JP2008138731A

JP2008138731A - Elastic roller

Info

Publication number: JP2008138731A
Application number: JP2006323908A
Authority: JP
Inventors: Yoshihiko Mukoyama; 慶彦向山
Original assignee: Bridgestone Corp
Current assignee: Bridgestone Corp
Priority date: 2006-11-30
Filing date: 2006-11-30
Publication date: 2008-06-19

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an elastic roller using a low cost accurate resin shaft capable of further weight reduction without using a metal shaft. <P>SOLUTION: A shaft 1 is composed of a plurality of same shape element members 3 mutually connected in a shaft longitudinal direction, and a terminal member 4 arranged on another end of the shaft 1. A projection element 5 having a same shape as a shaft end part 12 is provided on one end side of an element member 3A, and a hole element 6A holding a projection element 5B of another element member 3B connected to the element member 3 is provided on another end side of the element member 3A. The element members 3A, 3B are connected by fitting the hole member 6A and the projection member 5B of the different element members 3A, 3B. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

本発明は、樹脂製のシャフト本体の少なくとも一端側に、シャフト本体の軸線と平行な周面を有する軸端部をシャフト本体の長さ方向外側に突出するよう設けてなるシャフトと、前記シャフト本体の周面上に配置された弾性層とよりなる導電性ローラに関し、特に、シャフトを簡易に形成することができるものに関する。 The present invention provides a shaft having a shaft end portion having a circumferential surface parallel to the axis of the shaft main body so as to protrude outward in the length direction of the shaft main body at least on one end side of the resin shaft main body, and the shaft main body The present invention relates to a conductive roller including an elastic layer disposed on the peripheral surface, and more particularly to a roller capable of easily forming a shaft.

従来から、複写機やプリンタ等の画像形成装置においては、感光ドラム等の潜像担持体に電荷を供給してこれに潜像を形成する帯電ローラや、この潜像担持体に現像剤を供給して潜像を顕像化させる現像ローラ等、種々の弾性ローラが用いられていて、これらの弾性ローラ９０は、図１（ａ）に断面図で、図１（ｂ）に、図１（ａ）のｂ−ｂ矢視に対応する側面図で示すように、シャフト９１の周囲に弾性層９２を配置した構造を有している。そして、シャフト９１は、円周面を有するシャフト本体９７と、その長さ方向両端に設けられた軸端部９５、９６とで構成され、軸端部９５、９６は、弾性ローラ９０を軸支する際の被支持部分として機能する。 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers, a charging roller that supplies a charge to a latent image carrier such as a photosensitive drum and forms a latent image thereon, and a developer is supplied to the latent image carrier. Various elastic rollers such as a developing roller that visualizes the latent image are used, and these elastic rollers 90 are a cross-sectional view in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B in FIG. As shown in the side view corresponding to the arrow b-b in a), the elastic layer 92 is disposed around the shaft 91. The shaft 91 includes a shaft main body 97 having a circumferential surface and shaft end portions 95 and 96 provided at both ends in the length direction. The shaft end portions 95 and 96 support the elastic roller 90 as a shaft. It functions as a supported part when doing.

そして、このような弾性ローラ９０を軽量化するため、シャフト９１を、樹脂製のもので形成する提案がなされているが、樹脂製のシャフト９１を一体的に形成するには、射出成型による方法や、樹脂製の丸棒を機械加工する方法等が考えられるが、機械加工する方法は、弾性ローラを量産するに際しコストが掛かりすぎるという問題があるので、射出成型によらざるを得ないが、これを精度よく一体的に成型するのは、成型後の材料の収縮量が大きいこと、金型から材料を取り出すための抜き勾配を製品に付けなければならないこと等を考えると極めて難しく、この問題を解決するため、図２に断面図で示すように、金属製の金軸９８の外側に樹脂よりなる短いパイプ部材９９を軸方向に並べたシャフト部材９１が提案されており（例えば、特許文献１参照。）、これによると、樹脂のパイプ部材９９は、シャフト９１の長さの、数分の一の長さとなるので、各々を精度よく成型することができ、さらに、これらを金軸上に配置するので配列する際の精度を高めることができ、シャフト９１の軽量化と、必要精度の確保との両立を図ることができる。
国際公開第２００５／１２１９０５号パンフレット In order to reduce the weight of the elastic roller 90, it has been proposed to form the shaft 91 with a resin. However, in order to integrally form the resin shaft 91, an injection molding method is used. And a method of machining a round rod made of resin, etc. can be considered, but the method of machining has a problem that it costs too much when mass-producing elastic rollers, so it must be injection molding, It is extremely difficult to mold this accurately and integrally, considering that the amount of material shrinkage after molding is large, and that the product must have a draft angle to remove the material from the mold. In order to solve this problem, as shown in a sectional view in FIG. 2, a shaft member 91 is proposed in which short pipe members 99 made of resin are arranged in the axial direction on the outside of a metal metal shaft 98 (for example, According to this, since the resin pipe member 99 is a fraction of the length of the shaft 91, each can be accurately molded. Since it arrange | positions on an axis | shaft, the precision at the time of arrangement | sequence can be improved, and coexistence with weight reduction of the shaft 91 and ensuring of required precision can be aimed at.
International Publication No. 2005/121905 Pamphlet

