JPH11167300A - Fixing member, and fixing device and image forming method using that member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain good release property, high wear resistance and excellent durability of a release layer and to uniformly fix an unfixed image by forming an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer comprising a soft fluorocarbon resin which can be dissolved in a solvent. SOLUTION: An adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer comprising a solvent-soluble soft fluorocarbon resin are formed on a carrying body. As the coupling agent, a coupling agent comprising Ti, Al, Zn elements or the like can be used, and a silane coupling agent having Si is preferably used because it has excellent reactivity and is selected from various kinds in order to firmly adhere the fluorocarbon resin layer and the carrying body. As for the solvent-soluble fluorocarbon resin, the resin which is dissolved by >=0.5 wt.% in an org. solvent and forms an amorphous soft resin having no melting point is used, and the resin has medium softness between a fluorinated rubber and a fluorocarbon resin. As for the solvent-soluble soft fluorocarbon resin, a resin having 10<4> to 10<6> number average mol.wt. is preferable, and especially a perfluoropolymer having a cyclic structure is preferably used.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating roll used in a fixing unit of an electrophotographic copying machine, a printer and other various image forming apparatuses which are constantly subjected to a heating / cooling cycle and mechanical pressure contact. The present invention relates to a fixing member such as a belt and a belt, a fixing device using the fixing member, and an image forming method using the fixing device.

[0001]

2. Description of the Related Art In a copying apparatus, a printer, and other various image forming apparatuses used in an electrophotographic system, a method of fixing a toner image formed on a sheet is generally to arrange a heating element such as a lamp inside. In this method, a toner image is fused on a support by passing a carrier, such as paper, on which a toner image is formed between two rotating members heated and pressed against each other.

As an example of a fixing device used in such a method, there is a hot roll fixing device as shown in FIG. 1, and this hot roll fixing device is a pair of a heating roll 1 and a pressure roll 11. Consists of Heating roll 1
Is a fluorine-based resin such as fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkylvinyl ether (PFA) on the surface of a cylindrical hollow metal core 2 such as aluminum or iron. The outermost layer 4 made of a heat-resistant elastomer or a heat-resistant resin having excellent release properties is coated. A heating element 21 such as a halogen lamp is disposed inside the heating roll 1 so as to have a function of a heating roll. On the other hand, the pressure roll 11 has an outermost layer 14 made of a heat-resistant elastomer or a heat-resistant resin having the same or a different type as that of the heating roll and excellent in releasability, covering the surface of a cylindrical hollow metal core 12 such as aluminum or iron. Have been. The heating roll 1 and the pressure roll 11 are pressed against each other by a spring or the like. In the figure, 27
Denotes an inlet, 28 denotes an outlet, and 29 denotes a release agent applying device for applying a release agent to the surface of the heating roll 1.

In this heat roll fixing device, a paper 31 having a toner layer 32 on its surface is conveyed between a heating roll 1 and a pressure roll 11, and after a toner image 32 is fixed on the paper 31, an outlet 28 is formed. Through the pair of rolls.

On a fixing member coated on the surface of a carrier such as a roller, a phenomenon such as a hot offset in which a part of a fused toner image adheres to a rotating body, or a phenomenon in which a toner image is not separated from a rotating body. It is required that phenomena such as wrapping around the rotating body together with the carrier do not occur as much as possible.
On the other hand, when the apparatus is in operation, the set temperature is about 200
It is also required to be able to withstand repeated heating and cooling cycles, such as heating to a high temperature of ° C. and cooling to room temperature when stopped. further,
On the outermost surface of the rotating body, the fixing members mounted opposite to each other are in pressure contact with each other, and are exposed to severe conditions, such as the separation claw for preventing paper wrapping being constantly pressed. , Is constantly stressed.

Accordingly, the heat-resistant elastomer or heat-resistant resin having excellent releasability, which is coated on the rotating body of the fixing device, is made of a silicone-based or fluorine-based polymer material such as fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, and fluorine resin. limited. Among them, when coated with fluororesin, silicone rubber, the releasability is insufficient, it is necessary to separately supply a release agent, whereas, when coated with fluororesin,
Since the surface energy is low and it does not have a reactive functional group, it has excellent release properties and does not necessarily require the application of a release agent. In addition, fluororesin lacks elasticity but has mechanical strength And durability is generally good.

As a method of coating such a fluororesin, a layer composed of particles of a fluororesin is formed by an electrostatic coating method, and then melted and fired to form a PFA resin layer (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-55-31494, JP-A-Showa 5
No. 9-174, JP-A-59-39372, etc.) and a resin dispersion coating method in which a fluororesin dispersion (dispersion) of a copolymer is coated on a cored bar and melted and fired. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 60-252381,
84670, JP-A-61-124974,
JP-A-62-153982, JP-A-63-298
382, etc.), a tube coating method in which a fluororesin tube is wound to form a fluororesin layer (JP-A-53-7).
4436, JP-A-59-198118, JP-A-61-38957, and JP-A-62-282113.
JP-A-63-36382, etc.) are known.

However, these fixing rolls coated with a fluororesin have the following problems. For example, when the fluororesin is coated by the electrostatic coating method, the melting and firing temperature of the fluororesin to be used is 30 to 380 ° C to 420 ° C.
Minutes to 120 minutes because of the high temperature and long time, when silicone rubber or the like is interposed between the carrier and the outermost layer as an elastic layer,
There is a problem that the silicone rubber is deteriorated by heat and cannot be used. In addition, when the fluororesin is coated by the resin dispersion coating method, the releasability deteriorates because the resin particles contained therein do not appear on the surface layer when the firing temperature is low,
Conversely, when the firing temperature is increased, the resin particles come out and the releasability is improved, but the particles are liable to fall off and the abrasion resistance is deteriorated. Furthermore, when the fluororesin is coated by the tube coating method, the fired fluororesin tube is used, so there is little effect on the underlying silicone rubber, but if the fluororesin tube is thick, the glossy image quality after fixing is high. It has been pointed out that unevenness (microgloss) appears on the image and image quality is deteriorated. Conversely, if the fluororesin tube is thin, handling in production becomes difficult, and there is a problem that production capacity is extremely reduced.

