JP2011180364A - Method for manufacturing developer carrier, developer carrier, developing device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing, at a low cost, a developer carrier on which an electrode pattern of a metal film having satisfactory electric conductivity can be selectively formed, and which has a smooth surface and excellent durability. <P>SOLUTION: The method includes: the step of forming an insulation layer 12 on the surface of a roller-like member 11; the step of performing a modifying process on the entire surface of the insulation layer 12 and introducing an OH-group; the step of forming a pattern 30 of an organic compound on the surface of the modified insulation layer 12, the organic compound having a functional group that has in the structure the ability to capture metal; the step of attaching a catalyst 31 of para-electroless plating to the surface of the insulation layer 12; the step of removing the catalyst of electroless plating from an area other than the pattern of the organic compound on the insulation layer surface 12; the step of subjecting the roller-like member 11, to which the catalyst of electroless plating has been attached, to electroless plating, thereby depositing and forming a second electrode 13 that has a shape based on the pattern 30 of the organic compound; and the step of forming a protective layer 14 on the surface of the roller-like member with the second electrode formed thereon. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a developer carrier and a developer carrier for use in a non-contact development method, and more particularly, a method for producing a developer carrier having a plurality of electrodes for generating an electric field for causing the developer to fly. And a developer carrying member.

In the developing process of an electrophotographic image output device such as a copying machine or a printer, when supplying the developer to a latent image carrier such as a photoconductor, the developer on the developer carrier and the latent image carrier are directly connected. A system that is performed without contact is known as a so-called non-contact development system. In this method, since the developer can be supplied only to the latent image forming portion of the latent image carrier, a high-quality output image can be obtained.
As a developing device that realizes such a developing method, for example, Patent Document 1 includes a developer carrier that can move a surface and includes an electrode pattern that includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a predetermined direction while being insulated from each other. A potential difference is generated by applying pulse voltages that are out of phase with each other between an odd-numbered electrode group and an even-numbered electrode group starting from a predetermined electrode, and the developer on the surface of the developer carrier A developing device has been proposed in which the developer carrying member is transported to a position facing the latent image carrier by moving the surface of the developer carrier while being moved between the electrodes, and is attached to the latent image on the latent image carrier.
As a method for creating a developer carrier in such a developing device, an axial hole is provided in an acrylic resin cylinder that is an insulator, and a stainless steel electrode shaft is press-fitted into the cylindrical shaft hole, so that the electrode shaft is an odd-numbered electrode group, Each is connected to an even-numbered electrode group. Next, the surface of the developer carrying member is smoothly finished by peripheral turning, and the groove is cut so that the groove pitch is 100 [μm] and the groove width is 50 [μm]. Electroless nickel plating is applied to the groove-cut roller, and the outer periphery of the electroless nickel-plated roller is turned to remove unnecessary conductor films. Thereafter, the surface of the roller is smoothed by coating the roller with a silicon-based resin, and at the same time, a surface protective layer (thickness of about 5 [μm], volume resistivity of about 1010 [Ω · cm]) is formed to form a developer carrier. Is made.

In Patent Document 2, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer are provided so as to overlap each other in the normal direction of the roller surface of the developer carrying roller. A plurality of apertures that are arranged in a matrix in the moving direction perpendicular to the roller surface moving direction are formed in the second electrode layer located at a near upper layer position in the moving orthogonal direction. A plurality of openings in the second electrode layer of the entire region of the first electrode layer that is provided over the entire area where the latent image can be carried and the developer on the roller surface is uniformly formed in the circumferential direction of the roller. A developing device is proposed in which hopping is performed between a plurality of openings immediately below each of the openings and a plurality of openings between the openings in the second electrode layer. ing
In addition, there is a plate printing method represented by screen printing as a well-known technique that can be realized. In this method, a conductive paste is printed on a substrate instead of printing ink using a plate on which an electrode pattern is formed, and then heated and fired to form an electrode pattern. The plate printing method is not suitable for the production of a small variety of products because it requires a plate, but the mass production can be expected to reduce the cost.

Another known technique is a photoetching method. The photo-etching method is a method of forming an electrode pattern by forming a metal film on the entire surface of an insulating substrate, forming a pattern with an etching-resistant material thereon by photolithography, and then removing unnecessary metal portions by etching. It is a method that can form a conductive pattern with good electrical conductivity and high accuracy.
Furthermore, there is an electroless plating method as a means for forming a metal film on the surface of the insulating resin. In this method, after depositing a material to be a catalyst for the plating deposition reaction on the surface of the insulating resin, a deposition reaction proceeds from the catalyst as a starting point by immersing in an electroless plating solution to obtain a metal film. This is a process capable of forming a metal film with a uniform film thickness regardless of the shape.
However, it is a problem to ensure the adhesion, and generally, the surface of the insulating resin is etched with a high concentration of chromic acid to form irregularities, thereby increasing the surface area and securing the adhesion by the anchoring effect. However, since chromic acid is harmful to the living body, for example, Patent Document 3 discloses a method of improving the adhesion by irradiating ultraviolet rays as a pretreatment instead of etching with chromic acid.