しかしながら、上記のシャフト部材９１では、金軸９８は不可欠であり、このため、異なる材料の部材を準備する必要があるのでコスト高になることに加えて、さらなる軽量化には限界があり、このため、金軸を用いない、樹脂だけのシャフト部材が求められていた。 However, in the shaft member 91 described above, the metal shaft 98 is indispensable. For this reason, since it is necessary to prepare a member made of different materials, the cost is increased, and further weight reduction is limited. Therefore, there has been a demand for a resin-only shaft member that does not use a gold shaft.

本発明は、このような問題点に鑑みてなされたものであり、金軸を用いることなく、低コスト、高精度で、かつ、一層の軽量化が可能な樹脂製のシャフトを用いた弾性ローラを提供することを目的とする。 The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and is an elastic roller using a resin shaft that is low-cost, high-precision, and can be further reduced in weight without using a metal shaft. The purpose is to provide.

＜１＞は、樹脂製のシャフト本体の少なくとも一端側に、シャフト本体の軸線と平行な周面を有する軸端部をシャフト本体の長さ方向外側に突出するよう設けてなるシャフトと、前記シャフト本体の周面上に配置された弾性層とよりなる弾性ローラにおいて、
前記シャフトを、シャフト長さ方向に相互に連結された同形の要素部材の複数個と、前記シャフトの他端に配置された１個の終端部材とで構成し、前記要素部材の一端側に前記軸端部と同形の突起要素を設けるとともに、前記要素部材の他端側に、この要素部材に連結される他の要素部材の前記突起要素を収容する穴要素を設け、異なる要素部材の、穴要素と、突起要素とを嵌合させることによってそれらの要素部材を連結してなる弾性ローラである。 <1> is a shaft in which a shaft end portion having a circumferential surface parallel to the axis of the shaft main body is provided on at least one end side of the resin shaft main body so as to protrude outward in the length direction of the shaft main body, and the shaft In an elastic roller composed of an elastic layer disposed on the peripheral surface of the main body,
The shaft is composed of a plurality of identical element members connected to each other in the shaft length direction, and one terminal member disposed at the other end of the shaft, and the one end side of the element member A projecting element having the same shape as the shaft end is provided, and a hole element for receiving the projecting element of another element member connected to the element member is provided on the other end side of the element member. It is an elastic roller formed by connecting an element and a projecting element to connect those element members.

＜２＞は、＜１＞において、前記終端部材を、前記要素部材の前記穴要素に嵌入される突起要素と、前記シャフトの他端側の軸端部となる他端側軸端要素とで構成してなる弾性ローラである。 <2> in <1>, the termination member is a projecting element inserted into the hole element of the element member and a shaft end element on the other end side serving as a shaft end portion on the other end side of the shaft. This is an elastic roller configured.

＜１＞によれば、前記シャフトを、シャフト長さ方向に相互に連結された同形の要素部材の複数個と、前記シャフトの他端に配置された１個の終端部材とで構成し、前記要素部材の一端側に前記軸端部と同形の突起要素を設けるとともに、前記要素部材の他端側に、この要素部材に連結される他の要素部材の前記突起要素を収容する穴要素を設け、異なる要素部材の、穴要素と、突起要素とを嵌合させることによってそれらの要素部材を連結したので、金軸を用いることなく、高精度の樹脂製シャフトを実現することができ、このことによってコストの低減と一層の軽量化を可能にすることができる。 According to <1>, the shaft is composed of a plurality of identical element members connected to each other in the shaft length direction, and one terminal member disposed at the other end of the shaft, A projecting element having the same shape as the shaft end is provided on one end side of the element member, and a hole element is provided on the other end side of the element member to receive the projecting element of another element member connected to the element member. Because these element members are connected by fitting the hole element and the projecting element of different element members, a highly accurate resin shaft can be realized without using a metal shaft. Thus, cost reduction and further weight reduction can be realized.

＜２＞によれば、終端部材を、前記要素部材の前記穴要素に嵌入される突起要素と、前記シャフトの他端側の軸端部となる他端側軸端要素とで構成したので、前記シャフト本体の他端にも、シャフト本体の長さ方向外側に突出する軸端部を形成することができる。 According to <2>, since the termination member is configured with a protruding element that is inserted into the hole element of the element member, and the other end side shaft end element that is a shaft end portion on the other end side of the shaft, A shaft end portion that protrudes outward in the length direction of the shaft body can be formed at the other end of the shaft body.

