generate heat by electromagnetic induction.
The magnetic core 26 is provided in the spiral-shaped portion while extending in the rotation axis direction of the fixing rotation member 20 so as not to form a ring outside the fixing rotation member 20. The core 26 induces magnetic field lines of the alternating magnetic field.
In fig. 5, the magnetic core 26 is inserted through the hollow of the fixing rotary member 20 as a tubular rotary member. The exciting coil 27 is spirally wound on the outer periphery of the magnetic core 26 while extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixing rotary member 20. The magnetic core 26 has a cylindrical shape and is fixed by a fixing means not shown so as to be located substantially at the center of the fixing rotary member 20 in a cross section viewed from the length direction (see fig. 3).
The magnetic core 26 provided inside the exciting coil 27 has a function of guiding magnetic lines (magnetic fluxes) of the alternating magnetic field generated by the exciting coil 27 to the inside of the conductive layer 20b of the fixing rotary member 20, and forming paths (magnetic paths) of the magnetic lines. As the material of the core 26 of the ferromagnetic body, a material having a small hysteresis loss and a high relative magnetic permeability is preferable, and the material is, for example, at least one soft magnet having a high magnetic permeability selected from the group consisting of, for example, fired ferrite and ferrite resin.
Preferably, the magnetic core 26 is shaped such that 70% or more of the magnetic flux emitted from one longitudinal end of the magnetic core 26 in the rotation axis direction passes through the outside of the conductive layer 20b and returns to the other longitudinal end of the magnetic core 26.
The cross-sectional shape of the magnetic core 26 may be any shape as long as the magnetic core 26 can be accommodated in the hollow portion of the fixing rotary member 20; the cross-sectional shape of the core 26 need not be circular, but is preferably translated into the shape of the largest possible cross-sectional area. The magnetic core 26 in this embodiment has a diameter of 10mm and a length in the length direction of 280 mm.
The exciting coil 27 is formed by helically winding a copper wire (single wire) having a diameter of 1 to 2mm and coated with heat-resistant polyamide-imide around the core 26 for 20 turns. The exciting coil 27 is wound around the magnetic core 26 in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction of the fixing rotation member 20. Therefore, when a high-frequency alternating current flows through the exciting coil 27, an alternating magnetic field is generated in a direction parallel to the direction of the rotation axis, so that an induced current (circulating current) flows in the heat generating ring 201 of the conductive layer 20b of the fixing rotation member 20 according to the principle described below, resulting in heat generation.
As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the thermistor 40 as a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the fixing rotary member 20 is composed of a spring plate 40a and a thermistor element 40 b. The spring plate 40a is a support member having spring elasticity and extending toward the inner surface of the fixing rotary member 20. A thermistor element 40b as a temperature detecting element is mounted on the front end of the spring plate 40 a. The surface of the thermistor element 40b is covered with a polyimide tape 50 μm thick to ensure electrical insulation.
The thermistor 40 is mounted by being fixed to the film guide 25 at a substantially central position in the longitudinal direction of the fixing rotary member 20. The thermistor element 40b is pressed against the inner surface of the fixing rotary member 20, and is held in contact with the fixing rotary member 20 by the spring elasticity of the spring plate 40 a. The thermistor 40 may be provided on the outer peripheral side of the fixing rotary member 20.
The current sensor 30 constituting conduction monitoring means for monitoring conduction in the circumferential direction of the conductive layer 20b is provided at the same position as the position of the thermistor 40 in the length direction of the fixing device 15. That is, from among the plurality of heat generating rings 201 constituting the heat generating pattern of the fixing rotary member 20, the current sensor 30 monitors the conduction state of the heat generating ring 201 at the position where the thermistor element 40b contacts.
(Principle of heat generation)
Next, the principle of heat generation by the fixing rotary member 20 in the induction heating type fixing device 15 will be described. Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the instant when the current in the exciting coil 27 increases in the arrow I0 direction. Since the exciting coil 27 inserted into the fixing rotating member 20 generates an alternating magnetic field in the rotation axis direction of the fixing rotating member 20 due to an alternating current flowing through the exciting coil 27, the exciting coil 27 serves as a magnetic field generating means for generating an induction current I in the circumferential direction of the fixing rotating member 20.
The core 26 serves as a member that forms a magnetic circuit by guiding magnetic lines of force B (broken lines in the drawing) generated by the exciting coil 27. In a general induction heating method, magnetic force lines pass through a conductive layer to generate eddy currents; in contrast, in the present embodiment, the magnetic force lines B loop outward from the fixing rotary member. That is, the conductive layer 20b mainly generates heat due to an induction current induced by magnetic lines of force that emanate from one longitudinal end of the magnetic core 26, pass through the outside of the conductive layer 20b, and return to the other longitudinal end of the magnetic core 26. As a result, even when the thickness of the conductive layer is small, for example, 4 μm or less, heat can be effectively generated.
When an alternating magnetic field is formed by the exciting coil 27, an induced current I according to faraday's law flows through the heat generating ring 201 of the conductive layer 20b of the fixing rotary member 20. Faraday's law states that "when a magnetic field in a circuit changes, an induced electromotive force is generated thereon, causing a current to flow in the circuit, the induced electromotive force being proportional to the change in magnetic flux vertically through the circuit over time.
