JP2006317580A - Method for manufacturing regulating blade for image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus achieving the reduction of cost by fixing an energizing plate member on a supporting plate member without lowering the flatness of the surface of a regulating member, thereby improving the yield of a regulating blade. <P>SOLUTION: In the method for manufacturing the regulating blade 40 for the image forming apparatus equipped with: the regulating member 37 for regulating toner on the outer circumferential surface of a developing roller to have fixed thickness; a spring plate member 36 to whose edge part 36b the regulating member is stuck and fixed; and a frame plate member 41 to which the base end 36a of the spring plate member is laser-welded, the curved direction in the longitudinal direction of the spring plate member is confirmed and the regulating member is fixed on the recessed surface side of the spring plate member, and then they are laser-welded on the back side of the frame plate member curved to the developing roller side so that the regulating member may be positioned on the developing roller side, that is, the recessed surface sides of the frame plate member and the spring plate member are face to face contacted each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus that employs an electrophotographic recording method, and more specifically, the thickness of toner on the outer peripheral surface of a developing roller that develops an electrostatic latent image with toner is accurately constant. The present invention relates to a high-quality regulating blade that can be manufactured easily and with a high yield, thereby reducing costs.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electrophotographic recording type image forming apparatus that exposes and forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a carrier made of a photoreceptor is known. In this image forming apparatus, the electrostatic latent image is developed with toner. The toner image on the surface of the carrier carried in this manner is transferred to a recording medium such as recording paper to form an image. The electrostatic latent image is developed by rotating the developing roller facing the surface of the carrier to transfer the toner on the outer peripheral surface of the roller and selectively depositing the toner. A toner is supplied to the roller by a pressure roller rotating in a toner containing space.

  An image forming apparatus employing this electrophotographic recording system forms an image by transferring and fixing a toner image obtained by developing an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a carrier to a recording medium as it is. The thickness of the toner on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller that develops the image greatly affects the quality of the image on the recording medium. For this reason, this image forming apparatus is provided with a regulating blade for making the thickness of the toner supplied and adhered on the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller constant, and this regulating blade is, for example, the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller. It is installed so as to be parallel, and the toner adhering to the outer peripheral surface is scraped off to regulate the thickness to be constant.

  However, in such a conventional regulating blade, the regulating member that presses against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller is fixed to the distal end side of a biasing plate member such as a leaf spring that is fixed to the base of the apparatus main body. The restricting member is fixed so that it does not come off due to sliding contact with the developing roller by being pressed against an adhesive layer coated with an adhesive on the tip side of the biasing plate member. The regulating member of the regulating blade is pressed and pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller by the urging plate member. Therefore, when made of an elastic material such as a rubber material, the regulating member is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller. If the flatness on the surface side becomes low, the thickness of the toner on the outer peripheral surface cannot be made constant with high quality, so this sorting operation of the regulating blade is necessary, and the yield decreases. Will be expensive.

  In addition, the biasing plate member of this regulating blade is made by pulling out and cutting from a plate material wound in the form of a roll such as phosphor bronze, so it is slightly curved in the unloaded state. If the bending of the biasing plate member affects the surface of the regulating member fixed to the front end side, similarly, the flatness of the surface side pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller is lowered, resulting in a decrease in yield. It becomes expensive.

  Here, in the support plate member in which the urging plate member of the restriction blade is fixed, the restriction member is uniformly pressed against the surface of the developing roller via the urging plate member, and the thickness of the toner on the outer peripheral surface is adjusted. In order to make high quality constant, it has been proposed that the end portions are slightly curved toward the developing roller (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

From this, when using the technique described in this document 1, when the biasing plate member is fixed while being fixed so as to match the curved support plate member, the correction of the biasing plate member is the tip. If the surface of the regulating member fixed to the side is affected, similarly, the flatness of the surface side pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller is lowered, and the cost is increased. In particular, if the influence of the curvature of the support plate member and the urging plate member overlaps, deterioration of the flatness of the regulating member surface becomes remarkable, and the yield is further reduced, resulting in an increase in cost.
JP 2003-270934 A

  Therefore, the present invention realizes the improvement of the yield of the regulating blade and the cost reduction by realizing the urging plate member fixed to the supporting plate member without reducing the flatness of the regulating member surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus.

  According to a first aspect of the manufacturing method of a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus that solves the above problems, the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the carrier is developed with toner by a developing roller, and the toner image is transferred to a recording medium and fixed. In the manufacturing method of the regulating blade that is attached to the image forming apparatus for forming an image and regulates the toner thickness on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller to be constant, the regulating blade extends in the axial direction of the developing roller. A regulating member that presses against the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller and presses the toner on the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller to make the toner constant, and the regulating member is disposed on the tip side. A plate-shaped biasing plate member that holds the leading-end-side regulating member against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller, and a support plate that is fixed to the base body side of the biasing plate member and attached to the apparatus main body side Parts and The regulating blade is fixed to the front end side of the urging plate member, and the urging plate member is fixed to the support plate member. After confirming the direction of bending in the direction and fixing the regulating member to the tip side of the curved concave surface of the urging plate member, the abutting plate is positioned so that the regulating member is positioned on the side to be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller. The urging plate member is brought into contact with the support plate member and welded.

  In this invention, the urging plate member that curves due to the manufacturing process is brought into contact with the support plate member in the direction of extending the curve and welded. For this reason, the surface of the regulating member fixed to the front end side on the concave surface side of the urging plate member is also stretched. Therefore, even when the regulating member is made of an elastic material such as a rubber material, the regulating blade is deformed in the shrinking direction due to the curved surface of the urging plate member and the flat surface is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller. The toner thickness on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller can be made constant with high quality without being deteriorated.

  A second invention of a method for manufacturing a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus that solves the above-mentioned problems is pivotally supported on the apparatus main body side of the developing roller as the support plate member in addition to the specific matter of the first invention. It is characterized by being prepared and prepared so as to bend toward the center side between both end portions.

