Printing Or Copying Patents (Class 492/18)
  • Patent number: 11914280
    Abstract: A drum for processing a thermal image medium has first and second end plates that extend orthogonally to an axis of rotation and enclose an inner core. First and second inner partitions along the axis define a first end zone between the first partition and the first end plate, a second end zone between the second partition and the second end plate, and a middle zone between the first and second partitions. Each inner partition has sleeve portions that extend outward from the partition, in an axial direction. A first lamp heater extends parallel to the axis and through one or more sleeve portions and has a first filament within the first end zone and a second filament within the second end zone. A second lamp heater extends parallel to the axis and through one or more sleeve portions and has a central filament within the middle zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent R. Struble, Joel C. Marsh, Daniel J. Peick
  • Patent number: 10988656
    Abstract: A thermally conductive resin composition is disclosed herein. The thermally conductive resin composition exhibits high thermal conductivity while having excellent handling properties. In an embodiment, a resin composition includes a resin component and 600 parts by weight or more of a thermally conductive filler relative to 100 parts by weight of the resin component. The thermally conductive filler comprise 30 to 50 wt % of a first thermally conductive filler having a D50 particle diameter of 35 ?m or more, 25 to 45 wt % of a second thermally conductive filler having a D50 particle diameter in a range of 15 ?m to 30 ?m, and 15 to 35 wt % of a third thermally conductive filler having a D50 particle diameter of 1 to 4 ?m, based on the total weight of the thermally conductive filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventors: Seong Kyun Kang, Yoon Gyung Cho, Yang Gu Kang, Eun Suk Park, Sang Min Park, Se Woo Yang, Hyeon Choi
  • Patent number: 10865062
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a roller transporting a medium, such as recording paper; a first layer covering a surface of the roller facing the medium; a second layer laminated on the first layer; and convex portions provided between the first layer and the second layer, and the convex portions are formed from inorganic particles. The first layer binds the convex portions to the roller, and the second layer covers the convex portions for protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Inventor: Takuya Miyakawa
  • Patent number: 10831127
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic developing member capable of sufficiently increasing a density of an image initially output from a standby state. The developing member includes: a substrate; a porous electroconductive elastic layer on the substrate; and an electroconductive solid layer on the electroconductive elastic layer, in which an outer surface of the developing member includes a first region having an electrical insulating surface and a second region having an electroconductive surface, the first region and the second region are arranged to be adjacent to each other, and the first region is constituted by an electrical insulating portion disposed on an outer surface of the electroconductive solid layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumihiko Utsuno, Minoru Nakamura, Kazuaki Nagaoka, Ryo Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 10571825
    Abstract: The electrophotographic member comprises: an electroconductive substrate; and an electroconductive layer on or above the substrate, an outer surface of the electrophotographic member having electrically insulating first regions and an electroconductive second region, each of the first regions being adjacent to the second region, wherein assuming that a square region having a side length of 300 ?m is put on an outer surface of the electrophotographic member, in the square regions, the first regions are included, and assuming that Voronoi tessellation is conducted with respect to the first regions in the square region to create Voronoi polygons, a coefficient of variation of S1/SV is from 0.10 to 1.00, where SV denotes a plane area of each of the Voronoi polygons, and S1 denotes a plane area of one of the first regions included in each of the Voronoi polygons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Urushihara, Kazuaki Nagaoka, Sosuke Yamaguchi, Ryo Sugiyama, Minoru Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10474068
    Abstract: An inventive electrically conductive rubber composition contains: a rubber component including SBR and/or NBR, and 20 to 30 parts by mass of epichlorohydrin rubber based on 100 parts by mass of the overall rubber component; a crosslinking component; a foaming component; and a potassium salt of an anion having a fluoro group and a sulfonyl group in its molecule, the potassium salt being present in a proportion of not less than 0.01 part by mass and not greater than 1 part by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the overall rubber component. An inventive transfer roller (1) includes a roller body (2) formed from the electrically conductive rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Osaka, Yusuke Tanio
  • Patent number: 10437172
