# US 12,360,472 B2 · Image forming apparatus and image forming method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,360,472 B2 - Document ID: US12360472B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/439,220 - Filed: 2024-02-12 - Published: 2025-02-13 - Granted: 2025-07-15 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-04 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Applicants: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Inventors: Yoshiteru Yamada; Daisuke Tano; Kenta Shingu; Yuka Kawamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12360472B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/0216: {by bringing a charging member into contact with the member to be charged, e.g. roller, brush chargers} - G03G 15/0189: {primary transfer to an intermediate transfer belt (G03G15/0184 takes precedence)} - G03G 21/0011: {using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming} - G03G 21/0017: {Details relating to the internal structure or chemical composition of the blades} - G03G 2215/2093: Release agent handling devices - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes an image holder; a charging unit that charges a surface of the image holder; an electrostatic charge image forming unit that forms an electrostatic charge image on the charged surface of the image holder; a developing unit that accommodates an electrostatic charge image developer containing a toner having toner particles and that develops an electrostatic charge image formed on the surface of the image holder as a toner image by the electrostatic charge image developer, in which a release agent present in a region within 800 nm from a surface of the toner particles is 70% or more of a release agent in entire toner particles and a melting temperature of the release agent is 65° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image holder to a surface of a recording medium; and a cleaning device having a cleaning blade that is brought into contact with and cleans an outer peripheral surface of the image holder and that is constituted of a polyurethane resin, in which a total amount of F and Si present within 200 nm from a surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder accounts for 75% or more of a total amount of F and Si present within 5 μm from the surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image holder; a charging unit that charges a surface of the image holder; an electrostatic charge image forming unit that forms an electrostatic charge image on the charged surface of the image holder; a developing unit that accommodates an electrostatic charge image developer containing a toner having toner particles and that develops an electrostatic charge image formed on the surface of the image holder as a toner image by the electrostatic charge image developer, in which a release agent present in a region within 800 nm from a surface of the toner particles is 70% or more of a release agent in entire toner particles and a melting temperature of the release agent is 65° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image holder to a surface of a recording medium; and a cleaning device having a cleaning blade that is brought into contact with and cleans an outer peripheral surface of the image holder and that is constituted of a polyurethane resin, in which a total amount of F and Si present within 200 nm from a surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, accounts for 75% or more of a total amount of F and Si present within 5 μm from the surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the release agent present in the region within 800 nm from the surface of the toner particles is 75% or more of the release agent in the entire toner particles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the melting temperature of the release agent is 70° C. or higher and 75° C. or lower. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a 100% modulus at 23° C. on the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, is 11 MPa or more and 22 MPa or less. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the 100% modulus at 23° C. on the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, is 15 MPa or more and 18 MPa or less. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the total amount of F and Si present within 200 nm from the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, accounts for 85% or more of the total amount of F and Si present within 5 μm from the surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a total amount of F and Si present on the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, is 15 atm % or more. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the total amount of F and Si present on the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, is 18 atm % or more and 25 atm % or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a total amount of F and Si present at a position of 50 nm from the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, is 0.3 atm % or more. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the total amount of F and Si present at the position of 50 nm from the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, is 1.0 atm % or more and 2.0 atm % or less. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade contains a silicone-based polymer in a surface layer which is brought into contact with the image holder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a product of a static pressing force NF and a pressing angle WA between the cleaning blade and the image holder is 40 or more and 60 or less. ### Claim 13 An image forming method comprising: charging a surface of an image holder; forming an electrostatic charge image on the charged surface of the image holder; developing an electrostatic charge image formed on the surface of the image holder as a toner image by an electrostatic charge image developer containing a toner having toner particles, in which a release agent present in a region within 800 nm from a surface of the toner particles is 70% or more of a release agent in entire toner particles and a melting temperature of the release agent is 65° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower; transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the image holder to a surface of a recording medium; and bringing a cleaning blade into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the image holder and cleaning the outer peripheral surface of the image holder, the cleaning blade being constituted of a polyurethane resin, in which a total amount of F and Si present within 200 nm from the surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, accounts for 75% or more of a total amount of F and Si present within 5 μm from the surface. ### Claim 14 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image holder; charging means for charging a surface of the image holder; an electrostatic charge image forming means that forms an electrostatic charge image on the charged surface of the image holder; developing means for accommodating an electrostatic charge image developer containing a toner having toner particles and that develops an electrostatic charge image formed on the surface of the image holder as a toner image by the electrostatic charge image developer, in which a release agent present in a region within 800 nm from a surface of the toner particles is 70% or more of a release agent in entire toner particles and a melting temperature of the release agent is 65° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image holder to a surface of a recording medium; and a cleaning device having a cleaning blade that is brought into contact with and cleans an outer peripheral surface of the image holder and that is constituted of a polyurethane resin, in which a total amount of F and Si present within 200 nm from a surface of the cleaning blade, which is brought into contact with the image holder, accounts for 75% or more of a total amount of F and Si present within 5 μm from the surface.