Regarding the heat generating ring 201c located at the longitudinal center portion of the magnetic core 26 shown in fig. 6, it is considered that when a high-frequency alternating current is caused to flow through the exciting coil 27, an induced current I flows in the heat generating ring 201 c. When this high-frequency alternating current is caused to flow, an alternating magnetic field is formed inside the core 26. The induced electromotive force acting on the heat generating ring 201c is here proportional to the change with time of the magnetic flux vertically passing through the inside of the heat generating ring 201c according to the following expression.
V: induced electromotive force
N: turns of coil
Variation of magnetic flux vertically through the circuit (heat ring 201 c) in small time increments Δt
The induced electromotive force V causes a flow of an induced current I, which is a circulating current around the heat generating ring 201 c; the heat generating ring 201c generates heat thereon generated by joule heat generated by the induced current I.
However, in the case where the heat generation ring 201c is turned off, the induced current I no longer flows, and the heat generation ring 201c does not generate heat.
(1) Simplified structure of rotary member for fixing
Details about the rotary member for fixing of the present embodiment will be explained next with reference to the drawings.
The fixing rotary member according to an aspect of the present disclosure may be, for example, a rotatable member such as an endless belt.
Fig. 7 is a circumferential cross-sectional view of the fixing rotary member. As shown in fig. 7, the fixing rotary member includes a base material 20a, a conductive layer 20b on the outer surface of the base material 20a, and a resin layer 20e on the outer surface of the conductive layer. An elastic layer 20c and a surface layer (release layer) 20d may be provided on the resin layer 20e, and an adhesive layer 20f may be provided between the elastic layer 20c and the surface layer 20d, as needed.
(2) Substrate material
The material of the base material 20a is not particularly limited as long as it is a layer containing at least a resin. That is, the base material 20a contains a resin. When the belt is used in an electromagnetic induction type fixing apparatus, the base material 20a is preferably a layer which maintains high strength in a state where the conductive layer emits heat and has little change in physical properties. Therefore, the base material 20a preferably contains a heat-resistant resin as a main component, and the base material 20a is preferably composed of a heat-resistant resin.
The resin contained in the base material 20a (preferably a resin constituting at least a part of the base material) preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Polyimide (PI), polyamide-imide (PAI), modified polyimide, and modified polyamide-imide. More preferably, the resin contained in the base material 20a is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyimide and polyamide-imide. Among the foregoing, polyimide is particularly preferred. In the present disclosure, the term main component means the component having the highest content among the components constituting the object (here, the base material).
Modifications of the modified polyimide and modified polyamide-imide include, for example, siloxane modifications, carbonate modifications, fluorine modifications, urethane modifications, triazine modifications, and phenol modifications.
In order to improve heat insulation and strength, a filler may be added to the base material 20 a.
The shape of the base material may be appropriately selected, for example, according to the shape of the rotary member for fixation, and various shapes may be employed, such as an endless belt shape, a hollow cylindrical shape, or a film shape.
In the case of the fixing belt, the thickness of the base material 20a is preferably, for example, 10 to 100 μm, more preferably 20 to 60 μm. Setting the thickness of the base material 20a within the above-described range allows strength and flexibility to be produced at a high level.
In the case where the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt is in contact with another member, for example, a layer for preventing abrasion of the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt and/or a layer for enhancing slidability with another member may be provided on the surface of the substrate 20a on the opposite side from the side facing the conductive layer 20b.
In order to improve the adhesion and wettability with the conductive layer 20b, the outer peripheral surface of the base material 20a is subjected to a surface roughening treatment such as sandblasting, and/or a modification treatment such as treatment with ultraviolet rays or plasma, chemical etching, or the like.
(3) Conductive layer
The conductive layer 20b is a layer that generates heat when energized. According to the principle of generating heat by induction heating using the exciting coil, when an alternating current is supplied to the exciting coil provided near the fixing rotary member, a magnetic field is induced, and a current is generated in the conductive layer 20b of the fixing rotary member due to the induced magnetic field, so that heat is generated due to joule heat.
Silver, which has low volume resistivity and is not easily oxidized, is preferable as a material of the conductive layer 20 b. The conductive layer 20b contains silver. The conductive layer 20b may contain a metal other than silver as long as the effect of the present disclosure is not impaired thereby. However, the purity of silver constituting at least a part of the conductive layer 20b is preferably 90 mass% or more, more preferably 99 mass% or more, and particularly preferably 99.9 mass% or more. The upper limit of the silver content is not particularly limited, but for example, the upper limit is 100 mass% or less.
In the fixing member, analysis of the conductive material (for example, purity of silver) can be performed according to the following procedure.
Six samples each having a length of 5mm, a width of 5mm, and a thickness as the total thickness of the fixing rotary member were collected at arbitrary positions of the fixing rotary member. For each of the six obtained samples, a circumferential cross section of the rotary member for fixing was exposed using a cross section grinder (product name: SM09010, manufactured by JEOL ltd.).
Subsequently, a cross section of each exposed conductive layer was observed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) (product name: JSM-F100, manufactured by JEOL ltd.) and silver crystal particles in the observed image were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The observation conditions included 20000 magnification and secondary electron image acquisition mode, and EDS analysis conditions including 5.0kV acceleration voltage and 10mm working distance. The spatial extent of the EDS analysis is area-designated and adjusted so that only silver crystal particles in the viewed image are selected.
Here, one image is acquired for one sample, and EDS analysis is performed at three positions in the one image. The purity of silver constituting at least a part of the conductive layer can be determined by analyzing the purity of silver at 18 sites in total among six samples and by calculating an arithmetic average of the results.