Regarding the structure of the developer carrier, all of the developer carriers described in Patent Document 1 have two-phase electrodes on the same surface, but in order to cause the developer to fly at a practical voltage. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the distance between the electrodes, and there is a possibility that a short circuit occurs because the electrodes are manufactured in the same process. In such a structure, there is a problem that even if a short circuit occurs between any adjacent electrodes, a potential difference does not occur between all the electrodes, and the developer cannot fly.
Further, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, grooves are cut into an acrylic resin and surface turning is performed after electroless nickel plating. At this time, burrs and chips are generated, and the developer The surface of the support is not smooth. As a result, there is a problem that the developer carrying amount is not constant, and an adverse effect on the image occurs. Furthermore, there is also a problem that if a chip occurs during the groove processing, it causes a short circuit between adjacent electrodes. In addition, the electroless plating on the resin material generally has a low adhesion force and has a problem that it cannot withstand the stress at the time of turning and peels, but no means for improving the adhesion force is disclosed.
In the structure described in Patent Document 2, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are formed in different layers in the normal direction of the developer carrier via an insulating layer, and can be manufactured in different processes. The possibility of a short circuit can be greatly reduced in manufacturing. Further, the second electrode pattern is a desirable structure because the function is not affected even if a short circuit occurs.
Further, Patent Document 2 does not disclose a method for producing a developer carrying member, and there has been no effective technique related to such a method for producing a developer carrying member.
Further, in the method of forming a pattern of the conductive paste by the plate printing method, it is necessary to strictly match the print start portion and the print end portion for an endless shape such as a cylindrical body. At this time, there is a problem that the conductive paste already printed at the start of printing comes into contact with the plate again at the end of printing, thereby disturbing the pattern shape.
In the photoetching method, a vacuum process is generally used for forming a metal film, and a large and special equipment is required to form a uniform film thickness in a cylindrical shape like a developer carrier. Moreover, the exhaust time to a vacuum becomes long with the enlargement of equipment. In addition, a long process is required in many facilities for patterning even after the formation of the metal film, resulting in an increase in manufacturing cost.

On the other hand, the electroless plating method is a process that can form a metal film with a uniform thickness regardless of the shape, but it is suitable for forming a metal film on an insulating resin with the same adhesion strength by the same method. Pre-treatment needs to be performed. In general, the surface of the insulating resin is etched with a high concentration of chromic acid to form irregularities, and the adhesion is secured by increasing the surface area and anchoring effect. However, chromic acid used at this time is a harmful substance to the living body. Further, the unevenness to be formed is as large as several μm or more, and when used in the production of the developer carrying member of the present invention, it causes a decrease in the dielectric strength between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer and further causes a short circuit. Can not be applied.
On the other hand, Patent Document 3 discloses a pretreatment method instead of etching. However, according to this method, it is possible to form a plating film on the entire surface of the target member, but a technique for selectively forming a part is not disclosed. Therefore, in order to form the electrode pattern, it is necessary to remove the unnecessary portion after forming the metal film once on the entire surface, and the above-described photoetching method is used, and there is a similar problem.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can selectively form an electrode pattern made of a metal film having good electrical conductivity, and can be made durable by smoothing the surface. An object is to provide a method capable of producing an excellent developer carrying member at low cost.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that an outer surface of a roller-shaped member as a first electrode having at least an outermost surface of electrical conductivity is provided with an insulating layer covering the roller-shaped member, an opening A method of manufacturing a developer carrying member configured by sequentially laminating a second electrode having a pattern shape having a region and a protective layer covering the opening region and the second electrode, A first step of forming an insulating layer on the surface, a second step of modifying the entire surface of the insulating layer to introduce OH groups, and a structure on the surface of the insulating layer subjected to the modifying treatment. A third step of forming a pattern of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal-capturing ability therein, a fourth step of attaching a catalyst for electroless plating to the surface of the insulating layer, and the surface of the insulating layer on the surface Locations other than where organic compound patterns are formed A fifth step of removing the electroless plating catalyst, and electrolessly plating the roller-like member to which the electroless plating catalyst is adhered to form a second electrode having a shape based on the pattern of the organic compound And a developer carrying member manufacturing method comprising: a sixth step of forming a protective layer on a surface of the roller-like member on which the second electrode is formed.
The invention according to claim 2 is the silane coupling agent in which the organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure contains at least one of an amino group, an imino group, a nitrile group, and a pyrrole group as the functional group. The method for producing a developer carrying member according to claim 1.
Further, the invention of claim 3 is to remove the electroless plating catalyst from a place other than the pattern of the organic compound formed on the surface of the insulating layer by bringing the roller-shaped member into contact with an alkaline solution. 2. A method for producing a developer carrying member according to 2.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the third step, the organic compound solution or dispersion having a functional group having a metal-capturing ability in the structure is applied to the roller-like member by an ink jet method. The method for producing a developer carrying member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a pattern of the compound is formed.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third step, a solution or dispersion of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure is projected according to the pattern shape of the second electrode. The organic compound solution or dispersion liquid applied to a printing plate having a portion and attached to the convex portion of the printing plate is transferred to the surface of the roller-shaped member via an intermediate transfer member. A method for producing a developer carrying member according to any one of the above features.
The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the electroless plating treatment is an electroless copper plating treatment, and the developer carrying member manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a developer carrying member manufactured by the developer carrying member manufacturing method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.
In the invention of claim 8, the developer is carried on the outer peripheral surface, and the developer carrying member is moved on the surface, whereby the developer is supplied to the latent image on the latent image carrying member in the developing region, and the latent image is obtained. In a developing device for developing an image, the developer carrying member according to claim 7 is used as the developer carrying member, and power feeding for feeding different voltages to the first electrode and the second electrode. And a developing device having a power source.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus including the developing device according to the eighth aspect is characterized.