本発明の実施形態について、図に基づいて説明する。図３は、本発明に係る実施形態の弾性ローラ示す断面図であり、また、図４（ａ）は、この弾性ローラのシャフトを構成する要素部材を示す側面図、図４（ｂ）は、図４（ａ）のｂ１−ｂ１矢視に対応する側面図、図４（ｃ）は、図４（ａ）のｂ２−ｂ２矢視に対応する側面図であり、弾性ローラ１０は、シャフト１と、その周面上に配置された弾性層２とよりなり、シャフト１は、円形の周面を有する樹脂製のローラ本体１１と、その一端側にシャフト本体１１の長さ方向外側に突出するよう設けられ、シャフト本体１１の軸線Ｌと平行な周面１２Ｓを有する軸端部１２とを具えて構成される。 Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an elastic roller according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4A is a side view showing an element member constituting a shaft of the elastic roller, and FIG. 4 (a) is a side view corresponding to the view along arrow b1-b1, FIG. 4 (c) is a side view corresponding to the view taken along arrow b2-b2 in FIG. 4 (a). And the elastic layer 2 disposed on the peripheral surface thereof. The shaft 1 protrudes outward in the length direction of the shaft main body 11 on one end side of the resin roller main body 11 having a circular peripheral surface. And a shaft end portion 12 having a peripheral surface 12S parallel to the axis L of the shaft body 11.

また、シャフト本体１１の他端にも、図示のように軸端部１３を設けることもできるが、この代わりに、シャフト本体１１の被支持部分と機能させるため、装置側の軸と係合する穴部を設けてもよい。 Further, a shaft end portion 13 can be provided at the other end of the shaft body 11 as shown in the figure, but instead, it engages with the shaft on the apparatus side in order to function with the supported portion of the shaft body 11. A hole may be provided.

ここで、弾性ローラ１０に要求される性能に応じて、弾性層２の外側に、一層以上の被覆層を設けてもよい。 Here, one or more coating layers may be provided outside the elastic layer 2 in accordance with the performance required for the elastic roller 10.

シャフト１は、その長さ方向に相互に連結された同形の要素部材３の複数個（図示の例では４個）と、シャフト１の他端に配置された終端部材４とで構成され、要素部材３（３Ａ）の一端側には、軸端部１３と同じ形をした突起要素５（５Ａ）が設けられ、要素部材３（３Ａ）の他端側には、この要素部材３Ａに連結される隣の要素部材３Ｂの突起要素５Ｂを収容する穴要素６Ａが設けられ、異なる要素部材３Ａ、３Ｂ同士の連結は、要素部材３Ａの穴要素６Ａに、要素部材３Ｂの突起要素５Ｂを嵌入することによって行われる。 The shaft 1 is composed of a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of identical element members 3 interconnected in the length direction and a terminal member 4 disposed at the other end of the shaft 1. A protruding element 5 (5A) having the same shape as the shaft end 13 is provided on one end side of the member 3 (3A), and the other end side of the element member 3 (3A) is connected to the element member 3A. A hole element 6A that accommodates the protruding element 5B of the adjacent element member 3B is provided, and different element members 3A and 3B are connected to each other by inserting the protruding element 5B of the element member 3B into the hole element 6A of the element member 3A. Is done by.

ここで、複数個の要素部材３は、上記の通りすべて（図の場合４個）同じ形状をしており、従って同一の金型で成形することができ、このことによって、金型に掛かる設備投資を抑えることができる。 Here, the plurality of element members 3 all have the same shape (four in the figure) as described above, and therefore can be formed with the same mold, and thereby the equipment applied to the mold. Investment can be reduced.

また、終端部材４は、好ましくは、要素部材３Ｂの穴要素６Ｂに嵌入される突起要素７と、シャフト１の他端側の軸端部１３を構成する他端側軸端要素８とで構成するのがよい。 Moreover, the termination | terminus member 4 is preferably comprised by the protrusion element 7 inserted by the hole element 6B of the element member 3B, and the other end side axial end element 8 which comprises the axial end part 13 of the other end side of the shaft 1. It is good to do.

なお、図示の場合、軸端部１２は、円柱の先端部のみをＤカットした形状に、また、軸端部１３は、大径の円柱に先端に小径の円柱を設けた形状に構成されているが、装置側の、弾性ローラ１０を軸支する部分に合わせて形状が決められる。 In the case shown in the drawing, the shaft end portion 12 is formed in a shape obtained by D-cutting only the tip portion of the cylinder, and the shaft end portion 13 is formed in a shape in which a small diameter cylinder is provided at the tip of a large diameter cylinder. However, the shape is determined in accordance with the portion of the apparatus that supports the elastic roller 10.

