JPS62293270A - Transfer fixing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve flexibility, durability and productivity by providing a transfer layer consisting of silicone rubber to a base material which is a woven polyamide fiber fabric made into a belt shape, thereby forming an intermediate transfer body. CONSTITUTION:The intermediate transfer body 6 is constructed by coating the transfer layer 6b consisting of the silicone rubber to the base material 6a which is the woven polyamide fiber fabric made into the belt shape. The transfer layer 6b is the soft silicone rubber having about 20 - 40 deg. hardness, has the particularly excellent heat resistance up to 250 deg.C, has tackiness in the primary transfer (pressing) stage and exhibits a release property in the secondary transfer (thermal fixing) stage. The base material 6a serving as a reinforcing material is formed by hollow weaving of the polyamide fibers to the belt shape. 'Kevler (R)' and 'Nomex (R)' (both are tradenames) are used for the polyamide fibers.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 8. Detailed Description of the Invention [Summary] The present invention provides a device for transferring and fixing a toner image formed on an image carrier onto a recording medium via an intermediate transfer member, in which the intermediate transfer member is connected to a belt. By having a structure in which a transfer layer of silicone rubber is provided on a base material of woven polyamide fiber fabric, the intermediate transfer member has excellent flexibility, durability, and productivity.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a recording device for electrophotography, electrostatic recording, etc., and particularly to a transfer fixing device thereof.

A transfer fixing device is required to transfer and fix a toner image formed on an image carrier such as a photosensitive dome onto a recording medium without causing any disturbance.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, a toner image has been electrostatically transferred to a recording medium by applying a charge such as a corona discharge or a bias voltage from the back surface of a recording medium overlaid thereon.

However, the electrostatic transfer method often has the drawback that charge disturbance occurs during transfer, causing dust to appear around the transferred toner image.

In view of the above drawbacks, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-41679, Japanese Patent Publication No. 22768-1982, Japanese Patent Publication No. 20682-1982, etc., after the toner image is transferred by pressing onto the intermediate transfer member, the toner image on the intermediate transfer member is transferred. A method of transferring and fixing the image onto a recording medium has been proposed. It is said that such a toner image can be transferred to a recording medium without disturbance.

The basic configuration of a conventional recording device using an intermediate transfer body is explained in the fourth section.
As shown in the figure. In the figure, l is an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum, 2 is a charger, 8 is an exposure device, 4 is a developer, 5 is a cleaner, 6 is an intermediate transfer member, 7 is a pressure roller, 8 is a backup loaf, 9 1 is a tensile roller, 10 is a heat loaf, 11 is a heater, 12 is a recording medium such as paper, and 13 is a toner image.

The image carrier 1 is uniformly charged by a charger 2.

Next, an electrostatic latent image is formed by the exposing device 8 and visualized by the developing device 4 to become a toner image 13a.

The toner image 13a is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 6 by the pressing force of the pressure loaf 7 at a position where the intermediate transfer body 6 is pressed against the image holding body 1. Toner remaining on the image carrier l after transfer is cleaned by a cleaner 5. The toner image 13b on the intermediate transfer body 6 is transferred and fixed onto the recording body 12 by a heat loaf 10 having a built-in heater 11 and a backup loaf 8.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the transfer-fixing method using an intermediate transfer body, the intermediate transfer body
The material must be sticky during the next transfer and releasable during the second transfer. Such materials include silicone rubber and fluororubber, but rubber alone does not have sufficient strength, so a reinforcing base material is required. For this reason, known examples cite films made of metals such as aluminum or polymeric resins with excellent heat resistance such as polyimide as base materials.

However, when the base material is metal, the adhesion with the image carrier or recording medium is unstable, resulting in lower transfer efficiency, poor adhesion with transfer layers such as silicone rubber, and difficulty in making endrene pelt. There are drawbacks. Furthermore, when the base material is a polyimide film, there are drawbacks such as poor moldability, resulting in low productivity, and poor adhesion, similar to metals.

[Means for solving problems]

The intermediate transfer member of the present invention has a structure in which a belt-shaped base material made of polyamide fiber woven fabric is coated with a transfer layer of silicone rubber.

[For production]

Since the intermediate transfer member of the present invention uses polyamide fiber woven fabric as the base material, it has good adhesion to the image carrier and recording member.
It also has good adhesion to a transfer layer such as silicone rubber, and can be easily made into an endless base A/).

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an intermediate transfer member according to an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

In the figure, 6a is a base material, and 6b is a transfer layer.

The transfer layer is made of soft silicone rubber with a linear hardness of about 20 to 40 degrees. Silicone rubber has a heat resistance of ~250°C, which is particularly excellent among rubber materials, and is suitable as a transfer layer because it is sticky during primary transfer (suppression) and exhibits releasability during secondary transfer (heat fixing). However, since silicone rubber has a low mechanical strength of 1 degree, it cannot be used alone as an intermediate transfer member, and therefore requires a base material as a reinforcing material.

The base material of the present invention is made by weaving polyamide fibers into a belt shape. Polyamide fibers are polymeric fibers commonly known as Kepler and Nomex (both trademarks owned by DuPont).

Kepler is a rose-based aromatic polyamide, while Nomex is a meta-thread aromatic polyamide, both of which have excellent strength and heat resistance, but Keplar in particular has excellent strength and Nomex has excellent heat resistance. is a feature. The polyamide fiber woven fabric used for the base material may be woven only with Kepler or Nomex, but as shown in FIG. 8, which is an enlarged view of section A in FIG.
It is also possible to weave by using 21 as the warp (parallel to the conveyance direction) and Nomex 21 as the weft. In this case, by taking advantage of the features of both, a base material with high strength retention and little thermal shrinkage can be obtained. Further, similar effects can be obtained by using a blend of Kepler 20 and Nomex 21.

The intermediate transfer member of the present invention is made by co-op inking silicone rubber onto polyamide fibers which are woven into a single-layer structure. Since silicone rubber is impregnated into polyamide fibers and bonded, there is no need for an adhesive like Pfimer, and the bonding strength is also greater (as compared to when Pfimer is used).

The thickness of the polyamide fiber woven fabric is about 0.2~0.3a,
The silicone rubber layer preferably has a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.5 nm.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, since polyamide fiber woven fabric is used as the base material of the intermediate transfer body, flexibility is improved, and the adhesion to the image carrier and recording body is good, so transfer efficiency is improved. Since it has good adhesion to a transfer layer such as silicone rubber and can easily be made into an endless belt, an intermediate transfer member with excellent durability and productivity can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the intermediate transfer section of the present invention, FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the base material of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is the configuration of a conventional example. It is a diagram. In the figure, l is an image carrier, 2 is a band m unit, 8 is an exposure device, 4 is a developer, 5 is a cleaner, 6 is an intermediate transfer member, 7 is a pressure roller, 8 is a backup roller, 10 is a heat roller, 12 is a recording body. S? rtl transcription stop Figure 1 Hair invention r culture f J establishment country Figure 2 duds r exceptional explanation country Figure 3 Good rice surplus Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] After the toner image (13a) formed on the image carrier (1) is adhesively transferred to the intermediate transfer member (6), the toner image (13b) on the intermediate transfer member (6) is recorded. In a transfer fixing device for melt-transferring onto a body (12), the intermediate transfer body (6) includes a base material (6a) made of a polyamide fiber woven fabric in the form of a belt, and a silicone rubber coated on the base material (6a). A transfer fixing device comprising a transfer layer (6b).