# US 12,001,158 B2 · Fixing member, method for producing the same, fixing apparatus, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,001,158 B2 - Document ID: US12001158B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/937,710 - Filed: 2022-10-03 - Published: 2023-04-06 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Naoko Kasai; Yohei Miyauchi; Masatsugu Toyonori; Yasuharu Notoya; Hiroki Muramatsu; Tomoyo Miyakai; Yoshiharu Seki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12001158B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/2057: {relating to the chemical composition of the heat element and layers thereof} - B32B 1/08: Tubular products - B32B 27/304: {comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF} - B32B 33/00: Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatings; Layered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class - B32B 37/04: characterised by the partial melting of at least one layer - B32B 2260/046: Synthetic resin - B32B 2307/51: Elastic - B32B 2307/54: Yield strength; Tensile strength - B32B 2307/7376: Thickness - B32B 2433/00: Closed loop articles - G03G 2215/2035: the fixing nip having a stationary belt support member opposing a pressure member - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM ## Abstract A fixing member having an endless belt shape or a roller shape includes a base layer and a surface layer. The surface layer contains a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and has a pore communicating with an opening of an outer surface thereof. Perfluoropolyether is contained in at least a part of the pores. A ratio (E″(1)/E″(2)) is 0.60 to 1.00, where E″(1) is an average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in a direction orthogonal to a circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at a frequency of 10 Hz at 100 to 150° C., and E″(2) is an average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at a frequency of 10 Hz at 100 to 150° C. after removal of the perfluoropolyether contained in the pore. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fixing member having an endless belt shape or a roller shape, comprising: a base layer; and a surface layer, the surface layer containing a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and having a pore communicating with an opening of an outer surface thereof, wherein perfluoropolyether is contained in at least a part of the pore; and when an average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in a direction orthogonal to a circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at a frequency of 10 Hz at a temperature of 100° C. to 150° C. is defined as E″(1), and the average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at the frequency of 10 Hz at a temperature of 100° C. to 150° C. after removal of the perfluoropolyether contained in the pores is defined as E″(2), E″(1)/E″(2) is 0.60 or larger and smaller than 1.00. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the perfluoropolyether has a structure represented by the following structural formula (2): wherein a, b, c, d, e and f each independently represent 0 or a positive integer, and satisfy 1≤a+b+c+d+e+f≤600; and at least one of a, b, c and d is a positive integer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fixing member according to claim 2, wherein the perfluoropolyether has at least one structure selected from the group consisting of the structures represented by the following structural formulae (3) to (6): wherein n represents a positive integer, and n is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 30 mPa·s to 500 mPa·s; wherein n′ represents a positive integer, and n′ is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 10 mPa·s to 2500 mPa·s; wherein m and n″ each independently represent a positive integer, m/n″ is a number of 0.5 or larger and 2 or smaller, and m+n″ is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 20 mPa·s to 1400 mPa·s; and wherein m′ and n′″ each independently represent a positive integer, m′in′″ represents a number of 20 or larger and 1000 or smaller, and m′+n′″ is a number in a range in which the viscosity of the perfluoropolyether at a temperature of 40° C. is in a range of 20 mPa·s to 1200 mPa·s. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein, a composition comprising the perfluoropolyether and a fluoropolymer is contained in at least a part of the pore, and wherein the fluoropolymer has at least one structure selected from a T unit and a Q unit of siloxane, and a repeating unit represented by the following structural formula (1): where n represents a positive integer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fixing member according to claim 4, wherein a content ratio of the perfluoropolyether in the composition is 0.20 or more and 0.80 or less. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The fixing member according to claim 4, wherein the content ratio of the composition in the pore to the total mass of the surface layer including the mass of the composition is 20% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein in a cross section along a circumferential direction of the fixing member of the surface layer, P2 is 25.0% or more and 60.0% or less, where P2 is a ratio of an area occupied by the pore to the surface layer's area including the area occupied by the pore. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein an average opening diameter of the opening on a first surface constituting the outer surface of the surface layer is 1 nm or larger and 5 μm or smaller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein an opening ratio P1 on the first surface constituting the outer surface of the surface layer is 1.0% or larger and 15.0% or smaller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer has a thickness of 10 μm or larger and 100 μm or smaller. ### Claim 11 A method for producing a fixing member having an endless belt shape or a roller shape, wherein the fixing member comprises a base layer and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer contains a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and has a pore communicating with an opening of an outer surface thereof, perfluoropolyether is contained in at least a part of the pore; and when an average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in a direction orthogonal to a circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at a frequency of 10 Hz at a temperature of 100° C. to 150° C. is defined as E″(1), and the average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at the frequency of 10 Hz at a temperature of 100° C. to 150° C. after removal of the perfluoropolyether contained in the pores is defined as E″(2), E″(1)/E″(2) is 0.60 or larger and smaller than 1.00, the method comprising the steps of: (I): providing a layered product having the base layer and a resin layer containing the tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), (II): bringing a first perfluoropolyether that has been heated to a temperature in the vicinity of a melting point of the PFA into contact with a first surface constituting an outer surface of the resin layer to impregnate the resin layer with the first perfluoropolyether, (III): cooling to room temperature the layered product obtained in the step (II) in which the resin layer is impregnated with the first perfluoropolyether, (IV): removing, from the first surface side of the resin layer, at least a part of the first perfluoropolyether impregnated in the resin layer using a fluorine-based solvent to thereby form a pore opened on the first surface of the resin layer, in the resin layer, and (V): allowing at least a part of the pore to contain a mixture containing a second perfluoropolyether and a mixture for forming a fluoropolymer, and curing the mixture for forming the fluoropolymer. ### Claim 12 A fixing apparatus comprising: a fixing member; and a heating unit for heating the fixing member, wherein the fixing member comprises a base layer and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer contains a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, has a pore communicating with an opening of an outer surface thereof, and perfluoropolyether is contained in at least a part of the pore; and when an average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in a direction orthogonal to a circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at a frequency of 10 Hz at a temperature of 100° C. to 150° C. is defined as E″(1), and the average value of loss elastic moduli E″ of the surface layer in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at the frequency of 10 Hz at a temperature of 100° C. to 150° C. after removal of the perfluoropolyether contained in the pores is defined as E″(2), E″(1)/E″(2) is 0.60 or larger and smaller than 1.00. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fixing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the heating unit is a heater arranged in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising the fixing apparatus according to claim 12.