  In the present invention, the biasing plate member can be contacted and welded so as to bend in the opposite direction by the bending of the support plate member. For example, when confirming the direction of bending in the longitudinal direction of the support plate member and fixing the biasing plate member on the back surface of the support plate member on the developing roller side, the support plate member and the biasing plate member The concave sides are brought into contact with each other and welded. Further, when the direction of the longitudinal direction of the support plate member is confirmed and the biasing plate member is fixed on the developing roller side of the support plate member, the convex side of the support plate member and the biasing plate member Weld each other in face-to-face contact. Therefore, since the straight support plate member is originally bent slightly, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the surface of the regulating member fixed to the concave side of the biasing plate member cannot be sufficiently extended. The flatness of the surface of the regulating member can be increased with high reliability.

  A third invention of a method for manufacturing a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus that solves the above-mentioned problems is obtained by laser welding the biasing plate member to a support plate member in addition to the specific matter of the first or second invention. It is characterized by being fixed.

  In this invention, the urging plate member to which the restricting member is fixed is welded by laser light irradiation. For this reason, excessive heat like electric welding is not added to the urging plate member of the regulating blade and it is not deformed. Therefore, the flatness of the surface of the regulating member fixed on the front end side of the biasing plate member is not deteriorated, and the toner thickness on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller can be made constant with high quality. .

  As described above, according to the present invention, the regulating member is fixed to the concave surface side by utilizing the curvature of the urging plate member, and the urging plate member is fixed to the support plate member. The surface of the restricting member can also be extended, and even with a restricting blade made of an elastic material such as a rubber material, the flatness of the surface of the restricting member that presses against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller is highly reliable and high. Can be. Therefore, the yield of the regulating blade can be increased to reduce the cost, and the regulating blade regulates the toner thickness on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller of the image forming apparatus main body to form a high quality image. can do.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 19 are views showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus to which a regulating blade manufactured by a manufacturing method according to the present invention is attached.

  In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus is a printer that is used by connecting to an external device such as a personal computer PC for creating and outputting an image such as a character. The image forming apparatus receives image data such as a character for image formation. An image recording apparatus 10 that receives and records and forms recording paper (recording medium) on one or both sides of the recording paper (recording medium) by an electrophotographic method, and transports a plurality of stacked recording papers to the image recording apparatus 10 and records and forms images. In addition, the recording paper is transported out of the apparatus and loaded on the paper conveying apparatus 20.

  In brief, the image recording apparatus 10 is based on a laser beam scanning device 11 that scans the laser beam L based on image data, and the laser beam L emitted from the laser beam scanning device 11 and scanned, based on the image data. A photosensitive drum (carrier) 12 on which an electrostatic latent image is exposed and formed on the surface, and a charger 13 for charging the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 12 so that an electrostatic latent image can be formed by irradiation with laser light L; , Yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) toners are accommodated, and the accommodated toners are selectively attached to develop the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 with toner. A developing cartridge 14 for each color (only one portion is shown), and a developing rotary unit that stores the developing cartridge 14 in an installation space 15a for each color and rotates about a rotation shaft 15b. 5, an intermediate transfer belt 16 that receives a toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 12 and forms a toner image (monochrome image or color image) that can be transferred and recorded on the recording paper, and the recording paper that has been conveyed A transfer roller 17 that transfers the toner image carried by the intermediate transfer belt 16 by being pressed (nip) so as to be sandwiched between the intermediate transfer belt 16 and conveys the recording paper to the downstream, and toner The toner image is fixed by heating and pressing the recording paper that has been transferred with the image transferred, and the fixing roller pair 18 that sandwiches and conveys the recording paper further downstream, and the photosensitive drum 12 and the intermediate transfer belt. A waste toner tank 19 that collects and stores toner remaining on the surface of the 16 by a cleaning blade 19a. There.

  As a result, the image recording apparatus 10 develops the electrostatic latent image based on the image data formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 by the laser beam scanning device 11 in the development rotary unit 15 switched according to the image data. The cartridge 14 develops toner, and thereafter, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 12 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16 and secondarily transferred to the recording paper conveyed by the paper conveying device 20. After recording, the fixing roller pair 18 is heated and pressed to fix the image to form an image. At this time, for example, when the developing rotary unit 15 contains a developing cartridge 14 containing toner of each color of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K), the photosensitive drum By switching the color of the toner that develops the electrostatic latent image on the image 12, the toner of each color is overlaid or selected based on the received image data, and a color image to a single color image is printed on a recording sheet. be able to. Further, when the developing rotary unit 15 contains the developing cartridge 14 containing toner of the same color, for example, black (K), in all the developing cartridges 14, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 12. Can be used as a dedicated machine that sequentially switches the developing cartridge 14 that develops the image and continuously prints and forms monochrome images on recording paper.

  Briefly, the paper transport device 20 is detachably set at the lower part of the main body of the device, a paper cassette 21 on which a plurality of recording papers are stacked, and a recording paper raised by a lifting plate 21a on the bottom surface of the paper cassette 21. A pickup roller 22 that pulls out the uppermost recording sheet by feeding and rotating to the bundle and feeds it to the conveyance path f, and receives the recording sheet fed by the pickup roller 22 and holds it in the downstream conveyance path f. The intermediate transfer belt 16 and the transfer roller 17 of the image recording apparatus 10 receive the recording paper in the conveyance path f conveyed by the pair of relay conveyance rollers 23a and 23b and the conveyance conveyance roller pair 23a and 23b. A pair of registration rollers 24 sandwiched and conveyed at the position, and an intermediate transfer belt from the pair of registration rollers 6 and the transfer roller 17 and the conveying path f passing between the fixing roller pair 18 to receive a recording sheet on which a fixed image is formed on one surface side and carry it onto a paper discharge table 29 at the upper part of the apparatus main body. A pair of paper discharge rollers 25a and 25b for paper discharge and stacking is provided. Note that the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the transfer roller 17 and the fixing roller pair 18 of the image recording apparatus also have a function of conveying a recording sheet, and thus constitute a part of the sheet conveying apparatus 20.