A fixing member using a blend of a fluororesin and another heat-resistant rubber in order to supplement the elasticity while taking advantage of the advantages of the fluororesin having mold release properties and abrasion resistance is as follows. Proposed. For example, in JP-A-60-31855, a solution obtained by mixing a fluororubber, a fluororesin, a curing agent, and a silane-based solvent is applied onto a silicone rubber elastic layer and baked, and the fluororesin is released to the outside. A method for forming a fluororesin layer that forms a layer has been proposed. However, there is a concern that it is difficult to control the formation of the fluororesin layer during baking, and it is difficult to uniformly form the fluororesin near the surface on the fixing member surface. JP-A-60-176073 proposes a fixing roll member by blending a mixture of a fluorine rubber, a fluorine resin, an aminosilane and the like with a silicone rubber. However, there is concern that the compatibility of the fluororubber and the fluororesin with the silicone rubber is poor, and that the aminosilane compounded deteriorates the releasability from the toner. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 63-11267 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-10
No. 0876 proposes a fixing roll coated with a rubber layer, a mixed layer of fluororesin and fluororubber, and a fluororesin layer in this order. This fixing member has releasability, elasticity, and abrasion resistance, but the fluororesin film on the outermost surface is as thin as 10 μm.
It is difficult to control the thickness of the fluororesin layer during coating and baking, and it is difficult to form a smooth film. Therefore, when polishing is performed to make the surface smooth, the fluororubber is exposed on the surface, and the releasability is reduced. Further, there is a drawback that the elasticity is impaired when the film thickness is increased.

As described above, in the prior art, it has been difficult to satisfy all of the releasability, maintainability and high image quality aptitude while the amount of the release agent is reduced or hardly used. Therefore, there is a need for a fixing member that is excellent in releasability from toner, excellent in durability, and excellent in image quality.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances in the technical background, and it is an object of the present invention to provide (1) peeling off toner even in a situation where a release agent is reduced. And (2) a fixing member which is excellent in durability, (2) is resistant to abrasion and has excellent durability, (3) can uniformly fix an unfixed image, and has high smoothness and high image quality on the image surface after fixing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact and low-cost fixing device that is excellent in maintainability, has high image quality, and is small in cost by using a fixing member, and an image forming method using the fixing device.

[0011]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that, in a fixing member having a layer on a carrier, an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and a solvent-soluble soft layer are used as the layer. By having the outermost layer made of a fluororesin, even in a situation where the amount of the release agent is small, it is possible to form a fixing member in which the outermost layer is excellent in releasability, durability, and high image quality suitability, and in which the outermost layer is difficult to peel from the carrier. And completed the present invention.

The present invention is characterized in that a fixing member having a layer on a carrier has, as the layer, an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin. This is a fixing member. Further, in a fixing device for fixing by heating the toner image on the transfer body,
The fixing member that comes into contact with the toner image on the transfer body has a layer on the carrier, and the layer has an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin. The fixing device is a feature. A step of forming a latent image on the latent image holding member, a step of developing the latent image using a developer, a step of transferring the developed image to a transfer member, and a step of fixing the developed image on the transfer member. In the image forming method, the fixing step has a layer on a carrier, and the layer uses a fixing member having an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin. A step of fixing the developed image in contact with a transfer member.

That is, the present invention uses a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin for the outermost layer, which solves the drawback of the conventional fluororesin, that is, a property that does not dissolve in any solvent. 50 μm with high smoothness
It is possible to form a thin film of the following order at a low temperature, and it is possible to easily obtain a fixing agent excellent in releasability, abrasion resistance and high image quality aptitude. Further, the adhesive layer provided between the carrier or elastic layer and the outermost layer has two types of reactive groups, a reactive group chemically bonded to an organic material and a reactive group chemically bonded to an inorganic material. By using the coupling agent having, the carrier or the elastic layer and the outermost layer are chemically bonded to each other, so that the outermost layer becomes harder to peel than in the case of bonding with a conventional primer for a fluororesin. A fixing member having excellent durability can be obtained.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the structure, materials, etc. of a fixing member of the present invention, and a fixing device and an image forming method using the same will be described in detail.

The fixing member of the present invention has an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent on a carrier and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin.

(Carrier) In the present invention, the carrier may be based on an inorganic material, or may be based on a heat-resistant resin containing an inorganic material as a filler. Metals such as aluminum, copper, and nickel with good thermal conductivity, stainless steel, silver alloys, alloys such as nickel alloys,
Alternatively, ceramics or the like can be used. As the heat-resistant resin containing an inorganic material as a filler, metal or SiO
_{2, TiO 2, Al 2 O} 3, MgO, CaO, Fe 2 O
_And heat-resistant resins such as polyamide, polyamideimide, polyimide, polyarylene sulfide, and polyether to which fine particles of inorganic oxides such as _3, silicon carbide (SiC), and BN (boron nitride) are added.

When the inorganic material is added to the heat-resistant resin as a filler, the content of the inorganic material as the filler in the carrier is preferably 0.1% by weight or more and 50% by weight or less, more preferably 1% by weight or more. More preferably, it is not more than 30% by weight. Further, the average particle diameter of the inorganic material as a filler,
It is desirable to set it to a range of 5 μm or less. If the average particle size exceeds 5 μm, the coarse particles may fall off the heat-resistant resin. Furthermore, in terms of dispersibility,
Those having an average particle diameter of 0.001 μm or more are preferably used.