The maximum thickness of the conductive layer 20b is preferably 4 μm or less. By setting the maximum thickness of the conductive layer to 4 μm or less, the heat capacity of the conductive layer can be sufficiently reduced, and the time required to reach the temperature at which the conductive layer can be fixed by electromagnetic induction can be shortened. By setting the maximum thickness of the conductive layer to 4 μm or less, the bending resistance of the fixing rotary member can be further improved. As shown in fig. 3, the fixing rotary member 20 is rotationally driven while being pressed by the film guide 25 and the pressing roller 21. At each rotation, the fixing rotary member 20 is pressed and deformed at the nip portion N, and receives a stress.
Due to the fact that the maximum thickness of the conductive layer is set to 4 μm or less, even when such repeated bending is applied to the fixing rotary member for a long period of time, the conductive layer 20b is less likely to suffer fatigue failure. This is because the thinner the conductive layer 20b is, the smaller the internal stress acting on the conductive layer 20b is when pressed and deformed to conform to the curved shape of the film guide 25.
The lower limit of the maximum thickness of the conductive layer 20b is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 μm or more. Therefore, the maximum thickness of the conductive layer 20b is preferably 1 to 4 μm. In particular, the maximum thickness is 1 to 3 μm.
For example, the maximum thickness of the conductive layer in the rotary member for fixing may be measured according to the following method.
Six samples each having a length of 5mm, a width of 5mm, and a thickness as the total thickness of the fixing rotary member were collected at arbitrary positions of the fixing rotary member. For each of the six obtained samples, a circumferential cross section of the rotary member for fixing was exposed using a cross section grinder (product name: SM09010, manufactured by JEOL ltd.).
Subsequently, a cross section of the exposed conductive layer was observed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) (product name: JSM-F100, JEOL Ltd.) at an acceleration voltage of 3kV, a working distance of 2.9mm and a magnification of 10000 times to produce an image 13 μm wide and 10 μm high. Drawing parallel lines for the conductive layer in the obtained image at the portion closest to the substrate and the portion closest to the resin layer on the opposite side; the distance between the plotted lines is taken as the thickness in the image, the maximum thickness being defined as the arithmetic mean of the six samples. In the observation region, parallel lines are drawn with reference to the surface of the substrate on the opposite side of the conductive layer.
The conductive layer 20b extends in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the base material 20 a. The conductive layer 20b may be arranged according to a preferable pattern as long as the conductive layer 20b can generate heat when energized. In particular, a preferable configuration here is that a plurality of conductive layers 20b each having a ring shape are formed in the circumferential direction of the fixing rotary member as shown in fig. 4 while being electrically separated from each other in the rotation axis direction. By adopting such a structure, a local increase in temperature when a crack occurs in the conductive layer 20b can be reduced. The annular shape preferably has a substantially constant width in the axial direction of the rotating member.
In the case where the conductive layer is arranged according to the pattern as described above, the surface area of the conductive layer 20b increases. When formed of copper, the conductive layer is more easily oxidized. In contrast, in the case where silver is used as the conductive layer material, the conductive layer can be prevented from being oxidized due to the increase in surface area resulting from the patterning of the conductive layer as described above.
The width of the loop of the conductive layer 20b is preferably 100 μm or more, more preferably 200 μm or more, from the viewpoints of manufacturability and heat generation. The width of the loop of the conductive layer 20b is preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 400 μm or less, in terms of heat generation unevenness and safety. The width of the ring is, for example, 100 to 500 μm, or 200 to 400 μm.
The ring-to-ring spacing of the conductive layer 20b is preferably 50 μm or more, more preferably 100 μm or more, from the viewpoints of manufacturability and heat generation. In terms of heat generation unevenness, the ring-to-ring spacing in the conductive layer 20b is preferably 400 μm or less, and more preferably 300 μm or less. The ring-to-ring spacing is, for example, 50 to 300 μm, or 100 to 300 μm.
The conductive layer 20b has a through hole in the thickness direction. Due to the presence of the through holes, the resin layer described below reaches the base material 20a by penetrating into the through holes. The base material 20a, the conductive layer 20b, and the resin layer 20e are thus integrated and firmly bonded to each other, thereby suppressing peeling while improving durability.
The method of providing the hole penetrating the conductive layer 20b in the thickness direction is not particularly limited. For example, the method may involve patterning the conductive layer 20b by photolithography followed by forming holes by chemical etching, or by using a laser or a focused ion beam. In the present disclosure, hole formation by using silver nanoparticle materials will be specifically explained.
A film of a coating material containing silver nanoparticles having a particle diameter of 10 to 50nm is first formed. As a result, as shown in fig. 8A, a state in which particles are stacked is generated. Even if fired at a low temperature of about 100 ℃, the instability of the nanoparticle surface energy causes the particles to fuse together, with the result that a film with nano-sized pores is formed, as shown in fig. 8B. The conductive layer 20b is preferably a sintered body of silver nanoparticles.
Firing (sintering) at a high temperature of about 300 ℃ forms a layered body of silver nanoparticles. The firing temperature is preferably 280 to 450 ℃, or 300 to 400 ℃. Upon sintering, the nanoparticles further coalesce with each other and the pores also coalesce with each other to minimize surface energy, growing until the pores penetrate in the thickness direction, as shown in fig. 8C.
The holes thus formed are considered to be connected not only in the thickness direction but also in the circumferential and axial directions, and have a three-dimensional network structure. It is considered that penetration of the resin layer 20e described below into the pores causes a sharp increase in the contact area of the conductive layer 20b and the resin layer 20e, and produces a more remarkable anchoring effect, which in turn translates into significantly improved adhesion.
