JP2007271675A - Rib-fitting machine and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attach ribs to a seamless belt, without stretching them too much or without creasing them. <P>SOLUTION: This machine has two or more rollers 11a, 11b, 11c to circumferentially drive the seamless belt 1 while applying a predetermined tension to the seamless belt 1, and a roller 12 for holding a rib 2 to attach to the seamless belt 1. It can transfer the rib 2 to the inner surface of the seamless belt 1 by keeping the rib 2 currently held on the roller 12, in contact with the inner surface of the seamless belt 1 and turning the rollers 11a, 11b, 11c and the roller 12. The speed of the seamless belt 1 driven by turning rollers 11a, 11b, 11c is synchronized with the peripheral speed of the rib attaching roller 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for attaching a meander-preventing rib to a seamless belt. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method suitable when the seamless belt is a transfer belt, an intermediate transfer belt, a fixing film or the like used in an image forming apparatus employing an image forming process such as an electrophotographic system or an electrostatic recording system. It is.

  In electrophotographic copying machines and the like, a belt (seamless belt) formed seamlessly (endlessly) with a flexible material is frequently used. For example, it is wound around a plurality of rollers and used as a transfer belt, an intermediate transfer belt, a fixing film or the like. A seamless belt used for such an application is required to accurately convey an imaged toner carrier to a predetermined position.

  However, when a resin seamless belt is used as a transfer belt, etc., due to fluctuations in the circumferential length of the rotating belt, the influence of applied tension bias, the influence of the inclination of the wound roller, etc. The belt may meander. Therefore, a seamless belt has been proposed in which ribs for correcting meandering are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the end (Patent Document 1).

  Conventionally, when the rib is provided around the inner peripheral surface of the end portion of the seamless belt, a technique of applying the tension to the rib while pressing the rib against the seamless belt has been employed. Moreover, after attaching a non-stretchable reinforcement tape to a rib, the method of affixing on a seamless belt may be taken.

Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a method in which the rib bonding surface is pressed against the entire inner circumference of the seamless belt with air, and the ribs are bonded to the seamless belt at one time.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-25477 JP 2002-55532 A

  However, if the ribs are applied to the seamless belt while tension is applied, the ribs are stretched, and the elongation rate is not constant, so that the rib length cannot be managed in advance. That is, a post-process for manually cutting excess ribs is necessary.

  In addition, when the non-stretchable reinforcing tape is attached to the rib and then attached to the seamless belt, the stress load may increase during belt rotation, and the durability of the seamless belt may be reduced.

  Further, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to make the timing at which the adhesive surface of the rib contacts the seamless belt uniform over the entire circumference of the seamless belt, and adhesion unevenness tends to occur in the circumferential direction. .

  An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method that can be uniformly attached to a seamless belt without extending ribs or giving wrinkles.

  The rib attachment device of the present invention has two or more rollers that drive the seamless belt in the circumferential direction while applying a predetermined tension to the seamless belt, and a rib installation roller that holds the rib attached to the seamless belt. In this mounting device, the rib and the rib setting roller rotate while the rib held by the rib setting roller is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt, and the rib held by the rib setting roller is seamless. It is transferred to the inner peripheral surface of the belt. And the driving speed of the seamless belt by rotation of a roller and the peripheral speed of the roller for rib installation are synchronizing, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the present invention, since the pressing pressure when attaching the rib to the seamless belt can be small, it is possible to attach the rib without extending it. Further, since the length of the rib can be defined in advance, the trouble of cutting the extra length of the rib after the attachment to the seamless belt becomes unnecessary.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method for attaching a meandering restricting member to a seamless belt according to the present invention will be described in detail. The method of attaching the meandering restricting member to the seamless belt in the present embodiment is a method of attaching the rib 2 as the meandering restricting member to the widthwise end of the seamless belt 1 as shown in FIG. The rib 2 is a film-like member made of a base material to be described later, and is fitted into a fitting groove 3a provided in each roller (only the roller 3 is shown in FIG. 1) of the seamless belt unit. To regulate meandering of the seamless belt 1.