    Abstract: A semiconductive roller is provided, which includes a roller body made of a crosslinked product of a rubber composition containing a rubber component including epichlorohydrin rubber and diene rubber, and a crosslinking component including: (a) 4,4?-dithiodimorpholine; (b) sulfur; (c) a thiourea compound; and (d) a thiuram accelerating agent; wherein the proportion R (part by mass) of 4,4?-dithiodimorpholine and the proportion S (part by mass) of sulfur based on 100 parts by mass of the overall rubber component satisfy the following expressions (1) and (2): 2R?S??(1) 0.5R+S>0.4??(2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Daijiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10197930
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic member which hardly undergoes deformation even when subjected to a load over a long period of time under a high-temperature and high-humidity environment and thus can stably form a high-quality electrophotographic image. The electrophotographic member includes: an electroconductive substrate; and an electroconductive resin layer on the substrate, in which the resin layer contains a cation having a specific structure and a specific anion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Takanori Kaihara, Takashi Koyanagi, Sosuke Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10199134
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrically conductive rubber composition of an electron conductive type which contains neither an expensive ion conductive rubber having a higher environmental dependence nor a softening agent and a liquid rubber which are liable to increase the compression set of a developing roller or contaminate a photoreceptor body, and is usable for production of a more flexible developing roller. The present invention also provides a developing roller produced by using the rubber composition. The electrically conductive rubber composition contains a rubber component including an EPDM and an NBR and/or an SBR, sulfur, a thiazole crosslinking accelerating agent, tetramethylthiuram monosulfide and tetrabutylthiuram disulfide. The developing roller (1) is formed from the electrically conductive rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Marui, Yoshihisa Mizumoto
  • Patent number: 9971276
    Abstract: A developing member includes a conductive substrate, a conductive elastic layer on the conductive substrate, and a plurality of insulating domains on the conductive elastic layer, wherein the surface of the developing member includes the surfaces of the insulating domains and an exposed portion of the conductive elastic layer not covered with the insulating domains. The conductive elastic layer contains a resin and an anion, wherein the resin has a specific cationic structure synthesized from an ion conductive agent composed of a cation including at least one reactive functional group and an anion and a compound that can react to the ion conductive agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Ishida, Yuji Sakurai, Ryo Sugiyama, Rieko Takabe, Sosuke Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9658557
    Abstract: A semiconductive roller is provided, which is capable of uniformly electrically charging a surface of a photoreceptor body particularly when being used as a charging roller, substantially free from defective image formation due to adhesion and accumulation of external additives even if repeatedly performing a charging operation, and less liable to contaminate the photoreceptor body, and has a lower roller resistance to make it possible to form higher-definition images at a higher process speed. The semiconductive roller (1) is formed from a semiconductive rubber composition which contains a rubber component including 15 to 80 mass % of an epichlorohydrin rubber, 5 to 50 parts by mass of titanium oxide based on 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, and a potassium salt as an electrically conductive agent. The semiconductive roller (1) has an oxide film (5) provided in an outer peripheral surface (4) thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Futamata
  • Patent number: 9442408
    Abstract: A member for electrophotography for use in forming a high quality electrophotographic image for a long period is provided. The member for electrophotography includes a support, an elastic layer on the support, and a surface layer on the elastic layer. The elastic layer includes a quaternary ammonium salt and an epichlorohydrin rubber. The surface layer includes a material having a specific structure. A universal hardness a surface of the surface layer is 1.0 N/mm2 or more and 5.0 N/mm2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Kenichi Yamauchi, Satoru Nishioka, Hiroki Masu, Noriko Suzumura
  • Patent number: 9028384
    Abstract: A rotating body includes a cylindrical rotating member and bearings located at the ends located in the axial direction of the rotating member. In the rotating body, at least one of the bearings includes a metal inner ring portion having a bearing hole and a resin outer ring portion having first and second portions. The first portion is fitted into the rotating member. The second portion protrudes in the axial direction from the rotating member, surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring portion, has an outer diameter larger than that of the rotating member, and is in contact with an opposing object opposing the rotating member so as to maintain a specified size of a gap by which the rotating member and the opposing object are spaced apart from each other. The outer and inner ring portions are integrally molded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuaki Iikura
  • Patent number: 9011306
    Abstract: The semiconductive roller according to the present invention includes a nonporous roller body made of a rubber composition containing styrene-butadiene rubber and epichlorohydrin rubber as rubber components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Mizumoto, Takashi Marui