(4) Resin layer
The fixing rotary member includes a resin layer 20e on a surface of the conductive layer 20b, the surface being opposite to a side of the conductive layer facing the base material 20 a. The resin layer 20e protects the conductive layer 20b and has functions of preventing oxidation of the conductive layer 20b, ensuring insulation, and improving strength.
The resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer 20e is not particularly limited. Similar to the resin for the base material 20a, the resin in the resin layer 20e is preferably a resin whose physical property changes little when the conductive layer 20b generates heat, and allows the resin to maintain high strength. Therefore, the resin layer 20e preferably includes a heat-resistant resin as a main component, and is preferably composed of a heat-resistant resin. The heat-resistant resin is, for example, a resin that does not melt or decompose at a temperature lower than 200 ℃ (preferably lower than 250 ℃).
The resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer 20e preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Polyimide (PI), polyamide-imide (PAI), modified polyimide, and modified polyamide-imide. More preferably, the resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer 20e is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyimide and polyamide-imide. The modification is the same as explained in relation to the substrate 20 a.
These imide-based materials may be applied in a liquid form called varnish; when coated onto the conductive layer 20b, the material correspondingly penetrates into the pores formed in the conductive layer 20b, so that the material can then be made into a film by firing in this state. By using an imine-based material similar to the base material 20a, the imine-based material penetrates into the holes of the conductive layer 20b, and once the material reaches the base material 20a, adhesiveness can be further ensured, and occurrence of peeling can be further suppressed.
Here, it is sufficient that the resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer 20e should penetrate into at least a part of the through hole. Preferably, the resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer 20e that has penetrated into the through hole is in contact with the base material 20 a. The degree of penetration is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient that the resin penetrates deep enough to suppress peeling.
For example, in observation under a scanning electron microscope, the resin preferably penetrates 50 to 100%, or 80 to 100%, or 90 to 100% (more preferably, the resin is in contact with the substrate 20 a) of the through hole.
From the viewpoint of heat transfer, the resin layer 20e may contain a thermally conductive filler. Therefore, by improving the heat transfer, the heat generated in the conductive layer 20b can be efficiently transferred to the outer surface of the fixing rotary member.
The thickness of the resin layer 20e is preferably 10 to 100. Mu.m, more preferably 20 to 60. Mu.m. From the viewpoint of reducing stress acting on the conductive layer 20b when the fixing rotary member is bent, the thickness of the resin layer 20e and the thickness of the base material 20a are appropriately adjusted according to the foregoing materials. For example, particularly in the case where the substrate and the resin layer are made of the same material such as polyimide, it is preferable that the substrate and the resin layer have substantially the same thickness. That is, the ratio of the absolute value of the thickness difference between the base material and the resin layer to the thickness of the base material is preferably 10% or less, and particularly 5% or less. In the case where the base material is composed of polyimide and the resin layer is composed of polyamide-imide, the thickness of the resin layer is preferably in the range of, for example, 15% to 25%. By setting the thickness relationship between the base material and the resin layer as described above, it is possible to more easily prevent occurrence of cracks in the conductive layer 20b when the fixing rotary member is bent.
The materials of the base material 20a and the resin layer 20e of the fixing rotary member can be analyzed according to the following procedure.
A10 mm square sample was cut out from the fixing rotary member, and any elastic layer or surface layer of the sample was removed using a razor or a solvent. The material may be inspected by total reflection (ATR) measurements on the obtained samples using an infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) (e.g., product name: front FT-IR, manufactured by PerkinElmer inc.).
(5) Elastic layer
The fixing rotary member may have an elastic layer 20c on the outer surface of the resin layer 20 e. The elastic layer 20c is a layer for imparting flexibility to the fixing rotary member in order to secure a fixing nip in the fixing apparatus. In the case where the fixing rotary member is used as a heating member that contacts the toner on the sheet, the elastic layer 20c also functions as a layer that imparts flexibility so that the surface of the heating member can follow the concavity and convexity of the sheet.
The elastic layer 20c has, for example, rubber as a matrix and particles dispersed in the rubber. More specifically, the elastic layer 20c preferably contains rubber and a thermally conductive filler, and preferably consists of a cured product obtained by curing a composition containing at least a rubber starting material (base polymer, crosslinking agent, etc.) and a thermally conductive filler.
From the viewpoint of exhibiting the function of the elastic layer 20c described above, the elastic layer 20c is preferably made of a cured silicone rubber containing thermally conductive particles, more preferably made of a cured product of an addition-curable silicone rubber composition.
The silicone rubber composition may contain, for example, thermally conductive particles, a base polymer, a crosslinking agent, and a catalyst, and may further contain additives as needed. Most silicone rubber compositions are liquid, so the thermally conductive filler is easily dispersed; the elasticity of the elastic layer 20c to be produced can be easily adjusted by adjusting the degree of crosslinking according to the type and the addition amount of the thermally conductive filler.
The substrate has a function of exhibiting elasticity in the elastic layer 20 c. From the viewpoint of exhibiting the above-described function of the elastic layer 20c, the matrix preferably contains silicone rubber. Silicone rubber is preferred here because it exhibits high heat resistance so that flexibility can be maintained even in an environment where the non-paper passing portion reaches a high temperature of about 240 ℃. For example, a cured product of the following addition-curable liquid silicone rubber composition can be used as the silicone rubber. The elastic layer 20c may be formed by coating and heating a liquid silicone rubber composition according to a known method.
