CN114930039A - Roller device - Google Patents

Abstract

The roller device may include a cylindrical roller body including a central bore including a first outer portion having a first tapered bore portion and a second outer portion having a second tapered bore portion. The roller device may further include: a shaft extending through the central bore; a first coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft; and a second coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft. The first coupling member may include a first inwardly tapered surface that is urged against a first inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body. The second coupling member may include a second inwardly tapered surface that is urged against a second inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body.

Description

Roller device

Technical Field

This application claims benefit of priority from U.S. patent application No. 62/946,632, U.S. provisional application serial No. 12/11/2019, filed on 35u.s.c. § 119, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates generally to roller devices and, more particularly, to roller devices including first and second coupling members.

Background

It is known to provide a roller device having a roller body mounted on a shaft having a pair of bushings positioned respectively in corresponding counter-bores in the ends of a bore extending through the rotational axis of the roller device. While beneficial in some embodiments, expansion of the liner during heating can potentially cause cracking and/or accelerated wear of the roll body. Further, such bushings are known to include a flat surface abutting a corresponding flat end face of the counterbore that may not account for excessive total indicator run out (TIR).

It is also known to provide end caps at the ends of the roll body of the roll arrangement to support the roll body as it rotates. Although beneficial in some embodiments, adding end caps adds additional length to the roller device, which may not be desirable for contact with articles engaged by the roller device. Thus, increasing the end caps reduces the overall usable length of the roller device, wherein the end caps may undesirably contact and possibly damage the article. The end caps may further complicate the minimization of TIR.

Disclosure of Invention

The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some embodiments described in the detailed description.

In some embodiments, the roller device of the present disclosure may include first and second coupling members for mounting the cylindrical roller body to a shaft of the roller device. Each coupling member may include an inwardly tapered surface portion that may be urged against respective first and second inwardly tapered surface portions of the cylindrical roller body that define respective first and second outer portions of the central bore. Urging the inwardly tapered surface portions of the coupling members against the corresponding inwardly tapered surface portions of the cylindrical roller body may help center the cylindrical roller body on the rotational axis of the roller device to minimize total indicator run-out (TIR). Further, applying a force to bias the tapered surface portions together may accommodate expansion of the cylindrical roller body during heating while reducing the pressure applied by the coupling member of the present disclosure, as compared to conventional fixed mounting hardware. For example, in some embodiments, a spring (e.g., a compression spring) may be associated with each coupling member to apply a force that, in some embodiments, may compress during heating as the coupling members slide relative to the shaft to accommodate expansion of the cylindrical roller body. Providing a spring that allows expansion of the cylindrical roller body may avoid cracking and/or accelerated wear of the cylindrical roller body that may otherwise occur on conventional fixed mounting hardware. Further, in some embodiments, the coupling member may be embedded within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body to increase the usable overall length of the roller device.

In some embodiments, the roller device can include a cylindrical roller body including a first axial end and a second axial end spaced apart from the first axial end along an axis of rotation of the roller device. The cylindrical roller body further includes an outer cylindrical surface extending between the first axial end and the second axial end and a central bore extending through the rotational axis from the first axial end to the second axial end. The central bore includes a first outer portion including a first tapered bore portion tapering inwardly in a first direction from a first axial end and a second outer portion including a second tapered bore portion tapering inwardly in a second direction from a second axial end. The roller device may further include a shaft extending through the central bore, a first coupling member, and a second coupling member. The first coupling member is slidably mounted to the shaft. The first coupling member may include a first inwardly tapered surface that is urged against a first inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body that defines the first tapered bore portion. The second coupling member is slidably mounted to the shaft. The second coupling member may include a second inwardly tapered surface that is urged against a second inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body that defines the second tapered bore portion.

In some embodiments, the first coupling member may comprise a length extending in the direction of the axis of rotation and a central bore slidably receiving the shaft. The central bore of the first coupling member has a length to diameter ratio of about 1 to about 3.

In some embodiments, the taper angle between the first inwardly tapered surface of the first coupling member and the axis of rotation is about 7 ° to about 60 °.

In some embodiments, the first coupling member may be positioned entirely within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

In some embodiments, the roller device can further include a first spring that urges the first inwardly tapered surface of the first coupling member against the first inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body.