  Since it comprised as mentioned above, according to this invention, even if it is a thin film on an insulating layer, a favorable electroconductive electrode pattern can be formed with high adhesive force. Furthermore, since a series of electroless plating processes can be performed in large quantities, it is possible to manufacture a developer carrier at a low cost.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a digital copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the mode of the cross section in the vicinity of a developer carrier surface, and a line of electric force. 1 is a schematic view of a developer carrying member of the present invention. The figure which expanded the pattern shape of the 2nd electrode in this embodiment plane. The figure which shows the other example of the pattern shape of the 2nd electrode in this embodiment. The figure which shows the other example of the pattern shape of the 2nd electrode in this embodiment. The figure which shows the preparation flow of the developing agent carrier by 1st Example. The figure which showed pattern formation by the inkjet method. The figure which showed the pattern formation by a 2nd Example. The figure which showed the pattern formation by a 2nd Example. The figure which showed the pattern formation by a 2nd Example.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a detailed description will be given of embodiments for carrying out the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a digital copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
This configuration is a copying machine 100 as an image processing apparatus, and a contact glass 206 is provided on the upper surface of the copying machine 100. In addition, an automatic document feeder (hereinafter simply referred to as ADF) 201 is provided on the upper side of the copying machine 100, and this ADF 1 is connected to the copying machine 100 via a hinge or the like (not shown) so as to open and close the contact glass 206. Has been. The ADF 201 separates documents one by one from a document tray 202 as a document placing table on which a document bundle composed of a plurality of documents can be placed, and faces the contact glass 206 from the document bundle placed on the document tray 202. The separation / conveying means that conveys the original and the document conveyed toward the contact glass 206 by the separation / conveying means are conveyed / stopped to a reading position on the contact glass 206, and the copy disposed below the contact glass 206 The document that has been read by the reading means (a known exposure lamp 251, mirrors 252, 255, 256, lens 253, CCD 254, etc.) 250 of the machine 100 is unloaded from the contact glass 206. The paper feed motor is driven by an output signal from the controller, and when the paper feed start signal is input from the copying machine 100, the controller drives the paper feed motor forward / reversely. When the paper feed motor is driven in the forward direction, the feed roller 203 rotates in the clockwise direction so that the uppermost original is fed from the original bundle and conveyed toward the contact glass 206. When the leading edge of the document is detected by the document set detection sensor 207, the controller rotates the paper feed motor in reverse based on the output signal from the document set detection sensor 207. This prevents subsequent documents from entering and prevents separation.

Further, when the document set detection sensor 207 detects the trailing edge of the document, the controller counts the rotation pulse of the conveyor belt motor from this detection point, and when the rotation pulse reaches a predetermined value, the controller By stopping the driving and stopping the feeding belt 204, the document is stopped at the reading position of the contact glass 206. Also, when the trailing edge of the document is detected by the document set detection sensor 7, the controller drives the paper feed motor again, separates the subsequent document as described above, and conveys the document toward the contact glass 206. When the pulse of the paper feed motor from the time when the original is detected by the original set detection sensor 207 reaches a predetermined pulse, the paper feed motor is stopped and the next original is put on standby. When the original stops at the reading position of the contact glass 206, the original is read and exposed by the copying machine 100. When this reading and exposure are completed, a signal is input from the copier 100 to the controller. When this signal is input, the controller drives the conveyor belt motor to rotate forward, and the document is transferred from the contact glass 206 by the conveyor belt 216. It is carried out to the discharge roller 205.
As described above, a document bundle placed on the document tray 202 in the ADF 201 with the image surface of the document facing up is pressed from the top document to the contact glass 206 when the print key on the operation unit is pressed. It is fed to a predetermined position. The fed original is read by the reading unit 250 after the image data of the original on the contact glass 206 is discharged to the discharge port A (discharge port at the time of reverse document discharge) by the feeding belt 204 and the reverse driving roller. Further, when it is detected that there is a next document on the document tray 202, it is fed onto the contact glass 206 in the same manner as the previous document.