  • Publication number: 20150087489
    Abstract: The present invention directs to provide a charging member having a protrusion to which smear is difficult to adhere even in a long-term used, and as a result being capable of exhibiting stable charging performance. The charging member has an electro-conductive substrate and an electro-conductive surface layer, wherein the surface layer includes a binder resin and a resin particle including a plurality of electro-conductive domains inside thereof, the surface layer has a protrusion derived from the resin particle, and the electro-conductive domains are localized in the vicinity of the surface of the resin particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Taichi Sato, Tomohito Taniguchi, Takehiko Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20150087488
    Abstract: A semiconductive roller to stably generate high-quality images for a long period of time by efficiently inhibiting migration of free epichlorohydrin (ECH) component to a surface of the semiconductive roller includes an elastic layer formed of a semiconductive rubber composition including about 50 to about 70 parts by weight of a base rubber and about 30 to about 50 parts by weight of a hydrin rubber. An extracted amount of the ECH component from the elastic layer is about 2% by volume or less, wherein the extracted amount is determined based on a reduced amount of chlorine (Cl) intensity measured using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis performed before and after extraction of the ECH component from the elastic layer using tetrahydrofuran (THF).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kwang-ho KANG, Jae-hyeuk JEONG, Jung-ik CHOI
  • Publication number: 20150018182
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a charge roller (1) particularly but not exclusively for charging a photoconductor in a liquid electro-photograph (LEP) image-forming apparatus. The charge roller includes a cured composition of an epichlorohydrin/ethylene oxide/allyl glycidyl ether terpolymer, a lithium salt and carbon black.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Yi Feng, Stanley J. Kozmiski, Shao-Wei Li
  • Publication number: 20150018181
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a new charge roller particularly but not exclusively for charging a photoconductive element in a liquid electro-photograph (LEP) image-forming apparatus. The charge roller includes a cured composition of an aromatic diisocyanate, a polycarbonate polyester polyol, a matte agent, a surface energy modifier, and a conductive agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY,L.P.
    Inventors: Shao-Wei Li, Yi Feng, Stanley J. Kozmiski
  • Patent number: 8932193
    Abstract: A sheet feed rolling element for an electrophotographic device includes a roller portion and shoulders on both sides formed by curved chamfers. A parting line between the fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate of an injection mold is located at the boundary between one shoulder and the roller portion outer periphery, a step is provided at the boundary due to a difference between the opening diameter of the cavity portion defined by the fixed mold plate and the opening diameter of the cavity portion defined by the movable mold plate so the one shoulder has a smaller diameter than the outer peripheral surface, and a chamfer is provided adjacent to the one shoulder to absorb any difference in molding shrinkage rate due to a difference in molecular orientation of resin at the step, thereby preventing circumferential bulging on the outer periphery of the formed roller portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Hirohisa Abe, Norikazu Muneda
  • Patent number: 8905908
    Abstract: A lubricant supplying method for supplying a lubricant to a sliding portion between a cylindrical rotatable member for use in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a supporting member for slidably supporting an inner peripheral surface at one end side of the rotatable member with respect to a rotational axis direction of the rotatable member, includes a step of engaging the supporting member, including a hollow portion and an opening which communicates with the hollow portion and is provided at a position in which the opening opposes the sliding portion, with the rotatable member at the one end side; and a step of supplying the lubricant from the hollow portion toward the sliding portion through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuguma, Jun Miyamoto, Kenji Matsuda, Akira Higeta
  • Patent number: 8900107
    Abstract: To provide a conductive rubber member which exhibits small variation in electrical resistance and a stable electrical resistance for a long period of time. The conductive rubber member include a conductive elastic layer formed of a rubber material which has been imparted with electrical conductivity, wherein the conductive elastic layer has a surface-treatment layer which has been produced through impregnating a surface portion of the conductive elastic layer with a surface-treating liquid containing an isocyanate compound and carbon black which has undergone dispersion treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Synztec Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Motokawa, Naoki Hirakawa
  • Publication number: 20140342892
