JP2007079247A - Lubricant applying device, image forming apparatus, and method of manufacturing apparatus with built-in image carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress unevenness in density of a formed image due to a lubricant film on the surface of a photoreceptor, which occurs for a certain time after starting use of an unused brush, as regards a lubricant applying device or the like which applies the lubricant to the surface of an image carrier employed in an electrophotographic system of a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The lubricant applying device includes; a brush 17 which has a brush fibers 1722 radially extended from a rotating shaft 1721 parallel to a center axis 110 and is rotated while the brush fibers 1722 are in into contact with an image carrier surface 11a; and a solid lubricant 171 to be scraped by the brush fibers 1722 of the brush 17. The brush 172 carries a powdery lubricant (s) on the brush fibers 1722 within a range from 0.0002g/cm<SP>2</SP>to 0.01g/cm<SP>2</SP>and applies the powdery lubricant (s) to the image carrier surface 11a and then applies the solid lubricant 171 there. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lubricant application device for applying a lubricant to the surface of an image carrier used in an electrophotographic system such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer, an image forming apparatus provided with the lubricant application device, and an image thereof The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a device with a built-in image carrier.

  In the electrophotographic system, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor by charging the surface of the photoconductor rotating around a central axis in a predetermined direction with a charger and irradiating the charged photoconductor surface with exposure light. The electrostatic latent image is developed with toner by a developing device to form a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor by a toner image formation cycle in which the toner image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor. The toner image thus formed on the surface of the photoconductor is transferred onto a predetermined transfer surface (recording medium or intermediate transfer body) and finally fixed on a recording medium such as paper, thereby being recorded on the recording medium. An image composed of a fixed toner image is formed.

  Foreign matter such as untransferred toner, external additive particles added to the toner, or discharge products generated during charging remain on the surface of the photoreceptor after the transfer to the predetermined transfer surface. Therefore, it is necessary to remove them by a cleaning means prior to the next toner image forming cycle.

  As a cleaning method for removing residuals such as untransferred toner, a method in which the tip edge portion of a plate-like cleaning blade is pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor is often used. In this method, the residue remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor is scraped off by the leading edge portion of the cleaning blade. At this time, rubbing occurs between the photosensitive member surface and the leading edge portion of the blade, and if this rubbing is not suitably maintained, the frictional force between the photosensitive member surface and the leading edge portion of the blade becomes too high, Wear on the surface of the photoreceptor is promoted more than necessary, and wear and chipping are generated at the leading edge portion of the blade, making it difficult to maintain good cleaning properties over a long period of time.

  Therefore, it has been proposed to form a lubricant film on the surface of the photoreceptor by scraping the solid lubricant with the brush fibers of a rotating brush and applying the scraped solid lubricant to the photoreceptor surface ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  By the way, immediately after starting to scrape off the solid lubricant with an unused (new) brush, it is difficult to uniformly apply the solid lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member. Uneven coating occurs. Here, it has been reported that density unevenness corresponding to lubricant application unevenness occurs in a formed image to which a toner image formed on a lubricant film is transferred. That is, a formed image in which a toner image formed where a lubricant is not applied is transferred and fixed, and a formed image in which a toner image formed where a lubricant is applied relatively well is transferred and fixed The density of the former formed image tends to be relatively low, and the density of the latter formed image tends to be relatively high. When both the formed images are partially mixed, the density unevenness becomes more conspicuous. End up. For this reason, there is a problem that density unevenness occurs in the formed image for a certain period after the start of using an unused brush.

In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is proposed that a solid lubricant is preliminarily included in a brush in order to prevent a coating amount of a solid lubricant from being reduced immediately after starting to use an unused solid lubricant. Yes.
JP 2000-338819 A

  If the technique described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is used, it may be possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of solid lubricant applied to the surface of the photoreceptor, but for some time after the use of an unused brush. The density unevenness of the formed image due to the lubricant film on the surface of the photoreceptor cannot be suppressed.

