# US 9,753,426 B2 · Image bearer protective agent, protective layer forming device, image forming method, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,426 B2 - Document ID: US9753426B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/270,811 - Filed: 2016-09-20 - Published: 2017-03-30 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-30 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Kenji Komito; Hiroshi Nakai; Kohsuke Yamamoto; Hiroshi Mizusawa; Sho Akiyama - Inventors: Kenji Komito; Hiroshi Nakai; Kohsuke Yamamoto; Hiroshi Mizusawa; Sho Akiyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753426B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/0094: {fatigue treatment of the photoconductor} - C10M 125/20: Compounds containing nitrogen - C10M 129/40: monocarboxylic - C10M 169/04: Mixtures of base-materials and additives - C10M 2201/061: Carbides; Hydrides; Nitrides - C10M 2201/065: Sulfides; Selenides; Tellurides - C10M 2201/066: Molybdenum sulfide - C10M 2201/081: containing halogen - C10M 2201/087: Boron oxides, acids or salts - C10M 2201/102: Silicates - C10M 2201/103: Clays; Mica; Zeolites - C10M 2201/105: Silica - C10M 2207/1253: used as base material - C10M 2207/126: monocarboxylic - C10M 2213/062: Polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE] - C10N 2010/04: Groups 2 or 12 - C10N 2010/12: Groups 6 or 16 - C10N 2020/017: {Specific gravity or density} - C10N 2040/175: {Pantographs, i.e. printing devices} - C10N 2050/08: Solids - G03G 2215/0129: horizontal medium transport path at the secondary transfer - G03G 2221/001: Plural sequential cleaning devices - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - C10M: LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS (well drilling compositions C09K8/02); USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATING INGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION (mould release, i.e. separating, agents for metals B22C3/00, for plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general B29C33/56, for glass C03B40/02; textile lubricating compositions D06M11/00, D06M13/00, D06M15/00; immersion oils for microscopy G02B21/33) - C10N: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS C10M RELATING TO LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS ## Abstract An image bearer protective agent is provided. The image bearer protective agent includes a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant. The inorganic lubricant includes a first inorganic lubricant having a tap density of from 0.30 to 0.8 g/cm2. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image bearer protective agent comprising: a fatty acid metal salt; and an inorganic lubricant including a first inorganic lubricant having a tap density of from 0.30 to 0.8 g/cm2. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image bearer protective agent of claim 1, wherein the inorganic lubricant further includes a second inorganic lubricant having a tap density of 0.25 g/cm2 or less. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image bearer protective agent of claim 2, wherein the second inorganic lubricant includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of mica, boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, talc, kaolin, montmorillonite, calcium fluoride, silica, graphite, polymethyl methacrylate resin, polytetrafluoroethylene resin, melamine formaldehyde, organic molybdenum, and silicone resin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image bearer protective agent of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic lubricant includes boron nitride. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image bearer protective agent of claim 1, wherein the fatty acid metal salt includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of zinc stearate, calcium stearate, and zinc laurate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image bearer protective agent of claim 1, wherein the image bearer protective agent has a density of from 1.11 to 1.190 g/cm3. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image bearer protective agent of claim 1, wherein a mass ratio of the fatty acid metal salt to the inorganic lubricant ranges from 70/30 to 98/2. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image bearer protective agent of claim 1, wherein the image bearer protective agent is a compression-molded product of a mixture of the fatty acid metal salt and the inorganic lubricant. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A protective layer forming device comprising: the image bearer protective agent of claim 1; and an image bearer protective agent supply member to supply the image bearer protective agent onto a surface of an image bearer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The protective layer forming device of claim 9, wherein the image bearer protective agent supply member has a foam layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The protective layer forming device of claim 10, wherein the foam layer is an open-cell layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The protective layer forming device of claim 9, further comprising: a protective layer forming member to press the image bearer protective agent supplied onto the surface of the image bearer against the surface, to form the image bearer protective agent into a protective layer on the surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearer; an electrostatic latent image forming device to form an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer; a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a visible image; a transfer device to transfer the visible image onto a recording medium; and the protective layer forming device of claim 9 to supply the image bearer protective agent onto a surface of the image bearer after the visible image has been transferred therefrom, to form the image bearer protective agent into a protective layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image forming apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a cleaner disposed downstream from the transfer device and upstream from the protective layer forming device, to remove residual toner particles remaining on the surface of the image bearer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) A process cartridge comprising: an image bearer; and the protective layer forming device of claim 9 to supply the image bearer protective agent onto a surface of the image bearer and form the image bearer protective agent into a protective layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An image forming method comprising: forming an electrostatic latent image on an image bearer; developing the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a visible image; transferring the visible image onto a recording medium; supplying the image bearer protective agent of claim 1 onto a surface of the image bearer after the visible image has been transferred therefrom; and forming the image bearer protective agent into a protective layer.