  The base material of the seamless belt 1 should just be flexible, and is not limited to any one of a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, or rubber. However, from the viewpoint of production cost, a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer is desirable.

  As the thermoplastic resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene-1, polystyrene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polysulfone and a mixed resin thereof are preferable, and a thermoplastic elastomer formed of these mixed resins is more preferable. Further, polyarylate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate and mixed resins thereof are also suitable, and thermoplastic elastomers formed from these mixed resins are also more suitable. Also suitable are polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone, polyether nitrile, thermoplastic polyimide materials and mixed resins thereof, and thermoplastic elastomers formed from these mixed resins are also more preferable. Further, polyether ether ketone, thermotropic liquid crystal polymer, ABS resin, polyether imide, ethylene vinyl alcohol, and mixed resins thereof are also suitable, and thermoplastic elastomers formed from these mixed resins are also more suitable. Also suitable are acrylonitrile loop tadiene-styrene resins, polyamic acids, and mixed resins thereof, and thermoplastic elastomers formed from these mixed resins are also more preferable.

  In short, a mixed resin composed of all thermoplastic resin materials and two or more kinds of thermoplastic resin materials is suitable for use, and a thermoplastic elastomer formed of the mixed resin is more suitable.

  In addition, for the purpose of heat resistance reinforcement, conductivity, and thermal conductivity imparting to the above resin material, a base material in which at least one of organic and inorganic fine powders is blended or a base material stretched and strengthened at any magnification is also used. obtain. Here, examples of the organic filler include condensed polyimide powder and ion conductive material. Examples of the inorganic filler include inorganic spherical fine particles such as carbon black powder, carbon fiber and carbon nanotube, magnesium oxide powder, and magnesium fluoride powder. In addition, inorganic spherical fine particles such as silicon oxide powder, aluminum oxide powder, boron nitride powder, aluminum nitride powder, and titanium oxide powder are also included. Furthermore, fibrous particles such as carbon fibers and glass fibers, whisker-like powders such as potassium titanate, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride are also included. Further, the shape and size of the particles are not particularly limited.

  Furthermore, an elastomer component can be included as an optional component for improving toughness. Specifically, the elastomer component can be included in an amount of, for example, 50 parts by weight or less with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total of the resin component and the conductive material. As the elastomer component, natural rubber, butadiene polymer, styrene-isoprene polymer, butadiene-styrene copolymer and hydrogenated products thereof (including random copolymer, block copolymer, graft copolymer, etc.) Is mentioned. Moreover, an isoprene polymer, a chlorobutadiene polymer, and a butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer are mentioned. Moreover, an isobutylene polymer, an isobutylene-butadiene copolymer, an isobutylene-isoprene copolymer, and an acrylate polymer are also included. Further, ethylene-propylene copolymer, ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer, thiocol rubber, polysulfide rubber, polyurethane rubber, polyether rubber (for example, polypropylene oxide), epichlorohydrin rubber and the like can also be mentioned.

  In addition, an antioxidant, a heat stabilizer, a heat aging inhibitor, an antifungal agent, a plasticizer, a crystal nucleating agent, a fluidity improver, an ultraviolet absorber, a lubricant, a mold release agent, and a dye within a range not impairing the object of the present invention. In addition, a base material to which one or more usual additives such as a colorant such as a pigment, a flame retardant, and a flame retardant aid are added may be used.