  The present invention relates to a lubricant application device capable of suppressing density unevenness of a formed image caused by a lubricant film on the surface of an image carrier, which occurs in a certain period of time after starting to use an unused brush, and lubricant application thereof It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus provided with the apparatus and a method of manufacturing an image carrier built-in apparatus incorporating the image carrier.

The lubricant application device of the present invention that solves the above-described object carries the toner image on the surface and circulates around the central axis, thereby transferring the toner image to the transfer area where the toner image is transferred to the transfer surface. In a lubricant application apparatus for applying a lubricant to the surface of an image carrier to be conveyed, the apparatus has brush fibers extending radially from a rotation axis parallel to the central axis, and the brush fibers are brought into contact with the surface of the image carrier. A brush that rotates in a state,
A solid lubricant scraped off by the brush fiber as the brush rotates,
The brush, the lubricant powder to the brush fibers carried within 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² or less in the range, to the image carrier surface, applying a lubricant to the powder Then, the solid lubricant is applied.

  The image carrier here may be a photoconductor that is uniformly charged and then exposed to light to form an electrostatic latent image, or the toner image is primarily transferred from the photoconductor to perform primary transfer. An intermediate transfer member that secondarily transfers the toner image to the recording medium may be used. That is, the lubricant application device of the present invention can be applied as a lubricant application device that applies a lubricant to the surface of a photoreceptor, or as a lubricant application device that applies a lubricant to the surface of an intermediate transfer member.

  According to the lubricant application device of the present invention, a powder lubricant is supported on the brush fiber within the above range from the beginning. Therefore, when the image carrier starts to circulate and the brush starts to rotate, first, the powder lubricant carried on the brush fibers is applied to the surface of the image carrier. The solid lubricant carried on the brush fibers adheres to the brush fibers in a waxy state, and the amount of adhesion tends to be non-uniform because of such a state. Since this lubricant is in the form of particles, it is uniformly supported on the brush fibers. Furthermore, the particulate powder lubricant is more easily applied to the surface of the image carrier than the solid lubricant in the state of wax, and the image carrier is first circulated once. The powder lubricant is evenly applied on the surface. For this reason, even if the solid lubricant scraped off by the brush fibers is applied to the surface of the image carrier uniformly on the surface of the image carrier, the uniform powder The body lubricant suppresses density unevenness in the formed image.

Here, if the powder lubricant carried on the brush fiber is less than 0.0002 g / cm ² , the amount of the powder lubricant is insufficient, and the lubricating effect on the surface of the image carrier is not exhibited. On the other hand, if the powder lubricant carried on the brush fiber exceeds 0.01 g / cm ² , the density of the formed image becomes too high, or the toner image is formed on the transfer surface of the image carrier. If a cleaning blade with the tip edge pressed against the surface after the toner is transferred is provided, the adhesion between the powder lubricant on the surface of the image carrier and the tip edge is increased. On the other hand, it causes melee in the tip edge portion. The amount of the powder lubricant referred to here is that the brush fiber planted in a unit area of 1 cm × 1 cm on the surface of the rotating shaft of the brush is placed in the suction pump with a glass microfiber filter in the middle. It is a measured value obtained by sucking with a connected suction tube and weighing the powder accumulated in the filter with a precision balance. The measured value is strictly the amount carried per unit area, but here the amount carried per unit area (g / cm ² ).

  Here, the solid lubricant may be one containing zinc stearate as a main component, and the brush carries a powder lubricant containing zinc stearate as a main component on the brush fiber. There may be.

Moreover, in the lubricant application device of the present invention, the brush is preferably one in which the brush fibers carry lubricant particles having a volume average particle diameter D50v of 20 μm or less,
The brush is more preferably one in which the brush fibers carry lubricant particles having a volume average particle diameter D50v of 1 μm or more.

