JP2009037012A - Fiber roller, cleaning roller, seal member and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fiber roller with an higher cleaning performance than a conventional cleaning roller or a cleaning pad using felt or nonwoven fabric, and also to provide a seal member with excellent sealing effect. <P>SOLUTION: The fiber roller is provided with fiber assembly (11) covering an outer circumferential surface of a metal shaft (10), and the fiber assembly mainly contains fibers existing in an extended manner outward radially from a central axis of the roller, and adjacent fibers are locally connected. Since the fibers composing the fiber assembly mainly exists in a radially extended manner, the roller is provided with high elastic repulsion and at the same time, great porosity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a fiber roller in which an outer peripheral surface of a metal shaft is covered with a fiber assembly.
The present invention relates to a cleaning roller and a cleaning pad having excellent cleaning performance.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a seal member that prevents the developer from leaking to the outside.

  In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the surface of a photosensitive drum is uniformly charged by a charging roller, and a toner image is formed through an exposure process and a development process. The toner image on the photosensitive drum is transferred onto recording paper in the transfer process, and is thermally fixed by a fixing device and discharged. In the color printer, the red, blue, yellow, and black toner images formed on the four photosensitive drums are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt, and the toner image formed on the intermediate belt is transferred onto the recording paper. ing.

  In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, since an image is visualized using a minute toner, it is necessary to clean a member that operates in various processes in order to create a clean copy. For example, toner particles, paper powder, and the like are likely to adhere to the charging roller. If toner or paper powder adheres to the charging roller, uneven charging occurs, and an unclear copy is formed. Therefore, a cleaning device for cleaning the charging roller is necessary. As a device for cleaning the charging roller, for example, a cleaning roller in which felt or non-woven fabric is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the shaft is used to remove foreign matters such as toner and paper dust remaining on the charging roller. Similarly, when cleaning the surface of a transfer belt or photosensitive drum, a cleaning roller wrapped with felt or nonwoven fabric is used, and pressed against the transfer belt or photosensitive drum to remove foreign matters such as toner and paper dust. ing. Further, in the heat roll fixing device, since toner or paper dust easily adheres to the heat roller and pressure roller, a cleaning pad such as heat-resistant felt or non-woven fabric is pressure-bonded to the heat roller to remove foreign matters such as toner. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  Further, a cleaning method has been proposed in which a brush roller whose outer peripheral surface is covered with a pile is used as a cleaning roller (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this cleaning method, a brush roller whose outer peripheral surface is covered with a pile is used as a cleaning roller, the brush roller is disposed so as to be pressed against the transfer belt, and foreign matters such as toner remaining on the transfer belt are removed by the brush roller. It is configured to sweep out.

Furthermore, it is also known to use a seal member in order to prevent the toner from leaking from the photosensitive drum or the developing device (see, for example, Patent Document 3). This sealing member has a structure in which a nonwoven fabric and an elastic body are bonded together, and prevents the toner from leaking to the outside by being pressed against the photosensitive drum.
JP-A-7-219379 JP 2006-259420 A JP 2004-317995 A

  In a conventional cleaning roller, felt or nonwoven fabric is used as a cleaning member. In these felts and the like, the fibers are arranged in parallel with the cleaning surface that comes into contact with the object to be cleaned such as a charging roller, so the void ratio between the fibers is small, and the wiped foreign matter does not advance inside the cleaning roller. In other words, it accumulates on the felt surface and the cleaning performance decreases as copying is performed. In addition, since conventional nonwoven fabrics and felts are structurally resistant to elastic deformation, the amount of elastic deformation when contacting a moving body such as a photosensitive drum is small, and the nip width that is the contact width with the surface of the moving body is small. There is also a drawback that sufficient cleaning performance cannot be obtained. In this case, if the nip width is set to be large, it is necessary to apply a stronger pressure contact force, which causes a problem that the load on the drive system is further increased. Further, since the fibers are arranged along the moving direction of the transfer belt, the charging roller, etc., the fibers are easily pulled off due to the frictional force generated between the transfer belt and the charging roller and lack durability. There are also drawbacks. In addition, when the fibers fall off, a problem that new foreign matters are generated occurs.

  Also in the conventional cleaning pad, a nonwoven fabric or felt is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and the fibers are arranged in parallel with the outer peripheral surface of the roller. For this reason, it has been pointed out that the cleaning member has a low porosity, and foreign substances transferred to the cleaning pad are accumulated on the pad surface, and the cleaning performance deteriorates as copying is performed.

