JP2007114442A - Image carrier, lubricant molding, lubricant applicator, image forming apparatus and process cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image carrier which reduces thickness reduction of a lubricant film formed in a surface thereof due to charge hazards, and which does not deteriorate cleanability even when a small-particle-diameter spherical toner capable of achieving higher image quality is used. <P>SOLUTION: In the image carrier 1 having the lubricant film 1a formed on a surface of a photosensitive layer 1c carrying a latent image, the lubricant film 1a comprises a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles. The lubricant film 1a may comprise a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles and (C) at least one lubricative powder material selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, a fatty acid amide, a metal salt of a fatty acid and molybdenum disulfide. In the image carrier 1, a surface protective layer 1b having numerous concavities and convexities on a surface thereof is preferably disposed between the photosensitive layer 1c and the lubricant film 1a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image carrier having a lubricant film formed on the surface thereof, a lubricant molded product to be applied to the surface of the electrophotographic image carrier, and the lubricant molded product to an electrophotographic image. The present invention relates to a lubricant application device that applies to the surface of a carrier, an image forming apparatus that includes the lubricant application device, and a process cartridge that includes the lubricant application device.

  An image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process includes an image carrier, and charges the surface of the image carrier by charging, and the surface of the charged image carrier is exposed to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is visualized by supplying toner, the visible image on the surface of the formed photoreceptor is transferred to the surface of the transfer paper, and the visible image transferred to the surface of the transfer paper Is fixed and discharged. In such an image forming apparatus, deposits containing untransferred toner or the like remain on the surface of the image carrier after the transfer of the visible image, so these deposits do not adversely affect image formation. As described above, the surface of the image carrier is cleaned by the cleaning device and prepared for the next image forming process. As a cleaning device, a cleaning brush formed of an elastic body such as rubber or a fiber made of synthetic resin is rubbed against the surface of the image carrier to remove deposits such as untransferred toner. Is generally known.

  However, these cleaning blades and cleaning brushes wear with time if they continue to rub against the image carrier, and thus there is a problem that the cleaning performance deteriorates due to chipping or deformation. Further, since the surface of the image carrier is also worn, there is a problem that the life of the image carrier is shortened.

  In recent years, in image forming apparatuses using electrophotography, there has been a strong demand for image quality. In particular, in order to realize high-definition color image formation, toner particle size reduction and spheroidization have been promoted. Yes. When the toner particle size is reduced, the dot reproducibility is improved, and when the toner is made spherical, the developability and transferability can be improved. Such a toner having a reduced particle size and a spherical shape is very difficult to produce by a conventional kneading and pulverizing method, and thus is produced by a suspension polymerization method, an emulsion polymerization method, a dispersion polymerization method, or the like.

  However, when a toner having a spherical shape or a reduced particle size, that is, a so-called polymerized toner, is used for image formation, there are some problems in cleaning on the image carrier performed after image formation. As described above, the cleaning blade removes the toner while rubbing the surface of the photoconductor, but the edge portion of the cleaning blade is deformed due to the frictional resistance of the surface of the image carrier, so that the gap between the image carrier and the cleaning blade is changed. Produces a small space. Smaller particle size toner is more likely to enter this space. Then, the closer the spherical toner is to the spherical shape, the smaller the rolling frictional force, so that the toner rolls in the space between the image carrier and the cleaning blade, and passes through the cleaning blade, leading to a defective cleaning.

  Therefore, a lubricant is applied to the surface of the image carrier in order to reduce the frictional resistance acting between the image carrier and these cleaning members and eliminate problems such as wear of the cleaning member and the image carrier. Such a method is taken. As the lubricant, fatty acid metal salts such as zinc stearate have been used for a long time. In applying such a lubricant to the surface of the image carrier, the lubricant molded product formed into a rod shape is applied to the surface of the image carrier while scraping with a brush roller or the like, and then applied to the surface of the image carrier. The cleaning blade is brought into sliding contact to form a lubricant film.

  As such a technique, a technique for supplying a fatty acid metal salt such as zinc stearate to an image carrier via a charging roller (see Patent Document 1), and controlling the amount of lubricant applied A technique for supplying a lubricant to an image carrier via a brush (see Patent Document 2) has been proposed.

However, since the fatty acid metal salts used in these techniques are decomposed by the hazard during charging, there is a problem that the film of the lubricant film is reduced. For this reason, it is necessary to supply a large amount of lubricant to the surface of the image carrier. However, if a large amount of lubricant is supplied to the surface of the image carrier, problems such as toner filming occur. In addition, since a new lubricant is constantly provided on the surface of the image carrier, it is necessary to increase the size of the lubricant molded into a rod shape, which leads to an increase in cost. Further, such a lubricant molded product is manufactured by cast molding in which a molten fatty acid metal salt is filled in a mold, but since it is composed of a single component, the strength of the lubricant molded product is weak. Therefore, there has been a problem that the lubricant molded product is easily broken.
JP-A-6-342236 JP-A-8-202226 JP 2001-60414 A

  The present invention aims to solve this problem.

  That is, the present invention reduces the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image bearing member, and also reduces the cleaning performance even when using a small particle size, spherical toner that can achieve high image quality. The first object is to provide an image carrier that is not allowed to be applied, and the second object is to provide a high-strength lubricant molded product that is applied to the surface of the image carrier. It is a third object of the present invention to provide a lubricant application device that applies to the surface of the body, an image forming apparatus that includes the lubricant application device, and a process cartridge that includes the lubricant application device.

  Conventionally, zinc stearate is generally known as a lubricant applied to the surface of an image carrier, but zinc stearate has a C element concentration of zinc stearate as the charging time becomes longer. Along with the decrease, the O element concentration increased, and there was a problem that, for example, the remaining film thickness decreased to about 10% in a charging time of 18 seconds. In order to solve such problems, the present inventors evaluated the film reduction during charging from among lubricants having cleaning properties equivalent to those of fatty acid metal salts such as zinc stearate. For example, it is found that oxidation and decomposition due to a charging hazard hardly occur. For example, the remaining film thickness is about 40% in a charging time of 18 seconds, and the decomposition rate is 1/4 that of zinc stearate. It was. Therefore, the present inventors tried compression molding of melamine cyanurate, but it was found that melamine cyanurate alone could not be molded, and further experiments were conducted, and as a result of further experiments, melamine cyanurate was obtained using thermoplastic resin particles as a binder. Preferably, in addition to this, if it is a mixture containing a fluidity-imparting agent in order to impart fluidity to the mold, a lubricant molded product having a practical strength by compression molding melamine cyanurate And a small particle diameter, spherical toner that can reduce the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image carrier by the lubricant molding and achieve high image quality. It was found that the cleaning property was not deteriorated even when using (i.e., having a cleaning property equivalent to that of the fatty acid metal salt), and the present invention was completed. .

  That is, the invention described in claim 1 is an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image in order to achieve the above object, and the lubricant film comprises: An image carrier comprising a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles.

  The invention described in claim 2 is an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate and (B An image carrier characterized in that it is composed of a mixture of (a) thermoplastic resin particles and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent.

  The invention described in claim 3 is an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate and (B An image carrier comprising a mixture of (a) thermoplastic resin particles and (C) at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. Is the body.

  The invention described in claim 4 is an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, and the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate and (B ) Thermoplastic resin particles, (C) a lubricating powder material comprising at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide, and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent. And an image carrier characterized by comprising a mixture of

  The invention described in claim 5 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a surface protective layer is provided between the photosensitive layer and the lubricant film. The image carrier is characterized.