When the carrier is composed of an inorganic material such as a metal, the carrier is provided in the form of, for example, a roll of a hollow metal core or a belt of a Ni electroformed sheet, and the carrier is made of a heat-resistant material containing an inorganic material. When composed of resin, the carrier is provided in the form of, for example, a belt of a polyimide film or the like, but is not limited thereto.
The surface of the carrier may be subjected to a surface treatment to firmly adhere the adhesive layer. For example, in the case of a metal surface, a degreasing treatment using an organic solvent or the like and a roughening treatment by sandblasting or the like can be performed.

Further, between the carrier of the present invention and the outermost layer,
An elastic layer may be interposed. When an elastic layer is interposed, an adhesive layer made of a silane coupling agent is formed on an elastic body. Further, in order to improve the adhesion between the carrier and the elastic layer, a primer may be applied on the carrier.

As the elastic material forming the elastic material layer, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluororesin or fluororubber is preferable. Among these rubber elastic bodies, those having relatively high rebound resilience are preferable, and those having rebound resilience of 40% or more, preferably 50% or more, and hardness of 5 degrees or more, preferably 20 degrees or more are effective. Silicone rubber is particularly preferred.

As the silicone rubber and the fluorine rubber, general-purpose ones can be used. For example, as the silicone rubber, vinyl methyl silicone rubber, methyl silicone rubber, phenyl methyl silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber and the like can be used. As the fluorine rubber, vinylidene fluoride rubber, ethylene tetrafluoride / propylene rubber, ethylene tetrafluoride / perfluoromethyl vinyl ether rubber, phosphazene rubber, fluoropolyether, and other fluorine rubbers can be used. Each of these may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

(Adhesive Layer) In the fixing member having a layer on a carrier of the present invention, a coupling agent for forming an adhesive layer will be described.

In the present invention, by providing an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent between the carrier or the elastic layer and the outermost layer, a carrier formed of an inorganic material and a fluororesin as an organic material are formed. To adhere to the outermost layer,
The peeling of the outermost layer can be prevented.

The purpose of using the coupling agent is to pay attention to the difference in the binding energy, such as the adhesion or hydrogen bonding of a partial covalent bond as in the case of a conventional primer, or the weak binding force such as van der Waalska. It is used for bonding inorganic and organic substances through strong covalent bond energy instead of bonding.

For example, a silane coupling agent having a structure represented by the following general formula (1) (X) _4-P -Si- (OR ¹ ) _P general formula (1) has two or more different silane coupling agents in a molecule. And has the function of chemically bonding an organic material and an inorganic material. The mechanism of this adhesion is based on the alkoxy group (—OR of the silane coupling agent).
¹ ) is hydrolyzed by water or moisture to form a hydroxyl group (-
OH). The hydroxyl group and the hydroxyl group on the surface of the inorganic material form a Si-OM bond by a dehydration condensation reaction. Further, one of the functional groups (-X) bonds or becomes compatible with the organic material, and as a result, both the inorganic material and the organic material can be chemically bonded.

As the coupling agent of the present invention, Ti,
Although a coupling agent composed of an element such as Al or Zn can be used, in order to firmly adhere the fluororesin layer and the carrier, from the viewpoint of excellent reactivity and abundant types,
The silane coupling agent having Si is preferable, and among them, the silane coupling agent represented by the general formula (1) is particularly preferable.

In the general formula (1), R ¹ represents a methyl group or an ethyl group. That is, in the general formula (1), a reactive group such as a methoxy group or an ethoxy group is preferable as the functional group (—OR ¹ ) bonded to the inorganic material side. p represents an integer of 2 to 4.

X represents a monovalent organic group. Here, the monovalent organic group is a reactive group chemically bonded to the organic material or a functional group compatible with the fluororesin. As the organic material and the chemically bonded to functional groups (-X), a vinyl group, an epoxy group, an amino group, methacryl group, preferably a mercapto group or the like, between the X and Si atoms, the alkylene chain (- (CH ₂ ) Q-: q may be a spacer such as an integer of 2 or more), and in this case, the structural formulas include those of the following general formulas (2) to (8). . In the following general formulas (2) to (8), q represents 0 or an integer of 1 or more.

[0029]

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Functional group (-X) compatible with fluororesin
Examples thereof include a functional group containing fluorine, for example, a perfluoroalkyl group, a perfluoroalkyl ether group, a perfluoroalkoxy group, and a perfluorovinyl group are preferable. In this case, the alkylene chain as a spacer between the X and Si atoms _{(- (CH 2) q -} :
(q is an integer of 2 or more).

As for the perfluoroalkyl group, C _n
It is represented by a general formula of F _{2n + 1} (n is an integer of 1 or more). It may have either a straight-chain structure or a branched structure, but preferably has a straight-chain structure and has 7 or more carbon atoms, particularly 7
Those having a range of from 20 to 20 are preferable. It is preferable that a spacer is interposed between the perfluoroalkyl group and the Si atom, and a preferable structural formula in that case is, for example, a structural formula exemplified by the following general formula (9). In the following general formula (9), r represents an integer of 1 or more;
Represents an integer of 2 or more.

[0032]

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[0033] With respect to the perfluoroalkyl ether _{group, -CF 2 O -, - CF} 2 CF 2 O -, - CF (CF
₃ ) It contains at least one or more kinds of repeating units such as O-, and may have either a straight-chain structure or a branched structure, but a straight-chain structure is desirable, and the number of carbon atoms is 5 or more, especially Those having a range of 5 to 20 are preferred. It is preferable that a spacer is interposed between the perfluoroalkyl ether group and the Si atom. In this case, preferable structural formulas include, for example, those of the following general formulas (10) and (11). No. In the general formulas (10) and (11), r represents an integer of 1 or more, and s represents an integer of 2 or more.