  When a brush roller is used as the cleaning roller, the effect of sweeping the surface of the moving body is exhibited, so that there is an advantage that higher cleaning performance is exhibited as compared with a cleaning roller using felt or nonwoven fabric as the cleaning member. However, there is a limit to the pile density that can be planted on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and there is a limit to the cleaning performance itself because the pile planting density is low. Further, since only the root of the pile is constrained, the pile is easy to come off and there is a problem in life. In particular, in the system in which flicker is provided and the foreign matter adhered to the pile is knocked down, the pulling force acts on the pile at all times, so that there is a problem in terms of the life because it tends to deteriorate.

  In the sealing method using a non-woven fabric as the seal member, the elastic deformation amount of the non-woven fabric itself is relatively small, so that a gap is easily formed between the photosensitive drum or the developing roller and the non-woven fabric, and there is a difficulty in preventing toner leakage. In addition, toner and paper dust accumulate near the surface of the nonwoven fabric, and there is a drawback that the cleaning performance and the sealing effect are lowered as copying is performed.

An object of the present invention is to realize a cleaning roller and a cleaning pad that have a higher cleaning performance than a conventional cleaning roller and a cleaning pad that use felt or nonwoven fabric as a cleaning member, and that are superior in terms of life.
Another object of the present invention is to realize a sealing member that has an excellent sealing effect on the surface of a photosensitive drum and a developing roller and has further excellent durability.

The fiber roller according to the present invention is a fiber roller in which the outer peripheral surface of a metal shaft is covered with a fiber assembly.
The fiber assembly is configured by a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending radially outward from the central axis of the roller, and adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other. It is characterized by that.
Specifically, in the case of a polyester fiber, it can be bonded locally by heat treatment using an ordinary polyester fiber and a core-sheath type adhesive fiber whose sheath component has a lower melting point than the polyester fiber. it can. Alternatively, it is possible to bond locally by using fibers having different melting points and heat-treating at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of one of the fibers, and further by bonding resin to the fiber structure. Is possible. In addition, since the method using an adhesive fiber becomes uniform and strong bond, it is more preferable.

  Since the fiber assembly of the fiber roller of the present invention is composed of a nonwoven fabric mainly containing fibers extending outward from the roller axis, the elastic force repulsive force of many fibers acts effectively, High resilience is demonstrated. Further, the fiber density of the fiber assembly is high on the inner peripheral side of the roller and low density on the outer peripheral side, so that the fiber portion near the outer peripheral surface is easily displaced in the circumferential direction, and high cleaning performance is achieved. A cleaning roller is realized. Furthermore, since the porosity is high, it has excellent retention performance for retaining foreign matters such as toner and paper powder and retention performance for retaining liquid such as ink. Here, the fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending radially outward from the central axis of the roller is T, and the number of fibers extending outward from the central axis of the roller is T, When the number of fibers extending in the circumferential direction is H, T / H means a fiber assembly having 1.5 or more.

In a preferred embodiment of the fiber roller according to the present invention, the fiber assembly is made of nylon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate fiber, polybutylene terephthalate fiber, polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber, polyethylene naphthalate fiber, polylactic acid fiber, polyethylene fiber, polyurethane fiber, polypropylene. Fiber, acrylic fiber, vinylon fiber, vinyl chloride fiber, vinylidene chloride fiber, polyimide fiber, polyaramid fiber, fluororesin fiber, rayon fiber, acetate fiber, cupra, and fibers modified with these fibers, silk, wool, cotton, hemp It is characterized by being comprised by the combination of one type of fiber selected from or multiple types of fiber. The polylactic acid fiber includes poly L-lactic acid fiber, poly D lactic acid fiber, and stereocomplex polylactic acid fiber. In addition, the modified fiber is a polymer with a lower melting temperature than the original melting point, for example, by adding a polymer modification or additive, alone or in a side-by-side, core-sheath type with the polymer before modification Also included are bonded composite fibers, fibers in which a heterogeneous polymer is disposed side by side, and the like.
In the fiber roller according to the present invention, various types of rollers suitable for the application can be realized by appropriately selecting the fibers constituting the fiber assembly according to the purpose of use and the application. For example, in an application that requires a stronger elastic repulsion force, such as a lubricant supply roller, an optimum fiber roller can be realized by combining a fiber having a high rigidity and a fiber having a relatively low rigidity. . In addition, heat-resistant fibers such as polyimide fibers and polyaramid fibers can be used for applications that require heat resistance, such as fixing rollers. Furthermore, for applications where desired electrical characteristics such as good conductivity are required, a fiber roller having a desired conductivity is realized by using a fiber assembly composed of conductive fibers. A fiber roller having an optimum conductivity is realized as a toner supply roller.