The transfer sheets stacked on the first tray 208, the second tray 209, and the third tray 210 are fed by the first sheet feeding unit 211, the second sheet feeding unit 212, and the third sheet feeding unit 213, respectively, and are conveyed vertically. The unit 214 is transported to a position where it abuts on the photoreceptor 215. The image data read by the reading unit 250 is written on the photoconductor 215 by a laser from the writing unit 257, and a toner image is formed by passing through the developing unit 227. Then, the toner image on the photosensitive member 215 is transferred while the transfer paper is conveyed by the conveying belt 216 at the same speed as the rotation of the photosensitive member 215. Thereafter, the image is fixed by the fixing unit 217 and conveyed to the paper discharge unit 218. The transfer paper conveyed to the paper discharge unit 218 is discharged to the paper discharge tray 219 when the staple mode is not performed.
Next, a developer carrier that is included in the developing unit 227 in FIG. 1 and supplies the developer to the photoreceptor 215 will be described.
The developer carrier has a first electrode from the inside in the radial direction of the cylindrical shape, an insulating layer covering the first electrode, a second electrode having an opening region, and an insulation covering the opening region and the second electrode. A protective layer (protective film) having a property. Hereinafter, the flying and charging functions of the developer using the developer carrier will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross section near the surface of the developer carrying member and a state of lines of electric force.
The developer carrier 10 is a cylindrical member, and is formed on the surface of the first electrode 11, the insulating layer 12 covering the entire surface of the first electrode 11, and the surface of the insulating layer 12 in order from the inside in the radial direction. The second electrode 13 and the protective film 14 covering the second electrode 13 are stacked.
The second electrode 13 has an electrode portion 13a and an opening portion 13b arranged at a predetermined interval.
When different voltages are applied to the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 13, an electric field is generated between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 13 (electrode portion 13a) facing each other. In the opening 13 b of the second electrode 13, the electric lines of force pass from the first electrode 11 through the surface of the developer carrier 10 and toward the surface of the second electrode 13 located adjacent to the first electrode 11.
Here, as shown in FIG. 1A, assuming that the potential applied to the second electrode 13 is more negative than the potential applied to the first electrode 11, it is directly above the second electrode 13. It is assumed that the protective film 14 and the negatively charged developer D are attached with an adhesive force F2.
The developer D receives an upward force F1 along the electric field lines due to the electric field. At this time, when the relationship of F1> F2 is established, the developer D overcomes the adhesive force with the protective film 14 and flies along the lines of electric force, and moves right above the opening 13b of the second electrode 13.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, it is assumed that the potential applied to the first electrode 11 is more negative than the potential applied to the second electrode 13. It is assumed that the protective film 14 immediately above 13b and the negatively charged developer D are attached with an adhesive force F2 ′.
The developer D receives an upward force F1 ′ along the electric lines of force due to the electric field. At this time, if the relationship of F1 ′> F2 ′ is established, the developer overcomes the adhesive force with the protective film, flies along the lines of electric force, and moves right above the second electrode 13. In this way, the developer can fly from the developer carrier 10.
By alternately applying voltages that satisfy F1> F2 and F1 ′> F2 ′ to the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 13, the developer D opens directly above the electrode portion 13 a of the second electrode 13 and opens. It goes back and forth right above the part 13b. In each case, the developer D and the protective film 14 collide. If the protective film 14 is more positive in the charging sequence than the developer, the charge amount of the developer D increases as the number of collisions increases. In this way, charging can be effected simultaneously with the flight of the developer.

Next, the structure of the developer carrier (toner carrier) according to this embodiment will be described in detail.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the developer carrying member of the present invention, in which a) is a perspective view, b) is a sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder axis, and c) is a sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cylinder axis. .
In the developer carrier 10, an insulating layer 12, a second electrode 13, and an insulating protective film 14 are sequentially formed on the surface of a roller-like assembly 20 serving as a base material.
The roller-shaped assembly 20 includes a hollow cylindrical body 21, a first flange 22 and a second flange 23 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction (axial direction), and both flanges 22 and 23. It is comprised from the shaft members 24 and 25 which become coaxial with 21. As shown in FIG.
Since the hollow cylindrical body 21 serves as both the base material of the developer carrier 10 and the first electrode 11, at least the surface thereof has conductivity.
The cylindrical body 21 is made of a metal material such as aluminum, SUS (stainless steel), iron, copper, or brass, or a conductive layer such as aluminum or copper on the surface of a resin roller made of polyacetal resin or polycarbonate resin. Can be used.
In the present embodiment, a SUS cylinder was used. Of the flanges in contact with the end of the cylindrical body 21, the first flange 22 is made of a conductive material, and is in a conductive state by being in contact with the first electrode 11. The same material as the cylindrical body 21 can be used, but SUS was used in this example.