The liquid silicone rubber composition generally comprises the following components (a) to (d):
component (a): an organopolysiloxane having an unsaturated aliphatic group;
Component (b): an organopolysiloxane having active hydrogen bonded to silicon;
Component (c): a catalyst; and
Assembly (d): thermally conductive filler
The various components will be explained below.
Component (a)
The organopolysiloxane having an unsaturated aliphatic group is an organopolysiloxane having an unsaturated aliphatic group such as a vinyl group; examples thereof include those represented by the following formulas (1) and (2).
In formula (1), m 1 represents an integer equal to or greater than 0, and n 1 represents an integer equal to or greater than 3. In structural formula (1), R 1 each independently represents a monovalent unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon group free of an unsaturated aliphatic group, wherein at least one of R 1 represents a methyl group; and R 2 each independently represents an unsaturated aliphatic group.
In formula (2), n 2 represents a positive integer, R 3 each independently represents a monovalent unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon group free of unsaturated aliphatic groups, wherein at least one R 3 represents a methyl group, and R 4 each independently represents an unsaturated aliphatic group.
Examples of the monovalent unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon group which may be represented by R 1 and R 3 in the formulae (1) and (2) and which does not contain an unsaturated aliphatic group include the following groups.
Unsubstituted hydrocarbyl radical
Alkyl groups (e.g., methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, and hexyl).
Aryl (e.g., phenyl).
-Substituted hydrocarbyl
Substituted alkyl groups (e.g., chloromethyl, 3-chloropropyl, 3-trifluoropropyl, 3-cyanopropyl, and 3-methoxypropyl).
The organopolysiloxane represented by formulas (1) and (2) has at least one methyl group directly bonded to a silicon atom forming a chain structure. However, for ease of synthesis and handling, more than 50% of each of R 1 and R 3 is preferably methyl, and more preferably all R 1 and R 3 are methyl.
Examples of the unsaturated aliphatic groups which may be represented by R 2 and R 4 in the formulas (1) and (2) include the following groups. Examples of the unsaturated aliphatic group include a vinyl group, an allyl group, a 3-butenyl group, a 4-pentenyl group and a 5-hexenyl group. Among the foregoing, all of R 2 and R 4 are preferably vinyl groups because they are easy to synthesize and handle, inexpensive, and easy to undergo crosslinking reaction.
From the viewpoint of formability, the viscosity of the component (a) is preferably 1000mm 2/s to 50000mm 2/s. When the viscosity is less than 1000mm 2/s, it is difficult to adjust the hardness to the hardness required for the elastic layer 20c, and when the viscosity is more than 50000mm 2/s, the viscosity of the composition becomes excessively high, which makes coating difficult. Based on JIS Z8803: 2011, viscosity (dynamic viscosity) may be measured herein using, for example, a capillary viscometer or a rotational viscometer.
The compounding amount of the component (a) is preferably 55vol% or more from the viewpoint of durability, and is preferably 65vol% or less from the viewpoint of heat transfer, based on the liquid silicone rubber composition for forming the elastic layer 20 c.
Component (b)
Organopolysiloxanes having active hydrogen bonded to silicon are used herein as cross-linking agents which react catalytically with the unsaturated aliphatic groups of component (a) to form cured silicone rubber.
Any organopolysiloxane having Si-H bonds can be used as component (b). In particular, from the viewpoint of reactivity with the unsaturated aliphatic group of the component (a), an organopolysiloxane having 3 or more hydrogen atoms as silicon-bonded atoms in one molecule is preferably used.
Specific examples of the component (b) include linear organopolysiloxanes represented by the following formula (3) and cyclic organopolysiloxanes represented by the following formula (4).
In formula (3), m 2 represents an integer equal to or greater than 0, n 3 represents an integer equal to or greater than 3, and R 5 each independently represents a monovalent unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon group free of an unsaturated aliphatic group.
In formula (4), m 3 represents an integer equal to or greater than 0, n 4 represents an integer equal to or greater than 3, and R 6 each independently represents a monovalent unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon group free of an unsaturated aliphatic group.
Examples of the monovalent unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon group containing no unsaturated aliphatic group that R 5 and R 6 in the formulas (3) and (4) may represent include, for example, groups similar to R 1 in the above-described structural formula (1). However, for the reason of easy synthesis and operation, in the above, it is preferable that 50% or more of each of R 5 and R 6 is methyl, and more preferably R 5 and R 6 are all methyl, because excellent heat resistance can be easily obtained in this case.
Component (c)
Catalysts for forming silicone rubber include, for example, hydrosilylation catalysts for accelerating the curing reaction. Known substances such as platinum compounds and rhodium compounds can be used as hydrosilylation catalysts. The compounding amount of the catalyst may be appropriately set, and is not particularly limited.
Component (d)
Examples of the thermally conductive filler include metals, metal compounds, and carbon fibers. Highly thermally conductive fillers are more preferred; specific examples thereof include the following materials.
Silicon metal (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si 3N4), boron Nitride (BN), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al 2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), magnesium oxide (MgO), silicon dioxide (SiO 2), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), vapor grown carbon fibers, PAN-based (polyacrylonitrile) carbon fibers, and pitch-based carbon fibers.
These fillers may be used alone or in a mixture of two or more.