  Another preferred embodiment of the fiber roller according to the present invention is characterized in that the fiber assembly is composed of a combination of a plurality of types of fibers having different physical properties such as fiber diameter, fiber length, rigidity, and conductivity. To do. By using a fiber assembly in which a plurality of types of fibers are mixed, for example, a desired elastic repulsion force and a desired cleaning performance can be obtained by using a mixed fiber of nylon fiber having relatively low rigidity and polyester fiber having high rigidity. A fiber roller is realized. Further, by mixing two or more kinds of fibers having different fiber diameters, a cleaning roller that exhibits optimum elastic repulsion force and cleaning performance according to the application is realized.

The cleaning roller according to the present invention is a cleaning roller having a metal shaft and a cleaning member provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft.
The cleaning member is composed of a fiber assembly mainly including fibers radially extending outward from the central axis of the roller, and the side close to the shaft has a high density and the side near the outer periphery away from the shaft is low. It is comprised so that it may become a density, The adjacent fibers of a fiber assembly are couple | bonding locally, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The fiber assembly of the cleaning roller according to the present invention is a non-woven fabric, but has a fiber structure in which mainly contained fibers extend radially outward from the roller axis, so that felt or non-woven fabric is wrapped around the outer periphery of the shaft. Compared with a cleaning roller, it has a high elastic repulsion force and a large porosity. As a result, a high cleaning effect for wiping off foreign matters adhering to a member to be cleaned such as a photosensitive conductor or a transfer belt is exhibited. In particular, regarding the fiber density, since the fiber density on the outer peripheral side is low, the fibers on the outer peripheral side are easily displaced in the circumferential direction, so that a more remarkable wiping effect is exhibited.

The lubricant supply roller according to the present invention is disposed between a solid lubricant and a rotating member or a traveling member, and scrapes the solid lubricant to apply a powdery lubricant to the surface of the rotating member or the traveling member. A lubricant supply roller for supplying,
It has a metal shaft and a fiber layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and the fiber layer is composed of a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending radially outward from the central axis of the roller. Further, the structure is such that the side close to the shaft has a high density and the side close to the outer periphery away from the shaft has a low density, and adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other. Since the fiber roller according to the present invention has a high elastic repulsion force and a large porosity, a small amount of lubricant can be stably supplied.

The cleaning pad according to the present invention is a sheet-shaped cleaning pad that comes into contact with the surface of a moving body including a belt, a roller, or a rotating drum and removes foreign matters remaining on the surface of the moving body.
A sheet-shaped cleaning member having a cleaning surface that contacts the surface of the moving body during operation, and a support member that supports the cleaning member;
The cleaning member is composed of a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the cleaning surface, and adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other. Here, the fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the cleaning surface extends in a direction orthogonal to the cleaning surface when the cleaning pad is cut along a surface orthogonal to the cleaning surface. When the number of fibers is T and the number of fibers extending in a direction parallel to the cleaning surface is H, it means a fiber assembly having T / H of 1.5 or more.

The seal member according to the present invention is a seal member that contacts a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, or a cleaning blade to prevent the developer from leaking to the outside.
The seal member includes a fiber assembly having a seal surface that comes into contact with the photosensitive drum, the developing roller, or the cleaning blade during operation, and the fiber assembly mainly includes fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the seal surface. And the adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other.

  In the present invention, since a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the cleaning surface or the seal surface is used, various rollers and seals exhibiting a strong elastic repulsion force and having a large porosity. A member is realized. In particular, when used as a cleaning roller, cleaning performance superior to that of a conventional cleaning roller using felt or nonwoven fabric can be exhibited. In addition, when applied to a seal member, good adhesion and foreign matter holding performance are exhibited with respect to the photosensitive drum, the developing roller, and the like, so that a seal member having an excellent sealing effect is realized.

  First, an example in which the fiber roller according to the present invention is applied to a cleaning roller will be described. 1A and 1B are diagrams schematically showing a fiber array structure of a fiber assembly used in a conventional cleaning roller and a seal member and a fiber array structure of a fiber assembly used in a cleaning roller and a seal member according to the present invention. is there. In conventional cleaning rollers and seal members, nonwoven fabrics and felts have been used as fiber assemblies constituting the cleaning members and seal members. These non-woven fabric and felt fiber aggregates have a structure in which many fibers are arranged so as to extend in one direction, and adjacent fibers are locally bonded to each other by heat fusion. When the fiber assembly is used as a cleaning roller or a seal member, the fiber assembly is arranged with respect to a cleaning surface that comes into contact with a member to be cleaned such as a transfer belt and a seal surface that comes into contact with a photosensitive drum or a developing roller. It is comprised so that a direction may become parallel. This state is shown in FIG. 1A.

