WO1992000816A1 - Coated fixing roller - Google Patents

Coated fixing roller Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1992000816A1
WO1992000816A1 PCT/US1991/004750 US9104750W WO9200816A1 WO 1992000816 A1 WO1992000816 A1 WO 1992000816A1 US 9104750 W US9104750 W US 9104750W WO 9200816 A1 WO9200816 A1 WO 9200816A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
fixing roller
roller
flake
stainless steel
metal
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1991/004750
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Akiyasu Amita
Minori Hagiwara
Toshiaki Higaya
Original Assignee
E.I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by E.I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company filed Critical E.I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company
Publication of WO1992000816A1 publication Critical patent/WO1992000816A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D5/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures
    • B05D5/08—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures to obtain an anti-friction or anti-adhesive surface
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G15/20—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat
    • G03G15/2003—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat
    • G03G15/2014—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using contact heat
    • G03G15/2053—Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating
    • G03G15/2057—Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating relating to the chemical composition of the heat element and layers thereof

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns a fixing roller used to thermally fix an unfixed toner image that has been formed on a transfer paper with an electronic photocopier or similar device.
  • an unfixed toner image that has been formed on a transfer paper is generally thermally fixed by means of a fixing apparatus that combines a fixing roller and pressure roller.
  • the fixing roller used here is ordinarily one in which the surface of a metal roller that houses a heater is covered with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other such non-stick mold-releasing type of resin layer.
  • PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene
  • the thermal conductivity of the surface layer of this fixing roller is low (the thermal conductivity of the metal roller is 200 to 300 xlO 4 cal • cm" *1 • sec" 1 • deg -1 , while the thermal conductivity of the resin layer is only 2 to 8 xlO 4 cal • cm” 1 • sec -1 deg -1 )
  • a width of the nip formed between the fixing roller and the pressure roller had to be kept wide in order to attain the thermal efficiency needed for the desired fixing rate, and as a result, the nip pressure (the roller pressure used to form the nip) went up and the load torque increased, and this in turn led to accelerated deterioration of the parts of the appartus.
  • the present invention offers a fixing roller in which those above-mentioned problems inherent in prior art are eliminated, the fixing performance is enhanced by raising the thermal conductivity without decreasing the mold-releasing performance of the surface layer, and the load torque is reduced, thereby allowing the life of the parts to be extended.
  • the present invention provides a coated fixing roller in which the surface of a metal roller is covered with a non-stick mold-releasing type of resin layer, wherein said fixing roller is characterized by the fact that the above-mentioned resin layer contains a flake-form metal.
  • Figure 1 is one example of the fixing roller of the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a detail of A in Figure 1.
  • Figure 3 is a graph showing the results of the fixing test performed in the practical examples.
  • 1 is a metal roller
  • 2 is a non-stick mold-releasing resin layer that contains a flake-form metal
  • 3 is a flake-form metal.
  • a is a conventional fixing roller
  • b is a fixing roller of the present invention, which contained 15% stainless steel flake in the coating
  • c is a fixing roller of the present invention, which contained 30% stainless steel flake in the coating.
  • FIG. 1 is the metal roller that makes up the core (in a pipe form) and 2 is the non-stick mold- releasing resin layer that contains flake-form metal. Although not depicted in the figure, a heater is housed in the metal roller 1.
  • Figure 2 shows a detail of A in Figure l.
  • 3 is the flake-form metal.
  • this flake-form metal should be positioned nearly parallel to the surface of the metal roller 1 as to be present as much as possible in the interior of the resin layer 2, as shown in Figure 2.
  • this flake-form metal examples include stainless steel, aluminum and alloys thereof, nickle, titanium, and silver, with stainless steel being particularly desirable. Alloys based on or containing at least 50% by weight of any of such metals may be used. Preferably the stainless steel contains 15-25% chromium, optionally also 7-16% nickel and further optionally 1.5-4% molybdenum. Compositions are given below. The content of the flake-form metal should be approximately 5 to 55 % with respect to the resin layer. Percentages herein are by weight except where indicated otherwise.
  • Types of stainless steel used with the invention include flakes of Japanese steel alloys SUS304, SUS430 and SUS316L.
  • the composition of the alloys are in Table I.
  • a conventional metal roller that houses a heater can be used without modification in the present invention.
  • Examples of the types of materials that can be used for this metal include aluminum and alloys thereof, iron, and copper.
  • either the surface of the metal roller is coated with a non-stick mold-releasing resin that has been blended with a flake-form metal, or this resin is made into a film and stuck onto the roller surface, or a resin layer is formed by means of thermal absorption.
  • a non-stick mold-releasing resin that has been blended with a flake-form metal
  • this resin is made into a film and stuck onto the roller surface, or a resin layer is formed by means of thermal absorption.
  • the viscosity of an undiluted solution of PTFE should be lowered slightly, the spray pressure raised to 4 kg/cm 2 (57 PSI) , and this solution sprayed on during the manufacture.
  • the thickness of this resin layer should be approximately 5 urn to 40 urn.
  • the fixing performance is enhanced without diminishing the mold-releasing performance of the surface.
  • the flake-form metal is positioned in the resin layer nearly parallel to the surface of the metal roller, an even better effect is achieved.
  • the present invention will now be described by giving practical examples.
  • the fixing roller of the present invention was created by covering the surface of a metal roller made from an aluminum alloy with a PFA resin layer containing flake-form stainless steel and with a thickness of 25 urn and the change in the fixing rate due to the surface temperature of the fixing roller was examined by conducting a fixing test. Two different stainless steel contents in the resin layer were produced - 15% and 30% (weight percent, the same for all further references) . Also, a test was performed for a conventional product produced in the same manner except that there was no stainless steel in the resin layer. These results are shown in Figure 1.
  • Curve a in the figure is the conventional product, which contained 0% stainless steel
  • Curves b and c are the products of the present invention, which contained 15% and 30% stainless steel respectively. It can be seen from this figure that the fixing rate of the fixing roller b of the present invention, which contained 15% stainless steel, and that of the fixing roller c of the present invention, which contained 30% stainless steel, were enhanced approximately 10% and approximately 30%, respectively, over that of the conventional fixing roller a, which did not contain stainless steel or other such metal.
  • the fixing roller of the present invention contains a flake-form metal in the surface resin layer, the thermal conductivity can be enhanced without diminishing the mold-releasing performance of the surface, and as a result, the fixing performance is enhanced, thereby eliminating the occurrence of offset and other related problems. This effect is particularly pronounced when the flake-form metal is positioned in the resin layer nearly parallel to the surface of the metal roller.
  • the nip width can be made narrower with the fixing roller of the present invention than with a coventional product, the nip pressure can be reduced, and as a result, the load torque can be decreased, thereby extending the life of the parts of the apparatus, among other benefits.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fixing For Electrophotography (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)
  • Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)

