JP2007240970A - Fixing apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fixing apparatus capable of enhancing the durability of a peeling member and also improving the image quality of a fixed image, and to provide an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The fixing apparatus 90 includes a fixing roller 91 and a pressing roller 92 which are rotated in pressurized contact with each other. A toner image T is fixed to a recording material P by heating and pressing a recording medium P while the recording medium P carrying the toner image T is passed through. The fixing apparatus includes the peeling members 95 and 97 which are in contact with or in the vicinity of the fixing roller 91 and peeling off the recording medium P which passed between the fixing roller 91 and the pressing roller 92 from the fixing roller 91. The peeling members 95 and 97 include base material and a surface layer provided on a front surface side of the base material. At least one part of the surface layer is composed of a material containing fluorinated polyether-based high polymer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fixing device and an image forming apparatus.

  Image forming apparatuses such as printers, copying machines, and facsimiles that employ an electrophotographic system form an image made of toner on a recording medium such as paper by a series of processes of exposure, development, transfer, and fixing. Such an image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that fixes the toner image to the recording medium by heating and pressurizing the toner image formed of toner onto a recording medium such as paper that is carried in an unfixed state. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

For example, the fixing device according to Patent Document 1 includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller that are pressed against each other and a halogen heater that heats the fixing roller. By passing a recording medium through a nip formed by the pressure contact between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, the recording medium is heated and pressurized to record a toner image formed on the recording medium. Fix to media.
In the fixing device according to Patent Document 1, the recording medium after passing through the nip is peeled off from the fixing roller in contact with or close to the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium relative to the nip. A peeling member is provided. As a result, it is possible to prevent the recording medium after fixing from being wound around the fixing roller and staying in the fixing device to be jammed.

Conventionally, such a peeling member uses a resin sheet or a metal sheet as a base material, and a fluororesin layer such as PFA is formed on the base material surface by painting or pasting.
However, since the fluorine-based resin such as PFA is not sufficiently heat resistant, the surface layer of the peeling member according to Patent Document 1 as described above is easily deteriorated by heat from the fixing roller. The peeling member having a deteriorated surface layer may expose the substrate, damage the fixing roller, and cause image defects such as streaks. Further, since a fluorine-based resin such as PFA is not sufficiently releasable with respect to the toner, the toner easily adheres to the surface layer of the peeling member by contact with the toner image on the recording medium after passing through the nip. The peeling member having the toner adhered to the surface layer may cause image defects or jamming.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-184300

  An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing device and an image forming apparatus capable of improving the durability of a peeling member and improving the image quality of a fixed image.

Such an object is achieved by the present invention described below.
The fixing device of the present invention has a first rotating body and a second rotating body that are pressed against each other, and the recording medium is heated and passed while passing a recording medium carrying an unfixed image therebetween. A fixing device for fixing the unfixed image to the recording medium by applying pressure;
A peeling member that contacts or approaches the first rotating body and peels the recording medium that has passed between the first rotating body and the second rotating body from the first rotating body;
The peeling member has a base material and a surface layer provided on the surface side of the base material,
At least a part of the surface layer is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer.
Thereby, the durability of the peeling member can be improved and the image quality of the fixed image can be improved.

In the fixing device of the present invention, it is preferable that at least a portion of the surface layer that can contact the first rotating body and / or the recording medium is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer. .
As a result, the durability of the peeling member can be improved more reliably and the image quality of the fixed image can be improved.
In the fixing device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the peeling member extends along a rotation axis of the first rotating body.
Thereby, it is possible to more reliably prevent the recording medium from adhering to the first rotating body.

In the fixing device of the present invention, the base material is a plate-like member or a sheet-like member having elasticity, and the end edge or the vicinity thereof is arranged in contact with or close to the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body. It is preferable to be provided.
Thus, even when the peeling member is disposed so as to contact the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body, the peeling member follows the outer periphery of the first rotating body while elastically deforming, and It is possible to more reliably prevent the recording medium from adhering to one rotating body. In particular, since the surface layer configured to contain a fluorinated polyether polymer has excellent elasticity, even if the peeling member is elastically deformed, deterioration can be prevented.

In the fixing device of the present invention, the content of the fluorinated polyether polymer in the surface layer is preferably 60 wt% or more.
Thereby, the mold release property and durability of the surface layer can be further improved.
In the fixing device of the present invention, the fluorinated polyether polymer reacts a fluorinated polyether compound having a fluorinated alkyl ether structure and a plurality of alkenyl groups with a silicon compound having a plurality of SiH bonds. It is preferable that it is obtained.
Since an alkenyl group is present at the end of the fluorinated polyether polymer thus obtained, when the elastic layer is composed mainly of silicone rubber, for example, the silicone rubber and the fluorinated poly By reacting with the ether polymer, the adhesion between the substrate and the surface layer can be improved.

In the fixing device of the present invention, the total number of oxygen atoms in the fluorinated alkyl ether structure in the fluorinated polyether compound is preferably 1 to 450.
Such a fluorinated polyether compound having a fluorinated alkyl ether structure having a total number of oxygen atoms has an appropriate molecular weight. As a result, as will be described later, the viscosity of the composition used when forming the surface layer becomes appropriate, and the handling thereof becomes easy.

In the fixing device of the present invention, in the fluorinated polyether compound, the fluorinated alkyl ether structure is preferably branched.
The fluorinated polyether polymer obtained from the fluorinated polyether compound having such a structure has higher release properties and durability.
In the fixing device of the present invention, in the fluorinated polyether compound, the alkenyl group is preferably a vinyl group or an allyl group.
These alkenyl groups are preferred because of their particularly high reactivity with hydrosilyl groups.

In the fixing device of the present invention, it is preferable that the silicon compound has a hydrocarbon structure in which at least one hydrogen atom is substituted with a fluorine atom.
Thereby, compatibility of a silicon compound and a fluorinated polyether compound can be made extremely high.
In the fixing device of the present invention, it is preferable that the silicon compound has at least one ether bond.
The fluorinated polyether compound has a structure that is easily polarized by having a fluorine atom and an ether bond, but the silicon-based compound also contains a fluorine atom and further has an ether bond, thereby having a structure that is easily polarized. Become. As a result, these compatibility can be improved also from the viewpoint of electrical interaction.

In the fixing device of the present invention, the silicon compound preferably has 1 to 300 total carbon atoms.
Thereby, the compatibility of the silicon-based compound with the fluorinated polyether compound can be made sufficiently high.
In the fixing device of the present invention, the surface layer preferably has an average thickness of 1 to 1000 μm.
Thereby, the surface layer can sufficiently follow the deformation of the base material while improving the durability more reliably.
In the fixing device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the edge portion of the base material on the side in contact with or close to the first rotating body is rounded or chamfered.
Thereby, peeling of a coating layer can be prevented and the peeling member excellent in durability can be provided.