  As a result, the sheet conveying apparatus 20 delivers the recording sheet pulled out from the sheet cassette 21 by the pickup roller 22 to the registration roller pair 24 via the relay conveying roller pair 23a, 23b, and then the registration roller pair 24 In synchronization with the operation of the image recording apparatus 10, the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the transfer roller 17 are fed to an image recording position where the image is pressed, and the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred and recorded. Then, the recording paper fixed by the fixing roller pair 18 is received by the paper discharge roller pairs 25 a and 25 b, carried out on the paper discharge table 29, discharged and stacked.

  Here, the sheet conveying device 20 is disposed in a re-conveying path r for reversing a recording sheet on which an image is formed on one side and sending it to the conveying path f on the upstream side of the registration roller pair 24 and the path r. The intermediate conveyance roller pair 27 is provided, and the intermediate conveyance roller pair 27 receives the recording sheet sent into the re-conveyance path r when the paper discharge roller pairs 25a and 25b are reversed, and is received by the registration roller pair 24. By passing, it is possible to form an image on both sides of the recording paper. In addition, the sheet conveying device 20 includes a manual feeding path m for sending a manually fed recording sheet to a conveying path f on the upstream side of the registration roller pair 24 and a manual feeding roller pair 28 disposed in the path m. The recording paper inserted into the manual feed path m is received by the pair of manual feeding rollers 28 and transferred to the registration roller pair 24, whereby an image can be formed on one side or both sides of the recording paper.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the developing cartridge 14 of the image recording apparatus 10 includes a container 31, a developing roller 32, and a supply roller 33, so that yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta ( M) and black (K) toner T is selectively attached to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 to develop the toner. The container 31 is formed in a similar shape so as to be housed in each storage space (position) 15 a partitioned by the partition frame 15 c of the developing rotary unit 15 and stores each color toner T. The developing roller 32 is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the container 31 that is separated from the rotating shaft 15b of the developing rotary unit 15 by applying a developing bias voltage, and is transferred from the supply roller 33 to be described later. The toner T charged by the blade 40 is caused to fly in accordance with the potential of the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 facing the toner T and is selectively attached. The supply roller 33 is rotatably supported by the container 31 so as to be adjacent to the developing roller 32 on the rotating shaft 15 b side of the developing rotary unit 15, and presses and rotates the developing roller 32 to remove the surrounding toner T. Supply. In the container 31 of the developing cartridge 14, a partition plate 31 a is installed at a position adjacent to the supply roller 33, and the partition plate 31 a communicates the space on the rotating shaft 15 b side with the upper portion of the installation space of the supply roller 33. Thus, the storage space for the toner T in the container 31 is partitioned.

  With this configuration, in the developing cartridge 14, the toner T in the space on the outer peripheral side of the container 31 partitioned by the partition plate 31a is supplied to the developing roller 32 in which the supply roller 33 is pressed and rotated. In addition, when the developing rotary unit 15 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise in FIG. 1 and rotates 180 degrees, the developing cartridge 14 stores the toner T stored on the rotating shaft 15b side and the supply roller 33 side of the container 31. After being put together at the upper part of the partition plate 31a (downward in FIG. 1), the toner T contained in the container 31 is stirred and refreshed by further rotating by 90 degrees, and the toner T is transferred to the developing roller 32. Collect on the supply roller 33 side so that supply is possible. In other words, in the developing cartridge 14 mounted on the developing rotary unit 15 rotating in this way, the stored toner T is replenished while being agitated toward the supply roller 33 by the rotation, and therefore the adjustment for stirring and replenishing the accommodated toner T is performed. An adjusting device (so-called agitator device or auger device) for performing the operation can be omitted as appropriate. However, when the adjusting device is omitted, the developing cartridge 14 has, for example, a count value by the toner counter, the number of dots of the image, at least before the toner T supplied to the developing roller 32 runs out of the periphery of the supplying roller 33. When the usage amount of the toner T detected by the accumulated developing operation (image formation) time, the accumulated number of developed images, or the actually measured remaining amount of the toner T exceeds a preset value, the developing rotary unit 15 is moved. The toner T needs to be replenished and agitated.

  The developing cartridge 14 has a developing roller 32 exposed from the inside of the container 31 so as to face the photosensitive drum 12 at the developing position, and between the outer peripheral surface 32 a of the developing roller 32 and the opening of the container 31. In the gap defined by the front end of the sealing member 35 made of a resin material urged by an urging member 34 such as a rubber material and a spring plate member (biasing plate member) 36 such as phosphor bronze And a regulating member 37 made of a rubber material (rubber) that is pressed against and pressed against the outer peripheral surface 32 a by being urged while being supported by the toner, the toner T may leak out of the container 31. It is prevented.

  The seal member 35 is formed along the outer peripheral surface 32 a on the upper side of the developing roller 32 and is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 32 a by the urging member 34, thereby preventing the toner T from leaking out of the container 31. At the same time, the toner T on the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 that has passed through the developing position is collected in the container 31 without being scraped off.

  On the other hand, the regulating member 37 is formed in a strip shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller 32, and is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 32 a by the spring plate member 36, so that the toner T is pressed into the container 31. In addition to preventing leakage to the outside, the toner T adhering to the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 is scraped off to make the thickness of the toner T constant. As shown in FIG. 3, the flat surface portion 37b on the rear end side with respect to the edge 37a on the front end side is adjusted so as to be in pressure contact with the surface of the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32, thereby adhering to the outer peripheral surface 32a. The toner T that rotates so as to move is scraped off at the leading edge 37a and the thickness thereof is regulated to be constant. That is, the spring plate member 36 and the regulating member 37 constitute the regulating blade 40.