Abstract

Reprographic fixing roller in which the metal surface of the roller (1) is covered with a non-stick perfluorocarbon polymer coating (2) containing metal flakes (3).

Description

TITLE COATED FIXING ROLLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a fixing roller used to thermally fix an unfixed toner image that has been formed on a transfer paper with an electronic photocopier or similar device.
In copiers and printers that make use of electronic photograpy, when a thermal fixing method is employed, an unfixed toner image that has been formed on a transfer paper is generally thermally fixed by means of a fixing apparatus that combines a fixing roller and pressure roller. The fixing roller used here is ordinarily one in which the surface of a metal roller that houses a heater is covered with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other such non-stick mold-releasing type of resin layer. However, because the thermal conductivity of the surface layer of this fixing roller is low (the thermal conductivity of the metal roller is 200 to 300 xlO4 cal • cm"*1 • sec"1 • deg-1, while the thermal conductivity of the resin layer is only 2 to 8 xlO4 cal • cm"1 • sec-1 deg-1) , a width of the nip formed between the fixing roller and the pressure roller had to be kept wide in order to attain the thermal efficiency needed for the desired fixing rate, and as a result, the nip pressure (the roller pressure used to form the nip) went up and the load torque increased, and this in turn led to accelerated deterioration of the parts of the appartus.
Previously, it has been proposed that particles of carbon, aluminum, copper, silicon nitride, boron nitride, or other such materials with high thermal conductivity be added to the mold-releasing resin layer in an effort to ameliorate the problematic areas, for example Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications 55-17946 (1980) , 60-80883 (1985) , and 64- 72185 (1989) .
With the proposed fixing rollers, however, the addition of highly thermally conductive particles brought about a different problem in that the mold- releasing performance of the surface layer was diminished, which produced offset, etc.
The present invention offers a fixing roller in which those above-mentioned problems inherent in prior art are eliminated, the fixing performance is enhanced by raising the thermal conductivity without decreasing the mold-releasing performance of the surface layer, and the load torque is reduced, thereby allowing the life of the parts to be extended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a coated fixing roller in which the surface of a metal roller is covered with a non-stick mold-releasing type of resin layer, wherein said fixing roller is characterized by the fact that the above-mentioned resin layer contains a flake-form metal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is one example of the fixing roller of the present invention. Figure 2 is a detail of A in Figure 1. And Figure 3 is a graph showing the results of the fixing test performed in the practical examples. In Figure 1 and 2, 1 is a metal roller, 2 is a non-stick mold-releasing resin layer that contains a flake-form metal, and 3 is a flake-form metal. In Figure 3, a is a conventional fixing roller, b is a fixing roller of the present invention, which contained 15% stainless steel flake in the coating, and c is a fixing roller of the present invention, which contained 30% stainless steel flake in the coating.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION One example of the structure of the fixing roller of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. In the figure, 1 is the metal roller that makes up the core (in a pipe form) and 2 is the non-stick mold- releasing resin layer that contains flake-form metal. Although not depicted in the figure, a heater is housed in the metal roller 1. Figure 2 shows a detail of A in Figure l. In the figure, 3 is the flake-form metal. Here, since there is a chance that the mold-releasing performance of the fixing roller surface will be diminished if the flake-form metal 3 appears on the surface of the resin layer 2, this flake-form metal should be positioned nearly parallel to the surface of the metal roller 1 as to be present as much as possible in the interior of the resin layer 2, as shown in Figure 2.
Examples of this flake-form metal include stainless steel, aluminum and alloys thereof, nickle, titanium, and silver, with stainless steel being particularly desirable. Alloys based on or containing at least 50% by weight of any of such metals may be used. Preferably the stainless steel contains 15-25% chromium, optionally also 7-16% nickel and further optionally 1.5-4% molybdenum. Compositions are given below. The content of the flake-form metal should be approximately 5 to 55 % with respect to the resin layer. Percentages herein are by weight except where indicated otherwise.
