Electrically conductive member and image-forming apparatus

Details Electrically conductive member and image-forming apparatus Electrically conductive member and image-forming apparatus

1999-06-10

2001-11-06

Kiliman, Leszek (Department: 1773)

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Structurally defined web or sheet

Physical dimension specified

C428S332000, C428S411100, C428S422800, C428S423100, C428S423900, C428S424400, C428S424700, C428S424800, C428S425800, C252S500000, C399S115000, C399S116000, C399S122000, C399S176000, C399S159000, C399S130000, C399S279000, C399S302000, C399S313000, C492S048000, C492S053000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06312792

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrically conductive member in the form of a belt, a roller, a drum, a blade, etc. which is used in an image-forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, an electrophotographic apparatus including a laser printer, an ink jet printer, a toner let printer, a thermal transfer printer, a thermal sublimation printer, and an impact printer.
A related art image-forming apparatus, such as the coping machine and the printer, are equipped with such members as a belt, a roller, a drum, a blade, etc. for charging, development, transfer, intermediate transfer, toner layer forming, toner conveying, toner stirring, cleaning, fixing, and paper carrying.
These members are usually required to be soft and hence are formed from an electrically conductive rubbery elastic body or cellular body which is optionally mixed with metal or fiber or laminated with resin molding. In addition, these members formed from a rubbery elastic body or cellular body have their surface coated with a resin layer for various objects, such as protecting the photosensitive body from staining, preventing the toner from sticking to the photosensitive body, controlling the toner charging, and adjusting the resistance and frictional characteristics.
Unfortunately, the resin coating layer is by far harder than rubber or the like and hence does not conform easily to the elastic deformation of rubber. As the result, it cracks when formed on a belt or roller and such cracks permit rubber ingredients to ooze out or permit toner particles to stick to them. Besides, the coating layer changes in frictional characteristics due to cracking, and thus, these troubles lead to failure to achieve the desired object in early stages. Particularly, the life of the coating layer is a serious problem in the case of belt-like or drum-like members which need a higher degree of deformability than any other members. A conceivable way to address this problem is to form the coating layer from a polyurethane resin which has a comparatively good flexibility. Although a polyurethane resin easily conforms to the elastic deformation of rubber, it is not satisfactory in its ability to protect the photosensitive body from staining, to prevent the toner sticking, and to reduce the coefficient of friction. Therefore, it does not fully achieve the object of the coating layer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was completed in view of the foregoing. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrically conductive member to be used for image-forming apparatus such as copying machines and printers, more particularly, to provide the electrically conductive member having features suitable to form a coating layer made of an elastic material such as rubber which fully conforms to the elastic deformation of rubber, has a long life, prevents the toner sticking, controls the toner charging, and controls the coefficient of friction. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image-forming apparatus equipped with the electrically conductive member.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present inventors carried out a series of researches, which led to the finding that a polyurea resin as a cured product resulting from reaction between a polyamine compound and a polyisocyanate compound has good characteristic properties required for the coating layer which should protect the photosensitive body from staining, prevent the toner sticking, control the toner charging, adjust the resistance, and control the coefficient of friction, is able to fully conform to the deformation of rubber, and is superior in wear resistance and durability, and hence it is suitable for forming the coating layer of the electrically conductive member to be used for image-forming apparatus. The present invention is based on this finding.
Thus the present invention covers an electrically conductive member comprising an electrically conductive elastic layer and a coating layer formed thereon, characterized in that the coating layer contains a polyurea resin as a cured product resulting from reaction between a polyamine compound and a polyisocyanate compound. The present invention also provides an image-forming apparatus equipped with the electrically conductive member.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6004669 (1999-12-01), Rokutan et al.

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