# US 12,001,162 B2 · Cleaning blade for intermediate transfer medium, and 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 12,001,162 B2 - Document ID: US12001162B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/098,730 - Filed: 2023-01-19 - Published: 2023-07-27 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-27 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Masahiro Ohmori; Keiichiro Juri; Takuya Akiyama - Inventors: Masahiro Ohmori; Keiichiro Juri; Takuya Akiyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12001162B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/0017: {Details relating to the internal structure or chemical composition of the blades} - G03G 15/161: {with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent} - G03G 2215/1661: of transfer belt - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A cleaning blade for an intermediate transfer medium is provided. A cleaning target of the cleaning blade is an intermediate transfer medium. The cleaning blade includes an edge layer and a coating layer. The coating layer provided on a forefront end of the edge layer at which the edge layer contacts the intermediate transfer medium contains a first fluorine-based resin and a second fluorine-based resin incompatible with the first fluorine-based resin. The cleaning blade for an intermediate transfer medium has a Martens hardness of 0.5 N/mm2 or greater and 3 N/mm2 or less at a location having a distance of 20 μm from a ridgeline of the forefront end of the edge layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cleaning blade, a cleaning target of the cleaning blade being an intermediate transfer medium, the cleaning blade comprising: an edge layer; and a coating layer, wherein the coating layer on a forefront end of the edge layer, at which the edge layer is to contact the intermediate transfer medium, includes a first fluorine-based resin and a second fluorine-based resin incompatible with the first fluorine-based resin, and the cleaning blade has a Martens hardness of 0.5 N/mm2 or greater and 3 N/mm2 or less at a location having a distance of 20 μm from a ridgeline of the forefront end of the edge layer, wherein a base of the cleaning blade includes a single layer structure including a polyurethane rubber, or a laminate structure in which a plurality of polyurethane rubbers varying in Martens hardness are laminated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein an average thickness of the coating layer at the location having the distance of 20 μm from the ridgeline of the forefront end of the edge layer is 2.0 μm or greater and 10.0 μm or less. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein: the first fluorine-based resin includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the first fluorine-based resin includes spherical particles having a volume average particle diameter of 1 μm or less. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the second fluorine-based resin is a polymer of any monomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VdF), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), a bipolymer of any two monomers selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VdF), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), or a terpolymer of three monomers selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VdF), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cleaning blade according to claim 4, wherein the second fluorine-based resin further includes a fluorine-based oil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The cleaning blade according to claim 5, wherein an average molecular weight of the fluorine-based oil is from 2,000 through 3,500. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the Martens hardness of the polyurethane rubbers is 0.5 N/mm2 or greater and 2 N/mm2 or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus, comprising: a developer to develop a latent image formed on an image bearer capable of bearing a toner image, with a toner; a primary transferer to primarily transfer the toner image obtained through developing by the developing unit onto an intermediate transfer medium; and a cleaner to remove the toner remaining on a surface of the intermediate transfer medium, wherein the cleaner includes the cleaning blade according to claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A system, comprising: the cleaning blade according to claim 1; and the intermediate transfer medium. ### Claim 10 A cleaning blade, a cleaning target of the cleaning blade being an intermediate transfer medium, the cleaning blade comprising: an edge layer; and a coating layer, wherein the coating layer on a forefront end of the edge layer, at which the edge layer is to contact the intermediate transfer medium, includes a first fluorine-based resin and a second fluorine-based resin incompatible with the first fluorine-based resin, and the cleaning blade has a Martens hardness of 0.5 N/mm2 or greater and 3 N/mm2 or less at a location having a distance of 20 μm from a ridgeline of the forefront end of the edge layer, wherein the second fluorine-based resin is a polymer of any monomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VdF), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), a bipolymer of any two monomers selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VdF), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), or a terpolymer of three monomers selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VdF), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), wherein the second fluorine-based resin further includes a fluorine-based oil, and wherein an average molecular weight of the fluorine-based oil is from 2,000 through 3,500. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cleaning blade according to claim 10, wherein an average thickness of the coating layer at the location having the distance of 20 μm from the ridgeline of the forefront end of the edge layer is 2.0 μm or greater and 10.0 μm or less. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The cleaning blade according to claim 10, wherein: the first fluorine-based resin includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the first fluorine-based resin includes spherical particles having a volume average particle diameter of 1 μm or less. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The cleaning blade according to claim 10, wherein a base of the cleaning blade has a single layer structure formed of a polyurethane rubber, or a laminate structure in which a plurality of polyurethane rubbers varying in Martens hardness are laminated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cleaning blade according to claim 13, wherein the Martens hardness of the polyurethane rubbers is 0.5 N/mm2 or greater and 2 N/mm2 or less. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) An image forming apparatus, comprising: a developer to develop a latent image formed on an image bearer capable of bearing a toner image, with a toner; a primary transferer to primarily transfer the toner image obtained through developing y the developing unit onto an intermediate transfer medium; and a cleaner to remove the toner remaining on a surface of the intermediate transfer medium, wherein the cleaner includes the cleaning blade according to claim 10. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) A system, comprising: the cleaning blade according to claim 10; and the intermediate transfer medium.