  The invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 5, the surface protective layer has a number of irregularities on the surface thereof.

  The invention described in claim 7 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%. It is a feature.

  The invention described in claim 8 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the volume average particle diameter of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is 1 to 10 μm. It is characterized by.

  The invention described in claim 9 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lubricant film contains carbon.

  The invention described in claim 10 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin is higher than the melting point or thermal softening point of the melamine cyanurate. Is also low.

  The invention described in claim 11 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the surface protective layer contains an inorganic filler.

  The invention described in claim 12 is a lubricant molded product comprising a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles.

  The invention described in claim 13 is a lubricant comprising a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent. It is a molded product.

  The invention described in claim 14 is at least one selected from (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, (C) polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide. A lubricant molded product comprising a mixture of a lubricating powder material made of a lubricating substance.

  The invention described in claim 15 is at least one selected from (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (C) polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide. A lubricant molded product comprising a mixture of a lubricating powder material made of a lubricating substance and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent.

  The invention described in claim 16 is the invention described in claim 14 or 15, wherein a melting point or thermal softening point of the lubricating powder material is higher than a melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin particles. It is characterized by this.

  The invention described in claim 17 is the invention described in any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%. It is a feature.

  The invention described in claim 18 is the invention described in any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the volume average particle size of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is 1 to 10 μm. It is characterized by.

  The invention described in claim 19 is the invention described in any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the thermoplastic resin has a melting point or thermal softening point higher than that of the melamine cyanurate. Is also low.

  The invention described in claim 20 is characterized in that, in the invention described in any one of claims 12-19, the lubricant molded product is compression-molded into a rod shape.

  The invention described in claim 21 is the invention described in claim 20, wherein the lubricant molded product is compression-molded into a rod shape at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin. It is a feature.

According to the twenty-second aspect of the present invention, the lubricant is supplied to the surface of the image carrier while contacting the lubricant molding and both the lubricant molding and the image carrier to scrape the lubricant molding. In a lubricant application device comprising a brush roller configured to form a lubricant application film,
The lubricant molded article is the lubricant molded article according to any one of claims 12 to 21.

  The invention described in claim 23 is the image carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the cartridge case for rotatably holding the image carrier, and the invention held by the cartridge case. A process cartridge comprising the lubricant application device according to Item 19.

  According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention described in the twenty-third aspect, the process cartridge includes a cleaning unit, and the lubricant is disposed upstream of the cleaning unit in the moving direction of the image carrier. A coating apparatus is provided.

  The invention described in claim 25 is the invention described in claim 24, characterized in that the cleaning means has a cleaning blade.

  According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, the process cartridge according to any one of the twenty-third to twenty-fifth aspects, a charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the image carrier, and the surface of the image carrier are exposed. An exposure unit that forms an electrostatic latent image, a developing unit that supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier to make a visible image, and a toner image on the surface of the image carrier. The image forming apparatus includes at least a transfer unit that transfers to the surface and a cleaning unit that cleans the surface of the image carrier after transfer.

  According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, in the twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, the lubricant applying device according to the twenty-first aspect is more downstream than the transfer unit in the moving direction of the image carrier and from the cleaning unit. Is also arranged at a position on the upstream side.

  The invention described in Item 28 is the invention described in Item 26 or 27, wherein the cleaning means has a cleaning blade.

  The invention described in claim 29 is the invention described in any one of claims 26-28, wherein the toner used in the developing means has a volume average particle diameter of 3-8 μm, and The ratio (Dv / Dn) between the volume average particle diameter (Dv) and the number average particle diameter (Dn) of the toner used in the developing means is 1.00 to 1.40.

  The invention described in item 30 is the invention described in any one of items 26-28, wherein the average circularity of the toner used in the developing unit is 0.93-1.00. It is characterized by.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) Since it is composed of a mixture of thermoplastic resin particles, a small particle capable of reducing the amount of film loss due to charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image carrier and achieving high image quality. It is possible to provide a low-cost image bearing member having high durability that does not deteriorate the cleaning property even when the diameter and spherical toner are used.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, and the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) Since it is composed of a mixture of thermoplastic resin particles and (D) fluidity-imparting agent, it reduces the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image carrier. In addition, it is possible to provide an image carrier having high durability that does not deteriorate the cleaning property even when a small particle size and spherical toner capable of achieving high image quality is used, at low cost.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, Since it is composed of a mixture of (B) thermoplastic resin particles and (C) at least one lubricating material selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide, an image carrier Image bearing that can reduce the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the toner, and that does not deteriorate the cleaning performance even when using a small particle size and spherical toner that can achieve high image quality The body can be provided at low cost.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, there is provided an image carrier in which a lubricant film is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles; (C) a lubricating powder material comprising at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide; and (D) fluidity. Since it is composed of a mixture with an imparting agent, it is possible to reduce the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image carrier, and to reduce the particle size, which can achieve high image quality, It is possible to provide an image carrier that can prevent the cleaning performance from being deteriorated even when a spherical toner is used.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, since the surface protective layer is provided between the photosensitive layer and the lubricant film, the surface of the photosensitive layer can be protected.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, since the surface protective layer has a large number of irregularities on the surface thereof, the adhesion between the lubricant film and the surface protective layer is increased. The amount of lubricant film scraped by the cleaning blade can be reduced.

  According to the invention described in claim 7, since the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%, the amount of the lubricant film is reduced and the melamine cyanurate is reduced. And compression molding of the thermoplastic resin particles.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, since the volume average particle diameter of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is 1 to 10 μm, a uniform lubricant film is formed and the shaft of the image carrier is formed. It is possible to ensure a cleanability with no unevenness in the direction.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the lubricant film contains carbon, it is possible to increase the strength of melamine cyanurate at the time of compression molding and to obtain a lubricant molded product that is difficult to break, and The apparent surface friction coefficient of the image bearing member can be lowered, and at the same time, the adhesive force between the lubricant film and the surface protective layer can be increased.

  According to the invention described in claim 10, since the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin is lower than the melting point or thermal softening point of the melamine cyanurate, the thermoplastic resin was melted by the thermoplastic resin. The part and the part which is not melted by the melamine cyanurate are mixed, and therefore, the solid lubricant can be easily cut and a uniform lubricant film can be obtained.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the surface protective layer contains an inorganic filler, it is possible to reduce wear due to friction between the cleaning blade and the image carrier.

  According to the invention described in claim 12, since it is composed of a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles, the amount of film loss due to charging hazard can be reduced. At the same time, the use of a small particle size and spherical toner that can achieve high image quality does not reduce the cleaning property, and the strength of the lubricant molding can be improved and the dimensional accuracy can be improved. A lubricant molded article that can be applied to the surface of the image carrier and can be provided at low cost.

  According to the invention described in claim 13, since it is composed of a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (D) fluidity-imparting agent, The amount of film reduction can be reduced, and even if a small particle size and spherical toner that can achieve high image quality can be used, the cleaning performance can be prevented from being lowered, and the strength is improved and the dimensional accuracy is improved. Thus, it is possible to provide a lubricant molded article suitable for application to the surface of the image bearing member at a low cost.

  According to the invention described in claim 14, at least selected from (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, (C) polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide. Since it is composed of a mixture of a lubricating powder material composed of one kind of lubricating substance, it is possible to reduce the amount of film loss due to charging hazard and to achieve a high image quality, and a small particle size, spherical toner Suitable for application to the surface of the image carrier, which can not reduce the cleaning property even if it is used, and can improve the strength of the lubricant molding and improve the dimensional accuracy. The lubricant molded product can be provided at a low cost.