    Abstract: A semiconductive roller having good semiconductivity as a charging roller or a developing roller is described. The semiconductive roller includes an oxide film having excellent characteristics as a protective film, and in particular, hardly causes an image defect of white stripes associated with tackiness in an image formed in a storage test in an environment of high temperature and high humidity. The semiconductive roller includes a semiconductive rubber composition formed by mixing a base polymer with a triazine crosslinker and a sulfur-based crosslinking component as a crosslinking component for crosslinking the base polymer, wherein the base polymer is a mixture of an epichlorohydrin rubber E and a diene rubber D having a mass ratio of E/D of 50/50 to 80/20. The semiconductive roller also has an oxide film formed on its outer peripheral surface by ultraviolet irradiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: KEI TAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20140295336
    Abstract: Uneven charging is improved, and production of a banding image attributed to a slip between the charging member and the electrophotographic photosensitive member is suppressed. An electrophotographic process cartridge including a charging member and an electrophotographic photosensitive member which is electrically charged upon being brought into contact with the charging member, wherein the charging member includes a electro-conductive substrate and a surface layer formed on the electro-conductive substrate; the surface layer contains at least a binder resin, an electron conductive agent, and a resin particle having a plurality of pores inside thereof; the surface of the surface layer has a protrusion derived from the resin particle; the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support and a photosensitive layer formed on the support; and the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a specific component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Noboru Miyagawa, Satoshi Koide, Takehiko Aoyama, Daisuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20140295089
    Abstract: A method of preparing the surface of a roller comprising adding a coating comprising isocyanate to a ground surface of the roller. A roller comprising a ground surface, the ground surface having unreacted hydroxyl (—OH) groups on the surface of the roller and a layer of isocyanate layered over the unreacted hydroxyl (—OH) groups on the surface of the roller, the isocyanate forming a urethane bond on the surface of the roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Hewlett-Parkard Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Guang Jin Li, Daniel Tanchangco
  • Publication number: 20140287899
    Abstract: An electrophotographic member is provided in which conductivity barely reduces and sufficient conductivity is obtained even under a low temperature and low humidity environment, a reduction in resistance beyond necessity is readily suppressed even under a high temperature and high humidity environment, and the bleeding of the quaternary ammonium salt can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Satoru Nishioka, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Masahiro Watanabe, Masaki Yamada, Hideya Arimura
  • Publication number: 20140270853
    Abstract: Provided is a charging member for suppressing the vibration of a charging roller which occurs owing to a difference in circumferential speed in a longitudinal direction when the roller is rotated to follow a photosensitive member, and suppressing a banding image caused by the vibration of the charging roller over a long period of time. The charging member includes a substrate and an elastic layer. The elastic layer contains a rubber having a polar group and hollow particles each having a shell containing a crystal of calcium carbonate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Uematsu, Tomohito Taniguchi, Taichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20140274628
    Abstract: A charging member is provided, suppressing the occurrence of streak-like images resulting from resistance increase caused by degradation of the charging member due to electric conduction for a long period. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus are also provided, suppressing the occurrence of streak-like images and stably forming a high-quality electrophotographic image. The charging member comprises an electroconductive support and an electroconductive surface layer, the surface layer comprising at least one of the compounds respectively represented by formula (1), formula (3), and formula (4) defined in the specification, a binder resin, and a conducting agent. The process cartridge and the electrophotographic apparatus use the charging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Noboru Miyagawa
  • Publication number: 20140255838
    Abstract: A process cartridge that can suppress production of a banding image attributed to contact rotation of an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a charging member and output a high-quality image is provided. The charging member includes an electro-conductive substrate and an electroconductive resin layer, the resin layer contains a binder, a conductive fine particle, and a bowl-shaped resin particle having an opening, and the surface of the charging member has a concavity derived from the opening of the bowl-shaped resin particle and a protrusion derived from the edge of the opening thereof. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support and a photosensitive layer, and the surface layer in the photosensitive member contains a specific resin (?), a specific resin (?), and a specific compound (?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Daisuke Tanaka, Atsushi Uematsu
  • Publication number: 20140249005