[0034]

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With respect to the perfluoroalkoxy group,
OC _n F _{2n +} 1 _(n is an integer of 1 or more) represented by the general formula. The C _n F _{2n + 1} portion may have either a straight-chain structure or a branched structure, but preferably has a straight-chain structure, and preferably has 7 or more carbon atoms, and particularly preferably has 7 to 20 carbon atoms. It is. It is preferable that a spacer is interposed between the perfluoroalkoxy group and the Si atom, and a preferable structural formula in that case includes a structural formula exemplified by the following general formula (12). In the general formula (12), r represents an integer of 1 or more, and s represents an integer of 2 or more.

[0036]

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The perfluorovinyl group is a perfluoro group having a double bond at a terminal and may have either a straight-chain structure or a branched structure. Those having 7 or more, particularly those in the range of 7 to 20 are preferable. Preferably, a spacer is interposed between the perfluorovinyl group and the Si atom. In this case, a preferable structural formula is, for example, the following general formula (13)
And those of the structural formulas exemplified in the above. In the general formula (13), r represents an integer of 1 or more, and s represents an integer of 2 or more.

[0038]

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The method of using the coupling agent is roughly classified into two methods. One is called an integral blending method, in which a coupling agent is added and mixed at the same time when a resin and an inorganic material are bonded, and it is easy to incorporate into a manufacturing process and has excellent workability. But,
This method is less effective than the direct treatment of the inorganic surface, so that the amount used is large. The other one is called a pretreatment method, in which the surface of the carrier or the elastic layer is previously treated with a coupling agent, and the coupling agent is interposed at the interface between the carrier or the elastic layer and the outermost layer. In addition, the adhesive layer is formed homogeneously, and the result by using the coupling agent is easily obtained. In particular, when the treatment is performed by a wet method, the treatment efficiency is high and uniform treatment can be performed, so that it is widely used industrially. In the case of the present invention, in order to obtain a strong adhesive force, a wet pretreatment method is suitable. In the case of a wet pretreatment method, it is generally 1 to 20% by weight, preferably 1% by weight.
It is used after being diluted to a concentration of -10% by weight. The film thickness after drying is 1 to 15 μm, preferably 3 to 8 μm.

As a primer for the coupling agent, one or two types of coupling agents are combined, and a solvent is used for 1-2.
It can be used after being diluted to 0% by weight. As the solvent at this time, most organic solvents such as alcohols, toluene, xylene, ethyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, and a mixed system of alcohol and water can be used.

(Outermost Layer) In the fixing member having a layer on a carrier of the present invention, a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin forming the outermost layer will be described.

In the present invention, the solvent-soluble fluororesin means a resin soluble in an organic solvent in an amount of 0.5% by weight or more. Further, the soft fluororesin is an amorphous soft resin having no melting point and having an intermediate softness between fluororubber and fluororesin. As the solvent-soluble soft fluororesin, any one having the above-mentioned solubility can be used. Number average molecular weight is 10,000-1
It is preferably in the range of 000000, particularly preferably a perfluoropolymer having a cyclic structure. Examples of the perfluoropolymer having a cyclic structure include a polymer comprising a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (14), (15) or (16). A monomer represented by the general formula (14), (15) or (16), and another fluorine-containing vinyl monomer such as tetrafluoroethylene (TFT), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP); Vilinidenfluoride (V
It may be a copolymer with F) or the like. These copolymers may be any of a random copolymer, a block copolymer, and an alternating copolymer.

[0043]

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The general formulas (14), (15) and (1)
In 6), R ³ and R ⁴ represent a fluorine atom or a perfluoromethyl group. a represents an integer of 0 to 5. b is 0
Represents an integer of from 4 to 4. c represents 0 or 1. Where a,
The sum of b and c is 1-6.

Specific examples of these solvent-soluble soft fluororesins include polymers comprising a repeating unit represented by the following formula (17), and polymers represented by the following formulas (18) and (1).
Copolymers comprising the repeating unit represented by 9) are mentioned as typical examples.

[0046]

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In the present invention, the outermost layer can be formed by dissolving a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin in a solvent and applying the solution. The solvent for dissolving the solvent-soluble soft fluororesin is not particularly limited, and for example, partial fluorination of perfluoroalkane, perfluoroalkylamine, fluorinated aromatic compound, hydrochlorofluorocarbon, hydrofluorocarbon, etc. And the like. Among these, from the viewpoint of solubility, fluorine-containing solvents such as hexafluorobenzene, perfluoro (2-butyltetrahydrofuran), and perfluorotributylamine are particularly preferable. Further, as long as the solubility of the solvent-soluble soft fluororesin is not impaired, a mixture of a fluorinated solvent and another organic solvent may be used. The concentration of the solution is preferably from 0.5% by weight to 50% by weight, and particularly preferably from 1% by weight to 20% by weight from the viewpoint of film formability.

The outermost layer made of the solvent-soluble soft fluororesin of the present invention can be formed by liquid coating and does not contain fluororesin particles unlike conventional resin dispersions and dispersion type solutions. , When coated, depending on the firing temperature, the fluororesin particles contained therein do not float on the surface,
Conversely, there is no problem that the abrasion is reduced due to the detachment or peeling of the fluororesin particles. In addition, the conventional fluororesin tube forming method has a limit of about 30 μm in thickness, and it is difficult to produce a thin film of about 10 μm having excellent fixing image quality. However, the outermost layer of the present invention is formed by coating a liquid. As formed, thin film coatings from submicron to tens of microns are possible. Furthermore, the strength of the thin film after coating is also reduced by the conventional fluororesin (PTFE, P
It has a higher tensile breaking strength and yield strength than FA), is durable, and has a highly reliable surface.

The coating on the carrier is carried out after the formation of the adhesive layer, by dipping or spraying, using a solution in which a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin is dissolved, while the adhesive layer is in a dry or wet state. There is no limitation. After the coating is completed, the outermost layer is formed on a heat-dried or air-dried carrier. The film thickness is 1 to 30 as a fixing part for electrophotography.
μm is preferable, and 5 to 15 μm is more preferable.