  According to the invention described in claim 15, at least one selected from (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (C) polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. It is possible to reduce the amount of film loss due to a charging hazard composed of a mixture of a lubricating powder material of a kind of lubricating substance and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent, and to achieve high image quality. Even if a small particle size and spherical toner is used, the cleaning property cannot be lowered, the strength of the lubricant molding can be improved, and the dimensional accuracy can be improved. Lubricant moldings suitable for application can be provided at low cost.

  According to the invention described in claim 16, since the melting point or thermal softening point of the lubricating powder material is higher than the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin particles, it is easy to scrape and is not easily broken. It becomes.

  According to the invention described in claim 17, since the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%, the amount of the lubricant film is reduced and the melamine cyanurate is reduced. And compression molding of the thermoplastic resin particles.

  According to the invention described in claim 18, since the volume average particle diameter of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is 1 to 10 μm, a uniform lubricant film is formed and the shaft of the image carrier is formed. It is possible to ensure a cleanability with no unevenness in the direction.

  According to the invention described in claim 19, since the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin is lower than the melting point or thermal softening point of the melamine cyanurate, the thermoplastic resin was melted by the thermoplastic resin. The part and the part which is not melted by the melamine cyanurate are mixed, and therefore, the solid lubricant can be easily cut and a uniform lubricant film can be obtained.

  According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, since the lubricant molded product is compression-molded into a rod shape, it can be easily applied to the surface of the image carrier.

  According to the invention described in claim 21, since the lubricant molded product is compression-molded in a rod shape at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin, it is easy to scrape and is not easily broken. Become.

  According to the invention described in claim 22, the lubricant is applied to the surface of the image carrier while contacting the lubricant molded product and both the lubricant molded product and the image carrier to scrape the lubricant molded product. A lubricant application device comprising a brush roller that is supplied to form a lubricant coating film, wherein the lubricant molding is the lubricant molding according to any one of claims 12 to 21. Therefore, the lubricant can be continuously applied to the surface of the image carrier.

  According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, the image carrier according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, a cartridge case for rotatably holding the image carrier, and the cartridge case. In addition, since the process cartridge has the lubricant application device according to the twenty-first aspect, it is easy to replace these components, and therefore, the replacement time of the components can be shortened.

  According to the invention described in claim 24, the process cartridge includes a cleaning unit and the lubricant application device on the upstream side in the moving direction of the image carrier relative to the cleaning unit. A lubricant is applied to the surface of the image carrier after transfer to form a lubricant coating film, and then a lubricant film can be formed by sliding a cleaning means on the surface of the lubricant coating film. For this reason, uniform cleaning properties and charging hazard properties can be obtained, and therefore, the cleaning performance of the surface of the image carrier can be maintained for a longer period of time, and a higher quality image can be obtained.

  According to the invention described in claim 25, since the cleaning means has a cleaning blade, it is possible to easily supply a certain amount of lubricant over a long period of time without adding other parts for habituation. .

  According to the invention described in claim 26, the process cartridge according to any one of claims 23 to 25, the charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the image carrier, and the surface of the image carrier An exposure unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by exposure, a developing unit that supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier to make a visible image, and a toner image on the surface of the image carrier. Since the image forming apparatus includes at least a transfer unit that transfers to a transfer medium and a cleaning unit that cleans the surface of the image carrier after transfer, charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image carrier In addition to reducing the amount of film loss due to the toner, it is possible to obtain a highly durable image carrier that does not deteriorate the cleaning property even when a small particle size and spherical toner that can achieve high image quality is used. Can get

  According to the twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, the lubricant application device according to the twenty-second aspect is disposed at a position downstream of the transfer unit in the moving direction of the image carrier and upstream of the cleaning unit. Therefore, a lubricant is applied to the surface of the image carrier after the transfer to form a lubricant coating film, and then a lubricant film is formed by sliding a cleaning means on the surface of the lubricant coating film. As a result, uniform cleaning properties and charging hazard properties can be obtained, and therefore, the cleaning performance of the surface of the image carrier can be maintained over a long period of time to obtain a higher quality image. it can.

  According to the invention described in claim 28, since the cleaning means has a cleaning blade, it is possible to easily supply a constant amount of lubricant over a long period of time without adding other parts for habituation. .

  According to the invention described in claim 29, the volume average particle diameter of the toner used in the developing means is 3 to 8 μm, and the volume average particle diameter (Dv) of the toner used in the developing means is Since the ratio (Dv / Dn) to the number average particle diameter (Dn) is 1.00 to 1.40, the toner can be densely attached to the latent image and the toner charge amount distribution is As a result, the transfer rate becomes uniform and the transfer rate becomes high, so that a higher quality image can be obtained.

  According to the invention described in item 30, since the average circularity of the toner used in the developing means is 0.93 to 1.00, it becomes possible to finely fill the toner. Obtainable.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image carrier showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view of a lubricant molded article showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state where a lubricant molded product according to one embodiment of the present invention is molded with a compression molding die. FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a charging hazard application device. FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a method for measuring the bending strength of a lubricant molded product.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image carrier 1 of the present invention has a lubricant film 1a formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer 1c carrying a latent image. The lubricant film 1a is composed of a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles. Thus, when it is composed of a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles, 1) blade slippage is improved even when spherical toner with poor cleaning properties is used. As the cleaning property is improved, the durability is improved and a high-quality image is obtained, and 2) the amount of charging hazard is reduced and the supply amount of the lubricant is reduced. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of image abnormality due to filming of toner or lubricant on the surface, and it is possible to reduce the size of the lubricant molded product and reduce the cost.

  Therefore, the image bearing member 1 has a lubricant film 1a formed on the surface of the photosensitive layer 1c carrying the latent image, and the lubricant film 1a comprises (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) a thermoplastic resin. And a toner having a small particle diameter that can reduce the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant coating 1a formed on the surface of the image carrier 1 and achieve high image quality. It is possible to provide a low-cost image carrier 1 having high durability that does not deteriorate the cleaning performance even when using the.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the image carrier 1 of the present invention, a lubricant film 1a is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer 1c carrying a latent image. The lubricant film 1a is composed of a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent. Thus, the image bearing member having the lubricant film 1a formed on the surface of the photosensitive layer 1c bearing the latent image, the lubricant film 1a comprising (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplasticity. When composed of a mixture of resin particles and (D) fluidity-imparting agent, the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant film 1a formed on the surface of the image carrier 1 is reduced and high image quality is achieved. Therefore, it is possible to provide a low-cost image carrier 1 having high durability that does not deteriorate the cleaning performance even when a spherical toner having a small particle diameter that can be achieved is used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the image carrier 1 of the present invention, a lubricant film 1a is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer 1c carrying a latent image. The lubricant coating 1a comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, (C) at least one selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. It is composed of a mixture of a lubricating substance. Thus, the lubricant coating 1a is at least one selected from (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, (C) polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. When composed of a mixture of more than one type of lubricating substance, the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image carrier can be reduced, and high image quality can be achieved. It is possible to provide an image bearing member capable of preventing the cleaning performance from being deteriorated even when a small particle diameter and spherical toner is used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the image carrier 1 of the present invention, a lubricant film 1a is formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer 1c carrying a latent image. The lubricant coating 1a comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, (C) at least one selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. It is composed of a mixture of a lubricating powder material made of a lubricating substance and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent. Thus, the lubricant coating is at least one selected from (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, (C) polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. Reduction amount due to charging hazard of the lubricant film formed on the surface of the image bearing member when it is composed of a mixture of the lubricating powder material made of the above lubricating substance and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent In addition, it is possible to provide an image bearing member that can reduce the image quality and that does not deteriorate the cleaning property even when a small particle size and spherical toner that can achieve high image quality is used.