図３、図４に示した例の場合には、穴要素６を、穴の全長にわたって断面円形の穴で構成したが、穴要素６の代わりに、突起要素５に対応する凹形をなす穴で構成することもでき、例えば、図５（ａ）に側面図で、５（ｂ）に、図５（ａ）のｂ３−ｂ３矢視に対応する側面図で示すように、要素部材２３の穴要素２６を、円形断面の部分２６ＡとＤカット断面部分２６Ｂとで構成することもできる。 In the case of the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hole element 6 is constituted by a hole having a circular cross section over the entire length of the hole, but instead of the hole element 6, a hole having a concave shape corresponding to the protruding element 5 is formed. For example, as shown in a side view in FIG. 5A and in a side view corresponding to the b3-b3 arrow view in FIG. The hole element 26 can also be composed of a circular section 26A and a D-cut section 26B.

また、要素部材３同士の連結は、穴要素６に突起要素５を陥入して行うので、シャフト１を、真円度の高い高精度なものにするとともに、これらの連結を強固なものにすることができる。また、この連結をさらに強固にするため、接着剤を用いて、穴要素６と突起要素５とを嵌合結合した上でこれら接着することもできる。 In addition, since the element members 3 are connected to each other by inserting the protruding elements 5 into the hole elements 6, the shaft 1 is made highly accurate with high roundness, and these connections are strengthened. can do. Further, in order to further strengthen the connection, the hole element 6 and the protruding element 5 can be bonded and bonded together using an adhesive.

従来の弾性ローラを示す断面図および側面図である。It is sectional drawing and a side view which show the conventional elastic roller. 他の態様の従来の弾性ローラにおけるシャフト示す断面図である。It is sectional drawing which shows the shaft in the conventional elastic roller of another aspect. 本発明に係る実施形態の弾性ローラを示す断面図である。It is sectional drawing which shows the elastic roller of embodiment which concerns on this invention. 本実施形態の弾性ローラの要素部材を示す断面図および側面図である。It is sectional drawing and the side view which show the element member of the elastic roller of this embodiment. 他の実施形態の要素部材を示す断面図および側面図である。It is sectional drawing and the side view which show the element member of other embodiment.

符号の説明Explanation of symbols

１シャフト
２弾性層
３、３Ａ、３Ｂ要素部材
４終端部材
５、５Ａ、５Ｂ突起要素
６、６Ａ、６Ｂ穴要素
７突起要素
８他端側軸端要素
２１０弾性ローラ
１１シャフト本体
１２、１３軸端部
１２Ｓ軸端部の周面
２３要素部材
２６穴要素
２６Ａ穴要素円形断面の部分
２６Ｂ穴要素Ｄカット断面の部分 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shaft 2 Elastic layer 3, 3A, 3B Element member 4 Termination member 5, 5A, 5B Protrusion element 6, 6A, 6B Hole element 7 Protrusion element 8 Other end side shaft end element 2 10 Elastic roller 11 Shaft body 12, 13 shaft End 12S Perimeter surface of shaft end 23 Element member 26 Hole element 26A Hole element circular section 26B Hole element D Cut section

Claims

樹脂製のシャフト本体の少なくとも一端側に、シャフト本体の軸線と平行な周面を有する軸端部をシャフト本体の長さ方向外側に突出するよう設けてなるシャフトと、前記シャフト本体の周面上に配置された弾性層とよりなる弾性ローラにおいて、
前記シャフトを、シャフト長さ方向に相互に連結された同形の要素部材の複数個と、前記シャフトの他端に配置された１個の終端部材とで構成し、前記要素部材の一端側に前記軸端部と同形の突起要素を設けるとともに、前記要素部材の他端側に、この要素部材に連結される他の要素部材の前記突起要素を収容する穴要素を設け、異なる要素部材の、穴要素と、突起要素とを嵌合させることによってそれらの要素部材を連結してなる弾性ローラ。 A shaft formed on at least one end side of the resin-made shaft main body so that a shaft end portion having a peripheral surface parallel to the axis of the shaft main body protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction of the shaft main body, and on the peripheral surface of the shaft main body In an elastic roller consisting of an elastic layer arranged in
The shaft is composed of a plurality of identical element members connected to each other in the shaft length direction, and one terminal member disposed at the other end of the shaft, and the one end side of the element member A projecting element having the same shape as the shaft end is provided, and a hole element for receiving the projecting element of another element member connected to the element member is provided on the other end side of the element member. An elastic roller formed by connecting an element and a projecting element to connect the element members.

前記終端部材を、前記要素部材の前記穴要素に嵌入される突起要素と、前記シャフトの他端側の軸端部となる他端側軸端要素とで構成してなる請求項１に記載の弾性ローラ。 The said termination | terminus member is comprised by the protrusion element inserted in the said hole element of the said element member, and the other end side axial end element used as the axial end part of the other end side of the said shaft. Elastic roller.