  The base material of the rib 2 is desirably an elastic body having high mechanical strength and wear resistance, and for example, urethane resin, NBR, thermoplastic elastomer, and the like are desirable. Further, the hardness of the substrate 2 is 30 Hs or more and 95 Hs or less, preferably 50 Hs or more and 80 Hs or less, more preferably 65 Hs or more and 75 Hs or less, according to the JISA standard. If the hardness exceeds 95Hs, the elongation at the time of application to the seamless belt 1 is small and the dimensional accuracy is good, but it is enough to absorb the intermittent shearing force caused by driving along the curved surface of the roller for a long time. Lacks in elasticity. As a result, the load is concentrated on the seamless belt 1 and the seamless belt 1 is cracked. When the hardness is less than 30 Hs, deformation due to the shearing force received by the rib 2 when the seamless belt 1 meanders is large, and it becomes difficult to sufficiently regulate the meandering of the seamless belt 1.

  Next, an apparatus for attaching the rib 2 to the seamless belt 1 will be described. In the present embodiment, the rib 2 is attached to the seamless belt 1 using the seamless belt end processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “end processing apparatus 10”) shown in FIG.

  The end processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes three rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c around which the seamless belt 1 is wound. Moreover, it has a pair of rib installation roller 12 and the pressing roller 13 arrange | positioned in the position which opposes on both sides of the seamless belt 1 wound around roller 11a, 11b, 11c.

  The three rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged at positions and intervals at which a constant tension is applied to the seamless belt 1 wound around them. Further, at least one of the three rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c is rotated at a constant speed (V1) clockwise by a drive mechanism (not shown), and the wound belt 1 is rotated at the same speed. Can be made. Further, by making it possible to displace at least one of the three rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c, it is possible to make adjustment so that a constant tension is applied to seamless belts of different lengths.

  The rib installation roller 12 is disposed in a triangular area formed by a straight line connecting the rotation centers of the three rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c. More specifically, when the seamless belt 1 is wound around the rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c, the rib setting roller 12 is disposed at a position where the outer peripheral surface 11a and the inner surface 1a of the seamless belt 1 face each other. Yes. As shown in FIG. 3, a spiral groove 14 for fitting the rib 2 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 12 a of the rib installation roller 12, and the rib 2 is fitted into the groove 14 to fit the rib 2. 2 is held in a stable state. The depth of the groove 14 is formed to be shallower than the height (thickness) t of the rib 2, and the region (end portion arrangement region X) in which one end portion 2 a (FIG. 5) of the rib 2 in the longitudinal direction is arranged. It is formed shallower than other parts. With this structure, when the rib 2 is fitted into the groove 14, the one end 2a of the rib 2 is held at a higher position than the other portions. In other words, the protruding amount of the one end portion 2a of the rib 2 with respect to the outer peripheral surface 12a of the rib installation roller 12 is larger than that of the other portions.

  Note that the end portion arrangement region X may be formed so that the depth thereof is continuously reduced, or may be formed so as to be gradually reduced. In short, any shape may be used as long as one end 2a of the rib 2 arranged in the end arrangement region X is held at a higher position than the other portions.

  Next, a procedure for attaching the rib 2 to the seamless belt 1 using the end processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. In the present invention, of the front and back surfaces of the rib 2, the surface bonded to the seamless belt 1 is referred to as “front surface”, and the surface opposite to the front surface is referred to as “back surface”. However, such a distinction is merely a convenience distinction.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, the adhesive A is applied to the front surface 20a of the rib 2 whose length is specified in advance, and the adhesive B is applied to the back surface 20b. Here, the adhesive strength of the adhesive A and the adhesive B is different. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, the rib 2 is fitted into the groove 14 (FIG. 3) of the rib installation roller 12. At this time, the rib 2 is fitted into the groove 14 so that the back surface 20 b of the rib 2 is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove 14. Through this process, the back surface 20b of the rib 2 and the bottom surface of the groove 14 are fixed (temporarily fixed) by the adhesive B. However, the adhesive 2 may be applied in advance to both or one of the bottom surface and the inner surface of the groove 14 of the rib installation roller 12, and the rib 2 may be fitted into the groove 14.