A shaft member 24 made of a conductive member is fixed at the center of the first flange 22, and it is possible to apply a voltage to the first electrode 11 by connecting it to a power source as a power supply member.
The second flange 23 includes a portion 23a made of an insulating material and a portion 23b made of a conductive member. The portion 23 b made of a conductive material is electrically insulated without being in direct contact with the first electrode by the portion 23 a made of an insulating resin provided between the first electrode 11. An insulating resin or ceramic can be used as the insulating material. The shaft member 25 of the second flange 23 can be the same as that used for the first flange 22.
An insulating layer 12 having an insulating property is formed on the outermost layer of the roller-like assembly 20, and at least a region excluding a part of the conductive member provided on the second flange 23 is covered with the insulating layer 12.
If the thickness of the insulating layer 12 is less than 3 μm, an insulation failure occurs between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 13, and if the thickness is greater than 100 μm, the insulating layer 12 is formed by the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 13. The thickness of the insulating layer 12 is in the range of 3 μm or more and 100 μm or less because the strength of the electric field on the surface of the developer carrying member 10 is reduced and it becomes difficult to fly the developer stably. Is desirable.

The material of the insulating layer 12 includes thermosetting such as melamine resin, epoxy resin, polyester resin, phenol resin, alkyd resin, polyurethane resin, silicon resin, polyimide resin, urea resin, aniline resin, furan resin, alkyd resin, etc. Even if it is a mixture containing 2 or more types of thermosetting resin or these thermosetting resins, it can be used. In addition, inorganic materials such as glass and ceramics, thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate resin, PET resin, PBT resin, polyamide, and COP (cycloolefin resin), and various photocurable resins can be used. Resins are suitable because they are generally excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance.
In the present embodiment, alkyd resin is used as the material of the insulating layer 12, and the thickness is set to 20 μm.
A second electrode 13 having an opening is provided on the surface of the insulating layer 12. A part of the second electrode 13 is electrically connected to a portion 23 b made of a conductive member of the second flange 23. Therefore, it is possible to apply a voltage to the second electrode 13 by connecting the shaft member 25 fixed to the second flange 23 to the power source as a power feeding unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a plan development of the pattern shape of the second electrode 13 in the present embodiment.
5 and 6 are diagrams showing other examples of the pattern shape of the second electrode in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the second electrode 13 has a structure in which slit-like electrode patterns are connected to each other at both ends. It is necessary to make the electrode width W1 of the slit-shaped portion and the width W2 of the opening between the electrodes constant. This is because, as described above, the charging and flying mechanism of the developer is affected by the magnitude of the electric field generated in the developer carrying member 10. The amount of flight is different. As a result, the amount of developer supplied to the latent image carrier fluctuates, resulting in uneven density in the image. The width W1 of the electrode portion 13a is desirably 200 μm or less. If it is larger than 200 μm, the voltage at a location far from the voltage supply side becomes low, and it becomes difficult to fly the developer stably and effectively at that location. The lower limit of the width W1 of the electrode portion 13a is not restricted in terms of function, but if it is 10 μm or less, it is difficult to produce an electrode, for example, disconnection occurs. The width W2 of the opening is desirably 20 μm or more and 1000 μm or less. When the thickness is 20 μm or less, the electric field appearing on the surface of the developer carrying member 10 that is shielded by the electrode portion adjacent to the opening becomes insufficient, and it becomes difficult to fly the developer stably and effectively. On the other hand, when the thickness is 1000 μm or more, the electric field appearing on the surface of the developer carrying member 10 in the vicinity of the central portion in the circumferential direction away from the electrode adjacent to the opening becomes insufficient, and it becomes difficult to fly the developer stably and effectively. Further, the thickness of the electrode is desirably in the range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm. If it is thinner than 0.1 μm, it is damaged by voltage application and breaks with time.