  The volume average particle diameter D50v referred to here is the particle diameter at which the accumulation reaches 50% when the cumulative distribution is drawn from the smaller diameter side with respect to the particle size range (channel) divided based on the particle size distribution. It is. In the case of the lubricant particles having a volume average particle size D50v exceeding 20 μm, the lubricant particles are too large and the brush fibers are difficult to carry the lubricant particles, and the lubricant particles are not uniformly applied to the surface of the image carrier. End up. Furthermore, in the case of the lubricant particles having a volume average particle diameter D50v of less than 1 μm, the lubricant particles are too small to remain between the brush fibers. It will not be uniformly applied to the surface of the carrier.

  Furthermore, in the lubricant application device of the present invention, it is also a preferable aspect that the brush holds a powder lubricant between the brush fibers.

The powder lubricant is held between the brush fibers, so that the powder lubricant is suitably supported on the brush. Thus, in order to hold the powder lubricant between the brush fibers, for example, the brush has a thickness in the range of 17 μm to 85 μm and a length of 2.0 mm. The brush fibers in the range of 8.0 mm or less may be used in the range of 12000 / 645.16 mm ² or more and 100000 / 645.16 mm ² or less in fiber density.

  The brush may be one in which the powder lubricant is supported on the brush fiber by electrostatic force.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention that solves the above-described object charges the surface of the photosensitive member rotating in a predetermined direction around the central axis, and irradiates the charged photosensitive member surface with exposure light, thereby statically exposing the surface of the photosensitive member. An electrostatic latent image is formed, the electrostatic latent image is developed with toner to obtain a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor, and the toner image is transferred to a predetermined transfer surface and finally fixed on a recording medium. In an image forming apparatus for forming an image composed of a fixed toner image on the recording medium,
Scraping the residue remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member that has passed through the transfer region, and cleaning means pressed against the surface;
It has brush fibers extending radially from a rotation axis parallel to the central axis, and the brush fibers rotate in a state where the brush fibers are in contact with the surface on the upstream side of the photosensitive member rotation direction with respect to the cleaning means. Brush and
A solid lubricant scraped off by the brush fiber as the brush rotates,
The brush, the lubricant powder to the brush fibers carried within 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² or less of, to the photoreceptor surface was coated with a lubricant of the powder The solid lubricant is applied as described above.

  The surface to be transferred here may be a surface of the intermediate transfer member in contact with the surface of the image carrier or a recording surface of a recording medium.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, rubbing occurs between the surface of the photoreceptor and the pressure contact portion of the cleaning unit. However, since the lubricant coating apparatus of the present invention is provided, the rubbing is preferably performed. While maintaining, the density unevenness of the formed image due to the lubricant film on the surface of the photoreceptor, which is generated to some extent after the start of using the unused brush, is suppressed.

  Here, the cleaning means may be a cleaning blade in which a leading edge portion is brought into pressure contact with a surface of the photoreceptor after the toner image is transferred to the transfer surface.

The manufacturing method of the image carrier built-in device of the present invention that solves the above-described object is to carry the toner image on the surface and circulate around the central axis to transfer the toner image to the transfer surface. In the manufacturing method of the image carrier built-in device in which the image carrier for conveying the toner image is built in the housing,
It has brush fibers extending radially from a rotation axis parallel to the central axis, and the brush lubricant is rotated in a state of being in contact with the solid lubricant, so that the solid lubricant is scraped with the brush fibers and the image is Preparing a brush for applying a solid lubricant to the surface of the carrier; and
Above the brush fibers of the brush, the carrying step of carrying the powder of the lubricant within the 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² or less,
And a step of incorporating a brush in which a powder lubricant is supported on the brush fiber by the supporting step into the housing.

  The image carrier here may also be a photosensitive member that is charged uniformly and then exposed to form an electrostatic latent image, or the toner image is primarily transferred from the photosensitive member to be primarily transferred. An intermediate transfer member that secondarily transfers the toner image to a recording medium may be used. In addition, the method for manufacturing a device with a built-in image carrier according to the present invention includes an image forming apparatus that includes the above-described photoconductor, forms a toner image on the photoconductor, and finally fixes the toner image on a recording medium. In addition to a method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus with a built-in body, the present invention can also be applied to a method for manufacturing a so-called photoconductor unit in which the above-described photoconductor and the like are accommodated in one cartridge.