  The rib 2 may be set in the end processing apparatus 10 after the rib 2 is fitted in the groove 14 of the rib installation roller 12 in advance, or the rib installation roller set in the end processing apparatus 10 may be used. The ribs 2 may be fitted into the twelve grooves 14.

  Next, after aligning the predetermined position on the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt 1 and the one end 2a of the rib 2 arranged in the end arrangement region X of the groove 14, the surface 20a of the rib 2 is adjusted. It is made to contact the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt 1. At this time, as described above, the one end portion 2a of the rib 2 arranged in the end portion arrangement region X protrudes from the other portion. Therefore, when the surface 20a of the rib 2 is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt 1, the one end 2a comes into contact first.

  The timing for setting the seamless belt 1 on the rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c shown in FIG. 2 is not particularly limited. That is, the seamless belt 1 may be set on the rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c after the preparation of the rib setting roller 12 is completed, and the rib setting roller 12 is set after the seamless belt 1 is set first. You may make preparations. However, from the viewpoint of workability, it is desirable to precede the preparation of the rib installation roller 12.

  Next, at least one of the rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c is rotated at a constant speed (V1), and the seamless belt 1 is rotated at the same speed (V1). At the same time, the rib setting roller 12 is rotated at a speed (V2) synchronized with the speed (V1) of the seamless belt and is slid in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction. At this time, since the relationship that the adhesive force between the adhesive A and the seamless belt 1 is larger than the adhesive force between the adhesive B and the rib setting roller 12 is established, the rib 2 is seamlessly connected to the rib setting roller 12. Smooth transfer to the belt 1 without excessive load.

  As is clear from the above description, when the rib for preventing meandering is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt, the rib length can be regulated in advance by fixing the rib on the apparatus-side roller with an adhesive. Become. Further, in this example, in a state where the relationship in which the adhesive force between the adhesive A and the seamless belt is larger than the adhesive force between the adhesive B and the rib setting roller is satisfied, the peripheral speed (V1) of the seamless belt is The rotating peripheral speed (V2) of the roller to which the rib is fixed is synchronized. As a result, the rib smoothly transitions from the rib installation roller to the seamless belt, thereby avoiding the extension of the rib.

  From the above, in the present invention, it can be understood that the pressure-sensitive adhesive to be used is not particularly limited as long as the relationship of pressure-sensitive adhesive-seamless belt adhesive pressure> pressure-sensitive adhesive-rib fixing roller is satisfied. However, it is preferable to use an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive from the viewpoint of production efficiency and adhesive strength. In addition, the above relationship can be satisfied by subjecting at least a region (in this embodiment, the bottom surface of the groove 14 shown in FIG. 3) in contact with the ribs on the outer peripheral surface of the rib installation roller. For example, the above relationship can be satisfied by forming a film having a smaller coefficient of friction than the outer peripheral surface of the rib setting roller in a region in contact with the rib. An example of the film here is a fluororesin film.

Example 1
A polycarbonate seamless belt was set on the end processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2, and was wound around rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c with a tension of 2 kgf (≈19.6 N). Rib installation roller 12 coated with acrylic adhesive (KP2102, manufactured by Nippon Carbide Industries Co., Ltd.) on the front and back surfaces of urethane resin ribs cut to the same length as the inner circumference of the seamless belt, and coated with fluorine resin Ribs were installed in the grooves 14 of the above. The 180 ° peel force (JIS K6854) between the acrylic adhesive used here and the seamless belt was 200 gf / 25 mm (≈1.96 N / 25 mm). On the other hand, the 180 degree peeling force between the acrylic adhesive and the rib setting roller 12 was 32 gf / 25 mm (≈0.31 N / 25 mm).

