IP Library Granted Patent US 10,990,058
Granted Patent B1
US 10,990,058 · App. 16/945,931 · Granted Apr 27, 2021

Cleaning body, assembly, and image forming apparatus

Inventors: Fuyuki Kano (Kanagawa, JP); Yasuhiko Kinuta (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
G03G21/0017
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,990,058
App. No.
16/945,931
Granted
Apr 27, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A cleaning body includes a core and a foamed elastic layer spirally wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core from one end of the core to the other end. An end portion of a cell skeleton protruding from a surface of the foamed elastic layer has an equivalent circle diameter of 50 μm or less. The foamed elastic layer has a spiral pitch R 2 of 5 mm or less and a spiral angle θ of 15° or less.

Claims (42)

1. A cleaning body comprising:

a core; and

a foamed elastic layer spirally wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core from one end of the core to the other end,

wherein an end portion of a cell skeleton protruding from a surface of the foamed elastic layer has an equivalent circle diameter of 50 μm or less, and

the foamed elastic layer has a spiral pitch R 2 of 5 mm or less and a spiral angle θ of 15° or less.

2. The cleaning body according to claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the cell skeleton protruding from the surface of the foamed elastic layer has an equivalent circle diameter of 35 μm or more and 45 μm or less, and

the foamed elastic layer has a spiral pitch R 2 of 3 mm or more and 4 mm or less and a spiral angle θ of 5° or more and 10° or less.

3. The cleaning body according to claim 2 , wherein the number of cells in the foamed elastic layer is 80 cells/25 mm or more and 105 cells/25 mm or less.

4. The cleaning body according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed elastic layer has a thickness of 1.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less.

5. An assembly comprising:

a body to be charged;

a charging body that charges the body to be charged and rotates; and

the cleaning body according to claim 1 that cleans the charging body while rotating in contact with the rotating charging body,

wherein the body to be charged, the charging body, and the cleaning body are assembled so as to be integrally attachable to and detachable from an apparatus body.

6. The assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the foamed elastic layer of the cleaning body in contact with the charging body exhibits a displacement ratio of 15% or less.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier that can carry an image;

a charging body that charges the image carrier and rotates;

an exposure device that exposes the image carrier charged by the charging body to form an electrostatic latent image;

a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier by the exposure device; and

the cleaning body according to claim 1 that cleans the charging body while rotating in contact with the rotating charging body.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the foamed elastic layer of the cleaning body in contact with the charging body exhibits a displacement ratio of 15% or less.

9. A cleaning body comprising:

a core; and

a foamed elastic layer spirally wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core from one end of the core to the other end,

wherein an end portion of a cell skeleton protruding from a surface of the foamed elastic layer has an equivalent circle diameter of 50 μm or less, and

a spiral pitch R 2 and a spiral angle θ of the foamed elastic layer satisfy a relationship of 0.2≤R 2 /θ≤1.0.

10. The cleaning body according to claim 9 , wherein the spiral pitch R 2 and the spiral angle θ of the foamed elastic layer satisfy a relationship of 0.4≤R 2 /θ≤0.8.

11. The cleaning body according to claim 9 , wherein the end portion of the cell skeleton protruding from the surface of the foamed elastic layer has an equivalent circle diameter of 35 μm or more and 45 μm or less.

12. An assembly comprising:

a body to be charged;

a charging body that charges the body to be charged and rotates; and

the cleaning body according to claim 9 that cleans the charging body while rotating in contact with the rotating charging body,

wherein the body to be charged, the charging body, and the cleaning body are assembled so as to be integrally attachable to and detachable from an apparatus body.

13. The assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the foamed elastic layer of the cleaning body in contact with the charging body exhibits a displacement ratio of 15% or less.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier that can carry an image;

a charging body that charges the image carrier and rotates;

an exposure device that exposes the image carrier charged by the charging body to form an electrostatic latent image;

a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier by the exposure device; and

the cleaning body according to claim 9 that cleans the charging body while rotating in contact with the rotating charging body.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the foamed elastic layer of the cleaning body in contact with the charging body exhibits a displacement ratio of 15% or less.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 10, 2021
From: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
To: FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP.
Reel/Frame 056192/0316 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2020
From: KANO, FUYUKI; KINUTA, YASUHIKO
To: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 053414/0782 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2020-056879 · Mar 26, 2020 · national