  According to the method for manufacturing an image carrier built-in device of the present invention, the image formed due to the lubricant film on the surface of the photoconductor, which occurs in a certain period after the use of the unused brush by having the above-described carrying process. An image forming apparatus capable of suppressing density unevenness is manufactured. Further, in the method of manufacturing an image carrier built-in device according to the present invention, since the carrying process is performed before the assembling process, there is an advantage that the inside of the housing is not soiled by the powder lubricant. is there.

  According to the present invention, a lubricant application device capable of suppressing unevenness in density of a formed image caused by a lubricant film on the surface of an image carrier, which is generated to some extent after starting to use an unused brush, and lubrication thereof It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus provided with an agent coating device, and a method for manufacturing an image carrier built-in apparatus incorporating the image carrier.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an image forming apparatus that employs a full-color tandem method, and uses four toner image forming units corresponding to four color toners of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively. Each toner image forming unit forms a toner image of each color in synchronization with the feeding of the intermediate transfer belt, and superimposes these toner images on an intermediate transfer belt as an intermediate medium (primary transfer), on the intermediate transfer belt The toner image superimposed on the toner image is transferred (secondary transfer) to a recording medium, and fixed.

  1 is supported by four toner image forming units 10, four primary transfer rolls 20, and three support rolls 31, and circulates in a counterclockwise direction in a casing 1a. A semiconductive intermediate transfer belt 30, a batch transfer device 40 that performs secondary transfer, and a fixing device 50 that fixes an unfixed toner image on a sheet are incorporated.

  The four toner image forming units 10 are arranged side by side in the circulation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 30, and each toner image forming unit 10 includes a drum-shaped photoconductor 11 that rotates clockwise. Each photoconductor 11 is formed by laminating an undercoat layer, a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer, and a protective layer on an Al substrate on a cylinder. The protective layer is a layer that becomes the outermost layer of the photoconductor 11, and the protective layer (the surface of the photoconductor 11) circulates around the rotation axis when the photoconductor 11 rotates around the rotation axis. To do. This protective layer is a high-strength surface layer containing a resin having a structural unit having a charge transport function and having a crosslinked structure. The surface of the photoreceptor 11 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 30. In a region where the intermediate transfer belt 30 is in contact with the surface of the photoconductor 11, a primary transfer roll 20 is provided so as to sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 30 with the photoconductor 11, and this region is a primary transfer region.

  Here, FIG. 2 will be used together with FIG. 1 to further explain the image forming apparatus of this embodiment.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one of the four toner image forming units shown in FIG. 1 in more detail than FIG.

  The toner image forming unit 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes a charger 12, an exposure device 13, a developing device 14, a cleaning device 15, and a static eliminator 16 in addition to the photoreceptor 11. FIG. 2 schematically shows the protective layer 111 that becomes the surface 11 a of the photoconductor 11.

  The charger 12 is a non-contact charging type corotron charger. A charging bias is applied to the charger 12. As the charger, a charger that employs a contact charging method including a charging roll that rotates in contact with the photoreceptor surface 11a or a blade-like charging member may be used. The exposure device 13 irradiates exposure light based on image information toward the photoreceptor surface 11a. The developing device 14 is disposed on the upstream side of the primary transfer region around the photoreceptor 11. The developing device 14 includes a toner container 141 that contains toner, and a developing roll 142 that carries the toner contained in the toner container 141 and rotates in contact with the surface 11a of the photoreceptor. The static eliminator 16 is disposed on the downstream side of the primary transfer region around the photoconductor 11, and neutralizes residual charges on the surface 11 a that has passed through the primary transfer region of the photoconductor 11.

  When image formation is performed in the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the surface 11 a of the photoconductor 11 is uniformly charged by a discharge phenomenon by the charger 12 and then exposed based on image information by the exposure device 13. Light is irradiated to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor surface 11a. Subsequently, toner is supplied from the developing roll 142 to the photoreceptor surface 11a on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, and the electrostatic latent image is developed with toner, so that a toner image is formed on the photoreceptor surface 11a. The toner image formed on the photoreceptor surface 11a moves from the photoreceptor surface 11a to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 30 in the primary transfer region. The toner images formed by the toner image forming units 10 become toner images that are overlapped on the intermediate transfer belt 30.