    Abstract: A delivery member for use in an image forming apparatus. The delivery member has a support member and a first layer disposed on the support member. The first layer includes a cross-linked elastomeric matrix, a stabilizing polymer comprising a polysiloxane backbone, and a functional material. Coating mixtures for preparing such delivery members having a first layer. Image forming apparatuses containing such delivery members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sara J. Vella, Nan-Xing Hu, Yu Liu
  • Publication number: 20140221184
    Abstract: An electrophotographic member having a high conductivity and having high adhesiveness to other layer, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus using the electrophotographic member as a developer carrying member are provided. The electrophotographic member is an electrophotographic member including an electro-conductive mandrel and an electro-conductive layer, wherein the electro-conductive layer has a resin having a structure represented by the following structural formula (1), and an anion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideya Arimura, Masaki Yamada, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Satoru Nishioka
  • Publication number: 20140221183
    Abstract: In order to maintain the image quality of a recent high-speed electrophotographic apparatus, a charging member is provided which hardly causes charging unevenness of a photosensitive member even when vibration of the photosensitive member occurs. The charging member includes an electro-conductive support, an electro-conductive elastic layer, and a surface layer. The elastic layer contains a resin having an epichlorohydrin chain in the molecular structure and a specific flavonoid compound having two or more hydroxyl groups in the molecular structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Miyagawa, Hidekazu Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20140162861
    Abstract: A rubber foam tube (5) is produced by extruding a rubber composition into a tubular body (4) and feeding the tubular body (4) in an elongated state without cutting to pass the tubular body (4) through a microwave crosslinking device (8) and then through a hot air crosslinking device (9) for continuously foaming and crosslinking the rubber composition. At this time, a ratio V2/V1 between a speed V2 at which the tubular body (4) passes through the hot air crosslinking device (9) and a speed V1 at which the tubular body (4) passes through the microwave crosslinking device (8) is not less than 1.0 and not greater than 1.6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya YAMAGUCHI, Shunichi YABUSHITA, Yusuke TANIO
  • Patent number: 8726807
    Abstract: An ink form roller in a printing press is provided including a core, a first layer surrounding part of the core, and a second layer surrounding part of the first layer, the second layer having a durometer hardness greater than the first layer. In addition, an ink form roller in a printing press is provided including a core, and a layer surrounding the core, the layer having a hardness between about 25 Shore A durometer and about 40 Shore A durometer, the layer having an outer surface, the outer surface having a surface roughness of about 30 micro-inches or less. Methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: James Brian Vrotacoe, Kent Dirksen Kasper, David Robert Dawley
  • Publication number: 20140128233
    Abstract: To provide a charging member which suppresses the generation of density nonuniformity in an electrophotographic image caused by charge nonuniformity due to adhesion of charged substances, such as toner particles. There is provided a charging member which has a surface layer, the surface layer includes conductive zinc oxide whiskers each formed of a nuclear portion and four needle crystal portions extending radially outward therefrom, and the needle crystal portions are exposed to form convex portions of a surface of the surface layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takumi Furukawa, Taichi Sato
  • Patent number: 8718518
    Abstract: A development roll for electrophotographic equipment includes a shaft body, a rubber elastic layer formed by molding on an outer circumference of the shaft body and having many convex portions formed by transfer molding on the outer circumferential surface thereof, and a coating layer disposed on an outer circumference of the rubber elastic layer. The coating layer is composed of a cured body of a coating material containing (A) a thermoplastic urethane having a number-average molecular weight in the range of 50,000 to 200,000, (B) a polyol having a number-average molecular weight in the range of 500 to 4,000, and (C) a curing agent. The mass percentages a, b, and c of the components (A), (B), and (C) satisfy the following expressions: a+b+c=100, 40?a?75, 5?b?20, and 20?c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Egawa, Masanari Umeda, Yousuke Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20140113783
    Abstract: A semiconductive roller is provided which includes a roller body formed from a highly extrudable rubber composition containing an SBR and an epichlorohydrin rubber in combination as a rubber component, the roller body having a higher production yield and higher toner imaging durability, and unlikely to suffer from reduction in image density due to adhesion of toner and a contact mark on an outer peripheral surface thereof with a smaller compression set. In the rubber component, the SBR and the epichlorohydrin rubber are present in an SBR excess state. In the rubber composition, a crosslinking component for crosslinking the rubber component includes a sulfur crosslinking agent and 0.75 to 3 parts by mass of a thiazole accelerating agent based on 100 parts by mass of the rubber component. The roller body (2) of the semiconductive roller (1) is made of a crosslinking product of the rubber composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa MIZUMOTO, Takashi MARUI, Kenichi KURODA, Akihiko KAWATANI