The rib was attached to the inner peripheral end of the seamless belt at a rotation speed of the seamless belt of 100 mm / min and a rotation speed of the rib setting roller 12 of 100 mm / min. The seamless belt with ribs obtained by this method was used as an intermediate transfer belt and introduced into the actual machine of the image forming apparatus, and the durability test was performed. Even when 300,000 sheets were printed, no peeling of the ribs was seen. The durability of the belt was good.
(Example 2)
A polycarbonate seamless belt was set on the end processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2, and was wound around rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c with a tension of 2 kgf (≈19.6 N). Further, a rib made of urethane resin was installed in the groove 14 of the rib installation roller 12 made of SUS304. Here, the rib was cut in advance to the same length as the inner circumference of the seamless belt, and an acrylic adhesive (KP2102, manufactured by Nippon Carbide Industries Co., Ltd.) was applied to the back surface thereof. On the other hand, a water-soluble polymer adhesive (Tamanori G-36 manufactured by Arakawa Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was applied to the rib surface. The 180 ° peel force (JIS K6854) between the acrylic adhesive used here and the seamless belt was 200 gf / 25 mm (≈1.96 N / 25 mm). On the other hand, the 180-degree peeling force between the water-soluble polymer adhesive and the rib setting roller 12 was 80 gf / 25 mm (≈0.78 N / 25 mm).

  Ribs were attached to the inner peripheral edge of the seamless belt with the seamless belt rotating speed of 100 mm / min and the rib setting roller rotating speed of 100 mm / min. The seamless belt with ribs obtained by this method was used as an intermediate transfer belt and introduced into the actual machine of the image forming apparatus, and the durability test was performed. Even when 300,000 sheets were printed, no peeling of the ribs was seen. The durability of the belt was good.

Comparative example

(Comparative Example 1)
A polycarbonate seamless belt was set on the end processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2, and was wound around rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c with a tension of 2 kgf (≈19.6 N). For installing ribs coated with fluororesin by applying a water-soluble polymer adhesive (Tamanori G-36 manufactured by Arakawa Chemical Industries, Ltd.) to the back of urethane resin ribs cut to the same length as the inner circumference of the seamless belt Ribs were installed in the grooves 14 of the roller 12. The 180-degree peel strength (JIS K6854) between the water-soluble polymer adhesive and the seamless belt used here was 120 gf / 25 mm (≈1.18 [N / 25 mm]). On the other hand, the 180-degree peeling force between the water-soluble polymer adhesive and the rib setting roller 12 was also 120 gf / 25 mm (≈1.18 N / 25 mm).

Ribs were attached to the inner peripheral edge of the seamless belt with the seamless belt rotating speed of 100 mm / min and the rib setting roller rotating speed of 100 mm / min. The peel strength between the seamless belt and the ribs obtained by this method was 5 gf / 25 mm to 100 gf / 25 mm (≈0.05 N / 25 mm to 1.00 N / 25 mm), and the unevenness in the circumference was large and very weak. When this seamless belt was used as an intermediate transfer belt and introduced into the actual machine of the image forming apparatus and subjected to a durability test, the ribs were peeled off after printing 10,000 sheets.
(Comparative Example 2)
A polycarbonate seamless belt was set on the end processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2, and was wound around rollers 11a, 11b, and 11c with a tension of 2 kgf (≈19.6 N). An acrylic adhesive (KP2102, manufactured by Nippon Carbide Industries Co., Ltd.) is applied to the front and back surfaces of urethane resin ribs cut to the same length as the inner circumference of the seamless belt, and the fluororesin-coated rib installation roller Ribs were installed in the grooves. The 180 ° peel force (JIS K6854) between the acrylic adhesive used here and the seamless belt was 200 gf / 25 mm (≈1.96 N / 25 mm). On the other hand, the 180 degree peeling force between the acrylic adhesive and the rib setting roller 12 was 32 gf / 25 mm (≈0.31 N / 25 mm).