In the outermost layer of the present invention, an inorganic filler or another resin may be appropriately blended in order to increase the durability against heat stress such as abrasion and the heat resistance. These fillers and other resins can be used as long as the adhesion between the outermost layer and the adhesive layer and the degree of releasability required for the fixing member are not impaired.

As the inorganic filler, metal, SiO ₂ , T
Use of inorganic oxides such as iO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , MgO, CaO, and Fe ₂ O _3, and fine particles of inorganic materials such as SiC (silicon carbide), BN (boron nitride), and Si ₃ N ₄ (silicon nitride) be able to. Among them, SiC, BN, and Si ₃ N ₄ are particularly preferable because they have excellent heat resistance and durability against mechanical stress such as abrasion.

When the inorganic filler is added to the outermost layer, the content of the inorganic filler in the outermost layer is preferably from 1% by weight to 50% by weight, and more preferably from 1% by weight to 15% by weight.
The following is more preferable. The average particle diameter of the inorganic filler is desirably set to a range of 10 μm or less depending on the required film thickness. Average particle size is 10 μm
When it exceeds, it is highly possible that the coarse particles easily fall off.

As other resins, heat-resistant resins such as polyamide, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polybenzimidazole, polyarylene sulfide, polyether, polyketone, aromatic polyester, and silicone resin can be used. From the viewpoint of not impairing the moldability, silicone resins and polymers in which either a perfluoroalkyl group or a fluorine-substituted aromatic ring is introduced into the skeleton of these heat-resistant resins are particularly preferred.

When another resin is added to the outermost layer, the content of the other resin in the outermost layer is preferably from 1% by weight to 50% by weight, more preferably from 5% by weight to 20% by weight. More preferred. The softening point of the other resin due to heat is preferably equal to or higher than the softening point of the fluororesin.

(Fixing Device) The fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device that heats and fixes a toner image on a transfer member, wherein a fixing member that contacts the toner image on the transfer member forms a layer on a carrier. And has, as the layer, an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin.

It is preferable that the fixing member that comes into contact with the toner image on the transfer member has a heating source, and a fixing device that heats and fixes the toner image on the transfer member as shown in FIG. Although the fixing device of the heat fixing roll type shown in FIG. 1 is generally used, a fixing device of the heating roll type can also be used. 2 and 4 show examples of the fixing device of the heat fixing roll type shown in FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a heating fixing belt type fixing device, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the heating belt 6. The fixing device of the heating fixing belt type includes a heating belt 6 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the belt driving roll 24, on the outer side where the belt driving roll 24 and the two belt transport rolls 25 are rotatably installed. And a pressure roll 11 for pressing the heating belt 6 from outside. Further, a pressure member 23 and a heater 22 for pressing the heating belt 6 from the inside are disposed at a position facing the pressure roller 11. The heating roll 11 has a heater 26 inside, and has a hollow cored bar 12, an elastic layer 13, and an outermost layer 14 in this order. In the fixing device of the heat fixing belt type, the toner image 32 is fixed on the paper 31 by applying a pressure between the heating belt 6 and the pressure roll 11.

(Image Forming Method) In the image forming method of the present invention, a step of forming a latent image on a latent image carrier, a step of developing the latent image using a developer, and a step of transferring the developer to a transfer body And fixing the developed image on a transfer member.

In the step of fixing the developed image on the transfer member, a layer is provided on the carrier, and the layer includes an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin. There is no particular limitation as long as a fixing agent having the following formula is used. Each of these steps is a general step itself, and is described in, for example, JP-A-56-40868, JP-A-49-91231, and the like. In addition,
The image forming method of the present invention can be performed using a known image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine.

[0059]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1 (Preparation of Fluororesin Solution) A solvent-soluble soft fluororesin represented by the general formula (16) (trade name: “CYTOP”, manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) was used as a solvent. Perfluoro (2
-Butyltetrahydrofuran) (trade name: "Aflud", manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) was used to prepare a fluororesin solution at a concentration of 10% by weight.

(Preparation of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 2) An aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ is prepared as a carrier, and a highly heat-conductive silicone rubber having a hardness of 55 degrees is coated as an elastic layer 3 with a thickness of 3 mm. Then, as a coupling agent, an amino-based silane coupling agent “KBM9
03 "(manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), spray-coated, and dried by heating at 105 ° C. for 5 minutes. After forming the adhesive layer in this manner, a preliminarily prepared fluororesin solution was uniformly applied by a dipping method, dried at 120 ° C. for 30 minutes to form an outermost layer, and the heating roll 1 was obtained. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 10 μm.

(Preparation of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) A hollow aluminum core 2 made of aluminum having a diameter of 50 mm was prepared as a carrier, and a highly heat-conductive silicone rubber having a hardness of 55 degrees was formed as an elastic layer 3 to a thickness of 1 mm. After coating, a pressure roll 11 was produced in the same manner as the above-mentioned heating roll.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) Heating roll 1 thus obtained
And a pressure roller 11 having the same configuration as that of FIG. 2 and modified and attached to a copying machine (“Acolor 935” manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.) to perform continuous copying, and evaluate the smoothness of the image after fixing with a gloss meter. The light was incident on the sample at 75 using "GM-26D" (manufactured by Murakami Color Research Laboratory). The conditions are as shown below.

Toner: cyan toner for Acolor 935 manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Toner image: solid image (20 cm × 5 cm), toner amount = 1 mg / c
m ² Paper: manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co. for color paper J conveying speed: 100 mm / sec release agent oil quantity: One 1 [mu] l / A4 paper

As a result, due to the excellent releasability of the roll,
Even when the image was fixed with high smoothness, the image could be peeled off and a clear image was obtained. The color development of the image is satisfied when the gloss value exceeds 40, and the fixing temperature is from 125 ° C. to 175 ° C.
° C. Further, even when the number of copies exceeded 100,000, no image disturbance or offset on the heating roll 1 occurred, and no lifting, peeling, or abrasion of the outermost layer was observed.