で示されるメラミンとイソシアヌル酸との２分子が配位して緩やかに結合した化合物で構成されているので、このような化合物の分子間がずれるとメラミンシアヌレート粉末に潤滑性が発現する。 The “melamine cyanurate” in (A) is a material that is powdery and known in the art as a flame retardant material (see Patent Document 3). This "melamine cyanurate" has the following general formula

Is composed of a compound in which two molecules of melamine and isocyanuric acid are coordinated and slowly bonded to each other, so that the melamine cyanurate powder exhibits lubricity when the molecules of such compounds are displaced.

  The “thermoplastic resin” constituting the “thermoplastic resin particle” in (B) is polyamide, polyol, polystyrene, polyester, polymethyl methacrylate, polybutyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl. Examples thereof include butyl butyral, polyacrylic acid resin, rosin, modified rosin, terpene resin, and phenol resin. These resins preferably represent 85-95% of the total lubricant molding. The thermoplastic resin particles can be used alone or as a mixture of two or more thereof.

  In the image carrier 1 of the present invention, a photosensitive layer 1c of an organic semiconductor, which is a photoconductive substance, is provided on the surface of an aluminum cylinder constituting a conductive support 1d having a diameter of about 30 to 100 mm. In addition to aluminum, a conductive metal such as an aluminum alloy, nickel, or stainless steel can be used for the conductive support 1d. In FIG. 1, the drum-shaped image carrier 1 is used, but a belt-like image carrier may be used. In the image carrier 1, the photosensitive layer 1c has a single-layer type in which the functions of the charge generation material and the charge transport material are integrated, and a two-layer configuration of the charge generation layer and the charge transport layer. A function separation type can be adopted. In a general function-separated type image carrier 1, a charge generation layer is provided directly on the conductive support 1d or via an undercoat layer (intermediate layer), and on this charge generation layer, A resin layer (charge transport layer) containing a charge transport material is provided. In particular, the use of a function-separated stacked organic image carrier increases the degree of freedom in sensitivity design. Therefore, the image carrier 1 is preferably a function-separated stacked organic image carrier.

  As the charge generation material of the charge generation layer in the function-separated image carrier 1, any of inorganic materials and organic materials can be used without limitation. Inorganic materials include crystalline selenium, amorphous selenium, selenium-tellurium, selenium-tellurium-halogen, selenium-arsenic compounds, amorphous silicon, and the like. In amorphous silicon, a dangling bond terminated with a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, or a boron atom or a phosphorus atom doped is preferably used. On the other hand, a known material can be used as the organic material. For example, phthalocyanine pigments such as metal phthalocyanine and metal-free phthalocyanine, azulenium salt pigments, squaric acid methine pigments, azo pigments having a carbazole skeleton, azo pigments having a triphenylamine skeleton, azo pigments having a diphenylamine skeleton, dibenzo An azo pigment having a thiophene skeleton, an azo pigment having a fluorenone skeleton, an azo pigment having an oxadiazol skeleton, an azo pigment having a bisstilbene skeleton, an azo pigment having a distyryl oxadiazol skeleton, and a distyrylcarbazole skeleton Azo pigments, perylene pigments, anthraquinone or polycyclic quinone pigments, quinoneimine pigments, diphenylmethane and triphenylmethane pigments, benzoquinone and naphthoquinone pigments, cyanine and azomethine pigments, Jigoido pigments, bisbenzimidazo - Le pigments, and the like. These charge generation materials can be used alone or as a mixture of two or more. The film thickness of the charge generation layer is preferably about 0.01 to 5 μm, and more preferably 0.05 to 2 μm. The thickness of the charge transport layer is preferably about 10 to 100 μm, but is about 10 to 30 μm when resolution is required.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the image carrier 1 of the present invention, a surface protective layer 1b is preferably provided between the photosensitive layer 1c and the lubricant film 1a. Thus, when the surface protective layer 1b is provided between the photosensitive layer 1c and the lubricant film 1a, the surface of the photosensitive layer 1c can be protected.

  The surface protective layer 1b has a large number of irregularities on its surface. The thickness of the surface protective layer 1b in the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 10 μm. Thus, when the surface protective layer 1b has a large number of irregularities on its surface, the adhesive force between the lubricant coating 1a and the surface protective layer 1b is increased. The amount of abrasion of the coating 1a can be reduced.

  The means for providing the surface of the surface protective layer 1b with an uneven shape is not particularly limited, and conventionally known methods can be applied. It is also possible to form an uneven shape on the surface protective layer 1b of the produced image carrier 1 or to form the surface protective layer 1b at the stage of laminating, for example, the surface of the produced image carrier 1 A method of directly abutting and rubbing an abrasive on the protective layer 1b, a method of abutting and rubbing abrasive particles indirectly on the surface protective layer 1b of the image carrier 1 using a blasting or polishing apparatus, Any method can be applied, such as a method of transferring a shape by pressing a mold having a concavo-convex shape onto the protective layer 1b, or a method of forming a concavo-convex shape when the surface protective layer 1b is applied to the image carrier 1. It is also possible. The abrasive to be brought into contact with the surface protective layer 1b is preferably a natural fiber, a chemical fiber, a glass fiber, a fiber such as a felt, a cloth, a paper such as a sandpaper, or a plastic such as a film. As long as the object of the present invention is not violated, any shape and material may be used as long as the surface of the surface protective layer 1b is formed with an uneven shape. The abrasive particles are preferably hard particles such as silica, alumina, diamond, cerium oxide, ceramics and glass, or polymer particles such as urethane, polyamide, polyolefin, polyimide, polyester and acrylic. Any shape and material can be used as long as the surface of the surface protective layer 1b is provided with a concavo-convex shape as long as it does not violate the above purpose. In addition, as the surface texture of the formed irregularities, melamine cyanurate has a maximum height roughness (Rz) of 10 nm <Rz <5000 nm, particularly 100 nm <Rz <1000 nm, in a measurement with an arbitrarily selected measurement length of 10 μm. From the viewpoints of uniform film formation and adhesion between the lubricant film 1a and the surface protective layer 1b.

  In the image carrier 1 of the present invention, the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is preferably 50 to 90%. Thus, since the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate with respect to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%, the amount of scraping of the lubricant film 1a is reduced, and the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles are reduced. Allows compression molding.

  In the image carrier 1 of the present invention, the volume average particle size of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is preferably 1 to 10 μm. Thus, when the volume average particle diameter of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is 1 to 10 μm, a uniform lubricant film 1a is formed and the image carrier 1 is cleaned evenly in the axial direction. Sex can be secured.

  In the image carrier 1 of the present invention, the lubricant film 1a contains carbon. Thus, when the lubricant film 1a contains carbon, it is possible to increase the strength of melamine cyanurate at the time of compression molding and to make a lubricant molded product that is hard to break, and to give an apparent image carrier. At the same time as reducing the surface friction coefficient of 1, the adhesion between the lubricant coating 1a and the surface protective layer 1b can be increased.