  The batch transfer device 40 includes a secondary transfer roll 41 disposed in pressure contact with the toner image carrying surface side of the intermediate transfer belt 30 and a backup roll 42 disposed on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 30. The intermediate transfer belt 30 is sandwiched between two rolls 41 and 42. A space between these two rolls 41 and 42 becomes a secondary transfer region.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a paper tray 60, and the paper P accommodated in the paper tray 60 is sent out from the paper tray 60 by the feed roll 61, and is secondary at a predetermined timing. It is sent to the transfer area. In the secondary transfer area, the toner images overlapped on the intermediate transfer belt 30 are transferred onto the fed paper P. The fixing device 50 includes a fixing roll 51 having a heating mechanism 511 and a pressure roll 52 provided so as to face the fixing roll 51. Between the fixing roll 51 and the pressure roll 52 facing each other, the paper P that has passed through the secondary transfer region is conveyed. The toner constituting the toner image on the paper P is melted by the heating mechanism 511 of the fixing roll 51 and fixed on the paper P.

  A belt cleaner 70 is provided on the downstream side of the batch transfer device 40. Residues such as residual toner that could not be transferred to the paper P exist on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 30 that has passed through the secondary transfer region. This residue is transferred by the belt cleaner 70 to the intermediate transfer belt 20. Removed from.

  Further, residual toner that could not be transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 30 in the primary transfer region also exists on the surface 11a of the photoconductor 11 shown in FIG. 2 that has passed through the primary transfer region. There are also discharge products and the like generated by the discharge phenomenon by the charger 12. A cleaning device 15 shown in FIG. 2 is a device for removing foreign matters such as residual toner and discharge products, and is located downstream of the primary transfer region in the photosensitive member rotation direction and more sensitive than the charger 12. It is deployed at a position upstream of the body rotation direction. The cleaning device 15 includes a cleaning blade 151 and a waste toner transport auger 152. The cleaning blade 151 has a rectangular shape that is long in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 (the direction in which the rotating shaft 110 of the photoconductor 11 extends). I will call it. The cleaning blade 151 is obtained by pressing the leading edge portion 1511 to the surface 11a of the photoreceptor. Residue remaining on the surface 11 a that has passed through the primary transfer region of the photoconductor 11 is scraped off by the leading edge portion 1511 of the cleaning blade 151 and conveyed outside the cleaning device 15 by the conveyance auger 152. The means for scraping the residue from the photoreceptor surface 11a is not limited to the cleaning blade 151.

  The cleaning device 15 also includes a lubricant application device 17. This lubricant application device 17 corresponds to an embodiment of the lubricant application device of the present invention. The lubricant application device 17 shown in FIG. 2 also includes a solid lubricant 171 and a lubricant supply brush 172. The solid lubricant 171 is in a block shape mainly composed of zinc stearate. Similarly to the cleaning blade 151, this solid lubricant 171 is also long in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 (the extending direction of the rotating shaft 110 of the photoconductor 11), and the lubricant supply brush by its own weight. 172. The lubricant supply brush 172 is disposed upstream of the cleaning blade 151 in the photoconductor rotation direction, and has brush fibers 1722 that extend radially from a rotation shaft 1721 parallel to the rotation shaft 110 of the photoconductor 11. The lubricant supply brush 172 rotates in a state where the brush fibers 1722 are in contact with the surface 11 a of the photoreceptor 11 upstream of the cleaning blade 151 in the photoreceptor rotation direction. That is, the lubricant supply brush 172 rotates counterclockwise (see the arrow R in the figure) while passing through the region in contact with the solid lubricant 171 and the region in contact with the photoreceptor surface 11a.