Example 2 (Preparation of Fluororesin Solution) A solvent-soluble soft fluororesin represented by the general formula (16) (trade name: "CYTOP", manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) was used as a solvent. Perfluoro (2
-Butyltetrahydrofuran) (trade name: "Aflud", manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.), dissolving a fluororesin solution at a concentration of 10% by weight, and further adding boron nitride (BN) as a filler to the weight of the fluororesin. To 5% by weight of the solution.

(Preparation of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 2) After preparing an aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ as a carrier, a heating roll 1 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 10 μm.

(Preparation of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) After preparing a hollow aluminum core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ as a carrier, the pressure roll 11 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1.
I got The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 10 μm.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) The same operation as in Example 1 was performed. as a result,
Due to the excellent release property of the roll, a clear image was obtained with high smoothness and capable of being peeled off even when fixed. The color development of the image was satisfied where the gloss value exceeded 40, and the fixing temperature was 125 ° C. to 175 ° C. Even when the number of copies exceeded 150,000, no image disturbance or offset on the heating roll 1 occurred, and no lifting, peeling or abrasion of the outermost layer was observed.

Example 3 (Preparation of Fluororesin Solution) A solvent-soluble soft fluororesin represented by the general formula (17) (trade name: “Teflon AF”,
Perfluorotributylamine (trade name: "Fluorinert", manufactured by 3M) is used as a solvent, a fluororesin solution is dissolved at a concentration of 10% by weight, and boron nitride (boron nitride) is used as a filler. BN) was blended into the solution at a ratio of 5% by weight with respect to the weight of the fluororesin to prepare.

(Preparation of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 2) After preparing an aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ as a carrier, a heating roll 1 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 11 μm.

(Preparation of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) After preparing an aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ as a carrier, the pressure roll 11 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1.
I got The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 11 μm.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) The evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. as a result,
Due to the excellent release property of the roll, a clear image was obtained with high smoothness and capable of being peeled off even when fixed. The color development of the image was satisfied where the gloss value exceeded 40, and the fixing temperature was 125 ° C. to 175 ° C. Even when the number of copies exceeded 150,000, no image disturbance or offset on the heating roll 1 occurred, and no lifting, peeling or abrasion of the outermost layer was observed.

Example 4 (Preparation of fluororesin solution) A solution was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3.

(Preparation of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 1) As a coupling agent, a fluorine-based silane coupling agent [2- (perfluorooctyl) ethyl] trimethoxysilane (compound (20) below) was used. Acetone / methanol mixed solvent (volume mixing ratio =
1: 1), spray-applied, temperature 150 ℃ ・ 6
A heating roll 1 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the adhesive layer was formed by heating and drying in 0 minutes. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 11 μm.

[0076]

Embedded image

(Preparation of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) After preparing an aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mm as a carrier, a pressure roll 11 was obtained in the same manner as the above-mentioned heating roll. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 11 μm.
m.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) The evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. as a result,
Due to the excellent release property of the roll, a clear image was obtained with high smoothness and capable of being peeled off even when fixed. The color development of the image was satisfied where the gloss value exceeded 40, and the fixing temperature was 125 ° C. to 175 ° C. Even when the number of copies exceeded 150,000, no image disturbance or offset on the heating roll 1 occurred, and no lifting, peeling or abrasion of the outermost layer was observed.

Example 5 (Preparation of Fluororesin Solution) A solution was prepared in the same manner as in Example 2.

(Preparation of Heating Belt 6 in FIG. 3) A polyimide sheet 7 having a thickness of 0.1 mm was prepared as a carrier, and a silicone rubber having a hardness of 30 degrees was coated as an elastic layer. An amino-based silane coupling agent “KBM903” (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was used and spray-coated, and the temperature was 105 ° C. · 5.
Heated and dried in minutes. After forming the adhesive layer in this way,
A preliminarily prepared fluororesin solution was uniformly applied by a dipping method, dried at 120 ° C. for 30 minutes to form an outermost layer, and a heating roll 1 was obtained. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 10 μm.

(Preparation of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 3) The pressure roll 11 was prepared in the same manner as described in Example 2.

(Evaluation of Heating Belt 6 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 3) Heating belt 6 thus obtained
And a pressure roller 11 having a configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 3 and modified and mounted on a copying apparatus (“A color 935” manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.), performing continuous copying, and evaluating the smoothness of the fixed image by gloss. Using a meter “GM-26D” (manufactured by Murakami Color Research Laboratory), light incident on the sample
Went as. The conditions are as shown below.

Toner: Cyan toner for Acolor 935 manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Toner image: Solid image (20 cm × 5 cm), toner amount = 1 mg / c
m ² Paper: manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co. for color paper J conveying speed: 100 mm / sec release agent oil quantity: One 1 [mu] l / A4 paper

As a result, because of the excellent releasability of the belt,
Even when the image was fixed with high smoothness, the image could be peeled off and a clear image was obtained. The color development of the image is satisfied when the gloss value exceeds 40, and the fixing temperature is from 120 ° C. to 170 ° C.
° C. Further, even when the number of copies exceeded 150,000, no image disturbance or offset on the heating belt 6 occurred, and no lifting, peeling or abrasion of the outermost layer was observed.

Example 6 (Preparation of Fluororesin Solution) A solution was prepared in the same manner as in Example 2.

(Preparation of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 4) As a carrier, an aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ, which was subjected to a degreasing treatment and a sandblasting treatment, was prepared, and an amino-based silane coupling was used as a coupling agent. Using an agent “KBM903” (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), this was spray-coated, and dried by heating at 105 ° C. for 5 minutes. After forming the adhesive layer in this manner, a preliminarily prepared fluororesin solution was uniformly applied by a dipping method, dried at 120 ° C. for 30 minutes to form an outermost layer, and the heating roll 1 was obtained. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 10 μm.