  • Publication number: 20140113782
    Abstract: A semiconductive roller includes a conductive support and a semiconductive elastic layer disposed on a circumferential surface of the conductive support, the semiconductive elastic layer containing at least an epichlorohydrin rubber and a conducting agent and having a foam structure, wherein, when the semiconductive roller is left to stand in water for 30 minutes, the chlorine ion content derived from the semiconductive elastic layer per unit area of the semiconductive elastic layer is approximately not more than 0.06 ?mol/cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke TANEMURA, Toru OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140080691
    Abstract: The present invention provides a charging member that suppresses abnormal discharge which induces charging unevenness, and that has little contamination on a surface layer, to thereby enable uniform charging over a long period. The charging member includes a substrate, an elastic layer and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer contains a polymer compound having constitutional units represented by the following general formula (1), chemical formula (2) and general formula (3), and having a Si—O—Ti bond, a Ti—O-M bond and a Si—O-M bond. M is any atom selected from the group consisting of V, Nb and W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Kurachi, Masataka Kodama, Noriyuki Doi, Noriko Suzumura, Hiroki Masu, Noriaki Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8652019
    Abstract: A fixing member according to the present invention is such one as is brought into pressure contact with a conveyed sheet to fix an image onto the sheet. The fixing member comprises a cylindrical or annular base material, a rubber layer provided so as to cover an outer surface of the base material and having elasticity, and an outer layer provided so as to cover an outer surface of the rubber layer for aiding release of the sheet. A siloxane content in a central section of the rubber layer is less than twice the siloxane content in an end portion of the rubber layer with respect to a width direction vertical to a circumferential direction on the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Noboru Oomoto, Shoichi Yoshikawa, Shigeru Tashiro, Atsuhiko Shimoyama, Yoshiyuki Toso, Tou Matsunaga
  • Publication number: 20130310239
    Abstract: The present invention provides a charging member having an elastic layer on a surface thereof in which occurrence of compression set is reduced. The charging member includes an electro-conductive support and an elastic layer provided on the support as a surface layer, wherein the elastic layer is a rubber layer made of a crosslinked product of a rubber mixture including acrylonitrile butadiene rubber and polybutadiene, the polybutadiene includes 1,2-syndiotactic polybutadiene, and the elastic layer is formed by irradiating a surface of the rubber layer with electron rays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenya Terada, Masaaki Harada, Hiroaki Watanabe, Takumi Furukawa, Keiji Nose
  • Publication number: 20130288869
    Abstract: An electrically conductive roller is provided which has a stable roller resistance with little batch-to-batch variation in roller resistance and substantially without influence of environmental conditions and the like, and is unlikely to contaminate the photo receptor. The electrically conductive roller (1) includes a roller body (2) made of a crosslinking product of an electrically conductive rubber composition prepared by blending a potassium salt of an anion having a fluoro group and a sulfonyl group in its molecule and a crosslinking component in a base polymer which is a mixture containing an epichlorohydrin rubber E and a diene rubber N in a mass ratio E/N of 50/50 to 80/20, and an oxide film (6) formed in an outer peripheral surface (5) thereof by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kei TAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20130281275
    Abstract: To provide an electrically conducting member for electrophotography that has made itself kept from increasing in electrical resistance with time even in a low temperature and low humidity environment and also has made any ion conducting agent kept from bleeding to its surface. To also provide a process cartridge, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, that can stably form high-grade electrophotographic images over a long period of time in a variety of environments. The conductive member for electrophotography has an electrically conducting substrate and an electrically conducting layer, and the electrically conducting layer contains a resin having in the molecule at least one structure selected from structures represented by the formula (1), formula (2) and formula (3) each defined in the specification. The process cartridge and the electrophotographic image forming apparatus each make use of the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Satoru Nishioka, Satoru Yamada, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Norifumi Muranaka, Yuichi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20130281276