  In the image carrier 1 of the present invention, the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin is preferably lower than the melting point or thermal softening point of the melamine cyanurate. As described above, when the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin is lower than the melting point or thermal softening point of the melamine cyanurate, the melted portion by the thermoplastic resin and the melting by the melamine cyanurate are formed on the lubricant molding. The part which is not carried out is mixed, and therefore, the solid lubricant can be easily cut and the uniform lubricant film 1a can be obtained.

  In the image carrier 1 of the present invention, the surface protective layer 1b preferably contains an inorganic filler. As described above, when the surface protective layer 1b contains the inorganic filler, it is possible to reduce wear due to the friction between the cleaning blade and the image carrier. Examples of the inorganic filler include titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, magnesium oxide, and silica.

  And as FIG. 3 shows, the lubricant molding 3a of this invention is comprised with the mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particle. The lubricant molded product 3a preferably has a groove having an arcuate cross section. Thus, when the lubricant molding is composed of a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles, the amount of film loss due to charging hazard can be reduced, Even if a small particle size and spherical toner capable of achieving high image quality is used, the cleaning property can be prevented from being lowered, and the strength of the lubricant molded product 3a can be improved and the dimensional accuracy can be improved. Thus, it is possible to provide the lubricant molded product 3a suitable for being applied to the surface of the image carrier 1. Further, when the lubricant molded product 3a has a groove having an arcuate cross section, it is easy to scrape with a brush roller.

  Moreover, as FIG. 3 shows, the lubricant molding 3a of this invention is a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particle, and (D) fluidity | liquidity imparting agent. It consists of Thus, when it is composed of a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (D) fluidity-imparting agent, the amount of film loss due to charging hazard can be reduced. In addition, the use of a small particle size, spherical toner that can achieve high image quality does not reduce the cleaning performance, and also improves the strength of the lubricant molding and improves the dimensional accuracy. It is possible to provide a lubricant molded article 3a suitable for being applied to the surface of the body 1.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the lubricant molded product 3a of the present invention comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, (C) polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid. It is comprised with the mixture of the lubricating powder material which consists of at least 1 sort (s) of lubricating substance chosen from metal salt and molybdenum disulfide. Thus, it comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (C) at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. When composed of a mixture of lubricating powder materials, the amount of film loss due to charging hazard can be reduced, and the cleaning performance is reduced even when using a small particle size, spherical toner that can achieve high image quality. The lubricant molded product 3a suitable for application to the surface of the image carrier can be provided which can improve the strength of the lubricant molded product and improve the dimensional accuracy. can do.

  In the lubricant molded product 3a, the melting point or thermal softening point of the lubricating powder material is higher than the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin particles. Thus, when the melting point or thermal softening point of the lubricating powder material is higher than the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin particles, the lubricant molded product 3a is easily scraped and hardly broken.

The lubricating powder material comprising at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide in (C) is similar to the fatty acid metal salt and melamine cyanurate, Although it is a material with good cleaning properties, the film thickness of charging hazard is different. The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has a remaining film thickness of about 25% with a charging time of 18 seconds, and the degradation rate is slower than that of zinc stearate, but is not as stable as melamine cyanurate. PTFE is very expensive and increases costs in a single component system, but reduces costs when used in a mixture with melamine cyanurate. The fatty acid amides are, for example, the formula C ₁₇ H ₂₃ follows _{CONH 2, C 17 H 35 CONH} 2, C 21 H 41 CONH 2, C 21 H 43 CONH 2, C 21 H 43 CONHC 18 H 37, C 15 H It is shown as ₃₁ CONHC ₁₈ H ₃₅ . Since the fatty acid amide has a structure similar to a fatty acid metal salt such as zinc stearate, the fatty acid amide is susceptible to deterioration due to a charging hazard (the remaining film thickness is about 25% in a charging time of 18 seconds). However, since it is a material with a large particle size, the filling property to a metal mold | die may be improved. Molybdenum disulfide is also known as a lubricious material like PTFE, but its remaining film thickness is about 60% after a charging time of 18 seconds. The cost is increased in a single component system, but the cost is reduced when used in a mixture with melamine cyanurate.

  In addition, the “fluidity imparting agent” in the above (C) includes, for example, metal oxide fine particles such as silica, titanium oxide, alumina, and magnesium oxide, and hydrophobic groups on the surface of silica, titanium oxide, alumina, magnesium oxide, and the like. Powdered materials such as introduced modified metal oxide fine particles, calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, talc, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, graphite (carbon), carbon fluoride, barium titanate, and aluminum silicate. Such a fluidity-imparting agent is added in order to improve the filling property into a compression mold.

  In the lubricant molded product 3a, the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%. Thus, when the blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%, the amount of abrasion of the lubricant film is reduced, and the compression of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is reduced. Molding can be possible.

  Moreover, in the said lubricant molding 3a, the volume average particle diameter of the said melamine cyanurate and the said thermoplastic resin particle becomes like this. Preferably it is 1-10 micrometers. As described above, when the volume average particle diameter of the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles is 1 to 10 μm, a uniform lubricant film is formed, and cleaning performance without unevenness in the axial direction of the image carrier is achieved. Can be secured.

  In the lubricant molding 3a, the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin is preferably lower than the melting point or thermal softening point of the melamine cyanurate. As described above, when the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin is lower than the melting point or thermal softening point of the melamine cyanurate, the melted portion by the thermoplastic resin and the melting by the melamine cyanurate are formed on the lubricant molding. The part which is not carried out is mixed, Therefore, it is easy to cut a solid lubricant, and it can be set as a uniform lubricant film.

  In the lubricant molded product 3a, the lubricant molded product 3a is compression-molded into a rod shape. Thus, when the lubricant molding is compression-molded into a rod shape, it can be easily applied to the surface of the image carrier.

  In the lubricant molded product 3a, the lubricant molded product 3a is compression-molded into a rod shape at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point or thermal softening point of the thermoplastic resin. As described above, when the lubricant molded product 3a is compression-molded in a rod shape at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point or the heat softening point of the thermoplastic resin, the lubricant molded product 3a is easily scraped and is not easily broken.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lubricant application device 3 of the present invention is in contact with both the lubricant molded product 3a and the lubricant molded product 3a and the image carrier 1 while scraping the lubricant molded product 3a. A brush roller 3c that supplies a lubricant to the surface of the image carrier 1 to form a lubricant coating film. And the said lubricant molding 3a is a lubricant molding of any one of Claims 11-20. In FIG. 2, 3b is a compression member that urges the lubricant molded product 3a toward the brush roller 3c. The compression member 3b is, for example, a spring such as a compression spring or a leaf spring, and a compression spring is preferably used. The lubricant molding 3a is scraped off and consumed by the brush roller 3c, and the thickness thereof decreases with time. However, since the pressure is applied by the pressure member 3b, the lubricant molded product 3a is always in contact with the brush roller 3c. The brush roller 3c applies the lubricant scraped off to the image carrier 1 while rotating. Thus, when the lubricant molded product 3a is the lubricant molded product according to any one of claims 11 to 20, the lubricant can be continuously applied to the surface of the image carrier 1. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, the process cartridge 8 of the present invention includes an image carrier 1 according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a cartridge case that rotatably holds the image carrier 1. 7, and the lubricant application device 3 according to claim 21 held in the cartridge case 7. Thus, the image carrier 1 according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the cartridge case 7 that rotatably holds the image carrier 1, and the cartridge case 7 that is held by the cartridge case 7. If it has the lubricant application device 3 described in (1), the replacement operation of those components becomes easy, and therefore the replacement time of the components can be shortened.