In the fixing device of the present invention, it is preferable to have an intermediate layer between the base material and the surface layer.
Thereby, the adhesiveness of a coating layer improves and the peeling prevention effect increases.
In the fixing device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the intermediate layer is made of a material including the constituent material of the surface layer.
Thereby, the adhesiveness of a coating layer improves further and the peeling prevention effect further increases.
In the fixing device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the intermediate layer is made of a material including a resin material constituting the surface layer and a binder.
Thereby, the adhesiveness of a coating layer improves further and the peeling prevention effect further increases.

The fixing device of the present invention preferably includes a heating unit that heats the first rotating body.
Accordingly, by performing the fixing process in a state where the unfixed image on the recording medium is on the first rotating body side, the unfixed image can be efficiently heated and an excellent fixed image can be obtained. In this case, the recording medium after fixing easily adheres to the first rotating body, but the peeling member can prevent the recording medium from being wound around the first rotating body.

In the fixing device of the present invention, the recording medium that is in contact with or close to the second rotating body and passes between the first rotating body and the second rotating body is peeled off from the second rotating body. The other peeling member has a base material and a surface layer provided on the surface side of the base material, and at least a part of the surface layer is a fluorinated polyether type. It is preferable that it is made of a material containing a polymer.
Thereby, for example, when image formation is performed on both surfaces of the recording medium, even if the recording medium after fixing is likely to adhere to the second rotating body, the other peeling member is not attached to the recording medium with respect to the second rotating body. Winding can be prevented.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by a series of image forming processes including processes of charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing,
The fixing device according to the present invention is provided.
Thereby, while having the outstanding durability, a high quality image can be obtained.

Preferred embodiments of a fixing device and an image forming apparatus having the same according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an overall configuration showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a preferred embodiment of a fixing device provided in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the entire configuration of the peeling member provided in the fixing device shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. It is a partial expanded sectional view for demonstrating the peeling member with which the fixing device was equipped.

≪Image forming device≫
Prior to the fixing device of the present invention, an image forming apparatus including the fixing device of the present invention will be briefly described.
An image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper or an OHP sheet by a series of image forming processes including exposure, development, transfer, and fixing. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 has a photosensitive member 20 that carries an electrostatic latent image and rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure. An exposure unit 40, a developing unit 50, a primary transfer roller 60, and a cleaning unit 75 are provided. In addition, the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a paper feed tray 82 for storing a recording medium P such as paper at the bottom in FIG. The next transfer roller 80 and the fixing device 90 are sequentially arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording medium P. Further, in the image forming apparatus 10, when an image is formed on both sides of a recording medium, the recording medium P fixed on one side by the fixing device 90 is reversed and returned to the secondary transfer roller 80. The conveyance part 88 is provided.

The photoconductor 20 has a cylindrical conductive substrate (not shown) and a photosensitive layer (not shown) formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and can rotate around the axis in the direction of the arrow in FIG. It has become.
The charging unit 30 is a device for uniformly charging the surface of the photoconductor 20 by corona charging or the like.
The exposure unit 40 receives image information from a host computer such as a personal computer (not shown), and irradiates a laser onto the uniformly charged photoconductor 20 to generate an electrostatic latent image. It is an apparatus to form.

  The developing unit 50 includes four developing devices, a black developing device 51, a magenta developing device 52, a cyan developing device 53, and a yellow developing device 54. These developing devices are converted into latent images on the photosensitive member 20. It is an apparatus that visualizes the latent image as a toner image, selectively used correspondingly. The black developing device 51 uses black (K) toner, the magenta developing device 52 uses magenta (M) toner, the cyan developing device 53 uses cyan (C) toner, and the yellow developing device 54 uses yellow (Y) toner.

  The YMCK developing unit 50 in the present embodiment is rotatable so that the above-described four developing devices 51, 52, 53, 54 are selectively opposed to the photoconductor 20. Specifically, in this YMCK developing unit 50, four developing devices 51, 52, 53, and 54 are respectively held by four holding portions 55a, 55b, 55c, and 55d of a holding body 55 that can rotate around a shaft 50a. The four developing devices 51, 52, 53, and 54 are selectively opposed to the photoconductor 20 while maintaining the relative positional relationship by the rotation of the holding body 55.

The intermediate transfer member 61 has an endless belt-like intermediate transfer belt 70, which is stretched by a driving roller 71, a driven roller 72, and a primary transfer roller 60, and is rotated by the rotation of the driving roller 71. 1 is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.
The primary transfer roller 60 is a device for transferring a single color toner image formed on the photoconductor 20 to the intermediate transfer belt 70.

  On the intermediate transfer belt 70, a toner image of at least one of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow is carried. For example, when a full-color image is formed, four color toner images of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow are sequentially formed. The toner images are transferred to form a full-color toner image. In the present embodiment, the drive roller 71 also functions as a backup roller for the secondary transfer roller 80 described later. Further, the primary transfer roller 60, the driving roller 71, and the driven roller 72 are supported by the base body 73.

The secondary transfer roller 80 is a device for transferring a single-color or full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 70 to a recording medium P such as paper, film, or cloth.
The fixing device 90 is a device for fusing the toner image to the recording medium P and fixing it as a permanent image by heating and pressing the recording medium P that has received the transfer of the toner image. The fixing device 90 will be described in detail later.

The cleaning unit 75 has a rubber cleaning blade 76 that contacts the surface of the photoconductor 20 between the primary transfer roller 60 and the charging unit 30, and the toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 70 by the primary transfer roller 60. Then, the toner remaining on the photoreceptor 20 is scraped off and removed by the cleaning blade 76.
The conveyance unit 88 reverses the front and back of the conveyance roller pair 88A and 88B for nipping and conveying the recording medium P fixed on one surface by the fixing device 90 and the conveyance medium pair 88A and 88B. And a conveyance path 88C for guiding the registration roller 86. As a result, when an image is formed on both sides of the recording medium, the recording medium P fixed on one side by the fixing device 90 is reversed and returned to the secondary transfer roller 80.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described.
First, in response to a command from a host computer (not shown), the photosensitive member 20, the developing roller (not shown) provided in the developing unit 50, and the intermediate transfer belt 70 start to rotate. The photoreceptor 20 is sequentially charged by the charging unit 30 while rotating.
The charged area of the photoconductor 20 reaches the exposure position as the photoconductor 20 rotates, and the exposure unit 40 forms a latent image corresponding to the image information of the first color, for example, yellow Y, in the area. .