  The regulating blade 40 adjusts the position where the flat surface portion 37b of the regulating member 37 is in pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 in the tangential direction (left and right direction in FIG. 3), so that the toner T attached to the outer peripheral surface 32a. The thickness at which the tip is scraped off by the leading edge 37a of the regulating member 37 can be adjusted. For example, when the pressure contact position with the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 is in the vicinity of the middle of the flat portion 37b, the regulating blade 40 regulates the thickness of the toner T indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, when the pressure contact position is adjusted to the front of the flat portion 37b (left side in FIG. 3), the leading edge 37a is defined between the outer peripheral surface 32a. It is possible to widen the gap and increase the thickness of the toner T that enters between them.

  In this way, the regulating blade 40 scrapes off the toner T adhering to the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 at the leading edge 37a of the regulating member 37 fixed to the leading end side of the spring plate member 36, and its spring. Since the flat portion 37b of the regulating member 37 urged by the plate member 36 is pressed against the toner T on the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32, the leading edge 37a of the regulating member 37 requires high straightness. The flat portion 37b requires high flatness, and the regulating member 37 needs to be fixed with high accuracy and high quality on the distal end side of the spring plate member 36.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the regulating blade 40 is a frame attached to the developing cartridge 14 on the apparatus main body side so as to extend in parallel with the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the developing roller 32. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, the spring plate member 36 and the regulating member 37 extend in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller 32 and can be installed in parallel as shown in FIG. Both are formed in a long shape, and a spring plate member 36 is fixed to the frame plate member 41. In short, as shown in FIG. 6, the regulating blade 40 is fixed to the frame plate member 41 attached to the housing of the developing cartridge 14 in the same manner as the developing roller 32, so that it is long so as to have the same length. The base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 fixed to the frame plate member 41 is formed to have the same length, while the distal end portion of the spring plate member 36 fixing the restriction member 37 is formed. 36b is formed in a short length so as to be inserted into the container 31 of the developing cartridge 14 and to be in pressure contact with the developing roller 32. Further, the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 is fixed to the frame plate member 41 by laser welding at a plurality of welding locations W, and the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 includes A double-sided tape 42 (adhesive layer) shown in FIG. 7 is attached to adhere and fix (hold) the regulating member 37. Here, the case where the regulating member 37 is bonded and fixed to the tip end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 by the double-sided tape 42 will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an adhesive is applied and bonded and fixed. It goes without saying that it is also good. However, since the double-sided tape 42 is superior in that it is easy to handle, it is preferable to use this embodiment.

  This double-sided tape 42 is affixed to both the back surface (rear surface) of the regulating member 37 and the front end portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36, and substantially the entire back surface of the regulating member 37 is attached to the front end portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36. The pressure contact portion of the flat surface portion 37b which is fixedly bonded and is located on the rear end side (between the front end side 37d and the rear end side 37f) from the front end side edge 37a of the regulating member 37 to which the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 is pressed By fixing the front end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 in a region that covers the back surface side, the regulating member 37 is moved in the tangential direction by a rotational force (frictional force) applied to the developing roller 32 so as to come into pressure contact with the developing roller 32 and to slide. It is made to hold | maintain to the spring board member 36 so that it may not. Here, in the regulation blade 40, the front end side edge 37a of the regulation member 37 is not brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 but is brought into a so-called abdominal contact state so that the flat surface portion thereof is brought into contact. Since 37b is brought into pressure contact, as in the cleaning member described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-258624) described above, the frictional force due to pressure contact with the developing roller 32 acts in the rotational direction in which the friction force is peeled off. In addition, there is no need for reinforcement to be applied to the spring plate member 36 by applying an adhesive to the front end side or rear end side of the regulating member 37.

  The double-sided tape 42 is affixed to a position where a gap S is formed between the spring plate member 36 and the tip sides 36e and 37d of the regulating member 37, and the spring plate member 36 and the regulating member 37 are mutually connected. It is affixed to a position where the front end sides 36e and 37d on the bonding surface side retreat from the front end side 36e by the extent that they do not come into contact with each other. As a result, the spring plate member 36 and the regulating member 37 can be positioned easily and easily with high accuracy by abutting the tip sides 36e and 37d on the bonding surface side. At this time, the spring plate member 36 and the regulating member 37 are bonded to the double-sided tape 42. Therefore, the adhesive surface side tip sides 36e and 37d are positioned with high accuracy and are relatively abutted without hindering relative movement and correction so as to achieve the desired positioning accuracy. The regulating members 37 that scrape off the toner T can be bonded and fixed to the spring plate member 36 with high accuracy and high quality.

  Here, the regulation blade 40 is configured such that the regulation member 37 is brought into pressure contact with the toner T on the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 by the elastic force (biasing force) of the spring plate member 36, thereby sliding the thickness of the toner T. At the same time, and is triboelectrically charged to a toner developable potential that selectively adheres to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12, and the regulating member 37 of the regulating blade 40 is a spring plate member 36. In other words, the toner T on the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 is unnecessarily charged up by sliding contact with the regulating member 37 so as not to have a non-uniform potential. In addition, the spring plate member 36 made of a metal material having the same potential as that of the developing roller 32 is electrically connected through a conductive agent 43.

Next, the manufacturing method of this control blade 40 is demonstrated using drawing.
First, as the regulating member 37, the toner T having the same length as the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 and adhering onto the outer peripheral surface 32a is scraped off by the leading edge 37a, and is flat on the outer peripheral surface 32a. The part 37b is prepared by cutting a rubber material or the like having a desired conductivity formed into a sheet shape into a dimensional shape having a width that allows pressure contact, and cutting it into a strip shape.