In some embodiments, the roller device may further comprise a second spring urging the second inwardly tapered surface of the second coupling member against the second inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body.

In some embodiments, the first spring is positioned entirely within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

In some embodiments, the roller device may further comprise a first pressure member mounted to the shaft. A first spring may be positioned between the first coupling member and the first pressure member.

In some embodiments, the first pressure member may include a plurality of radial holes radially spaced from the central hole of the first pressure member. The shaft may extend through the central bore of the first pressure member.

In some embodiments, the first pressure member may be positioned entirely within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

In some embodiments, the cylindrical roller body can comprise fused silica.

In some embodiments, the shaft may include a first axial end positioned outwardly from the first axial end of the cylindrical roller body. The shaft may also include a second axial end located outwardly from the second axial end of the cylindrical roller body.

In some embodiments, the first inwardly tapered surface of the first coupling member may comprise a conical surface and the first inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body may comprise a conical surface.

In some embodiments, the total indicator run out of the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical roller body can be less than or equal to about 50 microns.

In some embodiments, the roller device can include a cylindrical roller body including a first axial end and a second axial end spaced apart from the first axial end along an axis of rotation of the roller device. The cylindrical roller body may further include an outer cylindrical surface extending between the first axial end and the second axial end. The central bore may extend through the rotational axis from the first axial end to the second axial end. The central bore may include a first outer portion including a first tapered bore portion that tapers inwardly in a first direction from a first axial end. The central bore may further include a second outer portion including a second tapered bore portion that tapers inwardly in a second direction from a second axial end. The roller device may further comprise a shaft extending through the central bore. The shaft may include a first axial end positioned outwardly from the first axial end of the cylindrical roller body. The shaft may include a second axial end positioned outwardly from the second axial end of the cylindrical roller body. The roller device may further include a first coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft. The first coupling member may include a first inwardly tapered conical surface. The roller device may further include a first pressure member mounted on the shaft and a first compression spring exerting a force between the first coupling member and the first pressure member. The first inwardly tapered conical surface of the first coupling member may be urged against a first inwardly tapered conical surface portion of the cylindrical roller body defining a first tapered bore portion by a first compression spring. The roller device may further comprise a second coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft. The second coupling member may include a second inwardly tapered conical surface. The roller device 107 may further comprise a second pressure member mounted to the shaft and a second compression spring exerting a force between the second coupling member and the second pressure member. The second inwardly tapered conical surface of the second coupling member may be urged against a second inwardly tapered conical surface portion of the cylindrical roller body defining a second tapered bore portion by a second compression spring.

In some embodiments, the first coupling member may include a length extending in a direction of the axis of rotation, and the central bore slidably receives the shaft. The central bore of the first coupling member has a length to diameter ratio of about 1 to about 3.

In some embodiments, the taper angle between the first inwardly tapered conical surface of the first coupling member and the axis of rotation is about 7 ° to about 60 °.

In some embodiments, the first coupling member and the first compression spring are all positioned within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

In some embodiments, the first pressure member may include a plurality of radial holes radially spaced from the central hole of the first pressure member. The shaft may extend through the central bore of the first pressure member.

In some embodiments, wherein the cylindrical roller body can comprise fused silica.

In some embodiments, the total indicator run-out of the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical roller body is less than or equal to about 50 microns.

Additional features and advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the embodiments described herein, including the detailed description which follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the embodiments disclosed herein. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations thereof.

Drawings

These and other features, embodiments and advantages will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a matrix of an exemplary roller assembly of the present invention;

fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of a first end of the disassembled roller device (with a portion of the roller body disassembled) taken at view 2A of fig. 1 as viewed from the front, and an enlarged view of a second end of the disassembled roller device (with a portion of the roller body disassembled) taken at view 2B of fig. 1 as viewed from the rear;

FIG. 3 illustrates an end view of an exemplary embodiment of a coupling member of the exemplary roller arrangement taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates an end view of an exemplary embodiment of a pressure member of the exemplary roller apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates a front assembly view of the exemplary roller device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an assembled roller device taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows an enlarged cross-section of a first end of the assembled roller arrangement taken at view 7A of FIG. 6 as viewed in a first cross-sectional direction, and an enlarged cross-section of a second end of the assembled roller arrangement taken at view 7B of FIG. 6 as viewed in a second cross-sectional direction opposite the first cross-sectional direction; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the assembled roller arrangement taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Detailed Description

Embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments are shown. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Fig. 1 shows an example embodiment of a roller device 101 comprising a cylindrical roller body 103. As shown in fig. 1, the cylindrical roller body 103 can include a first axial end 105 and a second axial end 107 spaced from the first axial end along a rotational axis 501 (see fig. 5) of the roller device 101. As shown in fig. 1-2 and 5-7, the first axial end 105 may include a flat surface and/or the second axial end 107 may include a flat surface, although in further embodiments non-planar surfaces may be provided. As further shown in fig. 5-6, the first axial end 105 may include a plane perpendicular to a direction 503 of the rotational axis 501 of the roller device 101. As further shown, additionally or alternatively, the second axial end 107 may comprise a plane perpendicular to the direction 503 of the rotation axis 501.

As shown in fig. 1-2 and 5-8, the cylindrical roller body 103 can further include an outer cylindrical surface 109, the outer cylindrical surface 109 including a length 505 (see fig. 5) extending in a direction 503 of the axis of rotation 501 between the first axial end 105 and the second axial end 107. As shown in fig. 5, 6, and 8, the outer cylindrical surface 109 may include a diameter 507 that may be substantially the same along substantially the entire length 505 of the outer cylindrical surface 109 to engage the major surface of the substrate pressed by the roller device 101. Although not shown, in other embodiments, the diameter of the cylindrical roller body may vary along the length, for example to receive a substrate having a curved surface and/or curved into a curved configuration when pressed by a roller device. As shown, in some embodiments, the outer cylindrical surface 109 of the cylindrical roller body 103 can comprise a smooth surface. Providing a smooth surface may be beneficial in helping to maintain a smooth surface and flatten the substrate pressed by the roller apparatus 101.

As shown in fig. 2 and 6, the cylindrical roller body 103 can further include a central bore 201, the central bore 201 extending through the rotational axis 501 of the roller device 101 from the first axial end 105 to the second axial end 107. As shown, the central axis of the central bore 201 may also include a geometric central axis 801 (see fig. 2 and 6-8) of the cylindrical roller body 103, which may substantially coincide with the rotational axis 501 of the roller device 101. As shown in fig. 6, central bore 201 may include a first outer portion 601a and a second outer portion 601b, first outer portion 601a including a first end of central bore 201, and second outer portion 601b including a second end of central bore 201, the second end being opposite the first end of central bore 201. As shown, a first end of the first outer portion 601a of the central bore 201 opens at the first axial end 105 of the cylindrical roller body 103, while a second end of the second outer portion 601b of the central bore 201 opens at the second axial end 107 of the cylindrical roller body 103.

The first and second outer portions 601a, 601b of the central bore 201 may each include an inwardly tapered portion. For example, as shown in fig. 2 and 6, the first outer portion 601a of the central bore 201 may include a first tapered bore portion 203a that tapers inwardly in the first inward direction 205a of the geometric central axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103 from the first axial end 105 toward the central portion of the cylindrical roller body 103. As further shown in fig. 2 and 6, the second outer portion 601b of the central bore 201 may include a second tapered bore portion 203b that tapers inwardly in a second inward direction 205b of the geometric central axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103 from the second axial end 107 toward the central portion of the cylindrical roller body 103. As shown, the first inward direction 205a may be opposite the second inward direction 205b, where the first tapered hole portion 203a and the second tapered hole portion 203b may each taper inward toward each other.

In some embodiments, the first outer portion 601a and/or the second outer portion 601b of the central bore 201 may comprise outer bore sections, with a tapered bore portion positioned between the outer bore section and the intermediate bore section of the central bore. For example, as shown in fig. 2 and 6, first outer portion 601a of central bore 201 may include first tapered bore portion 203a of central bore 201 positioned between first outer bore section 207a of central bore 201 and intermediate bore section 208 of central bore 201. As further shown in fig. 2 and 6, second outer portion 601b of central bore 201 may include a second tapered bore portion 203b of central bore 201 positioned between second outer bore section 207b of central bore 201 and intermediate bore section 208 of central bore 201. Although not shown, in some embodiments, first outer portion 601a and/or second outer portion 601b of central bore 201 may be provided without outer bore segments 207a, 207 b. Rather, the tapered portion may extend from an open end of the central bore at the respective axial end of the cylindrical roller body to an intermediate bore section of the central bore.