The latent image formed on the photoconductor 20 reaches the development position as the photoconductor 20 rotates, and is developed with yellow toner by the yellow developing device 54. As a result, a yellow toner image is formed on the photoreceptor 20. At this time, in the YMCK developing unit 50, the yellow developing device 54 faces the photoconductor 20 at the developing position.
The yellow toner image formed on the photoconductor 20 reaches the primary transfer position (that is, the portion where the photoconductor 20 and the primary transfer roller 60 face each other) as the photoconductor 20 rotates. Transfer (primary transfer) is performed on the transfer belt 70. At this time, a primary transfer voltage (primary transfer bias) having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner is applied to the primary transfer roller 60. During this time, the secondary transfer roller 80 is separated from the intermediate transfer belt 70.

The same processing as described above is repeatedly executed for the second color, the third color, and the fourth color, so that the toner images of the respective colors corresponding to the respective image signals are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 70 in an overlapping manner. The As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 70.
On the other hand, the recording medium P is conveyed from the paper feed tray 82 to the secondary transfer roller 80 by the paper feed roller 84 and the registration roller 86.

  The full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 70 reaches the secondary transfer position (that is, the portion where the secondary transfer roller 80 and the driving roller 71 face each other) as the intermediate transfer belt 70 rotates, and the secondary transfer. The image is transferred (secondary transfer) to the recording medium P by the roller 80. At this time, the secondary transfer roller 80 is pressed against the intermediate transfer belt 70 and a secondary transfer voltage (secondary transfer bias) is applied.

The full-color toner image transferred to the recording medium P is heated and pressurized by the fixing device 90 and fused to the recording medium P. Thereafter, the recording medium P is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 10 by the discharge roller pair 87.
On the other hand, after the primary transfer position has elapsed, the toner adhering to the surface of the photoconductor 20 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 76 of the cleaning unit 75 to prepare for charging for forming the next latent image. The toner that has been scraped off is collected by a residual toner collecting section in the cleaning unit 75.

  In the case of forming an image on both sides of the recording medium, the recording medium P fixed on one side by the fixing device 90 is once sandwiched between the discharge roller pair 87, and then the discharge roller pair 87 is driven in reverse. By driving the conveyance roller pair 88A, 88B, the recording medium P is turned upside down through the conveyance path 88C and returned to the secondary transfer roller 80, and an image is printed on the other surface of the recording medium P by the same operation as described above. Form.

≪Fixing device≫
Here, the fixing device 90 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing device 90 heats the fixing roller 91 with a pair of fixing rollers (first rotating body) 91 and a pressure roller (second rotating body) 92 that rotate in contact with each other. Heater 93, a temperature detector 94 for detecting the temperature of the fixing roller 91, a peeling member 95 for peeling (separating) the recording medium after fixing from the fixing roller 91, and after fixing from the pressure roller 92. A separation member 97 for separating (separating) the recording medium, and a housing 96 for housing the fixing roller 91 and the pressure roller 92.

  The fixing device 90 is a recording medium that carries an unfixed toner image T (unfixed image) from below in FIG. 2 with respect to a nip portion N formed by pressure contact between the fixing roller 91 and the pressure roller 92. P is transported to the nip portion N, and the recording medium P is heated and pressurized to fix the toner image T to the recording medium P. In the present embodiment, the recording medium P conveyed to the nip portion N carries a toner image T on the fixing roller 91 side.

The fixing roller 91 has a cylindrical shape and is rotatable around its axis.
2 and 3, the fixing roller 91 includes a cylindrical or columnar metal base (core metal) 91A, an elastic layer 91B covering the outer peripheral surface of the base 91A, and an elastic layer 91B. And a release layer 91 </ b> C that covers both the outer peripheral surface and both end surfaces.
When such a fixing roller 91 is used, the elasticity of the elastic layer 91 </ b> B can increase the width of the nip portion N and exhibit excellent fixing properties.
The base 91A has a cylindrical shape, and is made of a metal such as iron, stainless steel, or aluminum alloy. An elastic layer 91B is formed so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 91A over the entire circumference.

  The constituent material of the elastic layer 91B is not particularly limited. For example, natural rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, acrylic rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, hydrin rubber, urethane rubber , Various rubber materials such as silicone rubber and fluoro rubber (especially those vulcanized), styrene, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, polybutadiene, trans polyisoprene, Various thermoplastic elastomers such as fluororubber-based and chlorinated polyethylene are listed, and one or more of these can be used in combination. Among these, as a constituent material of the elastic layer 91B, for example, silicone rubber, EPDM, fluorine rubber, or the like can be suitably used.

  The thickness of the elastic layer 91B is preferably smaller than the thickness of the elastic layer 92B of the pressure roller 91 described later. More specifically, the thickness of the elastic layer 91B is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 3 mm, and more preferably 0.5 to 1.5 mm. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, a nip portion N in which the pressure roller 92 side forms a concave curved surface can be reliably formed.

A release layer 91C is formed so as to cover the outer circumferential surface of such an elastic layer 91B over the entire circumference.
In addition, the thickness of the release layer 91C is preferably 10 to 80 μm, and more preferably 20 to 50 μm. Thereby, the elasticity of the elastic layer 91B can be sufficiently exhibited while maintaining the strength required for the release layer 91C.
Moreover, as a constituent material of the release layer 91C, for example, PTFE, PFA, or the like can be suitably used.

In such an internal space of the fixing roller 91, a heater 93 such as a halogen heater is disposed.
Further, a temperature detector 94 such as a thermistor is provided in contact with or close to the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 91. Based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector 94, the driving of the heater 93 described above is controlled by a control unit (not shown) so that the outer surface of the fixing roller 91 becomes the target temperature.

The pressure roller 92 has a cylindrical shape or a columnar shape, is rotatable about its axis, and is in pressure contact with the fixing roller 91.
2 and 3, the pressure roller 92 includes a columnar metal base (core metal) 92A, an elastic layer 92B covering the outer peripheral surface of the base 92A, and an outer periphery of the elastic layer 92B. And a release layer 92C covering the surface.
The housing 96 that accommodates the fixing roller 91 and the pressure roller 92 as described above supports the fixing roller 91 and the pressure roller 92 in a rotatable manner, and has peeling members 95 and 97 attached thereto.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the peeling member 95 contacts (contacts or presses) the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 91, and peels the recording medium P that has passed through the nip portion N from the fixing roller 91. The peeling member 97 is close to the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roller 92 and peels the recording medium P that has passed through the nip portion N from the pressure roller 92. Note that the peeling member 95 may be close to the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 91, and the peeling member 97 may eat away on the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roller 92. Hereinafter, the peeling member 95 will be described in detail as a representative.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the peeling member 95 is supported by a support member 96 </ b> A bent in an L shape. The support member 96A is attached to the housing 96 described above.
More specifically, the peeling member 95 has a band shape, and one end portion (base end portion) of the both end portions in the width direction is fixed to the support member 96A, and the other end portion (tip end portion) is a free end. It has become. The edge of the free end is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 91 such that the edge of the free end faces the upstream side in the rotation direction of the fixing roller 91. Further, the strip-shaped peeling member 95 extends so that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the fixing roller 91.
As shown in FIG. 5, such a peeling member 95 has a base material 95 </ b> A and a surface layer 95 </ b> B formed so as to cover the outer surface thereof.