On the other hand, when the thickness is larger than 10 μm, irregularities are generated on the surface of the developer carrying member 10 and the developer stays in the concave portions. Further, if the unevenness is absorbed by the protective film 14, the protective film 14 becomes thick, causing problems as described later. In this example, the electrode width W1100 μm, the interelectrode opening width W2150 μm, and the electrode thickness was 0.5 μm.
The electrode pattern shape is not limited to the slit shape shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but may be a honeycomb shape shown in FIG. 5 or a lattice shape shown in FIG.
That is, the second electrode 13 may be any pattern as long as it has the electrode width and the inter-electrode opening under the above-described conditions, the endless pattern is formed, and the same voltage is applied to all the electrodes.
The electrode part 13 a and the opening part 13 b of the second electrode 13 are covered with a protective film 14. The material used for the protective film 14 is silicon resin, nylon resin, urethane resin, alkyd resin, melamine resin, polycarbonate resin, or the like. The thickness is preferably 3 μm or more and 100 μm or less. If the thickness is less than 3 μm, the second electrode 13 is exposed due to wear due to use over time, and there is a risk of disconnection of the electrode. On the other hand, if it is thicker than 100 μm, the electric field strength on the surface of the toner carrier formed by the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 13 becomes weak, and it becomes difficult to fly the developer. The following range is desirable.

Next, a process for producing a developer carrier in the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow of manufacturing the developer carrying member of this embodiment. However, in the drawing, the flanges 22, 23 and the like constituting the developer carrier 10 are omitted, and only the formation of the insulating layer 12, the second electrode 13, and the protective film 14 on the cylindrical body 21 is shown.
[First embodiment]
1) Formation of Insulating Layer An aluminum cylinder 21 with a diameter of 16 mm is prepared as the first electrode 11 (FIG. 7A), and a first flange 22 and a second flange 23 (not shown) are provided at both ends thereof. Thus, a roller-like assembly 20 was obtained. Next, an uncured alkyd resin as an insulating material and methyl ethyl ketone as a solvent for adjusting viscosity were mixed and prepared, and after forming a coating film by dipping, the insulating layer 12 having a thickness of 20 μm was formed by heating and curing (FIG. 7). (B)).
2) Modification treatment The surface modification treatment was performed over the entire circumference by irradiating ultraviolet light from a low-pressure mercury lamp in the atmosphere for 5 minutes while rotating the roller-shaped assembly 20 on which the insulating layer 12 was formed ( FIG. 7 (c)).
By this treatment, the water droplet contact angle on the surface 12a of the insulating layer 12 decreased from 90 degrees to 40 degrees, indicating that OH groups, which are hydrophilic groups, were introduced.
This reforming treatment is a technique generally called UV / O ₃ treatment, but is not limited to this technique, and a known technique such as excimer lamp irradiation treatment, atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, or corona discharge treatment may be used. I can do it.

3) Pattern formation of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal-capturing ability A driving mechanism capable of fixing and rotating the roller-like assembly 20 subjected to the modification treatment in the step 2), and a fixed roller-like assembly 20 An ink jet device comprising an ink jet head fixed to a drive device capable of reciprocating in the axial direction was prepared.
Furthermore, an aqueous solution containing 1 vol% of N- (2-aminoethyl) -3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, which is a silane coupling agent, and 1 vol% of isopropyl alcohol was mixed well to prepare an ink for use in an ink jet apparatus.
The roller-shaped assembly 20 is fixed and rotated to the ink jet apparatus, and the ink pattern 30 corresponding to the pattern shape of the second electrode 13 is formed by the ink described above while reciprocating the ink jet head 40 as shown in FIG. After drying at 100 ° C. for 30 minutes, rinsing was performed with pure water (FIG. 7D).
The silane coupling agent is an organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability. By forming a strong bond between the OH group formed on the surface 12a of the insulating layer 12 by the modification treatment in step 2) and the silanol group of the silane coupling agent, high adhesion can be obtained between the two. A pattern can be firmly formed on the layer.

Moreover, as a silane coupling agent, not only N- (2-aminoethyl) -3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane containing an amino group as a functional group having a metal capturing ability, but also an amino group, an imino group, a nitrile group, One of pyrrole groups or a plurality of these may be included.
In addition, the organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability is not limited to the silane coupling agent as long as it binds to the OH group.
In this step, a pattern formation is performed by applying a solution or dispersion of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure to the insulating layer by an inkjet method. By combining with the rotational movement of the roller-shaped assembly 20 as described above, an arbitrary pattern can be formed in a non-contact manner, so that a pattern faithful to the target electrode shape can be formed.

4) Adhesion of electroless plating catalyst After the ink pattern 30 is formed, the catalyst / accelerator method, which is a conventional catalytic method using a palladium / tin colloidal solution, is used to deposit the electroless plating catalyst on the ink pattern 30 in an acidic atmosphere. Some palladium was deposited (FIG. 7 (e)).
In addition to this, a sensitizer-activator method that uses two solutions of a tin chloride / hydrochloric acid solution and a palladium chloride / hydrochloric acid solution can also be used as a catalytic method. Good results can be obtained.
The functional group having a metal capturing ability in the silane coupling agent acts as a cationic group in an acidic atmosphere. On the other hand, since the palladium / tin colloidal catalyst is electrostatically negatively charged, the plating catalyst can be reliably attached to the ink pattern 30 by its electrostatic action.
5) Removal of excess electroless plating catalyst Next, the roller-shaped assembly 20 was immersed in a sodium hydroxide solution whose concentration was adjusted to 0.1 N, and then rinsed with pure water.
By contacting with a sodium hydroxide solution that is an alkaline solution, the functional group having a metal ion scavenging ability changes from a cation to a neutral group, and a coordination bond can be formed with the electroless plating catalyst.
As a result, excess electroless plating catalyst adhering to a portion corresponding to the opening 13b (FIG. 3 and the like) other than the ink pattern 30 is removed, and a coordinate bond is formed with a part of the catalyst and captured with a strong force. , Fix. Therefore, an electrode pattern having high adhesion can be obtained in the subsequent electroless plating process.