As shown in fig. 2 and 8, the outer bore segments 207a, 207b may each include a circular lumen extending a length 209 from the respective axial end 105, 107. Outer bore segments 207a, 207b of central bore 201 may comprise a first cross-sectional diameter 211 along a plane perpendicular to geometric central axis 801. As shown, in some embodiments, the first cross-sectional diameter 211 may be substantially the same along substantially the entire length 209 of the outer bore segments 207a, 207b, although in other embodiments the first cross-sectional diameter 211 may vary along a portion of the length 209 or the entire length 209.

In some embodiments, the intermediate bore section 208 of the central bore 201 may comprise a circular bore section extending along the length of the intermediate bore section 208. In some embodiments, the intermediate bore section 208 may comprise a circular bore section having a second cross-sectional diameter 213 along a plane perpendicular to the geometric central axis 801. As shown, it will be appreciated from fig. 6 that the second cross-sectional diameter 213 may be substantially the same along substantially the entire length of the intermediate bore section 208, although in other embodiments the second cross-sectional diameter 213 may vary along a portion or the entire length of the intermediate bore section 208. In some embodiments, as shown, the outer bore segments 207a, 207b and the intermediate bore segment 208 may be collectively linearly aligned along the same geometric central axis 801, wherein the first cross-sectional diameter 211 of the outer bore segments 207a, 207b may be greater than the second cross-sectional diameter 213 of the intermediate bore segment 208.

In some embodiments, the cylindrical roller body 103 can comprise multiple materials. In some embodiments, the roller device 101 may be used to press substrates (e.g., glass-based substrates, ceramic-based substrates) that may have a temperature of up to about 1000 ℃, such as from about 400 ℃ to about 900 ℃. In some embodiments, the cylindrical roller body 103 may comprise a material that does not thermally degrade (e.g., by melting, deforming) but maintains structural integrity at operating temperatures up to 1100 ℃. In some embodiments, the cylindrical roller body 103 can comprise fused silica,

Nickel-chromium-based superalloys, silicon nitride, graphite, or other materials that can withstand temperatures up to about 1100 ℃. Manufacturing the cylindrical roller main body 103 from fused silica can avoid excessive wear in use, and can increase the life of the cylindrical roller main body 103. Fused silica may also be beneficial to avoid contaminating the substrate being pressed (e.g., a glass-based substrate or a ceramic-based substrate) and/or to avoid contaminating the environment near the substrate being pressed. In this way, a clean environment can be maintained, which can avoid contamination of the substrate pressed by the roller device 101. In some embodiments, the cylindrical roller body 103 may comprise a unitary, one-piece body of fused silica or other material (e.g., as mentioned above), wherein the central bore 201 may be machined within the unitary, one-piece body. Although the cylindrical roller body 103 may be formed from multiple components that are connected together, providing the cylindrical roller body 103 as a unitary, one-piece body may help maintain the dimensional stability and structural integrity of the cylindrical roller body 103 during heating and cooling of the cylindrical roller body 103 in use (e.g., between 20 ℃ to 1000 ℃) and/or during heating and cooling cycles in use or when the operation of the roller apparatus 101 is started or shut down.

As shown in fig. 1, 2, and 5-8, the roller device 101 may further include a shaft 111 extending through the central aperture 201. As further shown in fig. 5, the shaft 111 may include a length 509 that extends in the direction 503 of the rotational axis 501 between the first axial end 113a and the opposite second axial end 113b of the shaft 111. As shown, the length 509 of the shaft 111 can be greater than the length 505 of the outer cylindrical surface 109 of the cylindrical roller body 103, with the first axial end 113a of the shaft 111 positioned outward of the roller body 103 from the cylindrical first axial end 105 and the second axial end 113b of the shaft 111 positioned outward of the second axial end 107 of the cylindrical roller body 103. As shown in fig. 5, the portion of the shaft 111 that extends beyond the respective axial ends 105, 107 of the cylindrical roller body 103 may include an optional circumferential groove 511 or other optional feature to facilitate mounting the shaft to a mounting structure (not shown) designed to grip the axial end of the shaft 111.