The lubricant supply brush 172 shown in FIG. 2 is an unused one that has not yet rotated, and the photoconductor 11 shown in FIG. 2 has not yet rotated. Brush fibers 1722 shown in FIG. 2 carries a lubricant powder composed mainly of zinc stearate in the range 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² less. For this reason, when the photosensitive member 11 starts rotating and the lubricant supply brush 172 also starts rotating, first, the powder lubricant carried on the brush fiber 1722 is applied to the photosensitive member surface 11a. The particulate powder lubricant is easily applied to the photoreceptor surface 11a, and the powder lubricant uniformly spreads on the photoreceptor surface during the first rotation of the photoreceptor 11. Although rubbing occurs between the photoreceptor surface 11a and the tip edge portion 1511 of the cleaning blade 151, since the powdered lubricant is uniformly placed on the photoreceptor surface 11a, the lubrication effect is uniformly exhibited. The rubbing is suitably maintained, and the wear and chipping of the leading edge portion 1511 are suppressed from the first rotation of the photoreceptor 11. However, if the powder lubricant is less than 0.0002 g / cm ² , the amount of the powder lubricant is insufficient, and the lubricating effect on the photoreceptor surface 11a is not exhibited. On the other hand, if the powder lubricant carried on the brush fiber 1722 exceeds 0.01 g / cm ² , the density of the formed image becomes too high, or the powder lubricant and cleaning on the photoreceptor surface 11 a are excessive. Adhesiveness with the leading edge portion 1511 of the blade 151 is increased, and on the contrary, the leading edge portion 1511 is caused to become messy. The loading amount of the powder lubricant here was determined as follows. First, other brush fibers 1722 are masked while leaving the brush fibers 1722 planted in a unit area of 1 cm × 1 cm on the surface 1721 a (see FIG. 4) of the rotating shaft 1721 of the lubricant supply brush 172. Subsequently, the brush fibers 1722 planted in the unit area are sucked with a suction tube connected to a suction pump. In the middle of the suction tube, a filter made of glass microfiber is interposed. The powder accumulated in this filter is weighed with a precision balance, and the weight of the powder is obtained as a supported amount per unit area. Strictly speaking, this is the carrying amount per unit area, but here it is the carrying amount per unit area (g / cm ² ).

  Here, a method until the cleaning device is incorporated into the housing 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. This method corresponds to an embodiment of a method for manufacturing an image carrier built-in device of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing steps until the cleaning device is assembled in the housing of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

First, in the preparation step, a lubricant supply brush 172 having brush fibers 1722 extending radially from the rotating shaft 1721 is prepared (step S1). Then, in the supporting step, the brush fibers 1722 of the lubricant supply brush 172 prepared in preparation step, supporting the powder lubricant within 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² or less in the range (step S2). In order to support the powder lubricant on the brush fiber 1722 of the lubricant supply brush 172, for example, a storage tank storing a powder lubricant mainly composed of zinc stearate is prepared, and the tip of the brush fiber 1722 is prepared. The lubricant supply brush 172 may be rotated in a state where about half of the powder is put in the powder lubricant in the storage tank. In this manner, the amount of powder lubricant supported by the brush fibers 1722 can be adjusted by changing the rotational speed of the lubricant supply brush 172. Note that the powder lubricant may be uniformly sprinkled from above while rotating the lubricant supply brush 172. Finally, an assembly process is performed (step S3). In this assembling process, first, a lubricant supply brush 172 in which powder lubricant is supported on brush fibers 1722 is attached to a frame 15a (see FIG. 2) of the cleaning device 15, and then the cleaning device 15 is image-formed. It is incorporated in the housing 1a of the apparatus. In this manner, by carrying out the supporting step before carrying out the assembling step, the charger 12 and the like provided in the casing 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 are not soiled by the powder lubricant. In the case of applying to a method of manufacturing a photoconductor unit in which the photoconductor 11, the charger 12 and the like are accommodated in one cartridge, a powder lubricant is supported on the brush fiber 1722 in the assembling step. The lubricant supply brush 172 may be incorporated into the cartridge (housing) of the photosensitive unit.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an enlarged brush fiber of the lubricant supply brush shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which brush fibers 1722 bundled at the roots every few are planted on the surface 1721a of the rotating shaft 1721. 4 shows a part of the lubricant supply brush 172. In the lubricant supply brush 172 in this embodiment, the brush fiber 1722 has 12,000 fibers / 645.16 mm on the surface 1721a of the rotating shaft 1721. ^The hair is planted within a fiber density range of ² or more and 100,000 / 645.16 mm ² or less. With the fiber density, the lubricant particles s are held between the brush fibers 1722 and the brush fibers 1722 as shown in FIG.