  On the other hand, the fiber assembly used for the cleaning roller and the seal member according to the present invention has a fiber structure in which a large number of fibers are arranged in one direction, and adjacent fibers are locally heat-sealed. It has a non-woven structure. When used as a cleaning roller or a sealing member, a unique fiber arrangement structure is formed in which many fibers mainly contained in the fiber assembly are arranged so as to be orthogonal to the cleaning surface and the sealing surface. This state is schematically shown in FIG. 1B. Here, the specific fiber arrangement structure in which many fibers mainly contained in the fiber assembly are arranged so as to be orthogonal to the cleaning surface or the seal surface is the cleaning surface or the fiber assembly shown in FIG. The number of fibers extending in the direction orthogonal to the cleaning surface or the sealing surface when cut by a surface orthogonal to the sealing surface is T, and the number of fibers extending in parallel to the cleaning surface or the sealing surface is H. In this case, it means a fiber array structure having T / H of 1.5 or more. That is, when T / H is 1.5 or more, excellent cleaning characteristics and sealing characteristics can be obtained when configured as a cleaning roller or a sealing member.

  Next, the structural features of the fiber assembly of the present invention will be described based on the fiber assembly manufacturing method. For example, a polyester fiber and a heat-adhesive conjugate fiber are mixed and spun as a sheet-like web using a roller card. Many fibers of the resulting web extend parallel to the surface of the sheet-like web. When the cleaning roller and the sealing member are manufactured by heat-treating the web thus obtained, a nonwoven fabric in which many fibers extend in parallel to the cleaning surface or the sealing surface is manufactured.

  In the present invention, a fiber structure in which many fibers extend in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface is produced from the spun web. This manufacturing process is shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the width direction of the web 1 is in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and the thickness direction is the in-paper direction. The web 1 is pushed into the hot-air suction heat treatment machine 2 and heated (for example, at 190 ° C. for 5 minutes) while the web 1 is folded into an accordion to produce a fiber structure in which the fibers are locally fused. To do. In this way, when the web is folded and heat-treated, a fiber structure mainly including fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the spinning direction is obtained. For example, a web using a device disclosed in JP-T-2002-516932 (commercially available, Struto equipment manufactured by Struto, etc.) is folded and the majority of fibers are arranged in the thickness direction, and then about 190 ° C. It can be manufactured by thermally bonding the fibers in a heat treatment furnace heated to a temperature of. As shown in FIG. 2B, when the fiber structure obtained in this way is cut as a cut surface in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of many fibers, fibers extending in the direction perpendicular to the cut surface are mainly used. Is formed, that is, a nonwoven fabric in which many fibers extend in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface. In addition, the thickness of a fiber assembly can be set to desired thickness, for example, a fiber assembly with a thickness of 1 to 40 mm is formed. When only one place is cut, the cut surface is positioned on the outer peripheral side of the roller.

  The obtained fiber assembly can be cut into an appropriate length and thickness according to the application, and used as a cleaning member and a seal member. By forming an elongated tape-like fiber assembly or a rectangular sheet-like fiber assembly and winding it around the outer peripheral surface of a metal shaft with an adhesive, a book such as a cleaning roller or a lubricant supply roller A fiber roller according to the invention is constructed. In addition, it is no problem to arrange a thin fabric or non-woven fabric between the fiber assembly and the metal shaft. Further, the cleaning pad is constituted by cutting into a sheet-like fiber aggregate of an appropriate size and attaching it to a support member. Furthermore, the toner assembly is formed by forming the fiber assembly into a sheet having an appropriate thickness and cutting it into a desired shape. In addition, as a toner seal member, it is possible to realize a seal member in which a fiber aggregate and an elastic rubber layer are combined by cutting a laminate of a sheet-like fiber aggregate and an elastic rubber layer into an appropriate shape. Is possible.