  The constituent material of the base material 95A is not particularly limited. For example, various metal materials such as metals such as nickel, aluminum, iron, copper and alloys containing at least one of these (for example, stainless steel), polyethylene terephthalate, and the like And various resin materials such as polyester, polyimide, polyamide, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacetal, and polyether ether ketone, and various ceramic materials thereof. According to these materials, sufficient strength and durability can be obtained for the base material 95A. Among these materials, when stainless steel is used, the mechanical stability (shape stability) of the peeling member can be made particularly excellent while ensuring sufficient formability. Relatively hard resin materials such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyacetal, and polyether ether ketone are also preferable because they are lightweight, have high strength, and have heat resistance. Further, when a resin material is used for the base material 95A, the adhesiveness with the surface layer 95B is excellent, which is also preferable in this respect.

  In addition, the thickness (plate thickness) of the base material 95A is not particularly limited, but the thickness D in the vicinity of the edge portion 951A (the tip of the base material 95A: the right end in FIG. 5) is about 0.1 to 1.0 mm. It is preferable that it is about 0.1 to 0.3 mm. This is because when the thickness D is in such a range, sufficient adhesion of the surface layer 95B can be secured while achieving both sufficient strength and light weight.

  Further, the base material 95A may be any material as long as its constituent materials and surface properties are advantageous for adhesion to the surface layer 95B, but even in such a case, the surface of the base material 95A is subjected to surface treatment such as roughening treatment. By being applied, adhesiveness with the surface layer 95B can be improved. Surface roughening methods include physical methods such as shot blasting, sand blasting, liquid blasting, etc., polishing methods, cleaning treatments such as alkali cleaning, acid cleaning, organic solvent cleaning, and chemical processing such as etching processing. A method is mentioned. You may combine a physical method and a chemical method suitably.

  The surface roughness Ra in the vicinity of the edge portion 951A of the substrate 95A is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.03 to 1.5 μm, more preferably 0.05 to 1.3 μm, and 0.08. More preferably, it is -1.2 micrometers. When the surface roughness Ra is a value within the above range, the adhesion of the surface layer 95B to the edge portion 951A of the base material 95A is further improved, and the peeling prevention effect of the surface layer 95B is more remarkably exhibited.

Further, the surface roughness Rz in the vicinity of the edge portion 951A of the base material 95A is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.8 to 15 μm, more preferably 1 to 14 μm, and 2.5 to 13 μm. Is more preferable. When the surface roughness Rz is a value within the above range, the adhesion of the surface layer 95B to the edge portion 951A of the base material 95A is further improved, and the peeling prevention effect of the surface layer 95B is more remarkably exhibited.
The edge portion 951A of the base material 95A preferably has both the surface roughness Ra and the surface roughness Rz within the above ranges. This is because, as compared with the case where only one of the surface roughness Ra and the surface roughness Rz is within the above range, the durability of the surface layer 95B for preventing peeling is excellent, and the durability is further improved.

The surface layer 95B formed on such a base material 95A is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer. Such a fluorinated polyether polymer has a property (low affinity) peculiar to a fluorine atom, so that the releasability of the toner image on the recording medium P and durability against contact with the fixing roller 91 are improved. Excellent.
More specifically, the peeling member 95 having such a surface layer 95B prevents the molten toner from adhering to the fixing roller 91, and effectively prevents a recording medium such as paper from being wound around the fixing roller 91. Can be prevented. Further, the abrasion resistance of the surface layer 95B and the adhesion between the base material 95A and the surface layer 95B are excellent, and stable characteristics can be exhibited over a long period (excellent durability). Further, since the surface layer 95B as described above has excellent lubricity (slidability), it is formed on the recording medium even when it comes into contact with the toner fixed on the recording medium (toner in a high temperature state). It is possible to effectively prevent the printed portion from being adversely affected. Further, it is possible to effectively prevent the fixing roller 91 from being damaged by the contact of the peeling member 95 with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 91.

Further, the surface layer 95B made of such a material has excellent elasticity in addition to high adhesion to the base material 95A, and therefore follows the deformation of the base material 95A. Therefore, peeling from the base material 95A can be prevented over a long period of time.
The effect described above can be obtained if at least a part of the surface layer 95B is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer.

Further, it is preferable that at least a portion of the surface layer 95B that can come into contact with the fixing roller 91 and / or the recording medium P is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer. As a result, the durability of the peeling member 95 can be improved more reliably and the image quality of the fixed image can be improved.
Further, since the peeling member 95 extends along the rotation axis of the fixing roller 91, it is possible to more reliably prevent the recording medium from adhering to the fixing roller 91.

  Further, the base material 95A is a plate-like member or a sheet-like member having elasticity, and is disposed so that the edge or the vicinity thereof is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 91. By following the outer periphery of the fixing roller 91 while elastically deforming, it is possible to more reliably prevent the recording medium from being attached to the fixing roller 91. In particular, since the surface layer 95B configured to include a fluorinated polyether polymer has excellent elasticity, even if the peeling member 95 is elastically deformed, deterioration can be prevented.

  This fluorinated polyether polymer is a polymer obtained by reacting a fluorinated polyether compound having a fluorinated alkyl ether structure and a plurality of alkenyl groups with a silicon compound having a plurality of SiH bonds. Are preferably used. Since an alkenyl group is present at the terminal of the fluorinated polyether polymer thus obtained, when the base material 95A is composed mainly of a silicone resin, for example, the silicone resin and the fluorinated polymer By causing the polyether polymer to react, it is possible to further improve the adhesion between the base material 95A and the surface layer 95B.

Hereinafter, each of the fluorinated polyether compound and the silicon compound will be described in detail.
<Fluorinated polyether compound>
This fluorinated polyether compound is a compound having a fluorinated alkyl ether structure (main chain) and a plurality of alkenyl groups.

Examples of the fluorinated alkyl ether structure include various structures, and a structure represented by the following general formula (I) is preferable.
_{- (CF (CF 3))} a (OCF 2 CF (CF 3)) b (O) c (CF 2) d O (CF (CF 3) CF 2 O) e (CF (CF 3)) f - · .. (I)
[Wherein, a, c and f are each 0 or 1, b and e are each an integer of 0 to 200, and d is an integer of 2 to 6. ]

Examples of various structures, for _{example, -CF 2 O -, - CF} 2 CF 2 O -, - CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 O -, - CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 O -, - CF 2 CF ₂ CF ₂ CF ₂ CF ₂ O—, —CF ₂ CF ₂ CF ₂ CF ₂ CF ₂ CF ₂ O—, —CF ₂ CF (CF ₃ ) O—, —CF ₂ CF ₂ CF (CF ₃ ) O— _{, -C (CF 3) 2 O} -, - CF (CF 3) (OCF 2 CF (CF 3)) b OCF 2 CF 2 O (CF (CF 3) CF 2 O) e CF (CF 3) - , etc. Is mentioned.