  As the spring plate member 36, a distal end portion 36 b that is formed in a size and shape substantially the same as that of the regulating member 37 and is bonded and fixed thereto, and a base end portion 36 a that is fixed to the frame plate member 41 attached to the developing cartridge 14 An intermediate portion 36c that is spread outwardly from a portion adjacent to the distal end portion 36b and is connected to the base end portion 36a, thereby allowing an elastic force substantially equal to the center side to be imparted to both end sides of the distal end portion 36b; Are prepared by punching a spring plate material such as phosphor bronze or stainless steel with a press die. This spring plate member 36 is obtained by pulling out a spring plate material such as phosphor bronze wound in a roll shape while correcting its curvature and punching it out with a press die. However, it is difficult to correct to a completely flat surface. Since the curve is curved, the bending direction in the longitudinal direction is confirmed.

  As the double-sided tape 42, adhesive layers 42b are formed on both sides of a core material 42a made of a plastic film that is excellent in stretching and shortening resistance and is less likely to expand or contract due to ambient temperature or tension. Each (both sides) is prepared so as to be covered with a release sheet 42c (see FIG. 11) that has a surface excellent in lubricity and is peeled off at the time of application so as not to be attached unnecessarily. This double-sided tape 42 is not drawn out from what is wound in the form of a roll, but is longer and narrower than the regulating member 37 (the tip 36b of the spring plate member 36) to which the sheet-like product is to be attached. Prepare in strips by cutting to the dimensions.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the spring plate member 36 is positioned and set, and a tape jig (a jig used for attaching the double-sided tape 42 to a desired position of the distal end portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36 ( A double-sided tape positioning jig) 50 is prepared.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the tape jig 50 is constructed by including a mounting table 51 and a pair of ups and downs prism members 52. The mounting table 51 mounts the spring plate member 36 and holds it horizontally. The up and down prism member 52 is disposed on both sides of the mounting table 51, and is positioned and held by sticking both ends thereof so that the double-sided tape 42 is in a desired positional relationship with the mounted spring plate member 36. At the same time, the work of attaching the double-sided tape 42 to the tip 36b of the spring plate member 36 is assisted. Further, the interval between the rising and falling prism members 52 can be inserted between the distal end portion 36b and the intermediate portion 36c of the spring plate member 36, and the base end portion 36a extends beyond the intermediate portion 36c. The side surface 53 is set so as not to be inserted into the stepped portion 36d any more.

  As a result, the spring plate member 36 is slid on the mounting table 51 so that the distal end portion 36 b and the intermediate portion 36 c are inserted between the floating prism column members 52 of the tape jig 50, and the spring plate member 36 is proximal to the side surface 53 of the floating prism column member 52. By abutting and stopping the stepped portion 36d on the side of the portion 36a, it is possible to accurately position in the short width direction. At this time, the spring plate member 36 is positioned and mounted on the mounting table 51 so that the curved concave surface side becomes the upper surface side (see FIG. 18A).

  Further, the up / down prism member 52 of the tape jig 50 has an upper surface 54 positioned above the spring plate member 36 mounted on the mounting table 51, and is placed on the upper surface 54 of the up / down prism member 52. Affixing area 54a to which the double-sided tape 42 is affixed so as to be parallel to the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 positioned on the mounting table 51 (so as to extend in the separating direction of the ups and downs prism member 52), and this affixing area 54a And a protruding region 54b protruding upward. The sticking region 54 a and the protruding region 54 b on the upper surface 54 of the ups and downs prism member 52 are set back toward the base end 36 a side by a gap S from the tip side 36 e of the tip 36 b of the spring plate member 36 positioned on the mounting table 51. The position to be set is set to the wall surface 54c.

  As a result, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the double-sided tape 42 is placed in the affixing region 54a along one side 42d so as to abut against the wall surface 54c of the upper surface 54 of the rising and falling prism member 52 of the tape jig 50. By pasting (temporarily pasting), it is placed on the distal end side 36e of the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36, which is placed on the mounting base 51 of the tape jig 50 and positioned with reference to the side surface 53 of the ups and downs prism member 52. On the other hand, it can be positioned and held at a position where the gap S is opened with high precision while being separated from each other. Here, a case will be described in which the spring plate member 36 is positioned and set on the tape jig 50 and then the double-sided tape 42 is attached and positioned, but it goes without saying that the order may be reversed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the floating prism member 52 of the tape jig 50 floats by being biased by a spring (not shown) so that the upper surface 54 is positioned above the spring plate member 36 on the mounting table 51. By pushing down the upper surface 54, the spring plate member 36 can be sunk to the same height.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12A, the double-sided tape 42 is bonded to the vicinity of one end side that is temporarily attached to the application region 54a by pressing down the upper surface 54 of one of the vertical prism members 52 of the tape jig 50. By pressing the layer (sticking surface) 42b close to the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 on the mounting table 51 and pressing it, a gap S is formed between the distal end side 36e of the spring plate member 36 and its distal end portion. The pasting (adhesion) work of this pasting to 36b can be started.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12B, the double-sided tape 42 gradually shifts the position of pressing against the tip end portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36 toward the other end side, while the upper surface of the other floating prism member 52. As shown in FIG. 13, the spring plate member 54 is pressed down to the tip end portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36 and pressed to the adhesive layer 42 b near the other end temporarily attached to the application region 54 a. The affixing (adhesion) operation for permanently affixing the entire surface of the distal end portion 36b at the position where the gap S is opened between the distal end side 36e of 36 is terminated. The double-sided tape 42 cuts out portions protruding from both sides of the tip portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36.

  At this time, the double-sided tape 42 is in a state in which the release sheet 42c on the side to be attached to the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 is peeled off, and both end sides are attached to the application region 54a of the upper surface 54 of the rising and falling prism member 52 of the tape jig 50. Thus, by sliding a finger or the like on the surface of the release sheet 42c on the opposite side, or by pressing a roller member that is rotatable while the outer periphery is elastically deformed, the load pulled by the frictional force is reduced, and the core material 42a can be attached to the tip 36b of the spring plate member 36 without stretching, and the regulating member 37 can be bonded and fixed without being shortened and deformed after the attachment.