  When manufacturing a fiber roller such as a cleaning roller or a lubricant supply roller by winding a tape-like fiber assembly around a metal shaft, the angle at which the tape-like fiber assembly is cut out from the fiber structure or the fiber assembly is appropriately set. It is preferable to set. For example, when a fiber structure spun from a heat treatment process is cut out at a right angle or parallel to the spinning direction (longitudinal direction) of the fiber structure and wound around a shaft, There is a possibility that the wiping effect of wiping off may be slightly lowered or the end of the tape may be easily curled. On the other hand, the tape cut-out angle is excellent with respect to foreign matters by cutting out at an angle other than parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fiber structure, that is, at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal direction, and winding it around the shaft. In addition to exerting a wiping effect, curling is less likely to occur.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the structural features of the cleaning roller according to the present invention, and is a diagram showing a cross section cut by a plane including the roller axis L and a cross section cut by a plane orthogonal to the roller axis L. 3A shows the structural features of a conventional cleaning roller, FIG. 3B shows the structural features of a cleaning roller according to the present invention, and FIG. 3C shows the structural features of a brush roller. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 indicates a metal shaft, and reference numeral 2 indicates a fiber assembly that covers the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, a nonwoven fabric or felt used in a conventional cleaning roller uses a fiber assembly in which many fibers are arranged so as to extend in parallel to the roller axis. Since the fibers existing on the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning roller are bonded and restrained between the fibers in a plane parallel to the outer peripheral surface, the structure is difficult to displace in the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the cleaning roller. In addition, when contacting a member to be cleaned such as a transfer belt or a charging roller, each fiber of the fiber assembly is not easily deformed in the radial direction of the roller. The nip width formed when contacting the cleaning member is also small. Therefore, the effect of wiping off foreign matters remaining on the surface of a member to be cleaned such as a charging roller or a transfer belt is relatively low. In addition, since the fiber assembly is formed with substantially the same density on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the cleaning roller, the porosity of the fiber assembly near the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning roller is small, The removed foreign matter is less likely to enter the fiber assembly and accumulates on the surface of the fiber assembly.

  As schematically shown in FIG. 3B, in the cleaning roller according to the present invention, when the tape-like fiber aggregate or the sheet-like fiber aggregate 11 is wound around the metal shaft 10, the fiber aggregate is separated from the roller axis. It mainly contains fibers extending radially outward. Therefore, the fiber density of the fiber assembly is high on the center side of the roller and low on the outer peripheral side of the roller. Therefore, from the viewpoint of ease of displacement of each fiber of the fiber assembly, each fiber is difficult to displace on the inner peripheral side of the roller, and the binding force on each fiber is weak on the outer peripheral side of the roller. Has a structure that is easily displaced in the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the roller. Therefore, when contacting the charging roller or the transfer belt, a relative speed difference between the fiber portion near the outer peripheral surface and the charging roller is easily formed. The effect of wiping the surface is exhibited, and a more remarkable cleaning effect is achieved. Further, since the amount of deformation of the fiber is large, a nip formed when contacting the member to be cleaned is easily formed, and a relatively large nip width can be formed only by applying a weak pressure-bonding force. Further, from the viewpoint of elastic deformation of the roller, when the abutting member is brought into contact with the member to be cleaned, the elastic repulsive force of many fibers acts outward as it is, so that a stronger elastic repulsive force acts. Further, from the viewpoint of the porosity of the cleaning roller, the fiber density of the fiber assembly is high on the inner peripheral side of the cleaning roller, but the fiber density is lower on the outer peripheral surface side. The porosity is increased, and foreign matters such as toner once wiped can be accumulated in the fiber assembly. Furthermore, when considering from the viewpoint of durability, each fiber of the fiber aggregate is excellent in that it is difficult to come out even if it is in contact with the surface of the member to be cleaned because the adjacent fibers are locally heat-sealed. It has durability.

  FIG. 3C shows the structural features of a brush roller in which a pile is implanted directly on the surface of the core metal. The brush roller has substantially the same structure as that of the present invention in that the pile is raised radially from the central axis of the roller. Accordingly, the amount of elastic deformation is relatively large, and the wiping effect on foreign matter is relatively high. However, in the case of a brush roller, the density of piles that can be flocked to the core metal is limited by the pile length. Therefore, as the pile length increases, the fiber density decreases, and the surface of a member to be cleaned such as a charging roller or transfer belt There is a limit to the cleaning performance for removing foreign matter remaining on the top. Further, even in a brush roller in which a sheet-like pile fabric is wound on a core metal, there is a limit to the density of piles to be implanted, and the cleaning performance is limited. Further, in the case of a brush roller, the pile is restrained only at the root, so that when the pile becomes long, the force of the pile contacting the member to be cleaned becomes weak, and the force for scraping off foreign matter is difficult.

  As is clear from the above description, the cleaning roller using the fiber assembly according to the present invention has characteristics intermediate between the cleaning roller and the brush roller using a conventional nonwoven fabric or felt. That is, from the viewpoint of cleaning performance, the effect of wiping off foreign matter is exhibited and the cleaning performance is close to that of a brush roller. In terms of durability, the fibers are locally fused to each other, so the fibers are not easily removed. It has characteristics similar to those of conventional cleaning rollers.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a heat roll fixing device having a cleaning pad according to the present invention. In this example, a cleaning pad for cleaning the surface of the pressure roller of the heat roll fixing device will be described as an example. The recording paper 14 is passed between the heat roller 12 and the pressure roller 13 to fix the toner image transferred onto the recording paper. The cleaning pad 15 according to the present invention is disposed so as to be in contact with the pressure roller 13. The cleaning pad 15 includes a sheet-like fiber assembly 16 that extends over almost the entire length of the pressure roller, and a support member 17 that supports the fiber assembly 16. In this example, a polyimide fiber that is a heat resistant fiber is mainly used as the fiber constituting the fiber assembly. Since the fiber assembly according to the present invention mainly includes fibers extending in a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface that contacts the pressure roller 13 that is a member to be cleaned, elastic deformation is performed along the outer shape of the pressure roller 13. To do. Further, since the elastic repulsive force acting in the direction orthogonal to the cleaning surface that contacts the pressure roller 13 is large, the cleaning pad can be pressed against the pressure roller without using a pressure contact member such as a spring. is there. Further, foreign matters such as the wiped off toner are accumulated in the internal voids of the fiber assembly.

