# US 7,610,007 B2 · Cleaning blade, and cleaning apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,007 B2 - Document ID: US7610007B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/366,752 - Filed: 2006-03-03 - Published: 2006-09-28 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-04 - Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Noriaki Kojima; Koichi Tanaka; Satoshi Shigezaki; Hiroe Okuyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610007B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/0017: {Details relating to the internal structure or chemical composition of the blades} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract The present invention provides a cleaning blade for cleaning a surface of an object to be cleaned, comprising: a contact portion that contacts the surface of the object for cleaning, the contact portion being made of a material satisfying the following inequalities (1) to (3): 3.92≦M≦29.42 (1); 0<α≦0.294; and (2) S≧250 (3) wherein M denotes 100% modulus (MPa); α denotes the ratio {Δstress/Δstrain degree=(stress at 200% strain degree−stress at 100% strain degree)/(200−100)} (MPa/%) of the stress alteration (Δstress) to the strain alteration (Δstrain) in a range of 100% to 200% strain degree in the stress-strain curve; and S denotes the breaking elongation (%), and a cleaning apparatus, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus comprising the cleaning blade. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cleaning blade for cleaning a surface of an object to be cleaned, comprising: a contact portion that contacts the surface of the object for cleaning, the contact portion being made of a material satisfying the following inequalities (1) to (3), the material of the contact portion being an elastomer material containing a hard segment and a soft segment, and the hard segment containing a polyurethane resin: 3.92≦M≦29.42; (1) 0<α≦0.294; and (2) S≧250 (3) wherein M denotes 100% modulus (MPa); α denotes the ratio {Δstress/Δstrain degree=(stress at 200% strain degree−stress at 100% strain degree)/(200−100)} (MPa/%) of the stress alteration (Δstress) to the strain alteration (Δstrain) in a range of 100% to 200% strain degree in the stress-strain curve; S denotes the breaking elongation (%); and a glass transition temperature of the contact portion is 10° C. or lower. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the breaking elongation S is 500 or less. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the impact resilience of the material of the contact portion is 10% or more under the environmental temperature of 10° C. or higher. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the material composing the hard segment is in a range of 46 to 96% by weight to the total weight of the material composing the hard segment and the material composing the soft segment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cleaning blade according to claim 4, wherein the material composing the soft segment contains a resin having a functional group reactive to an isocyanate group, the resin also having a glass transition temperature of 0° C. or lower, a viscosity in a range of 600 to 35,000 mPa·s at 25° C., and a weight average molecular weight in a range of 700 to 3,000. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The cleaning blade according to claim 5, wherein the resin contains an acrylic resin having two or more hydroxyl groups or a polybutadiene resin having two or more hydroxyl groups. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The cleaning blade according to claim 5, wherein the resin contains an epoxy resin having two or more epoxy groups. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade includes two or more layers including a layer that contacts the surface of the object to be cleaned, and wherein the layer that contacts the surface of the object is made of a material satisfying the inequalities (1) to (3). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A cleaning apparatus comprising the cleaning blade according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the breaking elongation S is 500 or less. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the impact resilience of the material of the contact portion is 10% or more under the environmental temperature of 10° C. or higher. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A process cartridge detachably attached to an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising: an image holding member; and the cleaning apparatus according to claim 9. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the breaking elongation S is 500 or less. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The process cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the impact resilience of the material of the contact portion is 10% or more under the environmental temperature of 10° C. or higher. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The process cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the surface of the image holding member is covered with a layer containing a fluoro resin. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The process cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the surface of the image holding member is covered with a layer having charge transport capability and a layer containing a resin having a crosslinked structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The process cartridge according to claim 16, wherein the resin having a crosslinked structure is selected from the group consisting of phenol resins, urethane resins, and siloxane resins. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus comprising: at least one object to be cleaned; and at least one cleaning apparatus having the cleaning blade according to claim 1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the breaking elongation S is 500 or less. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the impact resilience of the material of the contact portion is 10% or more under the environmental temperature of 10° C. or higher. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the weight ratio of the material composing the hard segment is in a range of 46 to 96% by weight to the total weight of the material composing the hard segment and the material composing the soft segment. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The image forming apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the material composing the soft segment contains a resin having a functional group reactive to an isocyanate group, the resin also having a glass transition temperature of 0° C. or lower, a viscosity in a range of 600 to 35,000 mPa·s at 25° C., and a weight average molecular weight in a range of 700 to 3,000. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the resin contains an acrylic resin having two or more hydroxyl groups or a polybutadiene resin having two or more hydroxyl groups. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the resin contains an epoxy resin having two or more epoxy groups. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the cleaning blade includes two or more layers including a layer that contacts the surface of the object to be cleaned, and wherein the layer that contacts the surface of the object is made of a material satisfying the inequalities (1) to (3). ### Claim 26 A cleaning blade for cleaning the surface of an object to be cleaned, comprising: a contact portion that contacts the surface of the object for cleaning, the contact portion being made of a material satisfying the following inequalities (1) to (3), the material of the contact portion being an elastomer material containing a hard segment and a soft segment, the hard segment containing a polyurethane resin, and the soft segment having a viscosity in a range of 600 to 35,000 mPa·s at 25° C.: 3.92≦M≦29.42; (1) 0<α≦0.294; and (2) S≧250 (3) wherein M denotes 100% modulus (MPa); α denotes the ratio {Δstress/Δstrain degree=(stress at 200% strain degree−stress at 100% strain degree)/(200−100)} (MPa/%) of the stress alteration (Δstress) to the strain alteration (Δstrain) in a range of 100% to 200% strain degree in the stress-strain curve; and S denotes the breaking elongation (%).