  Further, the double-sided tape 42 is manufactured from a sheet shape, so that air is not sandwiched between them as in the case of being wound or drawn out in a roll shape, and from one end side to the other end side. By gradually approaching the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 toward the surface, it can be adhered while letting it escape so as not to sandwich air.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the spring plate member 36 and the restriction member 37 are positioned and set, and the restriction member 37 is affixed to the double-sided tape 42 on the distal end portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36 to obtain a desired position. A regulating member jig (regulating member positioning jig) 55 is prepared for use in bonding and fixing.

  The restriction member jig 55 is constructed by including a mounting table 56 and a holding member 57. The mounting table 56 is placed in a state in which the spring plate member 36 is fitted in a recess 56a formed in substantially the same shape as the spring plate member 36 so that the spring plate member 36 cannot move in the horizontal direction and its surface slightly protrudes. To hold the positioning. The holding member 57 is in a state in which the restricting member 37 is fitted in the recess 57a formed in substantially the same shape as the restricting member 37 so that the restricting member 37 cannot move in the plane direction and the adhesive surface c with the double-sided tape 42 is slightly protruded. In addition, the flat portion 37b and the tip side (side surface) 37d which are the back surface are sucked and held so as not to fall.

  When the holding member 57 is manually pressed in the pressing direction, the tip of the tip part 36b is opened with respect to the spring plate member 36 in the dent part 56a from a position where the upper part of the dent part 56a of the mounting table 56 is opened. A spring that is connected to and supported by the mounting table 56 via a mechanism (not shown) that realizes a rotating operation that gradually approaches from the side 36e and comes into contact with each other, and is positioned and held in the recess 56a of the mounting table 56. A regulating member 37 that is positioned and held in its hollow portion 57a is brought into face-contact with the tip portion 36b of the plate member 36, in other words, the double-sided tape 42 affixed to the tip portion 36b of the spring plate member 36. The adhesive surface 37c of the restricting member 37 is rotated and moved so as to be brought into pressure contact with and fixed to the tip end portion 36b beyond the thickness.

  With this configuration, when the restriction member jig 55 is pressed so as to press down the holding member 57 and approaches the mounting table 56, as shown in FIG. 14A, the inside of the recessed portion 56 a of the mounting table 56. The adhesive surface of the regulating member 37 positioned and held in the recess 57a of the holding member 57 is attached to the tip side 36e on the adhesive surface side where the double-sided tape 42 of the tip 36b of the spring plate member 36 is positioned and held. The tip side back edge (tip side) 37e of 37c is brought close to and brought into contact therewith. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 14B and 14C, the distal end side of the regulating member 37 for positioning and holding the holding member 57 on the distal end side 36 e of the spring plate member 36 for positioning and holding the mounting table 56. The adhesive surface 37c of the regulating member 37 is turned to one side of the double-sided tape 42 by rotating the opposite side (rear end side) of the regulating member 37 in the direction of tilting while maintaining the state in which the back edge 37e is in contact. It is possible to gradually abut from the leading edge 42e of 42d, and finally, as shown in FIG. 15 (d), the adhesive surface 37c of the regulating member 37 for positioning and holding the holding member 57 is placed on the mounting table 56. The entire surface of the adhesive layer 42b of the double-sided tape 42 affixed to the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 to be positioned is lowered and brought closer than the direct contact with the distal end portion 36b (both sides). Than the thickness of the over-flop 42 is lowered, approaching it) can be pressed against and bonding. Then, as shown in FIG. 15 (e), the restriction member jig 55 is configured so that the holding member 57 that stops suction of the flat portion 37 b and the tip side 37 d of the restriction member 37 is placed above the recess portion 56 a of the mounting table 56. The spring plate member 36 with the restricting member 37 bonded and fixed to the tip end portion 36b can be taken out from the mounting table 56 by rotating it so as to open.

  Thus, when the regulating member 37 is positioned with respect to the distal end portion 36 b of the spring plate member 36, the regulating member 37 is bonded to the distal end side 36 e of the spring plate member 36 using the gap S where the double-sided tape 42 does not exist. The front-side back edge 37e on the side of the surface 37c can be brought into close contact with and brought into contact with the front-side back edge 37e (in contact with the adhesive layer 42b of the double-sided tape 42 on the front-end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36). (Without bonding), the spring plate member 36 can be positioned so as to coincide with the tip side 36e of the tip portion 36b with high accuracy.

  Thereafter, when the regulating member 37 is bonded to the double-sided tape 42 of the tip 36b of the spring plate member 36, the adhesive surface 37c gradually comes into contact with the side edge 42e of one side 42d of the double-sided tape 42. The tip side edge 42e of the double-sided tape 42 is brought into contact with a portion retracted by the gap S from the tip side back edge 37e of the adhesive surface 37c by rotating (falling) in this manner, and gradually presses from there. It is possible to press and bond the entire surface while allowing air to escape from between the adhesive surface 37c of the regulating member 37 and the adhesive layer 42b of the double-sided tape 42.