Types of stainless steel used with the invention include flakes of Japanese steel alloys SUS304, SUS430 and SUS316L. The composition of the alloys are in Table I.
Table 1
SUS304 SUS430 SUS316L
C <0.080 < 0.12 <0.030
Si < 1.00 < 0.75 < 1.00
Mn < 2.00 <1.00 < 2.00
P < 0.045 < 0.040 < 0.045
S < 0.030 < 0.03 <0.030 Cr 18.00-20.00 16.00-18.00 16.00-18.00
Ni 8.00-10.50 < 0.60 12.00-15.00
Mo - - 2.00-3.00
Examples of non-stick mold-releasing resins include PTFE, tetrafluoroethylene resins that have —-= perfluoroalkoxy groups (PFA) , and mixtures of these.
A conventional metal roller that houses a heater can be used without modification in the present invention. Examples of the types of materials that can be used for this metal include aluminum and alloys thereof, iron, and copper.
To create the fixing roller of the present invention, either the surface of the metal roller is coated with a non-stick mold-releasing resin that has been blended with a flake-form metal, or this resin is made into a film and stuck onto the roller surface, or a resin layer is formed by means of thermal absorption. To position the flake-form metal in the resin layer so that it is nearly parallel to the surface of the metal roller, for example, the viscosity of an undiluted solution of PTFE should be lowered slightly, the spray pressure raised to 4 kg/cm2 (57 PSI) , and this solution sprayed on during the manufacture. In any case, the thickness of this resin layer should be approximately 5 urn to 40 urn.
When an unfixed toner image is thermally fixed with a combination of a pressure roller and the fixing roller of the present invention, because the surface resin layer contains a flake-form metal, the fixing performance is enhanced without diminishing the mold-releasing performance of the surface. In particular, when the flake-form metal is positioned in the resin layer nearly parallel to the surface of the metal roller, an even better effect is achieved.
The present invention will now be described by giving practical examples. The fixing roller of the present invention was created by covering the surface of a metal roller made from an aluminum alloy with a PFA resin layer containing flake-form stainless steel and with a thickness of 25 urn and the change in the fixing rate due to the surface temperature of the fixing roller was examined by conducting a fixing test. Two different stainless steel contents in the resin layer were produced - 15% and 30% (weight percent, the same for all further references) . Also, a test was performed for a conventional product produced in the same manner except that there was no stainless steel in the resin layer. These results are shown in Figure 1. Curve a in the figure is the conventional product, which contained 0% stainless steel, and Curves b and c are the products of the present invention, which contained 15% and 30% stainless steel respectively. It can be seen from this figure that the fixing rate of the fixing roller b of the present invention, which contained 15% stainless steel, and that of the fixing roller c of the present invention, which contained 30% stainless steel, were enhanced approximately 10% and approximately 30%, respectively, over that of the conventional fixing roller a, which did not contain stainless steel or other such metal.
Similar effects were confirmed for the use of aluminum or alloys thereof and nickel in place of the stainless steel, and for the use of a mixed system of PFA and PTFE containing 5-25% PFA (preferably about 15% PFA) , or PTFE alone.
Because the fixing roller of the present invention contains a flake-form metal in the surface resin layer, the thermal conductivity can be enhanced without diminishing the mold-releasing performance of the surface, and as a result, the fixing performance is enhanced, thereby eliminating the occurrence of offset and other related problems. This effect is particularly pronounced when the flake-form metal is positioned in the resin layer nearly parallel to the surface of the metal roller. And when a fixing rate is obtained that is equivalent to that of a conventional fixing roller that contains no stainless steel or other such metal, because, for the same reason, the nip width can be made narrower with the fixing roller of the present invention than with a coventional product, the nip pressure can be reduced, and as a result, the load torque can be decreased, thereby extending the life of the parts of the apparatus, among other benefits.