  In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a toner seal member is used at a portion that contacts a photosensitive drum such as a frame of a cleaning device or a developing cartridge, and toner is prevented from leaking out from the cleaning device or the developing cartridge. Yes. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a toner seal member according to the present invention. The toner seal member 20 has an L shape and is obtained by cutting a sheet-like fiber structure into a desired shape. At the time of cutting, the sheet surface of the sheet-like fiber structure shown in FIG. 1B is cut so as to coincide with the seal surface 21 in contact with the photosensitive drum. By cutting in this way, many fibers of the fiber assembly extend in a direction perpendicular to the seal surface 21. If the seal member having such a specific fiber arrangement structure is placed in pressure contact with the photosensitive drum, a strong elastic repulsion force acts on the photosensitive drum from the fiber assembly and corresponds to the outer shape of the mating member such as the photosensitive drum. As a result, it is elastically deformed, so that good sealing performance is exhibited. Further, since an elastic repulsive force acts on the photosensitive drum, a desired sealing effect can be obtained without using a crimping member such as a spring or elastic rubber. Further, since it has a relatively large porosity, a good collecting effect for collecting toner is also achieved.

  Next, an example in which the fiber roller according to the present invention is applied to a lubricant supply device will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a lubricant supply device according to the present invention. In this example, a lubricant is supplied to the photosensitive drum 30. A lubricant supply roller 31 is rotatably disposed so as to face the photosensitive drum 30, and is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown). A solid lubricant 32 is disposed in contact with the lubricant supply roller 31. The lubricant 32 is held by a holding member 33, and the holding member 33 is pressed by pressing means 34 such as a spring.

  Similar to the cleaning roller, the lubricant supply roller 31 has a structure in which a fiber assembly is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the core metal, and the fiber assembly mainly includes fibers extending in a direction perpendicular to the outer peripheral surface. It is comprised with the fiber assembly containing. Since the lubricant supply roller has a relatively strong elastic repulsion force, the solid lubricant is scraped off by an appropriate elastic repulsion force of the fiber assembly, and the powdery lubricant is supplied to the photosensitive drum 30. In this example, as the fiber assembly, for example, a fiber assembly in which high-stiffness fibers such as polyester fibers, low-rigidity fibers such as nylon, and heat-bonded composite fibers are mixed can be used. In this case, high-stiffness polyester fibers have the function of scraping solid lubricant, and low-stiffness nylon fibers have the function of applying powdered lubricant to the photosensitive drum. Then, it can be supplied to the photosensitive drum.

  Next, application examples of the fiber roller according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a cleaning roller, a cleaning pad, a lubricant supply roller, and a seal member according to the present invention. The photosensitive drum 40 is charged to a predetermined surface potential by a charging device 41. Next, the photosensitive drum is exposed with image light at an exposure position to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 42 to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum. The toner image moves to the transfer position, and is transferred onto the recording paper 44 conveyed in synchronization by the belt transfer device 43. After the transfer, the photosensitive drum is neutralized by the eraser 45. Thereafter, a lubricant such as zinc stearate is applied by the lubricant supply device 46. Thereafter, the cleaning device 47 performs blade cleaning to remove residual toner. Further, the cleaning is performed by the photosensitive drum cleaning roller 48, and one cycle is completed. As for the arrangement relationship between the lubricant supply device 46 and the cleaning device 47, the lubricant supply device 46 can be arranged downstream of the cleaning device 47.