6) Formation of second electrode by electroless plating solution Furthermore, the roller-shaped assembly 20 is immersed in the electroless nickel plating solution for 6 minutes, so that the film thickness is about 0.5 μm and the volume resistance on the ink pattern 30. A second electrode 13 (the electrode part 13a thereof) made of a nickel film having a rate of 8 × 10 ⁻⁵ Ω · cm was formed (FIG. 7F).
7) Formation of protective film A solution in which polycarbonate resin is dissolved in methyl ethyl ketone is prepared, and the roller-like assembly 20 on which the second electrode 13 is formed is applied by spray coating to a thickness of 20 μm while being rotated, and dried. Thus, the protective film 14 was formed (FIG. 7G).
The method for forming the protective film is not limited to this, and known techniques such as dip coating and die coating can be used.

According to the above method, since the electrode pattern of the metal thin film was formed on the insulating layer, a developer carrying body having a smooth surface and good electrical conductivity even with a thin film thickness was obtained ( FIG. 7 (g)).
Since the surface of the developer carrying member is smooth, the wear of the protective film is small, and the electric conductivity of the electrode is also good, so that the developer can fly stably over a long period of time.
Further, according to the image forming apparatus to which such a developer carrying member is applied, it is possible to output a high quality image over a long period of time.

[Second Embodiment]
Steps 3) and 6) are the same as those in the first example, and steps 3-1) and 6-1) are performed instead of steps 3). A developer carrying member having the same configuration as in “Example” is prepared.
3-1) Pattern formation of organic compound having functional group having metal-capturing ability Printing plate 50 having convex portions formed in second electrode pattern, and ink having a larger area than intermediate transfer body 53 and printing plate 50 A supply plate 51 was prepared.
An aqueous solution containing 1 vol% of N- (2-aminoethyl) -3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and 1 vol% of isopropyl alcohol was mixed well to prepare an ink similar to that in step 3).
An ink thin layer 52 was formed on the surface of the ink supply plate 51 by a bar coating method (FIG. 9A), and the printing plate 50 was pressed from the top and then pulled away, and the ink thin layer 52 was transferred to the convex portions of the printing plate 50. (FIG. 9B).
Here, the bar coating method is used to form the ink thin layer 52, but other known methods such as a spin coating method, a dip coating method, and a die coating method can be used.
Next, the printing plate 50 to which the ink thin layer 52 was transferred was pressed against the intermediate transfer member 53 and then pulled away to transfer the ink pattern 52a to the intermediate transfer member 53 (FIG. 9C).
Subsequently, the ink pattern (thin ink layer 52) on the intermediate transfer member 53 is transferred to the roller-like assembly 20 by applying pressure and rotation to the roller-like assembly 20 on the intermediate transfer member 53 (FIG. 9 (FIG. 9). d)).
With such a configuration, there is an advantage that equipment for forming an organic compound pattern can be reduced in size. Further, the printing plate is not limited to the relief plate, and an intaglio plate, a screen plate, or the like can be appropriately selected.
Next, rinsing was performed with pure water after drying at 100 ° C. for 30 minutes.
6-2) Formation of second electrode with electroless plating solution After the electroless plating catalyst is attached in step 4), the film is immersed in an electroless copper plating solution for 20 minutes to form a film thickness of about 0.5 μm, A copper film having a volume resistivity of approximately 9 × 10 ⁻⁶ Ω · cm was formed.
By the above method, a developer carrying member was obtained in the same manner as in the first example.

A printing plate is used as the second embodiment, and a planar material is used as the intermediate transfer member. In addition, a roller-like printing member 50a is used as the printing plate as shown in FIG. 10, and printing is also performed as shown in FIG. Both the plate and the intermediate transfer member may be configured to use a cylindrical printing member 50a and an intermediate transfer member 53a.
Since pattern formation is performed by transferring an ink composed of a solution or dispersion of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure to the surface of the roller-shaped assembly 20 via a printing plate and an offset roller, Pattern formation is possible with high productivity.
In the structure shown in FIG. 11, the organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure functions effectively even if the film thickness is very thin. There is no influence even if it makes contact with the (intermediate transfer member 53a).