Among these, the fluorinated alkyl ether structure preferably includes a CF ₂ CF (CF ₃ ) O structure, that is, a branched one. The fluorinated polyether polymer obtained from the fluorinated polyether compound having such a structure has higher release properties and durability (particularly heat resistance).
Further, the total number of oxygen atoms in the fluorinated alkyl ether structure is preferably about 1 to 450, more preferably about 5 to 300. Such a fluorinated polyether compound having a fluorinated alkyl ether structure having a total number of oxygen atoms has an appropriate molecular weight. As a result, as will be described later, the viscosity of the composition used when forming the surface layer 95B becomes moderate, and the handling becomes easy.

Examples of the alkenyl group include vinyl group, allyl group, 1-propenyl group, isopropenyl group, 2-butenyl group, 1,3-butadienyl group, 2-pentenyl group, 2-hexenyl group, cyclopropenyl group, and cyclopentenyl. Group, cyclohexenyl group and the like, among which vinyl group or allyl group is preferable. These alkenyl groups are preferred because of their particularly high reactivity with hydrosilyl groups.
The alkenyl group may be directly bonded to the fluorinated alkyl ether structure of the main chain, but may be bonded through various divalent linking groups.

Such divalent linking group, _{e.g., -CH 2 -, - CH 2} O -, - CH 2 NHCO -, - CH 2 N (CH 3) CO -, - CH 2 N (C 6 H 5) CO _{-, - CH 2 N (CH} 2 CHCH 2) CO -, - Si (CH 3) 2 (C 6 H 4) NHCO -, - Si (CH 3) 2 (C 6 H 4) N (CH 3) CO _{-, - Si (CH 3)} 2 (C 6 H 4) N (C 6 H 5) CO -, - Si (CH 3) 2 (C 6 H 4) N (CH 2 CHCH 2) CO- or the like include It is done. Among these, inclusion of a benzene ring is preferable because the heat resistance of the resulting fluorinated polyether polymer can be improved.

Further, the fluorinated polyether compound as described above may be used as a monomer by oligomerization (or prepolymerization) in advance using a polymerization agent (crosslinking agent) as a monomer. By setting the degree of polymerization (molecular weight), the viscosity of the composition used when forming the surface layer 91C can be adjusted.
Examples of such a polymerization agent include compounds having two hydrosilyl groups, compounds having two vinyl groups (acryloyl groups), compounds having two epoxy groups, and the like.
The fluorinated polyether compound (or polymer) to be used preferably has a weight average molecular weight of about 400 to 100,000, more preferably about 1,000 to 50,000.

<Silicon compounds>
A silicon compound is a compound having a plurality of SiH bonds (hydrosilyl groups).
The silicon-based compound may have two SiH bonds, but preferably has three or more. As a result, when the fluorinated polyether compound and the silicon compound are reacted, the resulting fluorinated polyether polymer forms a three-dimensional network structure. As a result, the surface layer 95B has a mechanical structure. The mechanical strength is further improved.

  Moreover, as this silicon compound, a compound having high compatibility (affinity) with the fluorinated polyether compound is preferable. By using such a silicon compound, the silicon compound and the fluorinated polyether compound can be uniformly mixed in the composition used for forming the surface layer 95B. For this reason, these compounds can be uniformly reacted in each part of the surface layer 95B, and as a result, it is possible to suitably prevent the mechanical strength from being varied in each part of the surface layer 95B.

From the viewpoint of improving compatibility with the fluorinated polyether compound, the silicon-based compound preferably has a hydrocarbon structure in which at least one hydrogen atom is substituted with a fluorine atom. Thereby, compatibility of a silicon compound and a fluorinated polyether compound can be made extremely high.
Further, the silicon compound preferably has at least one ether bond. The fluorinated polyether compound has a structure that is easily polarized by having a fluorine atom and an ether bond, but the silicon-based compound also contains a fluorine atom and further has an ether bond, thereby having a structure that is easily polarized. Become. As a result, these compatibility can be improved also from the viewpoint of electrical interaction.

Examples of such silicon compounds include compounds in which silicon atoms are bonded to monovalent fluorinated alkyl groups, compounds in which silicon atoms are bonded to monovalent fluorinated oxyalkyl groups, and divalent fluorinated alkylene groups. A compound in which a silicon atom is bonded, a compound in which a silicon atom is bonded to a divalent fluorinated oxyalkylene group, and the like can be given.
In addition, silicon atoms may be directly bonded to these fluorinated alkyl groups, fluorinated oxyalkyl groups, fluorinated alkylene groups, and fluorinated oxyalkylene groups, but are bonded through various divalent linking groups. You may do it.
Examples of the divalent linking group include an alkylene group, an arylene group, or a combination thereof, an ether bond, an amide bond, a carbonyl bond, and the like.

In addition to a hydrogen atom, for example, a substituent such as an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, or a substituted product thereof may be bonded to the silicon atom. In addition, it is preferable that carbon number of a substituent is about 1-20.
Such a silicon compound preferably has a total carbon atom number of about 1 to 300, and more preferably about 5 to 200. Thereby, the compatibility of the silicon-based compound with the fluorinated polyether compound can be made sufficiently high.

In the surface layer 95B, the content of the fluorinated polyether polymer is preferably 60 wt% or more, and more preferably 75 wt% or more. Thereby, the mold release property and durability of the surface layer 95B can be further improved.
The surface layer 95B may contain other components.
Examples of such components include 1-ethyl-1-hydroxycyclohexane, 3-methyl-1-butyn-3-ol, 3,5-dimethyl-1-hexyn-3-ol, and 3-methyl-1-pentyne-3. -Control agents for hydrosilylation reaction catalysts such as acetylene alcohols such as ol and phenylbutynol, 3-methyl-3-penten-1-yne, 3,5-dimethyl-3-hexen-1-yne, alkoxy groups, epoxy Examples thereof include adhesion imparting agents such as organosiloxane having a group, hydrosilyl group and the like, pigments such as iron oxide, cerium oxide, and carbon black, colorants, dyes, and antioxidants.

When the surface layer 95B contains the filler, the mechanical strength of the surface layer 95B can be further improved.
Any filler may be used. In the present invention, a filler composed of silicon oxynitride is preferable. By using such a filler, it can be uniformly dispersed in the surface layer 95B, and the effect of containing the filler is more suitably exhibited.
In addition, the filler composed of silicon oxynitride is preferably one whose surface has been subjected to a hydrophobic treatment. Thereby, adhesiveness with a fluorinated polyether polymer | macromolecule improves and it can prevent the drop-off | omission of the filler from the surface layer 95B suitably.