    Abstract: An electrically conductive member for electrophotography is provided which has an electrically conductive mandrel and an electrically conductive layer on the peripheral surface of the mandrel; the electrically conductive layer containing a binder resin having as an ion exchange group a sulfo group or a quaternary ammonium salt group in the molecule and an ion with a polarity opposite to that of the ion exchange group; the binder resin further having any structure selected from the group consisting of structures represented by formulas (1)-1 to (1)-3, and any structure selected from the group consisting of structures represented by formulas (2)-1 and (2)-2, and having a molecular structure that prevents any matrix-domain structure from being formed in the electrically conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Satoru Nishioka, Yuichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8533953
    Abstract: This invention provides a process for producing a conductive rubber roller having small aspect ratios of inner and outer diameters, having a stable measure of its inner diameter, having uniform cell distribution and being free from non-uniformity of hardness and electrical resistance in the peripheral direction. The process has a step of continuously extruding a tube composed of a specific unvulcanized rubber composition from a rubber extruder in a microwave vulcanizing unit, and a step of foaming and vulcanizing the tube by using a microwave irradiator having a microwave irradiation zone 4 m or less in length while being transported at given speed. The foamed rubber tube has an inner diameter 20 to 35% smaller than the outer diameter of the conductive core material over the whole region in the lengthwise direction, and the conductive core material is press-fitted into the foamed rubber tube without using any adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Imasaka, Satoshi Fukuzawa, Mitsuru Okuda, Erika Umeki
  • Patent number: 8500615
    Abstract: A magnetic roller includes a solid-core roller having magnetic anisotropy in a direction orthogonal to a central axis thereof. The solid-core roller includes a body part, and shaft parts disposed on both ends of the body part, a concave groove provided in an outer circumference face of the body part to extend in an axial direction, and a magnetic block disposed in the concave groove, the magnetic block having a direction of magnetic anisotropy substantially orthogonal to a direction of the magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Imamura, Yoshiyuki Takano, Kyohta Koetsuka, Tadaaki Hattori, Noriyuki Kamiya, Hiroya Abe, Mieko Terashima, Masayuki Ohsawa, Takashi Innami
  • Patent number: 8503917
    Abstract: A roller component includes a layer composed of a foamed rubber material including plural cells formed by gas, the layer being formed into a substantially cylindrical body, wherein a volume of the cells decreases from an inner side of the substantially cylindrical body toward the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Ichizawa
  • Publication number: 20130196836
    Abstract: A conductive roller includes a conductive support, a conductive elastic layer disposed on the conductive support, and a conductive resin layer disposed on the conductive elastic layer and containing a resin and a conductor. The conductive resin layer includes a first region forming an outermost surface thereof and a second region between the first region and the conductive elastic layer. The second region adjoins the conductive elastic layer and has a lower surface resistivity than the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki ICHIZAWA
  • Patent number: 8448336
    Abstract: An endless electrophotographic member, such as a developer roller, which indicates an improved resistance to nip banding. The improvement to nip banding may be provided by the use of an organic salt within a roller surface region. The roller may provide, at a nip location, a resistive surface layer having an electrical resistance that avoids the development of nip banding and relatively dark regions on printed media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jane Elece Barcelo, Bradley Leonard Beach, Liam Ruan De Paor, Mark Duane Foster, Terence Edward Franey, Bhaskar Gopalanarayanan, Kevin Scott Kennedy, Kelly Ann Killeen, Chao Li, Jean Marie Massie, Ronald Lloyd Roe, Richard Nicholas Schrantz, Jr., Scott Alan Searls, Robert Francis Soto, Donald Wayne Stafford
  • Patent number: 8398532
    Abstract: Developer roll having a conductive or semi-conductive soft rubber core and a coating deposited in the soft rubber core wherein the coating has a conductive agent. The outer surface of the soft rubber core is modified before the coating is deposited onto the outer surface of the soft rubber core. Methods for making the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Bhaskar Gopalanarayanan, Kelly Ann Killeen, Johnny Dale Massie, II, Ronald Lloyd Roe, James Joseph Semler
  • Patent number: 8387255
    Abstract: The fine pattern mold that includes a roll, a buffer tube with inner peripheral surface is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the roll, and a stamper tube in which its inner peripheral surface is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the buffer tube and a fine concave/convex pattern is formed on its outer peripheral surface, wherein the buffer tube has a larger coefficient of linear expansion and a smaller elastic modulus than those of the stamper tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Ogino, Mitsuru Hasegawa, Kenya Ohashi, Akihiro Miyauchi, Hitoshi Suzuki, Toshio Haba, Haruo Akahoshi