[Third embodiment]
Steps 1) to 6) are the same as those in the first embodiment.
In order to reduce the volume resistivity of the electrode pattern, electrolytic copper plating having a film thickness of 1 μm was applied to the electrode pattern obtained in step 6). The volume resistivity was approximately 6 × 10 −6 Ω · cm. Thereafter, a protective film was formed by the same method as in step 7) of the first embodiment, to obtain a developer carrier.
Since the electroless plating treatment is an electroless copper plating treatment, an electrode pattern made of copper having good electrical conductivity is obtained.
(Comparative Example 1)
Step 2) was omitted in the production of the developer carrier of the first example. In step 6) no electroless plating was deposited.
(Comparative Example 2)
Step 3) was omitted in the production of the developer carrying member of the first example. In step 6), the electroless plating partially deposited randomly and did not form an electrode pattern.
(Comparative Example 3)
Step 5) was omitted in the production of the developer carrier of the first example. In step 6), the electroless plating was deposited on almost the entire surface and did not become an electrode pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Developer carrier, 11 Roller member, 12 Insulating layer, 12a Surface, 13 Electrode, 13a Electrode part, 13b Opening part, 14 Protective film, 20 Roller assembly, 21 Cylinder body, 22 Flange, 23 Flange, 24 Shaft member, 25 shaft member, 30 ink pattern, 31 catalyst, 40 inkjet head, 50 printing plate, 50a printing member, 51 ink supply plate, 52 ink thin layer, 52a ink pattern, 53 intermediate transfer member, 53a intermediate transfer member, 100 Copier, 201 ADF, 202 Document Tray, 203 Feed Roller, 204 Feed Belt, 205 Discharge Roller, 206 Contact Glass, 207 Document Set Detection Sensor, 208 Tray, 209 Tray, 210 Tray, 211 Paper Feed Unit, 212 Paper feed unit, 213 Paper feed unit Knit, 214 Vertical transport unit, 215 Photoconductor, 216 Transport belt, 217 Fixing unit, 218 Paper discharge unit, 219 Paper discharge tray, 227 Development unit, 250 unit, 251 Exposure lamp, 252 Mirror, 253 lens, 254 CCD

JP 2007-133376 A JP 2009-115872 A JP-A-8-253869

Claims (9)

At least the outermost surface of the roller-shaped member as the first electrode having electrical conductivity has an insulating layer covering the roller-shaped member, a second electrode having a pattern shape having an opening region, and the opening region. And a protective layer covering the second electrode, and a method for producing a developer carrying member configured by sequentially laminating,
A first step of forming an insulating layer on the surface of the roller-shaped member;
A second step of introducing an OH group by modifying the entire surface of the insulating layer;
A third step of forming a pattern of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure on the surface of the insulating layer subjected to the modification treatment;
A fourth step of attaching a catalyst for electroless plating to the surface of the insulating layer;
A fifth step of removing the electroless plating catalyst from a portion other than the pattern of the organic compound formed on the surface of the insulating layer;
A sixth step in which the roller-like member having the electroless plating catalyst attached thereto is subjected to electroless plating treatment to deposit and form a second electrode having a shape based on the pattern of the organic compound;
A seventh step of forming a protective layer on the surface of the roller-shaped member on which the second electrode is formed;
A method for producing a developer carrying member, comprising:   The organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure is a silane coupling agent containing at least one of an amino group, an imino group, a nitrile group, and a pyrrole group as a functional group. 2. A method for producing a developer carrying member according to 1.   3. The electroless plating catalyst is removed from a portion other than the pattern of the organic compound formed on the surface of the insulating layer by bringing the roller-shaped member into contact with an alkaline solution. 4. A method for producing a developer carrier.   In the third step, the organic compound pattern is formed by applying a solution or dispersion of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure to the roller-like member by an inkjet method. The method for producing a developer carrying member according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   In the third step, a solution or dispersion of an organic compound having a functional group having a metal capturing ability in the structure is applied to a printing plate having a convex portion corresponding to the pattern shape of the second electrode, 4. The solution or dispersion of the organic compound adhering to the convex portion of the printing plate is transferred to the surface of the roller-shaped member via an intermediate transfer member. 5. A method for producing a developer bearing member as described in 1. above.   The method for producing a developer carrying member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electroless plating treatment is an electroless copper plating treatment.   A developer carrier produced by the method for producing a developer carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The developer is carried on the outer peripheral surface of the developer carrying member, and the developer carrying member is moved on the surface, whereby the developer is supplied to the latent image on the latent image carrying member in the developing region to develop the latent image. In the developing device, the developer carrier according to claim 7 is used as the developer carrier, and a power supply unit and a power source for supplying different voltages to the first electrode and the second electrode are provided. A developing device comprising:   An image forming apparatus comprising the developing device according to claim 8.

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