Examples of the hydrophobizing method include a method of bonding a highly hydrophobic structure to a silanol group present on the surface of the filler, and a method of replacing the silanol group with a highly hydrophobic structure.
The filler may have a needle shape, a leaf shape, or the like, but is preferably granular. Thereby, the dispersibility of the filler in the surface layer 95B can be improved.

The surface layer 95B has an average thickness of preferably about 1 to 1000 μm, and more preferably about 5 to 100 μm. As a result, the surface layer 95B can sufficiently follow the deformation of the base material 95A while improving the durability more reliably.
Such a composition and film thickness of the surface layer 95 </ b> B are preferably uniform along the longitudinal direction of the peeling member 95.
The peeling member 97 provided on the pressure roller 92 side has the same configuration as the peeling member 95 described above. Note that the configuration of the peeling member 97 is the same as the configuration of the peeling member 95, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[Method for Manufacturing Peeling Member]
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the peeling member 95 will be described.
[1] Easy base material First, a plate-like base material 95A is prepared.
The surface roughness Ra of the base material 95A is preferably 0.1 to 2 μm, more preferably 0.1 to 1 μm, and further preferably 0.1 to 0.5 μm. Thereby, the surface roughness Ra of the surface layer 95B on the base material 95A can be optimized easily and reliably, and toner adhesion and the like can be more effectively prevented.

In addition, the surface roughness Rz of the base material 95A is preferably 1 to 12 μm, more preferably 1 to 9 μm, and further preferably 4 to 8 μm. Thereby, the surface roughness Ra of the surface layer 95B on the base material 95A can be optimized easily and reliably, and toner adhesion and the like can be more effectively prevented.
The surface roughness as described above can be easily and reliably realized, for example, by performing blasting such as shot blasting, sand blasting, and liquid blasting on the base material 95A that has been subjected to processing such as polishing as necessary. can do.

Next, an intermediate layer is formed on the surface of the base material 95A as necessary.
The method for forming the intermediate layer is not particularly limited. For example, wet plating methods such as electrolytic plating, immersion plating, and electroless plating, chemical vapor deposition methods (CVD) such as thermal CVD, plasma CVD, and laser CVD, vacuum deposition, and sputtering. And various coating methods such as dry plating methods such as ion plating, thermal spraying, spin coating, curtain flow coating, roll coating, spray coating, flow coating, brush coating, dipping, electrostatic coating, and electrodeposition coating. In particular, when the intermediate layer is composed of an inorganic oxide, vacuum deposition is preferable. Thereby, an intermediate layer having a relatively small thickness can be formed with a uniform thickness.
Prior to the formation of the intermediate layer, the base material 95A may be subjected to a cleaning process such as alkali cleaning, acid cleaning, water cleaning, or organic solvent cleaning, a bombarding process, an etching process, or the like. Thereby, for example, the adhesion between the base material 95A and the intermediate layer can be improved.

[2] Formation of surface layer Next, the surface layer 95B is formed.
More specifically, first, a fluorinated polyether compound, a silicon-based compound, and a catalyst as described above are dissolved in a solvent to prepare a liquid (or gel-like) composition for forming the surface layer 95B.

Examples of the solvent include inorganic solvents such as water, carbon disulfide, and carbon tetrachloride, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), acetone, diethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), methyl isopropyl ketone (MIPK), cyclohexanone, 3 -Ketone solvents such as heptanone, 4-heptanone, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, i-butanol, t-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 2-pen Alcohol solvents such as butanol, n-hexanol, cyclohexanol, 1-heptanol, 1-octanol, 2-octanol, 2-methoxyethanol, allyl alcohol, furfuryl alcohol, phenol, diethyl ether, dipropyl ether, dii Ether solvents such as propyl ether, dibutyl ether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran (THF), tetrahydropyran (THP), anisole, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme), 2-methoxyethanol, etc. Cellosolve solvents such as methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, phenyl cellosolve, aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane, pentane, heptane, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, octane, didecane, methylcyclohexene, isoprene, toluene, xylene, benzene, ethylbenzene , Aromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as naphthalene, pyridine, pyrazine, furan, pyrrole, thiophene, 2-methylpyridine, 3-methylpyridine, 4-methylpyri , Aromatic heterocyclic compound solvents such as furfuryl alcohol, amide solvents such as N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), dichloromethane, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, Halogenated solvents such as trichloroethylene and chlorobenzene, acetylacetone, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, isopentyl acetate, ethyl chloroacetate, butyl chloroacetate, isobutyl chloroacetate, ethyl formate, isobutyl formate, ethyl acrylate, methacrylic acid Ester solvents such as methyl acrylate and ethyl benzoate, amine solvents such as trimethylamine, hexylamine, triethylamine and aniline, nitrile solvents such as acrylonitrile and acetonitrile, nitromethane, nitro Nitrogen solvents such as ethane, organic solvents such as aldehyde solvents such as acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, pentanal, and acrylic aldehyde can be used.
Moreover, as a catalyst, platinum group metals, such as platinum and palladium, etc. can be used, for example.
In addition, the filler as described above is mixed in the composition as necessary.

Next, the base material 95A is immersed in the composition. Thereby, a composition can be deposited so that the surface of 95 A of base materials may be covered.
Thus, although this embodiment demonstrated the case where a composition was made to adhere to the surface of 95 A of base materials by an immersion method, it is not limited to this method. For example, the composition may be applied to the surface of the base material 95A by various application methods.
In the present embodiment, the method for immersing the entire surface of the base material 95A in the composition has been described. The composition may be applied (applied).

Subsequently, the composition is temporarily cured by heating to obtain a temporarily cured product.
Examples of the heating method for temporary curing include heating with a furnace and the like, irradiation with electromagnetic waves, and the like, and it is particularly preferable to use a heating method with a flash lamp. According to this method, a sufficient amount of heat can be imparted to the composition in a short time, and temporary curing can be performed efficiently.

The heating temperature for pre-curing may be a condition that cures to such an extent that the composition does not flow. Specifically, it is preferably about 150 to 250 ° C., and is preferably 180 to 230 ° C. More preferred.
Moreover, although the heating time for temporary hardening changes a little according to heating temperature, it is preferable that it is about 3 to 30 second, and it is more preferable that it is about 5 to 20 second.
In addition, the temporary curing process can be omitted and the curing process described later can be performed.