(Preparation of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 4) An aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mm was prepared as a carrier, and a highly thermally conductive silicone rubber having a hardness of 55 degrees was coated as an elastic layer 3 with a thickness of 1 mm. After that, a PFA film (film thickness: 50 μm), which is a fluororesin, was coated by tubing to form a pressure roll 11.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressing Roll 11 in FIG. 4) The fixing roll obtained in this way was used in a copying machine (“Vivace 500” manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.) with the configuration shown in FIG. It was remodeled and mounted, and continuous copying was performed, and the releasability of the solid image when the fixing temperature was changed was evaluated. The conditions are as shown below.

Toner: Black toner for Vivace500 manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Toner image: Solid image (20 cm × 5 cm), toner amount = 1 mg / c
m ² Paper: manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co. monochromatic L paper conveying speed: 300 mm / sec release agent oil quantity: None

As a result, due to the excellent releasability of the roll,
Peeling was possible over a wide range of temperatures and a clear image was obtained. The releasable fixing temperature was from 155 ° C to 200 ° C. Also, even if the number of copies exceeded 300,000, no image disturbance or offset on the heating roll 1 occurred, and no lifting, peeling, or abrasion of the outermost layer was observed.

Comparative Example 1 (Preparation of Perfluoroelastomer Compound and Preparation of Solution) VDF-HFP which is a perfluoropolymer
A crosslinking agent, an additive, and the like were blended in the TFE terpolymer at the following ratio, and kneaded with two rolls to obtain a perfluoroelastomer compound.

Perfluoropolymer (VDF-HFP-TFE terpolymer): 100 parts by weight Crosslinking agent (bisphenol AF): 10 parts by weight Vulcanization aid (benzyltriphenylphosphine chloride): 5 parts by weight Agent (MgO): 5 parts by weight

This perfluoroelastomer compound was mixed and dissolved in an organic solvent (a mixed solvent of methyl ethyl ketone and methyl isobutyl ketone) at a concentration of 12% by weight to prepare a solution.

(Preparation of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 2) An aluminum hollow core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mm was prepared as a carrier, and a highly thermally conductive silicone rubber having a hardness of 55 degrees was coated as an elastic layer 3 to a thickness of 3 mm. Thereafter, a previously prepared perfluoroelastomer solution was uniformly applied by a dipping method. After the application, the coating was dried at 25 ° C. for 3 hours, and baked at 250 ° C. for 4 hours to produce a heating roll 1 on which the outermost layer 4 of perfluoroelastomer was formed. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 30 μm.

(Preparation of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) A hollow aluminum core 2 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ is prepared as a carrier, and a highly thermally conductive silicone rubber having a hardness of 55 degrees is coated as an elastic layer 3 with a thickness of 1 mm. After that, the pressure roll 11 was produced in the same manner as the above-mentioned heating roll.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) The same operation as in Example 1 was performed. as a result,
Fixing temperature whose gloss value exceeds 40 is from 125 ° C to 170 ° C
However, the releasability was severely degraded, and the number of copies was about 500.
When the number of sheets exceeded the limit, image distortion, offset on the heating roll 1, and paper wrapping occurred. If the number of copies is 1
Roll wear was observed when the number of sheets exceeded 000 sheets.

Comparative Example 2 (Production of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 2)
A hollow cored bar 2 made of aluminum having a diameter of 0 mm is prepared, and a high thermal conductive silicone rubber having a hardness of 55 degrees is used as the elastic layer 3 for 3 m.
After coating with a thickness of m, a PFA film (thickness: 30 μm), which is a fluororesin, was coated by tubing to form a pressure roll 11.

(Preparation of the pressure roll 11 in FIG. 2) A hollow core 2 made of aluminum having an outer diameter of 50 mm was prepared as a carrier, and a highly thermally conductive silicone rubber having a hardness of 55 degrees was coated as an elastic layer 3 with a thickness of 1 mm. After that, a PFA film (film thickness: 50 μm), which is a fluororesin, was coated by tubing to form a pressure roll 11.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 2) The evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. as a result,
The fixing temperature at which the gloss value exceeds 40 is from 125 ° C. to 170 ° C.
At ℃, even if the number of copies exceeded 150,000, no image disturbance or offset on the heating roll 1 occurred, and no floating, peeling, or abrasion of the outermost layer was observed. Fine gloss (gloss) unevenness was generated.

Comparative Example 3 (Preparation of Perfluoroelastomer Compound and Preparation of Solution) The same procedure as in Comparative Example 1 was carried out.

(Preparation of Heating Belt 6 in FIG. 3) A polyimide sheet 7 having a thickness of 0.1 mm was prepared as a carrier, and coated with silicone rubber having a hardness of 30 degrees as an elastic layer. The elastomer solution was uniformly applied by a dipping method. 25 after application
The heating belt 6 was dried at a temperature of 3 ° C. for 3 hours, and baked at 250 ° C. for 4 hours to form the outermost layer 4 of the perfluoroelastomer. The thickness of the outermost layer after drying was 30 μm.

(Production of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 3) The same operation as in Comparative Example 1 was performed.

(Evaluation of Heating Belt 6 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 3) The same operation as in Example 5 was performed. as a result,
The fixing temperature at which the gloss value exceeds 40 is from 125 ° C. to 170 ° C.
° C, but the releasability is severely degraded, and the number of copies is about 50
When the number of sheets exceeded zero, image disturbance, offset on the heating belt 6, and paper wrapping occurred. Further, when the number of copies exceeded 1,000, abrasion of the belt was observed.