  The rotation speed of the seamless belt was 100 mm / min, and the rib setting roller 12 was rotated in a form of being driven by the seamless belt. Under these conditions, ribs were attached to the inner peripheral edge of the seamless belt. The ribs on the seamless belt obtained by this method were stretched by the pressing roller 13, and wrinkles were partially observed at the joint between the seamless belt and the ribs. Furthermore, when this seamless belt was introduced into an actual image forming apparatus as an intermediate transfer belt and subjected to an endurance test, the seamless belt cracked from the vicinity of the wrinkles and broke when 10,000 sheets were printed. .

It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows one usage example of a seamless belt. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the rib attachment apparatus of this invention. It is an expansion schematic diagram of the roller for rib installation shown in FIG. It is an expanded sectional view of a rib. It is an expansion schematic diagram of the roller for rib installation in which the rib was installed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seamless belt 2 Rib 10 Rib attachment apparatus 11a, 11b, 11c Roller 12 Rib installation roller 12a Outer peripheral surface 13 Pushing roller 14 Groove 20a Surface 20b Back surface

Claims (8)

  Two or more rollers for driving the seamless belt in the circumferential direction while applying a predetermined tension to the seamless belt, and a rib installation roller for holding a rib attached to the seamless belt, and held by the rib installation roller By rotating the roller and the rib setting roller in a state where the rib is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt, the rib held by the rib setting roller is moved to the seamless belt. A rib attachment device capable of being transferred to an inner peripheral surface, wherein a driving speed of the seamless belt by rotation of the roller and a peripheral speed of the rib setting roller are synchronized with each other. apparatus.   The rib attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing roller that forms a pair with the rib setting roller and contacts an outer peripheral surface of the seamless belt that is wound around the two or more rollers.   3. The groove according to claim 1, wherein a groove into which the rib can be fitted is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rib setting roller, and a depth of the groove is shallower than a thickness of the rib. Rib mounting device.   The rib attachment device according to claim 3, wherein a depth of a region into which the longitudinal end portion of the rib is fitted is shallower than other regions in the groove.   5. The film according to claim 1, wherein a film having a friction coefficient smaller than that of the surface of the rib installation roller is formed at least in a region in contact with the rib of the surface of the rib installation roller. Rib mounting device. Two or more rollers for driving the seamless belt in the circumferential direction while applying a predetermined tension to the seamless belt, and a rib installation roller for holding a rib attached to the seamless belt, and held by the rib installation roller By rotating the roller and the rib setting roller in a state where the rib is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt, the rib held by the rib setting roller is moved to the seamless belt. A method of attaching ribs to a seamless belt using a rib attachment device that can be transferred to an inner peripheral surface,
A rib attachment method comprising synchronizing the driving speed of the seamless belt by the rotation of the roller and the peripheral speed of the rib setting roller. Two or more rollers for driving the seamless belt in the circumferential direction while applying a predetermined tension to the seamless belt, and a rib installation roller for holding a rib attached to the seamless belt, and held by the rib installation roller By rotating the roller and the rib setting roller with the surface of the rib being in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt, the rib held on the rib setting roller is rotated. A method of attaching ribs to a seamless belt using a rib attachment device that can be transferred to the inner peripheral surface of the belt,
The rear surface of the rib is fixed to the rib setting roller with a first adhesive, and a second adhesive having a stronger adhesive force than the first adhesive is applied to the surface of the rib. A method of attaching the ribs, characterized in that the inner surface of the seamless belt is brought into contact with the rib. Two or more rollers for driving the seamless belt in the circumferential direction while applying a predetermined tension to the seamless belt, and a rib installation roller for holding a rib attached to the seamless belt, and held by the rib installation roller By rotating the roller and the rib setting roller with the surface of the rib being in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt, the rib held on the rib setting roller is rotated. A method of attaching ribs to a seamless belt using a rib attachment device that can be transferred to the inner peripheral surface of the belt,
A rib having a 180 degree peeling force between the back surface of the rib and the rib setting roller smaller than a 180 degree peeling force between the surface of the rib and the inner peripheral surface of the seamless belt. installation method.

Images