The average particle diameter of the filler is preferably 1 μm to 50 μm from the viewpoint of handling and dispersibility. The filler may be spherical, powdery, needle-like, flaky or whisker-like. In particular, the filler is preferably spherical from the viewpoint of dispersibility. At least one of a reinforcing filler, a heat-resistant filler and a coloring filler may be further added.
(6) Adhesive layer
The fixing rotary member may have an adhesive layer 20f on the outer surface of the elastic layer 20c for adhering a surface layer 20d described below. The adhesive layer 20f is a layer for adhering the elastic layer 20c and the surface layer 20 d. The adhesive used in the adhesive layer 20f may be appropriately selected and used from known adhesives, and is not particularly limited. However, from the viewpoint of easy handling, it is preferable to use an addition-curable silicone rubber in which a self-adhesive component is formulated.
The adhesive may contain, for example, a self-adhesive component, an organopolysiloxane having a plurality of unsaturated aliphatic groups represented by vinyl groups in the molecular chain, a hydrogen organopolysiloxane, and a platinum compound as a crosslinking catalyst. As a result of the addition reaction, the adhesive layer 20f that adheres the surface layer 20d to the elastic layer 20c may be formed by curing an adhesive applied to the surface of the elastic layer 20 c.
Examples of the above self-adhesive component include the following.
-Silanes of at least one type, and preferably of two or more types, selected from the group consisting of alkenyl groups such as vinyl groups, (meth) acryloyloxy groups, hydrosilyl groups (SiH groups), epoxy groups, alkoxysilane groups, carbonyl groups and phenyl groups.
Organosilicon compounds, for example cyclic or linear siloxanes having from 2 to 30 silicon atoms, and preferably from 4 to 20 silicon atoms.
Non-silicon organic compounds (i.e. without silicon atoms in the molecule), optionally with oxygen atoms in the molecule. The organic compound contains 1 to 4, preferably 1 or 2 aromatic rings, for example, phenylene structures, in one molecule, having a valence of 1 to 4, preferably 2 to 4.
The organic compound further contains at least one functional group (e.g., an alkenyl group or a (meth) acryloyloxy group), preferably 2 to 4 such functional groups, in one molecule, which can contribute to the hydrosilylation addition reaction.
The above self-adhesive components may be used alone or in combination of two or more types. From the viewpoints of adjusting viscosity and ensuring heat resistance, a filler component may be added to the adhesive within a range conforming to the gist of the present disclosure. Examples of filler components include the following.
Silica, alumina, iron oxide, cerium hydroxide, carbon black, and the like.
The compounding amount of the various components contained in the adhesive is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set. Such addition-curable silicone rubber adhesives are commercially available and readily available. The thickness of the adhesive layer 20f is preferably 20 μm or less. By specifying the thickness of the adhesive layer 20f to be 20 μm or less, when the fixing belt according to the present embodiment is used as a heating belt in a heat fixing apparatus, the heat resistance can be easily set small, and heat from the inner surface side can be easily transferred to a recording medium with good efficiency.
(7) Surface layer
The fixing rotary member may have a surface layer 20d. The surface layer 20d preferably contains a fluororesin, the purpose of which is to function as a release layer that prevents the toner from adhering to the outer surface of the fixing rotary member. The surface layer 20d may be formed, for example, by tubular molding of a resin exemplified below, or by molding the surface layer 20d by applying a resin dispersion.
Tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro (alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), etc.
Among these exemplary resin materials, PFA is particularly preferably used from the viewpoints of moldability and toner releasability.
The thickness of the surface layer 20d is preferably 10 μm to 50 μm. By defining the thickness of the surface layer 20d to be within this range, the appropriate surface hardness of the fixing rotary member is easily maintained.
As described above, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a fixing apparatus in which a rotary member for fixing is provided. Accordingly, a fixing apparatus in which a rotary member for fixing having high conductivity and excellent durability is provided can be provided.
At least one aspect of the present disclosure allows realization of a rotary member for fixing excellent in durability, and the rotary member for fixing includes a conductive layer including silver such that the conductive layer exhibits high adhesion to a substrate. At least one aspect of the present disclosure also allows for realization of a fixing apparatus that helps to stably provide high-quality electrophotographic images. At least one aspect of the present disclosure also allows for realization of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of forming stable high-quality electrophotographic images.
Examples
The present disclosure will be explained in more detail below based on embodiments, but the present disclosure is not meant to be limited to these embodiments.
Example 1
The surface of a cylindrical stainless steel mold having an outer diameter of 30mm was subjected to a mold release treatment, and a commercially available polyimide precursor solution (U varish S of Ube company) was applied to the surface according to a dipping method to form a coating film. The coating film was then dried at 140℃for 30 minutes to volatilize the solvent in the coating film, followed by firing at 200℃for 30 minutes and at 400℃for 30 minutes to initiate imidization, and a polyimide coating film of 40 μm in thickness and 300mm in length was formed.
Then, by inkjet using an ink containing silver nanoparticles (DNS 163, daicel Corporation production), a ring pattern having a width of 300 μm and a pitch of 200 μm was formed on the polyimide film. Thereafter, firing was performed at 300℃for 30 minutes to form the conductive layer 20b having a maximum thickness of 2. Mu.m.
Next, PAI solution (Vylomax HR-16nn, manufactured by toyobo Co., ltd.) was applied to the entire surface of the conductive layer 20b by ring coating, and then fired at 200 ℃ for 30 minutes to form a resin layer 20e having a thickness of 40 μm.