  The lubricant particles s shown in FIG. 4 have a volume average particle diameter D50v in the range of 1 μm to 20 μm. The volume average particle diameter D50v referred to here is the particle diameter at which the accumulation reaches 50% when the cumulative distribution is drawn from the smaller diameter side with respect to the particle size range (channel) divided based on the particle size distribution. It is. In the case of the lubricant particles having a volume average particle diameter D50v exceeding 20 μm, the lubricant particles are too large and it becomes difficult for the brush fibers 1722 to carry the lubricant particles, and the lubricant particles are not uniformly applied to the photoreceptor surface 11a. End up. On the other hand, in the lubricant particles having a volume average particle diameter D50v of less than 1 μm, the lubricant particles are too small to remain between the brush fibers 1722 and the brush fibers 1722. It will not be uniformly applied to the photoreceptor surface 11a. The lubricant particles s shown in FIG. 4 are held by being sandwiched between the brush fibers 1722 of the brush fibers 1722 and are also held by an electrostatic force.

  Further, one brush fiber 1722 shown in FIG. 4 has a thickness in the range of 17 μm (2 denier) to 85 μm (10 denier) and a length in the range of 2.0 mm to 8.0 mm. There is something. By using such brush fibers 1722, the lubricant particles s can be suitably held and applied to the photoreceptor surface 11a with certainty.

  When the lubricant supply brush 172 shown in FIG. 2 rotates, the solid lubricant 171 is scraped off by the brush fibers 1722, and the solid lubricant thus scraped is carried on the brush fibers 1722. The solid lubricant carried on the brush fibers 1722 of the lubricant supply brush 172 adheres to the brush fibers 1722 in a “wax-like” wax state, and in a region in contact with the photoreceptor surface 11a, It is applied onto a powdery lubricant that is uniformly placed on the body surface 11a. Here, even if the solid lubricant is applied to the powder lubricant somewhat unevenly, the uniform powder lubricant suppresses the occurrence of density unevenness in the formed image, and the lubrication effect is uniform. To be demonstrated. The solid lubricant applied on the powder lubricant is thinned and made uniform by the cleaning blade 151. When the lubricant supply brush 172 starts rotating several hundreds of times later, A uniform lubricant film of a solid lubricant is formed on the body surface 11a. Thereafter, a uniform lubricant film of a solid lubricant continues to be formed on the photoconductor surface 11a, and subsequently, the rubbing between the photoconductor surface 11a and the tip edge portion 1511 of the cleaning blade 151 is suitably maintained. It is.

The lubricant application device 17 for applying the lubricant to the photoreceptor surface 11a has been described above as an example. However, the lubricant application device of the present invention is a lubricant for applying the lubricant to the belt cleaner 70 shown in FIG. It can also be applied to an agent coating apparatus.
(Example)
EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated more concretely based on an Example and a comparative example, this invention is not limited to a following example at all.