  The process cartridge 8 includes a cleaning unit (cleaning device) 2 and the lubricant application device 3 on the upstream side of the cleaning unit (cleaning device) 2 in the moving direction of the image carrier 1. As described above, the process cartridge 8 includes the cleaning unit (cleaning device) 2, and the lubricant application device 3 is disposed upstream of the cleaning unit (cleaning device) 2 in the moving direction of the image carrier 1. If provided, a lubricant is applied to the surface of the image carrier 1 after the transfer to form a lubricant coating film, and then the cleaning means 2 is brought into sliding contact with the surface of the lubricant coating film so as to lubricate the lubricant. The coating 1 can be formed, and therefore, uniform cleaning properties and charging hazard properties can be obtained. Therefore, the cleaning performance of the surface of the image carrier 1 can be maintained for a longer period of time, and a higher quality image can be obtained. Can be obtained.

  The cleaning means (cleaning device) 2 has a cleaning blade 2a. Thus, when the cleaning means (cleaning device) 2 has the cleaning blade 2a, it is possible to easily supply a certain amount of lubricant over a long period of time without adding other parts for habituation. In FIG. 2, 2b is a toner recovery coil.

  The cleaning blade 2a is formed by forming an elastic body such as urethane elastomer, silicone elastomer, fluorine elastomer or the like into a plate shape, the edge of which is in contact with the surface of the image carrier 1, and the image carrier remaining after transfer. Toner and paper dust on the body 1 are removed. As a material constituting the cleaning blade 2a, urethane elastomer is particularly excellent in terms of wear resistance, high mechanical strength, and the like. Although not shown, the cleaning blade 2 a is attached to and supported by a support member made of metal, plastic, ceramic, or the like, and is installed at a predetermined angle with respect to the image carrier 1. Further, the cleaning blade 2 a comes into contact with the surface of the image carrier 1 with a predetermined contact pressure and a biting amount by being pressed by a spring or being fixed to the case of the cleaning means 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 of the present invention includes a process cartridge 8 according to any one of claims 22 to 24 and a charging unit that uniformly charges the surface of the image carrier 1. 4, exposure means (not shown) for exposing the surface of the image carrier 1 to form an electrostatic latent image, and supplying toner to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier 1 to make it visible Developing means 5 for imaging, transfer means 6 for transferring a toner image on the surface of the image carrier 1 to a transfer medium (not shown), and cleaning means (cleaning) for cleaning the surface of the image carrier 1 after transfer. Device) 2 at least.

  In this way, the process cartridge 8 according to any one of claims 22 to 24, the charging means 4 for uniformly charging the surface of the image carrier 1, and the surface of the image carrier 1 are exposed to static electricity. An exposure unit that forms an electrostatic latent image, a developing unit 5 that supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier 1 to visualize it, and a toner image on the surface of the image carrier 1 is transferred. When at least a transfer means 6 for transferring to a medium and a cleaning means (cleaning device) 2 for cleaning the surface of the image carrier 1 after the transfer are provided, the lubricant film 1a formed on the surface of the image carrier 1 In addition to reducing the amount of film loss due to the charging hazard, it is possible to obtain a highly durable image carrier 1 that does not deteriorate the cleaning performance even when using a small particle diameter, spherical toner that can achieve high image quality. To get high-quality images. That. The charging means 4 is preferably composed of a charging roller 4a and a charging cleaning roller 4b, and the developing means 5 is preferably composed of a developing sleeve 5a, a screw 5c and a doctor blade 5b, and The transfer means (transfer device) 6 is preferably composed of a transfer roller 6a and an intermediate transfer belt 6b.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the lubricant application device 3 according to claim 21 is downstream of the transfer means 6 in the moving direction of the image carrier 1 and upstream of the cleaning means (cleaning device) 2. It is arrange | positioned in the position which is a side. In this way, the lubricant application device 3 according to claim 21 is located downstream of the transfer means 6 in the moving direction of the image carrier 1 and upstream of the cleaning means (cleaning device) 2. If disposed, a lubricant is applied to the surface of the image carrier 1 after transfer to form a lubricant coating film 1a, and then a cleaning means (cleaning device) is formed on the surface of the lubricant coating film 1a. 2 can be brought into sliding contact with each other to form the lubricant film 1a. Therefore, uniform cleaning properties and charging hazard properties can be obtained, so that the cleaning performance of the surface of the image carrier 1 can be maintained over a long period of time. Thus, a higher quality image can be obtained.

  The cleaning means (cleaning device) 2 in the image forming apparatus of the present invention has a cleaning blade 2a. Thus, when the cleaning means (cleaning device) 2 has the cleaning blade 2a, it is possible to easily supply a certain amount of lubricant over a long period of time without adding other parts for habituation. In FIG. 2, 2b is a toner recovery coil.

  In the image forming apparatus 10 of the present invention, the volume average particle size of the toner used in the developing means (developing apparatus) 5 is preferably 3 to 8 μm, and is used in the developing means (developing apparatus) 5. The ratio (Dv / Dn) between the volume average particle diameter (Dv) and the number average particle diameter (Dn) of the toner is preferably 1.00 to 1.40.

  In general, when a toner having a small particle diameter is used in the developing means (developing apparatus) 5, the toner can be densely attached to the latent image. However, if the volume average particle size is less than 3 μm, when used as a two-component developer, the toner fuses to the surface of the magnetic carrier during long-term stirring in the developing means 5, so the charging ability of the magnetic carrier When used as a one-component developer, toner filming on the developing roller and toner fusion to a member such as a blade for thinning the toner are likely to occur. Conversely, if the volume average particle size of the toner exceeds 8 μm, it becomes difficult to obtain a high-resolution and high-quality image, and the toner particle size varies when the balance of the toner in the developer is performed. growing. Further, by narrowing the particle size distribution, the toner charge amount distribution becomes uniform, a high-quality image can be obtained, and the transfer rate can be increased. However, it is not preferable that Dv / Dn exceeds 1.40 because the charge amount distribution becomes wide and the resolution is lowered.

  Therefore, the volume average particle diameter of the toner used in the developing means (developing apparatus) 5 is 3 to 8 μm, and the volume average particle diameter (Dv) and the number average particle diameter (toner) of the toner used in the developing means 5 are When the ratio (Dv / Dn) to Dn) is 1.00 to 1.40, the toner can be densely attached to the latent image, and the toner charge amount distribution becomes uniform and the transfer rate is uniform. As a result, higher quality images can be obtained.

  In the image forming apparatus 10 of the present invention, the average circularity of the toner used in the developing unit (developing apparatus) 5 is preferably 0.93 to 1.00. As described above, when the average circularity of the toner used in the developing unit 5 is 0.93 to 1.00, fine packing is possible, and thus a higher quality image can be obtained.

Example 1
100 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate (lubricant) having an average particle size of 8.5 μm, 30 parts by weight of polyamide particles (binder) having an average particle size of 80 μm and a melting point of 115 ° C., and 1 part by weight of hydrophobic silica (fluidizer) Were mixed with a super mixer to obtain a compound. This compound is filled into a compression mold composed of an upper mold 11 and a lower mold 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and press-molded at a pressure of 200 kN, and the top as shown in FIG. 3 has an R shape. A rod-shaped object having a size of 7.7 mm × 7.8 mm × 310 mm was formed. And this rod-shaped object was heat-processed for 30 minutes at the temperature of 130 degreeC, and the rod-shaped lubricant molding was obtained.