Then, a primer (product name: DY39-051A/B, dow Toray Industries, manufactured by inc.) was substantially uniformly applied to the outer peripheral surface of the resin layer 20e in a dry weight of 20mg, and after the solvent was dried, a baking treatment was performed in an electric furnace set at 160 ℃ for 30 minutes.
Then forming a silicone rubber composition layer having a thickness of 250 μm on the primer by ring coating; this layer was crosslinked once at 160℃for 1 minute and then crosslinked twice at 200℃for 30 minutes, to form the elastic layer 20c.
The following silicone rubber compositions were used.
As the component (a), an organopolysiloxane having alkenyl groups, a vinylized polydimethylsiloxane having at least two vinyl groups in one molecule (product name: DMS-V41, produced by Gelest Inc., number average molecular weight 68000 (polystyrene basis); molar equivalent of vinyl groups: 0.04 mmol/g) was prepared.
As component (b), i.e., organopolysiloxane having Si-H groups, polymethylhydrosiloxane having at least two Si-H groups in one molecule (product name: HMS-301, produced by gelest Inc., number average molecular weight 1300 (polystyrene basis), molar equivalent of Si-H groups: 3.60 mmol/g) was prepared. Then, 0.5 parts by mass of the component (b) was added to 100 parts by mass of the component (a), and the mixture was thoroughly mixed to obtain an addition-curable silicone rubber stock solution.
As catalyst component (c), a very small amount of a catalyst for addition curing reaction (platinum catalyst: platinum carbonyl cyclovinylmethylsiloxane complex) and an inhibitor were added and mixed well.
To this addition-curable silicone rubber liquid was added component (d), namely, a thermally conductive filler in the form of high-purity true spherical alumina (product name: alunabeads CB-a10S; produced by Showa Titanium co.) blended and kneaded at a volume ratio of 45% based on the elastic layer. Thus, an addition-curable silicone rubber composition having a durometer hardness of 10℃in accordance with JIS K6253A after curing was obtained.
Subsequently, an addition-curable silicone rubber adhesive (product name: SE1819CV a/B, dow Toray co., manufactured by ltd.) for forming the adhesive layer 20f was substantially uniformly applied to the obtained elastic layer 20c to a thickness of about 20 μm. On the elastic layer 20c, a fluororesin tube (product name: NSE, gunze ltd. Produced) having an inner diameter of 29mm and a thickness of 50 μm for forming the surface layer 20d was further placed while expanding the diameter of the tube.
Thereafter, by uniformly wiping the belt surface from above the fluororesin tube, the surplus adhesive was removed from between the elastic layer 20c and the fluororesin tube so as to leave a small span of about 5 μm. Then curing the adhesive by heating at 200 ℃ for 30 minutes to fix the fluororesin tube on the elastic layer 20 c; finally, both ends were cut out so that the length was 240mm, and a rotary member for fixing was produced.
Example 2
A rotary member for fixing was produced in the same manner as in example 1, except that the firing temperature of the conductive layer 20b was set to 350 ℃.
Example 3
A rotary member for fixing was produced in the same manner as in example 1, except that the firing temperature of the conductive layer 20b was set to 400 ℃.
Example 4
A rotary member for fixing was produced in the same manner as in example 1, except that here the material of the resin layer 20e was a polyimide precursor solution (manufactured by U varnish S, UBE company), dried at 140 ℃ for 30 minutes, and fired at 200 ℃ for 30 minutes and at 400 ℃ for 30 minutes to initiate imidization and layer formation.
Example 5
A rotary member for fixing was produced in the same manner as in example 4, except that the firing temperature of the conductive layer 20b was set to 350 ℃.
Example 6
A rotary member for fixing was produced in the same manner as in example 4, except that the firing temperature of the conductive layer 20b was set to 400 ℃.
Comparative example 1
A rotary member for fixing was produced in the same manner as in example 1, except that the firing temperature of the conductive layer 20b was set to 150 ℃.
Comparative example 2
A rotary member for fixing was produced in the same manner as in example 4, except that the firing temperature of the conductive layer 20b was set to 150 ℃.
Evaluation: section observation
The cross sections of the conductive layers 20b of each of examples 1 to 6 and comparative examples 1 and 2 were observed to determine the presence or absence of the through holes in the thickness direction.
Samples having a length of 5mm, a width of 5mm and a thickness of the total thickness of the fixing rotary member were taken from any six positions of the fixing rotary member. Each of the obtained six samples was ground using an ion grinding device (product name: IM4000, manufactured by HITACHI HIGH-Technologies Corporation) to expose a cross section in the total thickness direction of the conductive layer. Here, the cross section is polished by ion polishing, so that particles are prevented from falling off the sample here and contamination of the abrasive is prevented, while a cross section exhibiting little polishing trace can be formed.
Then, for each sample, the exposed section in the ground section of each sample was then observed using a schottky field emission Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) (product name: FE-SEM JSM-F100, manufactured by JEOL ltd.) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), to obtain a sectional image. As the observation condition, the acceleration voltage was set to 3.0kV and the working distance was set to 3mm using a back-scattered electron image mode at 20000 times magnification and as the back-scattered electron image acquisition condition. From the cross-sectional image thus obtained, it is determined whether the conductive layer 20b has a hole penetrating in the thickness direction, that is, a through hole. When at least one through hole is confirmed in any cross-sectional image of the conductive layer, it is determined that the observed rotary member for fixation is the rotary member for fixation according to the present disclosure
In addition, it is checked whether or not the resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer 20e has penetrated into at least a part of the through hole, based on the sectional image. Here, one of the sectional images of the rotary member for fixation according to embodiment 4 is shown in fig. 9. From fig. 9, it is determined that the conductive layer of the rotary member for fixing of embodiment 4 has a through hole, and that the resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer 20e has penetrated into the through hole.