  First, an example in which the fiber roller according to the present invention is used as a cleaning roller for a charging roller will be described. The charging device 41 has a charging roller 50 connected to a bias source. The charging roller 50 is driven to rotate or forcibly driven with respect to the photosensitive drum 40, and during this period, the photosensitive drum 40 is charged to a predetermined surface potential by corona discharge. The surface of the photosensitive drum 40 is cleaned by the cleaning device 47, but the toner and external additives that have not been wiped off remain, and the residual toner may adhere to the surface of the charging roller 50 and cause filming. There is. Therefore, the fiber roller according to the present invention is disposed as the cleaning roller 51. The cleaning roller 51 is disposed so as to rotate following the charging roller 50. As described above, the residual toner, the external additive, and the like are prevented from adhering to the surface of the charging roller only by rotating the cleaning roller according to the present invention so as to be in contact with the charging roller. The cleaning roller 51 exhibits excellent cleaning performance because the fiber density on the outer peripheral surface side is low and the fibers are easily displaced in the circumferential direction. A cleaning pad may be used in place of the cleaning roller 51.

  The fiber roller according to the present invention can also be used as a cleaning roller 48 for a photosensitive drum.

  The fiber roller according to the present invention can also be used as a toner supply roller in the developing device 42. That is, by configuring the fibers of the fiber roller according to the present invention with conductive fibers, a toner supply roller capable of stably supplying a predetermined amount of toner to the photosensitive drum at all times is realized. In this case, since the fiber roller according to the present invention has a high void ratio on the outer peripheral side of the roller, toner can be supplied stably. When used as a toner supply roller, a toner supply roller having a desired conductivity can be realized by appropriately controlling the conductivity of the fibers constituting the fiber assembly.

  The fiber roller according to the present invention can also be applied to the belt transfer device 43 as a cleaning roller. Since the surface of the transfer belt 52 is contaminated with paper dust, toner, or the like, the cleaning roller 53 is rotatably arranged so as to be pressed against the transfer belt 52 in order to remove the paper dust or toner. Prevents powder and the like from remaining. Further, the cleaning rollers 54 and 55 are arranged so as to be in pressure contact with the driving roller and the driven roller of the belt transfer device, and accumulation of paper dust and toner on these rollers is prevented. In place of the cleaning roller 53, 54 or 55, the cleaning pad according to the present invention can be used.

  In the lubricant supply device 46, the fiber roller according to the present invention can be used as the lubricant supply roller. Since the lubricant supply roller according to the present invention has a relatively large elastic repulsion force and a high void ratio, it is possible to stably supply the lubricant to the photosensitive drum.

  Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a color image forming apparatus will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a color image forming apparatus according to the present invention. Four image forming units 60 to 63 for forming red, blue, yellow and black images are arranged. Although only the photosensitive drum is illustrated in the drawing, these image forming units have each component as the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7 and form toner images of respective colors. The toner images formed by the image forming units 60 to 63 are superimposed and transferred onto a primary (intermediate) transfer belt 64 that is conveyed in synchronization.

  The primary transfer belt 64 is stretched around four belt conveying rollers 65 to 68 and one tension roller 69, and travels in synchronization with the toner image formation timing of each image forming unit. The toner image transferred onto the primary transfer belt 64 is transferred onto the recording paper 71 sent synchronously by the secondary transfer roller 70, fixed by the heat roll fixing device 72, and discharged. After the transfer, the primary transfer belt 64 is supplied with a lubricant by a lubricant supply device 73, is subjected to blade cleaning by a cleaning device 74 to remove residual toner and paper dust, and further cleaned by a cleaning roller 45 to perform an image forming process. finish.

  The fiber roller according to the present invention can be used not only for each of the image forming units 60 to 63 but also for cleaning each component of the intermediate transfer belt device. For example, the brush roller according to the present invention can be used as the cleaning roller 75 for cleaning the surface of the primary transfer belt 64. In addition, when a large number of sheets are copied, paper dust or the like adheres to the belt conveyance roller. Therefore, the cleaning rollers 76 and 77 of the present invention are also brought into contact with the driving conveyance roller 65 and the driven conveyance roller 66 to perform the cleaning. It becomes possible to run the transfer belt stably. Further, it is also used as a lubricant supply roller of the lubricant supply device 73. Further, it is used as cleaning rollers 78 and 79 for the heat roller and pressure roller of the heat roll fixing device 72. Since the heat roller and the pressure roller are at a high temperature, heat-resistant fibers such as polyimide fibers and polyaramid fibers are used.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made. The fiber roller according to the present invention has high elastic repulsion because many fibers extend radially from the roller axis. This elastic repulsion force or cushion performance can be used as a pressure roller that applies a pressure contact force to a belt or the like, and can also be used as a tension roller.

  Furthermore, the fiber roller according to the present invention has a high void ratio, and the voids communicate with the inner region of the fiber assembly, so that they have a holding ability to hold various liquids. Therefore, it can be used as an ink absorber that absorbs waste ink of an ink jet printer and an ink absorber that absorbs ink adhering to a belt or a roller, or as a cleaning roller that removes ink adhering to the surface of various members. It can also be used.