Next, this temporary composition is cured by heating to obtain a surface layer 95B.
The heating method for curing is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include heating with a furnace, irradiation with electromagnetic waves, and the like.
Although the heating temperature for hardening will not be specifically limited if a composition can be hardened, For example, it is preferable that it is about 150-250 degreeC, and it is more preferable that it is about 170-230 degreeC.
Moreover, although the heating time for hardening differs a little according to heating temperature, it is preferable that it is about 1 to 10 hours, for example, and it is more preferable that it is about 3 to 5 hours.
As described above, the peeling member 95 is obtained.

Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the first embodiment described above, and description of similar matters will be omitted.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the peeling member according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The image forming apparatus of this embodiment is the same as the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment except that the configuration of the peeling member is different.
The peeling member 95 according to this embodiment includes a plate-like base material 95A, an intermediate layer 95C provided on the surface of the base material 95A, and a surface layer 95B provided on the surface of the intermediate layer 95C. ing. That is, the surface layer 95B is bonded to the base material 95A via the intermediate layer 95C.

As shown in FIG. 6, the edge portion 951A of the base material 95A has a rounded shape. Accordingly, the intermediate layer 95C and the surface layer 95B that are sequentially formed on the edge portion 951A also have a rounded shape, and the intermediate layer 95C and the surface layer 95B each have a uniform thickness. Peeling is more reliably prevented.
The curvature radius of the rounded portion of the edge portion 951A is not particularly limited, but the curvature radius (average) R is preferably about 0.05 to 0.5 mm, and is about 0.05 to 0.25 mm. More preferably. Moreover, when this R is expressed in relation to the thickness D, about 35 to 65% of the thickness D is preferable, about 40 to 60% is more preferable, and about 45 to 55% is more preferable. The minimum radius of curvature R _min is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 10 to 50% of the thickness D, more preferably about 20 to 50%, and still more preferably about 25 to 50%. When R and R _min are within such ranges, the adhesion of the surface layer 95B can be sufficiently improved.

  As another configuration example, the edge portion 951A of the base material 95A may have a chamfered shape. In this case, the intermediate layer 95C and the surface layer 95B that are sequentially formed on the edge portion 951A have no steep bend (90 ° bend) and are bent at an obtuse angle (for example, about 120 to 150 °). The change in the thickness of each surface layer 95B is also reduced. In particular, the surface layer 95B is slightly rounded even in a bent portion. Because of this, peeling of the intermediate layer 95C and the surface layer 95B is prevented.

The effect of preventing the peeling of the surface layer 95B as described above can be obtained not only when the tip of the peeling member 95 does not contact the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 91 but also when it comes into contact.
Note that the rounding and chamfering of the edge portion 951A may be performed integrally with the base material 95A when it is formed, but after the base material 95A is formed, machining (grinding, polishing, etc.), chemical treatment, or the like is performed on the corner portion. May be rounded or chamfered.
Further, the base material 95A may be any material as long as its constituent materials and surface properties are advantageous for adhesion to the intermediate layer 95C, but even if this is not the case, the surface of the base material 95A may be subjected to a surface treatment such as a roughening treatment. As a result, the adhesion with the intermediate layer 95C can be improved.

The intermediate layer 95C can be provided for various purposes, one of which is improved adhesion to the surface layer 95B. In particular, when the constituent materials and the characteristics of the base material 95A and the surface layer 95B are different, the formation of the intermediate layer 95C is effective for improving the adhesion with the surface layer 95B.
The constituent material of the intermediate layer 95C is not particularly limited, but in order to improve the adhesion of the surface layer 95B, the intermediate layer 95C is preferably made of a material including a constituent material of the surface layer 95B described later. In particular, the intermediate layer 95C is preferably made of a material including a resin material (for example, fluorine or a polyether polymer) constituting the surface layer 95B and a binder (binder). Thereby, the adhesion between the intermediate layer 95C and the surface layer 95B is improved, and as a result, the effect of preventing the peeling of the surface layer 95B is improved.
Examples of the binder include acrylic resin, urethane resin, epoxy resin, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), starch, and the like.

The amount of the resin material constituting the surface layer 95B included in the intermediate layer 95C is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably about 0.5 to 30 wt%, more preferably about 1 to 50 wt%. Within such a range, the adhesiveness between the intermediate layer 95C and the surface layer 95B is excellent, and the adhesiveness between the intermediate layer 95C and the base material 95A is also excellent, and as a result, the peeling prevention effect of the surface layer 95B is improved.
Examples of other constituent materials of the intermediate layer 95C include materials containing inorganic oxides such as SiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , Y ₂ O ₃ , and TiO ₂ . Among these, those mainly composed of silicon dioxide are preferable because they have particularly excellent adhesion to the base material 95A and the surface layer 95B.

  The method for forming the intermediate layer 95C is not particularly limited. For example, brush coating, dipping, spin coating, curtain flow coating, roll coating, gravure coating, spray coating, flow coating, electrostatic coating, electrodeposition coating, etc. And wet plating methods (wet process) such as electrolytic plating, immersion plating, and electroless plating, and vapor deposition methods such as vapor deposition, sputtering, CVD, PVD, and ion plating, and thermal spraying methods. The coating method is preferable in that the layer can be formed relatively easily with simple equipment and contributes to an improvement in productivity and a reduction in manufacturing cost. Among the coating methods, dipping or spray coating is particularly preferable. This is because, by dipping and spray coating, a uniform and uniform intermediate layer 95C can be formed relatively easily in a short time, and the film thickness can be easily controlled.

The thickness of the intermediate layer 95C is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 μm or less, more preferably about 1 to 15 μm, and still more preferably about 5 to 10 μm. If the thickness of the intermediate layer 95C is too thick, the adhesion improving effect of the surface layer 95B may not be sufficiently obtained depending on the constituent material of the intermediate layer 95C.
The composition and film thickness of such an intermediate layer 95 </ b> C are preferably uniform along the longitudinal direction of the peeling member 95.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on suitable embodiment, this invention is not limited to this.
For example, each unit constituting the fixing device and the image forming apparatus of the present invention can be replaced with an arbitrary one that exhibits the same function, or another configuration can be added.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the surface layer of both the peeling member on the fixing roller side and the peeling member on the pressure roller side is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer has been described. If the surface layer of any one of the roller-side peeling member and the pressure roller-side peeling member is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer, the effect of the present invention can be exhibited. In this case, since the fixing roller is generally hotter than the pressure roller, the surface layer of the peeling member on the fixing roller side is made of a fluorinated polyether polymer. The effect of the present invention is more remarkable than the case where is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the first rotating body and the second rotating body that are pressed against each other are each in the form of a roller has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first rotating body or the second rotating body may be an endless belt. In this case, as the heating means, for example, a ceramic heater or an induction heating method can be suitably used.

Next, specific examples of the present invention will be described.
(Example)
First, a plate-shaped base material made of stainless steel (SUS301) was prepared.
Next, this base material was immersed in a liquid composition containing a fluorinated polyether compound and a silicon compound, and the liquid composition was deposited on the surface of the base material.