  Therefore, the regulating member 37 can be bonded and fixed to the adhesive layer 42b of the double-sided tape 42 at the tip end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 without interposing air between the regulating surface 37c, and a flat surface on the back side thereof. Without being deformed, the portion 37b can be bonded and fixed to a desired position of the tip portion 36b of the spring plate member 36 (a position where the tip sides 36e and 37d coincide) in a highly flat state. Then, by removing the spring plate member 36 to which the regulating member 37 is bonded and fixed from the regulating member jig 55, as shown in FIG. 16, the tip side 37d (tip side edge 37a) of the regulating member 37 becomes the tip portion 36b. It is possible to obtain the spring plate member 36 which is bonded and fixed so as to coincide with the leading end side 36e with high precision (so that the leading end side edge 37a is straight). Further, the restricting member 37 is bonded and fixed to the distal end portion 36b on the concave surface side of the spring plate member 36 (see FIG. 18B).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 17, evaporative curing is performed from the dispenser 61 in a normal temperature / humidity environment at a location where the regulating member 37 and the intermediate portion 36 c side of the spring plate member 36 are adjacent to each other via the double-sided adhesive tape 42. After the liquid conductive agent (conductive material) 43 is discharged and applied over the entire length in the longitudinal direction, the solvent in the conductive agent 43 is evaporated by leaving it for a whole day and night (in a room temperature / normal humidity environment). And let it harden.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the regulating member 37 and the spring plate member 36 are in a liquid state over the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the adjacent portions even in a structure in which the insulating double-sided tape 42 is bonded and fixed. By simply applying and curing the conductive agent 43 (without preparing a conductive material having a predetermined dimension), conduction is ensured easily and simply. For this reason, the regulating member 37 made of a high-resistance conductive rubber material is securely and effectively conductively connected to the spring plate member 36 made of a metal material such as phosphor bronze so that a desired function can be obtained. Therefore, the toner T on the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 that is slidably contacted and frictionally charged by the flat surface portion 37b is left unnecessarily charged and is prevented from being charged to a non-uniform potential. be able to. At this time, the liquid conductive agent 43 is not put into a high-temperature bath or the like in order to forcibly dry and cure the liquid conductive agent 43, so that the regulating member 37 is heated and pressed against the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 (planar portion 37b). ) Is not reduced and deformed, and the conductive agent 43 can be cured and conductively connected to the spring plate member 36 while maintaining a highly flat state.

  Thereafter, the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 is fixed to the frame plate member 41 by laser welding at a plurality of welding locations W, whereby the regulating blade 40 that can be attached to the developing cartridge 14 is obtained.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 18, the spring plate member 36 is confirmed to be bent in the longitudinal direction, and the regulating member 37 is bonded and fixed to the concave end portion 36 b by the double-sided tape 42 ( 18 (a) and 18 (b)), on the back side of the frame plate member 41 on the developing roller 32 side (outside of the developing cartridge 14), on the concave side (regulation) of the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36. Laser welding (fixed) is performed by pressing the member 37 on the adhesive fixing side). Here, since the developing roller 32 has a structure in which the central portion thereof is escaped when both ends are pivotally supported and the regulating member 37 of the regulating blade 40 is in pressure contact, the frame plate member 41 develops the central side. It is designed to be slightly curved toward the roller 32 side. Therefore, when the spring plate member 36 is fixed on the back side of the frame plate member 41 on the developing roller 32 side, the frame plate member 41 is placed while being positioned so that the curved concave surface side becomes the upper surface side. (See FIG. 18 (c)), set the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 so that the curved concave surfaces face each other (see FIG. 18 (d)). After that, the pressure welding jig 65 is pressed against the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 to bring the entire surface into close contact with the frame plate member 41, and laser welding is performed by irradiating a plurality of welding points W with laser light L. It is fixed at a desired position (see FIG. 18E).

  Accordingly, the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 is extended in a convex shape on the concave surface side so as to follow the concave surface of the frame plate member 41 (so as to bend toward the developing roller 32 side). In this state, it is brought into contact with the concave surface, and in this state, laser welding can be performed by irradiating the plurality of welding points W with laser light L. The frame plate member 41 is maintained flat (without the surface side pressed against the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 being concave and deformed in the shrinking direction so that the flatness is lowered). Can be fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 19A, the pressure welding jig 65 that presses the spring plate member 36 against the frame plate member 41 is formed in a rectangle that covers the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36. For example, the spring plate member By sticking a rubber material (not shown) on the pressure contact surface side to 36, the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 can be brought into contact with the welding surface of the frame plate member 41 in close contact. In addition, the pressure welding jig 65 is formed with a plurality of irradiation holes 66 that are open to be able to irradiate the laser beam L at a position corresponding to the position W where the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 is laser welded to the frame plate member 41. As shown in FIG. 19B, the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 is deformed by applying an extra thermal load such as electric welding while being in close contact with the frame plate member 41. By laser welding that does not occur, the flatness of the flat portion 37b of the regulating member 37 adhered and fixed to the tip end portion 36b can be fixed to the frame plate member 41 without deteriorating.

  Therefore, in the regulating blade 40, the regulating member 37 formed on a highly flat surface is bonded and fixed with high precision to the tip end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36, and the regulating member 37 is evenly distributed in the longitudinal direction. In a state of being electrically connected to the member 36, it can be attached to the developing cartridge 14 by the frame plate member 41, and the toner T on the outer peripheral surface 32 a of the developing roller 32 is scraped off at the leading edge 37 a of the regulating member 37 and the plane It can be uniformly charged while being controlled to be constant at a high quality layer thickness by being pressed by the portion 37b.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by utilizing the curvature of the spring plate member 36 and the frame plate member 41, the regulating member 37 is bonded and fixed to the distal end portion 36b of the spring plate member 36, and the base end portion 36a is attached to the frame plate. By fixing to the member 41, the flat surface portion 37b of the surface of the regulating member 37 that is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 32a of the developing roller 32 can be extended, and the regulating member 37 is made of an elastic material such as a rubber material. Even with the regulating blade 40, the flatness of the surface of the regulating member 37 can be manufactured with high reliability. Therefore, the regulating blade 40 can be manufactured at a low yield without causing a defect due to the flatness of the surface of the regulating member 37, and the thickness of the toner T on the outer peripheral surface 32 a of the developing roller 32 by the regulating blade 40. Can be regulated with high accuracy and a high quality image can be formed.

  As another aspect of the present embodiment, when the spring plate member 36 is fixed on the developing roller 32 side of the frame plate member 41, the frame plate member 41 is positioned such that the curved convex surface side is the upper surface side. After mounting, the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36 is set while being positioned so that the curved convex surfaces face each other, and then pressed against the base end portion 36a of the spring plate member 36. In a state where the jig 65 is pressed and the entire surface is brought into close contact with the frame plate member 41, a plurality of welding locations W may be irradiated with laser light L and laser-welded to be fixed at a desired position. Also in this case, the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented in various forms within the scope of the technical idea. For example, in the embodiment described above, an apparatus capable of storing a plurality of developing cartridges in the developing rotary unit will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an image forming apparatus of a type in which one developing cartridge is attached or detached is also suitable. Can be applied to. Further, the case where the toner image on the photosensitive drum is transferred to the recording paper via the intermediate transfer belt will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an image forming apparatus of a type that directly transfers from the photosensitive member to the recording paper may be used. Needless to say, it can be suitably applied.