It is a diagram which shows the structural characteristic of the fiber assembly by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the manufacturing process of the fiber assembly by this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structural characteristic of the cleaning roller by this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a fixing device including a cleaning pad according to the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the sealing member by this invention. It is a diagram which shows an example of the lubricant supply roller by this invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus in which a fiber roller, a cleaning roller, and a cleaning pad according to the present invention are used. It is a diagram showing another embodiment of an image forming apparatus in which the fiber roller, the cleaning roller and the cleaning pad according to the present invention are used.

Explanation of symbols

10 Shaft 11, 16 Fiber assembly
15 Cleaning pad 17 Support member 20 Toner seal member 21 Seal surface 30 Photosensitive drum 31 Lubricant supply roller 32 Lubricant 33 Holding members 48, 51, 54, 55, 53 Cleaning roller

Claims (10)

In the fiber roller in which the outer peripheral surface of the metal shaft is covered with the fiber assembly,
The fiber assembly is configured by a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending radially outward from the central axis of the roller, and adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other. A fiber roller characterized by that.   The fiber roller according to claim 1, wherein the fiber density of the fiber assembly is configured such that a side close to the shaft has a high density and a side close to the outer periphery away from the shaft has a low density. Fiber roller.   3. The fiber roller according to claim 1, wherein the fiber assembly includes nylon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate fiber, polybutylene terephthalate fiber, polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber, polyethylene naphthalate fiber, polylactic acid fiber, polyethylene fiber, polyurethane fiber. , Polypropylene fiber, acrylic fiber, vinylon fiber, vinyl chloride fiber, vinylidene chloride fiber, polyimide fiber, polyaramid fiber, fluororesin fiber, rayon fiber, acetate fiber, cupra, and fibers modified with these fibers, silk, wool, cotton A fiber roller comprising a single type of fiber selected from hemp or a combination of multiple types of fibers.   4. The fiber roller according to claim 3, wherein the fiber assembly is configured by a combination of a plurality of types of fibers having different physical characteristics such as fiber diameter, fiber length, rigidity, and conductivity. roller. In a cleaning roller having a metal shaft and a cleaning member provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft,
The cleaning member is constituted by a fiber aggregate mainly including fibers extending radially outward from the central axis of the roller, and the fiber density of the fiber aggregate is high on the side close to the shaft. A cleaning roller which is configured such that a side close to the outer periphery away from the fiber has a low density, and adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other. A lubricant supply roller disposed between a solid lubricant and a rotating member or a traveling member, and scrapes off the solid lubricant to supply a powdery lubricant to the surface of the rotating member or the traveling member. ,
It has a metal shaft and a fiber layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and the fiber layer is composed of a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending radially outward from the central axis of the roller. The fiber density of the fiber assembly is such that the side close to the shaft is high and the side near the outer periphery away from the shaft is low density, and adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other. A lubricant supply roller. In a sheet-like cleaning pad that comes into contact with the surface of a moving body including a belt, a roller, or a rotating drum and removes foreign matter remaining on the surface of the moving body.
A sheet-shaped cleaning member having a cleaning surface that contacts the surface of the moving body during operation, and a support member that supports the cleaning member;
The cleaning member is composed of a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the cleaning surface, and adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other. pad. A seal member that contacts a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, or a cleaning blade to prevent the developer from leaking to the outside;
The seal member includes a fiber assembly having a seal surface that comes into contact with the photosensitive drum, the developing roller, or the cleaning blade during operation, and the fiber assembly mainly includes fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the seal surface. A sealing member characterized in that adjacent fibers of the fiber assembly are locally bonded to each other.   In manufacturing a fiber roller including a cleaning roller and a lubricant supply roller, a fiber structure having a web folded structure is cut in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of a large number of fibers, and then an elongated tape-like fiber assembly is formed. In forming the fiber roller, the fiber roller is wound around a metal shaft after being cut in an angle direction other than parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fiber assembly. Manufactures a fiber roller having a metal shaft and a fiber assembly that covers the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, the fiber assembly mainly including fibers that extend radially outward from the central axis of the roller. In doing so,
Producing a web in which the fibers are arranged primarily in one direction;
Folding the web and performing a heat treatment to produce a sheet-like fiber structure; and
Cutting the sheet-like fiber structure in a plane parallel to the sheet surface, and manufacturing a fiber assembly mainly including fibers extending in a direction orthogonal to the sheet surface;
Cutting the fiber assembly at an oblique angle other than parallel and perpendicular to its longitudinal direction to form a tape-like fiber assembly;
And a step of winding a tape-like fiber assembly around an outer peripheral surface of a metal shaft through an adhesive.

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