Comparative Example 4 (Preparation of Heating Roll 1 in FIG. 4) As a carrier, an outer diameter of 50 subjected to a degreasing treatment and a surface roughening treatment by sandblasting was used.
An aluminum hollow cored bar 2 of mmφ is prepared, and a conventional fluororesin bonding primer solution is applied by spraying to 150 mm.
After heating and drying at 5 ° C for 5 minutes to form an adhesive layer, PFA
Apply powder resin paint uniformly by electrostatic coating method,
A curing process and a PFA film forming process were performed under a firing condition of 30 minutes to form an outermost layer. After firing, the surface was polished with a polishing film to obtain a heating roll 1. In addition, the film thickness after primer drying was 10 to 12 μm, and all the film thicknesses after performing PFA film formation were 45 to 50 μm.

(Production of Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 3) The same procedure as in Example 6 was performed.

(Evaluation of Heating Roll 1 and Pressure Roll 11 in FIG. 3) The same operation as in Example 6 was performed. as a result,
The fixing temperature at which peeling was possible was 155 ° C. to 200 ° C., but when it exceeded 210,000 sheets, peeling occurred not only between the carrier and the adhesive layer but also between the adhesive layer and the outermost layer. In addition, when the image after fixing was observed, minute unevenness in gloss (gloss) was found.

From the above Examples and Comparative Examples, it can be seen that the fixing member of the present invention is excellent in releasability, abrasion resistance, and fixability of color images and black-and-white images. In addition, it can be seen that the outermost layer does not peel off, and the fixing member itself has excellent durability. On the other hand, even for a perfluoropolymer, a fixing member using a VDF-HFP-TFE ternary copolymer or the like for the outermost layer has a degraded release property, abrasion resistance, and image fixing property. (Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 3). In addition, a fixing member using a PFA resin layer formed by a conventionally known electrostatic coating method or a resin dispersion coating method as an outermost layer has excellent releasability and abrasion resistance. It can be seen that minute gloss (gloss) unevenness occurs (Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 4). In addition, it can be seen that even if a PFA resin layer is provided after forming an adhesive layer using a conventional fluororesin bonding primer, peeling of the outermost layer cannot be avoided (Comparative Example 4).

[0108]

According to the fixing member of the present invention, since the outermost layer of the fluororesin is formed by coating a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin, a uniform release layer film is formed by the release agent. Even when the amount of toner is small, the toner has excellent releasability against toner, is resistant to abrasion, has excellent durability, and can fix an unfixed image uniformly, has a high smoothness on the image surface after fixing, and has excellent high image quality aptitude. . Therefore, when used in a fixing device such as an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer using an electrophotographic system, the maintainability is improved, and it is possible to prevent toner offset, prevent winding of paper and the like, and obtain a clear image. It becomes possible. Also, by suppressing the amount of the release agent used, not only the tackiness of the fixed image and the adhesion of the tape to the image carrier are improved, but also the size and cost of the fixing device can be reduced. In particular, since the fixing member of the present invention ties the carrier and the outermost layer with an adhesive layer using a silane coupling agent, there is no peeling between the outermost layer and the carrier, forming a fixing member resistant to mechanical stress. And thus reliability can be ensured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional fixing roll type fixing device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a heat-fixing roll type fixing device used in a fixing method in Examples 1 to 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fixing device of a heating fixing belt type used in a fixing method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing of.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a fixing device of a heating fixing roll type used in a fixing method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating roll 2,12 Hollow core metal 3,8,13 Elastic layer 4,9,14 Outermost layer 6 Heating belt 7 Heat resistant sheet 11 Pressure roll 15 Fluororesin film 21,22,26 Heater 23 Pressure pad 24 Belt drive roll 25 Belt transport roll 27 Inlet 28 Outlet 29 Release agent coating device 31 Paper 32 Toner image

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A fixing member having a layer on a carrier, the fixing member comprising, as the layer, an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin. Element. 2. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the coupling agent is a silane coupling agent. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the silane coupling agent is represented by the following general formula (1).
3. The fixing member according to item 1. General formula (1) In the formula, R ¹ is a methyl group or an ethyl group;
Represents a monovalent organic group. p represents an integer of 2 to 4. ) 4. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the outermost layer contains an inorganic filler. 5. The fixing member according to claim 4, wherein the inorganic filler is contained in an amount of 1 to 50% by weight based on the outermost layer. 6. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is selected from metal, glass, and a heat-resistant resin. 7. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has a cylindrical roll shape or a belt shape. 8. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein an outermost layer is formed after the carrier is surface-treated with a coupling agent and dried. 9. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein an elastic layer, an adhesive layer, and an outermost layer are sequentially laminated on the carrier. 10. The elastic body forming the elastic body layer comprises at least silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber,
The fixing member according to claim 9, wherein the fixing member is selected from a fluororesin and a fluororubber . 11. A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a transfer member by heating the toner image, wherein the fixing member in contact with the toner image on the transfer member has a layer on a carrier, and the layer includes a coupling. A fixing device having an adhesive layer containing an agent and an outermost layer made of a soft fluororesin soluble in a solvent. 12. The fixing device according to claim 11, wherein the fixing member has a heating source. 13. The fixing device according to claim 12, wherein the fixing member is a heating roll. 14. The fixing device according to claim 12, wherein the fixing member is a heating belt. 15. The fixing device according to claim 13, further comprising: the heating roll; and a pressure roll that presses the heating roll. 16. The heating belt according to claim 14, further comprising a heating belt, a pressing member that presses the heating belt from the inside, and a pressing roll at a position facing the pressing member. Fixing device. 17. A step of forming a latent image on a latent image holding member,
Developing the latent image using a developer, transferring the developed image to a transfer body, and fixing the developed image on a transfer body, wherein the fixing step comprises forming a layer on a carrier. Using a fixing member having, as the layer, an adhesive layer containing a coupling agent, and an outermost layer made of a solvent-soluble soft fluororesin, to contact and fix the developed image on a transfer body. An image forming method. [0001]