It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the image forming apparatus which attaches the control blade produced by the manufacturing method which concerns on this invention, and is a see-through | perspective front view which shows the schematic whole structure. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of the developing cartridge. It is the side view which looked at the relationship between the developing roller and a control blade from the axial direction. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the developing cartridge. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the principal part of the control blade. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the control blade, (a) is the perspective view by the side of the control member, (b) is the perspective view by the back side. It is a figure which shows the principal part structure of the control blade, (a) is the enlarged side view of the front end side, (b) is a top view of the control blade side. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a) is a top view explaining positioning to the jig of a spring board member, (b) is the one part enlarged plan view. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control braid | blade, (a) is an elevation which explains mounting to the jig of a spring board member, (b) is the partially expanded elevation view. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a) is a top view explaining the positioning to the double-sided tape with respect to a spring board member, (b) is the partially expanded plan view. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a) is an elevation view explaining the positional relationship of the double-sided tape with respect to the spring plate member, (b) is a partially enlarged elevation view. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control braid | blade, (a) is an elevation figure explaining the time of the sticking start of the double-sided tape with respect to a spring board member, (b) is an elevation figure explaining the time of the sticking end. It is. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a) is the enlarged side view of the front end side which shows the state in the middle of manufacture, (b) is the top view seen from the control blade side. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the restriction | limiting blade, (a) is a partially expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining the positioning holding | maintenance to the jig of a spring board member and a regulation member, (b) is the regulation to the spring board member. FIG. 4C is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view illustrating a state at the start of bonding of the members, and FIG. 5C is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view illustrating a state in the middle of bonding of the regulating member to the spring plate member. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the restriction | limiting blade, (d) is a partially expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining the state at the time of the pressure contact of the restriction member to a spring board member, (e) is a restriction member to a spring board member. It is a partially expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining the state at the time of the completion | finish of an adhesion | attachment operation | work. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a) is the enlarged side view of the front end side which shows the state in the middle of manufacture, (b) is the top view seen from the control blade side. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a) is a top view seen from the control blade side explaining application | coating of a electrically conductive agent, (b) is an enlarged side view of the front end side. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a)-(e) is an elevation view explaining the process of fixing a spring board member to a frame board member. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the control blade, (a) is a top view explaining the jig used when laser-welding a spring board member to a frame board member, (b) shows the state after the welding. It is a top view.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image recording device 11 ... Laser beam scanning device 12 ... Photosensitive drum 13 ... Charger 14 ... Developing cartridge 15 ... Developing rotary unit 16 ... Intermediate transfer belt 18 ... Fixing roller pair 20 ... Paper transport device 21 ... Paper cassette 24 ... Registration roller pair 29 ... Paper discharge table 31 ... Container 32 ... Development roller 32a ... Outer peripheral surface 33 ... Supply roller 36 ... Spring plate member 36a ... Base end Part 36b …… Tip 36c …… Intermediate part 36d …… Step part 36e …… Tip side 37 …… Regulating member 37a …… Tip edge 37b …… Plane 37c …… Adhesive surface 37d …… Tip 37e …… Back edge 37f …… Rear edge 40 …… Regulating blade 41 …… Frame plate 42 …… Double-sided tape 42a …… Core material 42b …… Adhesive layer 42e …… Lead edge 42c …… Peeling sheet 42d …… One side 43 …… Conductive agent 50 …… Tape jigs 51, 56 …… Place 52 …… Floating prism member 53 …… Side surface 54 …… Upper surface 54a …… Attachment area 54b …… Protrusion area 54c …… Wall surface 55 …… Regulator member jigs 56a, 57a …… Depression part 57 …… Holding member 61 …… Dispenser 65 …… Pressure welding jig 66 …… Irradiation hole L …… Laser beam S …… Gap T …… Stored toner W …… Welding point

Claims (5)

The electrostatic latent image on the surface of the carrier is developed with toner by a developing roller, and the toner image is transferred to a recording medium and fixed to be attached to an image forming apparatus. In the manufacturing method of the regulation blade that regulates the thickness of the toner to be constant,
A restricting member that extends in the axial direction of the developing roller and is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller to press the toner on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller so that the toner has a constant thickness. A plate-shaped biasing plate member disposed on the distal end side to hold the leading end side regulating member against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller, and a proximal end side of the biasing plate member. A support plate member fixedly attached to the apparatus main body side, and the restriction member fixing the biasing plate member to the support plate member by fixing the restriction member to the front end side of the biasing plate member. A method for manufacturing a blade, comprising:
Check the direction of bending in the longitudinal direction of the biasing plate member,
After fixing the regulating member to the leading end side of the concave side of the biasing plate member,
A method of manufacturing a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus, wherein the biasing plate member is brought into contact with a support plate member and welded so that the regulating member is positioned on a side to be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support plate member is prepared and prepared so as to bend toward a center side between both ends pivotally supported on the apparatus main body side of the developing roller. Manufacturing method of regulated blade. Check the direction of bending in the longitudinal direction of the support plate member,
When the biasing plate member is fixed on the back surface of the support plate member on the developing roller side, the concave surfaces of the support plate member and the biasing plate member are brought into contact with each other and welded. Item 3. A method for manufacturing a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus according to Item 2. Check the direction of bending in the longitudinal direction of the support plate member,
3. When the biasing plate member is fixed on the developing roller side of the support plate member, the convex surfaces of the support plate member and the biasing plate member are brought into contact with each other and welded. A method for producing a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   5. The method of manufacturing a regulating blade for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the urging plate member is fixed by laser welding to the support plate member.

Images