(Example 2)
100 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate (lubricant) with an average particle diameter of 8.5 μm, 50 parts by weight of polytetrafluoroethylene (lubricant) with an average particle diameter of 6 μm, polyamide particles (binder) 45 with an average particle diameter of 80 μm and a melting point of 115 ° C. A rod-shaped lubricant molded product was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 1.5 parts by weight of hydrophobic silica (fluidity imparting agent) was mixed with a super mixer to obtain a compound.

(Example 3)
100 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate (lubricant) having an average particle diameter of 8.5 μm, 50 parts by weight of fatty acid amide (lubricant) represented by C ₁₇ H ₃₃ CONH ₂ having an average particle diameter of 6 μm, an average particle diameter of 80 μm, a melting point of 115 ° C. A rod-like lubricant in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 45 parts by weight of polyamide particles (binder) and 1.5 parts by weight of hydrophobic silica (flowability-imparting agent) were mixed with a super mixer to form a compound. A molded product was obtained.

Example 4
100 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate (lubricant) having an average particle diameter of 8.5 μm, 50 parts by weight of fatty acid amide (lubricant) represented by C ₁₇ H ₃₃ CONH ₂ having an average particle diameter of 6 μm, an average particle diameter of 80 μm, a melting point of 115 ° C. A rod-like lubricant in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 45 parts by weight of polyamide particles (binder) and 1.5 parts by weight of hydrophobic silica (flowability-imparting agent) were mixed with a super mixer to form a compound. A molded product was obtained.

(Comparative Example 1)
100 parts by weight of zinc stearate (lubricant) having an average particle size of 7.9 μm and a melting point of 123 ° C. is filled in a compression mold consisting of an upper mold 11 and a lower mold 12 as shown in FIG. 2 and compressed at a pressure of 200 kN. Molding was performed to obtain a rod-shaped lubricant molded product having a size of 7.7 mm × 7.8 mm × 310 mm having an R-shaped top as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 were measured by the following evaluation methods for (1) cleaning properties, (2) charging hazard, and (3) bending strength.

(1) Cleaning property The lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 were attached to a cleaning device in a digital copying machine (image Neo Neo C355, manufactured by Ricoh Co., Ltd.) (see FIG. 2). After coating the surface of the image carrier to form a lubricant coating film, a lubricant film is formed by sliding a cleaning means (cleaning blade) on the lubricant coating film to improve the cleaning performance of the lubricant film. evaluated. At that time, a toner having a volume average particle diameter of 6 μm and a ratio (Dv / Dn) of the volume average particle diameter (Dv) to the number average particle diameter (Dn) of 1.2 is used. The evaluation criteria are as follows by visual evaluation: Rank 5: No toner slippage is observed Rank 4: Toner slip-through is one Rank 3: Toner slip-through is 2 to 10 Rank 2: Toner The number of slipping out was 11 to 50. Rank 1: The toner slipping was recognized in all areas, but the ranking was performed in five stages.

(2) Amount of film loss due to charging hazard As shown in FIG. 5, after forming a lubricant film on the stage using the lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1, A voltage was applied to the lubricant film with a non-contact charging roller under the charging conditions of Vpp: 3.0 kV, Vdc: -600 V, F: 1.35 kHz, and charge integration time: 18 seconds. The amount of film loss, that is, the ratio (%) of the lubricant film after applying the charging voltage for 18 seconds to the film thickness of the lubricant film before the test was measured.

(3) Bending strength As shown in FIG. 6, the lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 were supported horizontally at two fulcrums, and a pressure wedge was used from the top in the center. The load (P) is applied, and the maximum load until the lubricant molded product breaks is read, and the following equation σfb = 3PLv / 2Wh ²
(In the formula, σfb is the bending strength (kgf / mm ² ), P is the maximum load (kgf), Lv is the distance between the fulcrums (mm), and W is the width (mm) of the test piece. And h is the thickness (mm) of the specimen.)
Was used to measure the bending strength (σfb).

  The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below.

(Example 5)
100 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate (lubricant) having an average particle size of 3.3 μm and 30 parts by weight of polyester particles (binder) having an average particle size of 6.5 μm and a melting point of 149 ° C. were mixed with a super mixer to form a compound. . This compound is filled into a compression mold composed of an upper mold 11 and a lower mold 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and press-molded at a pressure of 200 kN, and the top as shown in FIG. 3 has an R shape. A rod-shaped object having a size of 7 mm × 7.8 mm × 310 mm was formed. The rod-shaped product was heat treated at 135 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain a rod-shaped lubricant molded product. Next, a rubbing cloth made of natural fibers of cotton is rubbed twice directly on the surface of the image bearing member that does not contain an inorganic filler while changing the rubbing direction. After the surface protective layer having irregularities is provided on the surface of the image carrier, the lubricant molded product is lubricated as shown in FIG. 2 on the surface of the surface protective layer of the image carrier. A lubricant coating film was formed by coating using a lubricant coating device (see FIG. 1).

(Example 6)
An image carrier was obtained in the same manner as in Example 5 except that 25% by weight of alumina was contained in the surface protective layer provided on the surface of the image carrier.

(Example 7)
100 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate (lubricant) having an average particle size of 3.3 μm, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (lubricant) having an average particle size of 4.0 μm, and polyester having an average particle size of 6.5 μm and a melting point of 149 ° C. 30 parts by weight of system particles (binder) were mixed with a super mixer to obtain a compound. This compound is filled into a compression mold composed of an upper mold 11 and a lower mold 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and press-molded at a pressure of 200 kN, and the top as shown in FIG. 3 has an R shape. A rod-shaped object having a size of 7 mm × 7.8 mm × 310 mm was formed. The rod-shaped product was heat treated at 135 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain a rod-shaped lubricant molded product. Next, a rubbing cloth made of natural fibers of cotton is directly rubbed twice on the surface protective layer containing 25% by weight of alumina provided on the surface of the image carrier while changing the rubbing direction. FIG. 2 shows the lubricant molded product on the surface of the surface protective layer of the image carrier after the surface protective layer having the unevenness is formed on the surface of the image carrier. A lubricant coating film was formed by coating using a lubricant coating device (see FIG. 1).

(Example 8)
100 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate (lubricant) with an average particle size of 9.0 μm, 10 parts by weight of molybdenum disulfide (lubricant), and 30 parts by weight of polyamide particles (binder) with an average particle size of 4.2 μm and a melting point of 170 ° C. A lubricant coating film was formed in the same manner as in Example 5 except that a supermixer was used to prepare a compound.

(Comparative Example 2)
100 parts by weight of zinc stearate (lubricant) having an average particle size of 8.9 μm and a melting point of 123 ° C. is filled in a compression mold consisting of an upper mold 11 and a lower mold 12 as shown in FIG. 4 and compressed at a pressure of 200 kN. Molding was performed to obtain a rod-shaped lubricant molded product having a size of 7.7 mm × 7.8 mm × 310 mm having an R-shaped top as shown in FIG.

  As described above, (1) Evaluation of film loss due to charging hazard of lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 5 to 8 and Comparative Example 2, (2) Evaluation of bending strength of solid lubricant, (3) Evaluation of cleaning ID, and (4) The sharpness of the image was evaluated by the following evaluation method.