Claims

Claims
1. A fixing roller in which the surface of a metal roller is covered with a perfluorocarbon polymer layer, wherein said fixing roller is characterized by the fact that said polymer layer contains a flake-form metal.
2. The fixing roller of claim 1 in which the flake-form metal is selected from stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, silver, and alloys based on any of said metals.
3. The fixing roller of claim 2 in which the flake-form metal is stainless steel.
4. The fixing roller of claim 3 in which the stainless steel contains, by weight, 15-25% chromium and, optionally, 7-16% nickel and 1.5-4% molybdenum.
5. The fixing roller of claim 2 in which 5- 55% by weight of the coating is flake-form metal.
6. The fixing roller of claim 5 in which 15-30% by weight of the coating is stainless steel.
7. The fixing roller of claim 6 in which about 30% by weight of the coating is stainless steel.
8. The fixing roller of claim 2 wherein the perfluorocarbon polymer is at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene and a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkoxy monomers.
PCT/US1991/004750 1990-07-09 1991-07-09 Coated fixing roller WO1992000816A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP18093490A JPH0467187A (en) 1990-07-09 1990-07-09 Fixing roller
JP2/180934 1990-07-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1992000816A1 true WO1992000816A1 (en) 1992-01-23

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ID=16091833

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1991/004750 WO1992000816A1 (en) 1990-07-09 1991-07-09 Coated fixing roller

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0538347A4 (en)
JP (1) JPH0467187A (en)
WO (1) WO1992000816A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5857950A (en) * 1996-11-06 1999-01-12 Pamarco Incorporated Fluid metering roll

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4653452B2 (en) 2003-10-24 2011-03-16 株式会社リコー Fixing member, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3901700A (en) * 1973-05-17 1975-08-26 Eastman Kodak Co Repellent compositions of fluorinated polymers and oils in electrophotographic processes
US3975352A (en) * 1974-08-13 1976-08-17 Eastman Kodak Company Repellent compositions and elements containing the same
US4199626A (en) * 1975-09-10 1980-04-22 Eastman Kodak Company Electrographic fixing member and apparatus and process using same
US4248918A (en) * 1978-06-07 1981-02-03 Stauffer Chemical Company Pressure sensitive products and adhesive formulations
US4541830A (en) * 1982-11-11 1985-09-17 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Dye transfer sheets for heat-sensitive recording
US4554562A (en) * 1983-12-30 1985-11-19 International Business Machines Corporation Scratch resistant recording materials for electroerosion printing not requiring a lubricant overcoat
US4568275A (en) * 1981-11-25 1986-02-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Fixing device and fixing rotary member therefor
US4887340A (en) * 1987-10-20 1989-12-19 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Elastic fixing roller
US4935785A (en) * 1988-12-05 1990-06-19 Xerox Corporation Electrophotographic fuser roll and fusing process

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4373239A (en) * 1980-02-27 1983-02-15 Xerox Corporation Fusing member for electrostatographic copiers

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3901700A (en) * 1973-05-17 1975-08-26 Eastman Kodak Co Repellent compositions of fluorinated polymers and oils in electrophotographic processes
US3975352A (en) * 1974-08-13 1976-08-17 Eastman Kodak Company Repellent compositions and elements containing the same
US4199626A (en) * 1975-09-10 1980-04-22 Eastman Kodak Company Electrographic fixing member and apparatus and process using same
US4248918A (en) * 1978-06-07 1981-02-03 Stauffer Chemical Company Pressure sensitive products and adhesive formulations
US4568275A (en) * 1981-11-25 1986-02-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Fixing device and fixing rotary member therefor
US4541830A (en) * 1982-11-11 1985-09-17 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Dye transfer sheets for heat-sensitive recording
US4554562A (en) * 1983-12-30 1985-11-19 International Business Machines Corporation Scratch resistant recording materials for electroerosion printing not requiring a lubricant overcoat
US4887340A (en) * 1987-10-20 1989-12-19 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Elastic fixing roller
US4935785A (en) * 1988-12-05 1990-06-19 Xerox Corporation Electrophotographic fuser roll and fusing process

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of EP0538347A4 *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5857950A (en) * 1996-11-06 1999-01-12 Pamarco Incorporated Fluid metering roll

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0538347A4 (en) 1993-09-15
JPH0467187A (en) 1992-03-03
EP0538347A1 (en) 1993-04-28

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