Further, elemental analysis was performed on a section of the conductive layer, which was exposed on the ground surface of the sample, in the thickness direction of the conductive layer. Under the condition of accelerating voltage of 5-15 kV and amplification of 4000 times, the EDS installed on the JSM-F100 is used for element analysis. Further, elemental analysis was performed on any three positions in the cross section of the conductive layer. Thus, elemental analysis was performed at 18 positions in total, i.e., 3 positions×6 samples. Then, an arithmetic average of the purities of silver obtained at 18 positions (i.e., 3 positions×6 samples) was taken as the purities of silver in the conductive layer of the rotary member for fixation observed.
(Evaluation: durability test)
For examples 1 to 6 and comparative examples 1 and 2, repeated bending endurance tests (MIT folding endurance tester, toyo Seiki Seisaku-sho, ltd. Production) were performed, and peeling after the endurance test was observed. The test temperature was 200 ℃, the bending angle was 135 °, and the bending curvature was 6mm, and the number of times of bending was 2,000,000 times. The test results were evaluated according to the following criteria.
Class a: no peeling of the resin layer and the conductive layer occurs;
class B: peeling of the resin layer and the conductive layer occurred before the number of bending times reached 2,000,000 times.
The results are shown in Table 1. Here, in table 1, for comparative examples 1 and 2, the number of bending times at the time of peeling the resin layer from the conductive layer was first observed.
TABLE 1
In the case where the conductive layer has a through hole in the thickness direction, the item "through hole" is marked as "yes". In the case where the resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer permeates into at least a part of the through-hole, the item "in the resin permeation hole" is marked as "yes".
Fig. 9 reveals that in example 4, there is a through hole in the thickness direction of the conductive layer 20b, and the resin layer 20e penetrates into the hole, reaches the base material 20a, and contacts the base material. An interface or the like is not seen between the base material 20a and the resin layer 20e, and therefore they are found to be bonded to each other and integrated. In other embodiments, the resin layer is also similarly in contact with the substrate.
In the comparison between the examples and the comparative examples, the results in table 1 show that in those cases where the conductive layer 20b has holes penetrating in the thickness direction and the resin of the resin layer penetrates into the holes, peeling was not observed, and it was proved that durability was good.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
Claims (9)
1. A rotary member for fixing, comprising:
A substrate comprising a resin;
A conductive layer on the substrate; and
A resin layer on a surface of the conductive layer, the surface being opposite to a side of the conductive layer facing the substrate,
The conductive layer extends in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface of the base material,
The conductive layer comprises silver and the conductive layer comprises silver,
The conductive layer has a through hole in a thickness direction thereof;
Wherein at least a portion of the through hole is permeated by a resin constituting at least a portion of the resin layer.
2. The rotary member for fixing according to claim 1, wherein the resin constituting at least a part of the resin layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of polyimide and polyamide-imide.
3. The rotary member for fixing according to claim 2, wherein the resin contained in the base material contains at least one selected from the group consisting of polyimide and polyamide-imide.
4. The rotary member for fixing according to claim 1, wherein the conductive layer has a maximum thickness of 4 μm or less.
5. The rotary member for fixing according to claim 1, wherein a resin constituting the resin layer and penetrating the through hole is in contact with the base material.
6. The rotary member for fixation according to claim 1, wherein the conductive layer is a sintered body of silver nanoparticles.
7. A fixing apparatus characterized by comprising the rotary member for fixing according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and an induction heating device that heats the rotary member for fixing by induction heating.
8. The fixing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the induction heating means has
An exciting coil for forming an alternating magnetic field for causing the conductive layer to generate heat by electromagnetic induction, the exciting coil being provided inside the fixing rotary member and having a spiral-shaped portion whose spiral axis is substantially parallel to a direction of a rotation axis of the fixing rotary member; and
A magnetic core provided in the spiral-shaped portion and extending in a rotation axis direction without forming a ring on an outer side of the fixing rotation member, for guiding magnetic lines of force of the alternating magnetic field; and
The material of the magnetic core is a ferromagnetic body, and
The conductive layer is heated mainly by an induction current induced by magnetic force lines, which are emitted from one longitudinal end of the magnetic core, pass through the outer side of the conductive layer, and return to the other longitudinal end of the magnetic core.
9. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus, characterized by comprising:
An image bearing member that bears a toner image;
a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a recording material; and
A fixing device that fixes the transferred toner image to the recording material,
Wherein the fixing device is the fixing device according to claim 7.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2022-171564 | 2022-10-26 | ||
| JP2023175062A JP2024063754A (en) | 2022-10-26 | 2023-10-10 | Rotating body for fixing, fixing device, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus |
| JP2023-175062 | 2023-10-10 |
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|---|---|
| CN117930611A true CN117930611A (en) | 2024-04-26 |
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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| CN202311399351.XA Pending CN117930611A (en) | 2022-10-26 | 2023-10-26 | Fixing rotary member, fixing apparatus, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus |
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| Country | Link |
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| CN (1) | CN117930611A (en) |
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- 2023-10-26 CN CN202311399351.XA patent/CN117930611A/en active Pending
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