Next, the liquid composition was irradiated with light from a flash lamp at 180 ° C. for 10 seconds, and the liquid composition was heated and temporarily cured.
Then, the peeling member by the side of a fixing roller was obtained by heating these at 200 degreeC x 1 to 2 hours.
Further, a peeling member on the pressure roller side is prepared in the same manner as described above, and a fixing device as shown in FIG. 2 is manufactured using these members. Further, as shown in FIG. An image forming apparatus was manufactured.

  The fixing roller has a diameter of 30 mm, a 1 mm thick elastic layer made of silicone rubber (hardness JISA 5 °), and a 40 μm thick surface layer made of PFA. The roller had a diameter of 35 mm and was provided with a 6 mm thick elastic layer made of silicone rubber (hardness JISA 10 °) and a 40 μm thick surface layer made of PFA. The distance between the fixing nip outlet and the tip of the peeling portion 31a was set to 6.5 mm, the fixing nip width was set to 8 mm, the fixing temperature was set to 175 ° C., the paper conveyance speed was set to 215 mm / second, and the roller pressure contact load was set to 31 kgf.

(Comparative example)
A release member was produced in the same manner as in the above example, except that a surface layer composed of a fluororesin (polytetrafluoroethylene) was formed on the surface of the substrate.
The surface layer is formed by applying a paint containing polytetrafluoroethylene (made by Daikin Industries, trade name “Polyflon”) with an air spray so that the film thickness is about 40 μm, and drying at 90 ° C. by infrared rays. This was performed by baking at 380 ° C. Moreover, the thickness of the formed surface layer was 30 μm.
Further, using the release member obtained as described above, a fixing device and an image forming apparatus were manufactured in the same manner as in the above-described example.

[Evaluation]
For each of the examples and comparative examples, 30000 sheets were printed on A4 size plain paper. This printing was performed by carrying out continuous printing of 5000 sheets 6 times.
And the printed image was observed for every 5000 prints. Specifically, the “streaks”, which are rubbing traces by the peeling member, were visually observed.
Moreover, the abrasion state of the surface layer of a peeling member was observed with the microscope for every 5000 printing.

Further, the state of wear on the surface of the fixing roller was observed with a microscope every 5000 prints.
In addition, for each of the 5000 prints, the toner fixing state with respect to the peeling member was visually observed.
As a result, in the examples according to the present invention, the abrasion resistance of the peeling member was excellent, and even after the durable printing, the fixing of the toner to the peeling member or the streaks on the printed recording medium was not recognized. . From these results, it can be seen that excellent durability is obtained in the present invention.
On the other hand, in the comparative example, a satisfactory result was not obtained. That is, in the comparative example, streaks were generated on the printed recording medium after the 10,000th printing, and toner adhesion to the peeling member was also observed.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an overall configuration showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a preferred embodiment of a fixing device provided in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a peeling member provided in the fixing device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining a peeling member provided in the fixing device shown in FIG. 2. It is a partial expanded sectional view for demonstrating the peeling member concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image forming device 20 ... Photoconductor 30 ... Charge unit 40 ... Exposure unit 50 ... Development unit 50a ... Shaft 51 ... Black development device 52 ... Magenta development device 53 ... Cyan developing device 54 ... Yellow developing device 55 ... Holding body 55a to 55d ... Holding section 60 ... Primary transfer roller 61 ... Intermediate transfer body 70 ... Intermediate transfer belt 71 Drive roller 72 Drive roller 73 Substrate 75 Cleaning unit 76 Cleaning blade 80 Secondary transfer roller 82 82 Feed tray 84 Feed roller 86 ······ Registration rollers 87 ······················································································· Fixing device 91 ... Fixing roller 92 ... Pressure roller 91A, 92A ... Base 91B, 92B ... Elastic layer 91C, 92C ... Release layer 93 ... Heater 94 ... Temperature detection Body 95, 97 ... Peeling member 95A ... Base material 95B ... Surface layer 95C ... Intermediate layer 96 ... Housing N ... Nip part P ... Recording medium

Claims (20)

The first rotating body and the second rotating body that are pressed against each other, and the recording medium is heated and pressed while passing the recording medium carrying the unfixed image between them, thereby determining the indeterminate state. A fixing device for fixing an image on the recording medium,
A peeling member that contacts or approaches the first rotating body and peels the recording medium that has passed between the first rotating body and the second rotating body from the first rotating body;
The peeling member has a base material and a surface layer provided on the surface side of the base material,
At least a part of the surface layer is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether-based polymer.   2. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface layer that can come into contact with the first rotating body and / or the recording medium is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer.   The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the peeling member extends along a rotation axis of the first rotating body.   2. The substrate is an elastic plate-like member or sheet-like member, and is arranged so that an end edge thereof or a vicinity thereof is in contact with or close to the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body. 4. The fixing device according to any one of items 3 to 3.   5. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein a content of the fluorinated polyether polymer in the surface layer is 60 wt% or more.   The fluorinated polyether polymer is obtained by reacting a fluorinated polyether compound having a fluorinated alkyl ether structure and a plurality of alkenyl groups with a silicon compound having a plurality of SiH bonds. The fixing device according to claim 1.   The fixing device according to claim 6, wherein the fluorinated polyether compound has 1 to 450 total oxygen atoms in the fluorinated alkyl ether structure.   The fixing device according to claim 6, wherein, in the fluorinated polyether compound, the fluorinated alkyl ether structure is branched.   The fixing device according to claim 6, wherein in the fluorinated polyether compound, the alkenyl group is a vinyl group or an allyl group.   The fixing device according to claim 6, wherein the silicon compound has a hydrocarbon structure in which at least one hydrogen atom is substituted with a fluorine atom.   The fixing device according to claim 10, wherein the silicon-based compound has at least one ether bond.   The fixing device according to claim 10, wherein the silicon compound has a total number of carbon atoms of 1 to 300.   The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer has an average thickness of 1 to 1000 μm.   14. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein a rounding or chamfering is performed on an edge portion of the base that is in contact with or close to the first rotating body.   The fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer between the base material and the surface layer.   The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is made of a material including a constituent material of the surface layer.   The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is made of a material including a resin material that forms the surface layer and a binder.   The fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising a heating unit configured to heat the first rotating body.   Another peeling member that peels from the second rotating body the recording medium that is in contact with or close to the second rotating body and passes between the first rotating body and the second rotating body; The other peeling member has a base material and a surface layer provided on the surface side of the base material, and at least a part of the surface layer is made of a material containing a fluorinated polyether polymer. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing device is a fixing device. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by a series of image forming processes including charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing processes,
An image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device according to claim 1.

Images