Fuji Xerox Docu-Center C6550 adopting a full-color tandem system as a test machine is remodeled like the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and an unused solid lubricant made of zinc stearate and an unused lubricant. A supply brush was deployed. Here, as a preparation step shown in FIG. 3, a fiber density of 50000 present /645.16 ^2, the thickness of the brush fibers one is 25.5 (3 denier), length of the brush fibers one is An unused lubricant supply brush having a diameter of 3.0 mm is prepared. Then, in the supporting process, zinc stearate particles having a volume average particle diameter D50v of 6 μm are added to the brush fibers of the lubricant supply brush prepared in the preparation process. 01G / cm ² was loaded, at the end, in the embedded process, the toner image forming units of black, incorporating lubricant supply brush was supported zinc stearate particles. In the test, 300 halftone images were continuously collected using only the black toner image forming unit among the four toner image forming units. As a result, density unevenness due to the lubricant film did not occur in the formed image.
(Comparative example)
Except that the zinc stearate particles were not carried on the brush fibers, 300 halftone images were continuously collected under the same conditions as in the example. As a result, streaky density unevenness occurred in the rotation direction of the photoconductor after 10 consecutive sheets on the formed image.

  From these results, when an unused lubricant supply brush is used, a certain amount of zinc stearate particles are supported on the brush fiber, and a certain amount of time has elapsed since the start of using the unused lubricant supply brush. It was confirmed that the density unevenness of the formed image due to the lubricant film on the surface of the photoreceptor, which occurs in the meantime, can be suppressed.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one of the four toner image forming units shown in FIG. 1 in more detail than FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process until a cleaning device is incorporated in a housing of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which expands and shows typically the brush fiber of the lubricant supply brush shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 1a Case 10 Toner image forming unit 11 Photoreceptor 11a Surface 110 Rotating shaft 12 Charger 13 Exposure device 14 Developing device 15 Cleaning device 151 Cleaning blade 16 Charger 17 Lubricant coating device 171 Solid lubricant 172 Lubricant Supply brush 1721 Rotating shaft 1722 Brush fiber 20 Primary transfer roll 30 Intermediate transfer belt 40 Batch transfer device 50 Fixing device 60 Paper tray 70 Belt cleaner s Lubricant particles

Claims (3)

Lubrication by applying a lubricant to the surface of the image carrier that conveys the toner image to the transfer area where the toner image is transferred to the transfer surface by carrying the toner image on the surface and circulatingly moving around the central axis A brush fiber that radially extends from a rotation axis parallel to the central axis in the agent coating apparatus, and a brush that rotates in a state where the brush fiber is in contact with the surface of the image carrier;
A solid lubricant scraped off by the brush fiber as the brush rotates,
The brush, the lubricant powder to the brush fibers carries within 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² or less in the range, the surface of the image bearing member, coated with a lubricant the powder And then applying the solid lubricant. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor by charging the surface of the photoconductor rotating in a predetermined direction around the central axis and irradiating the charged photoconductor surface with exposure light. An image composed of a toner image fixed on the recording medium by developing with toner to obtain a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor, transferring the toner image to a predetermined transfer surface, and finally fixing the toner image on the recording medium. In an image forming apparatus for forming
Scraping residue remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member that has passed through the transfer region, and a cleaning means pressed against the surface;
It has brush fibers extending radially from a rotation axis parallel to the central axis, and rotates while the brush fibers are in contact with the surface of the photoreceptor upstream of the cleaning means in the rotational direction of the photoreceptor. Brush and
A solid lubricant scraped off by the brush fiber as the brush rotates,
The brush, the lubricant powder to the brush fibers carrying at 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² within the range, the photosensitive member surface was coated with a lubricant the powder An image forming apparatus, wherein the solid lubricant is applied above. An image carrier in which a toner image is carried on a surface and circulated around a central axis to convey the toner image to a transfer area where the toner image is transferred to a transfer surface. In the method of manufacturing a built-in device,
The brush fiber is radially extended from a rotation axis parallel to the central axis, and the image is obtained by scraping the solid lubricant with the brush fiber by rotating the brush fiber in contact with the solid lubricant. Preparing a brush for applying a solid lubricant to the surface of the carrier; and
The brush fibers of the brush, the carrying step of carrying the powder of the lubricant within the 0.0002 g / cm ² or more 0.01 g / cm ² or less,
A method of manufacturing a device with a built-in image carrier, comprising: incorporating a brush in which a powder lubricant is carried on the brush fiber by the carrying step.

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