Image forming apparatus that improves contact member durability and suppresses occurrence of cleaning failure
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKen Yokoyama, Shuji Saito, Koujirou Izumidate
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member. The intermediate transfer member includes a layer made of an acrylic copolymer. A plurality of grooves is formed in the layer along a moving direction of the intermediate transfer member across a width direction of the intermediate transfer member. A groove distance that is an average distance between adjoining grooves of the plurality of grooves in the width direction of the intermediate transfer member is 2 μm or more and 10 μm or less.
Claims16
A method for manufacturing an endless intermediate transfer belt used in an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first step of preparing a base layer and a surface layer, the base layer being a thickest layer in a thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt, the surface layer being on a first surface of the base layer which is located on an outer peripheral surface side of the intermediate transfer belt at a time of use;
- and
- a second step of forming a plurality of grooves in a second surface of the surface layer by an imprinting process, the second surface being located on an opposite side that is opposite of a side where the base layer exists, the plurality of grooves extending along a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt;
- wherein, in the second step, the grooves are formed in the second surface such that an average distance between adjacent grooves of the plurality of grooves in a width direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt is 2 μm or more and 7 μm or less.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.