(1) Film loss due to charging hazard As shown in FIG. 5, after forming a lubricant film on the stage using the lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 5 to 8 and Comparative Example 2, A voltage was applied to the lubricant film with a non-contact charging roller under the charging conditions of Vpp: 3.0 kV, Vdc: -600 V, F: 1.35 kHz, and charge integration time: 18 seconds. The amount of film loss, that is, the ratio (%) of the lubricant film after applying the charging voltage for 18 seconds to the film thickness of the lubricant film before the test was measured.

(2) Bending strength of solid lubricant As shown in FIG. 6, the lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 5 to 8 and Comparative Example 2 were supported horizontally at two fulcrums and added to the center from above. A load (P) is applied using a pressure wedge, and the maximum load until the lubricant molded product breaks is read, and the following equation σfb = 3PLv / 2Wh ²
(In the formula, σfb is the bending strength (kgf / mm ² ), P is the maximum load (kgf), Lv is the distance between the fulcrums (mm), and W is the width (mm) of the test piece. And h is the thickness (mm) of the specimen.)
Was used to measure the bending strength (σfb).

(3) Cleaning ID
The lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 5 to 8 and Comparative Example 2 were attached to a cleaning device in a digital copying machine (image Neo Neo C355, manufactured by Ricoh Co., Ltd.) (see FIG. 2), and this was attached with a brush roller to the surface of the image carrier. After forming a lubricant coating film, a 5% density prescribed image is continuously formed on A4 size paper while a lubricant film is formed by sliding a cleaning means (cleaning blade) on the lubricant coating film. When 150,000 sheets were output, initial cleaning ID, 10,000 sheet cleaning ID, and 150,000 sheet cleaning ID were evaluated. At that time, a polymerized toner having an average circularity of 0.972 and a volume average particle diameter of 6.0 μm was used as the toner.

(4) Sharpness of image The lubricant moldings obtained in Examples 5 to 8 and Comparative Example 2 were attached to a cleaning device in a digital copying machine (image Neo Neo C355, manufactured by Ricoh Co., Ltd.) (see FIG. 2), and this was brushed After forming a lubricant coating film on the surface of the image carrier with a roller, a cleaning means (cleaning blade) is brought into sliding contact with the lubricant coating film to form a lubricant film. After 150,000 continuous images with a% density were output continuously, the sharpness of the output image was visually evaluated using a dedicated test chart. At that time, a polymerized toner having an average circularity of 0.972 and a volume average particle diameter of 6.0 μm was used as the toner.

  The measurement results are shown in Table 2 below.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an image carrier showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the lubricant molding which shows one embodiment of implementation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which shape | molded the lubricant molding which shows one embodiment of this invention with the compression molding die. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of a charging hazard application apparatus. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the bending strength measuring method of a lubricant molding.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image carrier 1a Lubricant film 2 Cleaning means (cleaning apparatus)
2a Cleaning blade 2b Toner recovery coil 3 Lubricant coating device 3a Lubricant molding 3b Compression member 3c Brush roller 4 Charging means 4a Charging roller 4b Charging cleaning roller 5 Developing means (developing device)
5a Development sleeve 5b Doctor blade 5c Screw 6 Transfer means (transfer device)
6a transfer roller 6b intermediate transfer belt 10 image forming apparatus

Claims (30)

  An image carrier having a lubricant film formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film is a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles. An image carrier characterized by comprising.   An image carrier having a lubricant film formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (D). An image carrier comprising a mixture of a fluidity-imparting agent.   An image carrier having a lubricant film formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (C). An image carrier comprising a mixture of a lubricating powder material comprising at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide.   An image carrier having a lubricant film formed on the surface of a photosensitive layer carrying a latent image, wherein the lubricant film comprises (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (C). It is composed of a mixture of a lubricating powder material made of at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt and molybdenum disulfide, and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent. An image carrier characterized by the above.   The image carrier according to claim 1, wherein a surface protective layer is provided between the photosensitive layer and the lubricant film.   The image bearing member according to claim 5, wherein the surface protective layer has a large number of irregularities on the surface thereof.   The image carrier according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein a blending ratio of the melamine cyanurate to the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 90%.   8. The image carrier according to any one of 1 to 7, wherein the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles have a volume average particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm.   9. The image carrier according to any one of 1 to 8, wherein the lubricant film contains carbon.   10. The image carrier according to any one of 1 to 9, wherein the thermoplastic resin has a melting point or heat softening point lower than that of the melamine cyanurate.   11. The image bearing member according to any one of 1 to 10, wherein the surface protective layer contains an inorganic filler.   A lubricant molded product comprising a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate and (B) thermoplastic resin particles.   A lubricant molded product comprising a mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent.   A mixture of (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (C) at least one lubricating powder material selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. A lubricant molded product comprising:   Lubricating powder comprising (A) melamine cyanurate, (B) thermoplastic resin particles, and (C) at least one lubricating substance selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty acid amide, fatty acid metal salt, and molybdenum disulfide. A lubricant molded product comprising a mixture of a material and (D) a fluidity-imparting agent.   The lubricant molded product according to claim 14 or 15, wherein a melting point or a heat softening point of the lubricating powder material is higher than a melting point or a heat softening point of the thermoplastic resin particles.   The compounding rate of the said melamine cyanurate with respect to the said thermoplastic resin particle is 50 to 90%, The lubricant molded product of any one of Claims 12-16 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The lubricant molded product according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the melamine cyanurate and the thermoplastic resin particles have a volume average particle diameter of 1 to 10 µm.   The lubricant molded product according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein a melting point or a heat softening point of the thermoplastic resin is lower than a melting point or a heat softening point of the melamine cyanurate.   The lubricant molded article according to any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein the lubricant molded article is compression-molded into a rod shape.   The lubricant molded article according to claim 20, wherein the lubricant molded article is compression-molded into a rod shape at a temperature equal to or higher than a melting point or a heat softening point of the thermoplastic resin. A lubricant coating is formed by supplying the lubricant to the surface of the image carrier while contacting the lubricant molding and the lubricant molding and the image carrier and scraping the lubricant molding. A lubricant application device comprising a brush roller,
The lubricant application device according to any one of claims 12 to 21, wherein the lubricant product is the lubricant product according to any one of claims 12 to 21.   The image carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a cartridge case for rotatably holding the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a lubricant application device according to claim 21 held by the cartridge case. And a process cartridge.   24. The process cartridge according to claim 23, wherein the process cartridge includes a cleaning unit, and further includes the lubricant application device upstream of the cleaning unit in the moving direction of the image carrier.   The process cartridge according to claim 24, wherein the cleaning means includes a cleaning blade.   26. The process cartridge according to claim 23, charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the image carrier, and exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing the surface of the image carrier. A developing means for supplying a toner to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier to make it visible, a transfer means for transferring the toner image on the surface of the image carrier to a transfer medium, and a post-transfer An image forming apparatus comprising at least cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the image carrier.   27. The lubricant application device according to claim 22, wherein the lubricant application device is disposed at a position downstream of the transfer means in the moving direction of the image carrier and upstream of the cleaning means. The image forming apparatus described in 1.   28. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade.   The volume average particle size of the toner used in the developing unit is 3 to 8 μm, and the ratio (Dv) of the volume average particle size (Dv) and the number average particle size (Dn) of the toner used in the developing unit. 29. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein / Dn) is 1.00 to 1.40.   29. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the toner used in the developing unit has an average circularity of 0.93 to 1.00.

Images