JP2018173671A5

JP2018173671A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2018173671A5
Application number: JP2018154790A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2018-08-21
Publication date: 2020-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2037-06-14

Description

本発明は、トナー像を担持する像担持体と、導電性を有し、複数の層から構成される中間転写ベルトと、前記中間転写ベルトに接触する電流供給部材と、前記電流供給部材に電圧を印加する電源と、を備え、前記電源から前記電流供給部材に電圧を印加している状態において、前記中間転写ベルトの移動方向に沿った周方向に電流が流れることで前記像担持体から前記中間転写ベルトにトナー像を１次転写する画像形成装置において、前記中間転写ベルトは、前記中間転写ベルトの厚さ方向に関して、イオン導電性を有し前記中間転写ベルトを構成する複数の層のうち最も厚い層である第１の層と、電子導電性を有し前記第１の層よりも電気抵抗が低い第２の層と、を有し、前記第２の層は、前記複数の層のうち最も内周面側に形成された層であって、表面抵抗率が４．０×１０ ^６ Ω／□以下であることを特徴とする。 In the present invention, an image carrier that carries a toner image, an intermediate transfer belt that has conductivity and is composed of a plurality of layers, a current supply member that contacts the intermediate transfer belt, and a voltage on the current supply member. and a power source for applying a, in a state in which from the power source applies a voltage to the current supplying member, from said image bearing member by electric current in the circumferential direction along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt is flow In an image forming apparatus that first transfers a toner image to the intermediate transfer belt, the intermediate transfer belt has ionic conductivity in the thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt and is composed of a plurality of layers constituting the intermediate transfer belt. among the first layer is the thickest layer, possess a second layer electrical resistance is lower than the first layer has electron conductivity, a second layer, said plurality of layers a layer formed on the innermost surface side of the, and wherein the surface resistivity is 4.0 × 10 ⁶ Ω / □ or less.

Claims

An image carrier that supports a toner image, an intermediate transfer belt that has conductivity and is composed of a plurality of layers, a current supply member that contacts the intermediate transfer belt, and a power supply that applies a voltage to the current supply member. When provided with, in a state in which from the power source applies a voltage to the current supplying member, the intermediate transfer belt from the image bearing member by electric current is flow in the circumferential direction along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt In an image forming apparatus that first transfers a toner image to
The intermediate transfer belt has ionic conductivity in the thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and has electron conductivity with a first layer which is the thickest layer among a plurality of layers constituting the intermediate transfer belt. to have a, a second layer electrical resistance is lower than the first layer,
The second layer is a layer formed on the innermost side among the plurality of layers, the image forming, characterized in that the surface resistivity is 4.0 × 10 ⁶ Ω / □ or less apparatus.

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is in contact with the image carrier.

The first aspect of the present invention, wherein the intermediate transfer belt has a third layer having a higher electrical resistance than the first layer, and the third layer is in contact with the image carrier. Image forming device.

The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the third layer has electron conductivity.

The current supply member is a secondary transfer member that secondarily transfers a toner image from the intermediate transfer belt to the transfer material by applying a voltage from the power source, and the secondary transfer member is via the intermediate transfer belt. The second layer is formed at a position farther from the image carrier than the first layer in the thickness direction, and is characterized in that it comes into contact with the facing member. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

In a state in which from the power source applies a voltage to the secondary transfer member, by the current is the flow toward the opposing member from said secondary transfer member, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt from the image bearing member The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising primary transfer and secondary transfer of a toner image primary transferred to the intermediate transfer belt to a transfer material.

By applying a voltage from the power source to the secondary transfer member , a current flows in the circumferential direction along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt toward the image carrier via the facing member , and the current flows from the facing member in the circumferential direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the current flowing toward the image carrier flows through the second layer and then flows through the first layer to the image carrier.

5. A aspect of claim 5, wherein a contact member that contacts the second layer of the intermediate transfer belt is provided in the vicinity of the image carrier, and the opposing member and the contact member are electrically connected to each other. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 7.

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the contact member is a metal roller.

A plurality of the image carrier and the contact member are provided with respect to the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and each of the plurality of contact members is provided corresponding to the plurality of image carriers. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 or 9 .

Each of the plurality of the contact members is arranged on the downstream side of the position where the image carrier corresponding to the contact member and the intermediate transfer belt come into contact with each other in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 .

10. The aspect of claim 10 or 11 , wherein in the plurality of the image carriers and the plurality of contact members, the distances from the axial centers of the image carriers to the axial centers of the respective contact members are equal. Image forming device.

With respect to the charging member having a width direction intersecting with the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, which is shorter than the length of the image carrier and charging the image carrier in contact with the image carrier, and the thickness direction. A protective member arranged between the image carrier and the intermediate transfer belt and having a higher electrical resistance than the first layer is provided.
Claims 1 to 12 are characterized in that the protective member is arranged at least at positions corresponding to both ends of a region where the charging member and the image carrier come into contact with each other in the width direction.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above items.

With respect to the width direction, the protective member is outside the image region where the image carrier can carry the toner image, and at least from both ends of the region where the charging member and the image carrier come into contact with each other. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein both ends of the intermediate transfer belt are provided.

The length in the width direction intersecting the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt is shorter than the length of the image carrier, and includes a charging member that contacts the image carrier and charges the image carrier.
Any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the second layer is not formed at least at positions corresponding to both ends of a region where the charging member and the image carrier come into contact with each other in the width direction. The image forming apparatus according to item 1.

With respect to the width direction, the intermediate transfer belt is located outside the image region where the image carrier can carry the toner image, and at least from both ends of the region where the charging member and the image carrier come into contact with each other. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the second layer is not formed up to both ends.