IP Library Granted Patent US 8,023,878
Granted Patent B2
US 8,023,878 · App. 12/543,635 · Granted Sep 20, 2011

Cleaning device and image forming apparatus using the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,023,878
App. No.
12/543,635
Granted
Sep 20, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade that contacts a surface of a member to be cleaned to remove a residue remaining on the surface of the member to be cleaned, and that includes multiple layers, wherein a leading end portion of the cleaning blade shifts in a separating direction from the surface of the member to be cleaned due to a difference in thermal expansion property among the multiple layers when temperature rises.

Claims (19)

1. A cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning blade that contacts a surface of a member to be cleaned to remove a residue remaining on the surface of the member to be cleaned, and that comprises a plurality of layers, wherein a leading end portion of the cleaning blade shifts in a separating direction from the surface of the member to be cleaned due to a difference in thermal expansion property among the plurality of layers when temperature rises.

2. A cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning blade member that contacts a surface of a member to be cleaned to remove a residue remaining on the surface of the member to be cleaned, and that comprises a plurality of layers, wherein a leading end portion of the cleaning blade member shifts in a separating direction from the surface of the member to be cleaned due to a difference in thermal expansion property among the plurality of layers when temperature rises; and

a holding member that fixes and holds a base end portion of the cleaning blade member through an adhesive agent.

3. A cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein

the cleaning blade member is structured such that a coefficient of thermal expansion of each of the plurality of layers is larger as the layer is closer to a cleaning layer side, which is situated on a side of the member to be cleaned, and is smaller as the layer is closer to a back surface layer side, which is situated on a side opposite from the member to be cleaned.

4. A cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein

the cleaning blade member has a two layer structure including a cleaning layer which is situated on a side of the member to be cleaned, and a back surface layer which is situated on a side opposite from the member to be cleaned,

a coefficient of thermal expansion of the cleaning layer is set larger than that of the back surface layer, and

a coefficient of thermal expansion of the adhesive agent is set smaller than that of the back surface layer.

5. A cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein

the cleaning blade member has a two layer structure including a cleaning layer which is situated on a side of the member to be cleaned, and a back surface layer which is situated on a side opposite from the member to be cleaned, and

a material for the cleaning layer and a material for the back surface layer are different in permanent elongation property.

6. A cleaning device according to claim 4 , wherein

the cleaning blade member is structured such that a thickness of one layer among the two layers having a smaller permanent elongation property is set larger than a thickness of the other layer having a larger permanent elongation property.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier that is rotatably driven to form a toner image on a surface thereof; and

a cleaning blade member that contacts the surface of the image carrier to remove a residue remaining on the surface of the image carrier, and that comprises a plurality of layers, wherein a leading end portion of the cleaning blade member shifts in a separating direction from the surface of the image carrier due to a difference in thermal expansion property among the plurality of layers when temperature rises.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 12, 2021
From: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
To: FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP.
Reel/Frame 058287/0056 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2009
From: FUKUDA, YUICHI; KOJIMA, NORIAKI; SAKANOBE, MAKOTO; NAGAI, HIROMI; AKAMATSU, HIROAKI; KATAHIRA, MASAHIRO
To: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 023144/0191 →