As shown, in some embodiments, the shaft 111 may comprise a tube, wherein the hollow interior of the tube may assist in cooling the roller apparatus 101. For example, in some embodiments, a natural airflow may pass through the hollow interior of the shaft 111, or a liquid coolant may be circulated through the hollow interior to promote convective heat transfer, which may help prevent overheating of components of the roller device 101. In some embodiments, the shaft 111 may comprise stainless steel or other material. In addition, the shaft 111 may optionally be treated to help prevent corrosion. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2, the second cross-sectional diameter 213 of the intermediate bore section 208 of the central bore 201 may be greater than the outer diameter 215 of the shaft 111 to prevent the cylindrical roller body 103 from contacting the shaft 111. Preventing contact between the shaft 111 and the cylindrical roller body 103 can help maintain a total indicator run-out (TIR) of the outer cylindrical surface 109 of the cylindrical roller body 103 to less than or equal to about 50 microns, as described below.

Preventing contact between the shaft 111 and the cylindrical roller body 103 may be achieved by slidably coupling each end of the cylindrical roller body 103 to the shaft using one of a pair of coupling members. As shown in fig. 1-3 and 6-7, embodiments of the roller device 101 can include a first coupling member 115a and a second coupling member 115 b. As shown in fig. 7, the first and second coupling members 115a, 115b may each be slidably mounted to the shaft 111 for axial sliding movement in an axial direction of the rotational axis 501 of the roller device 101. As shown in fig. 3, the first and second coupling members 115a and 115b may each include a central aperture 301. The central bore 301 of the coupling members 115a, 115b may have a diameter 303 large enough to slidably receive the outer diameter 215 of the shaft 111. As shown in fig. 7, each coupling member 115a, 115b may include a length 701 extending in a direction 503 of axis of rotation 501 that is sufficiently long to help prevent significant tilting of coupling members 115a, 115b relative to shaft 111, while coupling members 115a, 115b may translate relative to shaft 111. In some embodiments, to inhibit significant tilting of coupling members 115a, 115b relative to shaft 111, the ratio of length 701 of coupling members 115a, 115b to diameter 303 of central bore 301 (i.e., length 701 divided by diameter 303) may be about 1 to about 3, such as about 1 to about 2. In some embodiments, coupling members 115a, 115b may include a sleeve 703, which may increase the length 701 of coupling members 115a, 115b to provide a desired ratio of length 701 to diameter 303 (e.g., from about 1 to about 3).

As further shown in fig. 7, the first coupling member 115a may include a first inwardly tapered surface 705a and the second coupling member 115b may include a second inwardly tapered surface 705 b. The first inwardly tapered surface 705a of the first coupling member 115a can taper inwardly from the first axial end 105 toward a central portion of the cylindrical roller body 103 in a first inward direction 205a of the geometric center axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103. The second inwardly tapered surface 705b of the second coupling member 115b may taper inwardly in the second inward direction 205b of the geometric center axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103 from the second axial end 107 to a central portion of the cylindrical roller body 103. As shown in fig. 6, the first inward direction 205a may be opposite the second inward direction 205b, wherein the first inwardly tapered surface 705a and the second inwardly tapered surface 705b may each taper inwardly toward one another. In some embodiments, as understood from fig. 3 and 7, the first inwardly tapered surface 705a and the second inwardly tapered surface 705b may each comprise a rotationally symmetric surface, although in some embodiments a non-rotationally symmetric surface may be provided. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3 and 7, the rotationally symmetric surface may comprise a conical surface. In such an example, the first inwardly tapered surface 705a includes the first inwardly tapered conical surface shown and the second inwardly tapered surface 705b includes the second inwardly tapered surface shown. In further embodiments, the tapered surface may comprise a parabolic surface formed from a parabolic function that follows the tapered surface as it rotates about the axis of rotation 501 to produce a tapered parabolic surface. As such, the taper may include a linear taper (e.g., a conical surface) or a non-linear taper, such as a parabolic or other function.

As further shown in fig. 2 and 7, the cylindrical roller body 103 may also include a first inwardly tapered surface portion 707a defining a first tapered bore portion 203a and a second inwardly tapered surface portion 707b defining a second tapered bore portion 203 b. The first inwardly tapered surface portion 707a of the cylindrical roller body 103 may match the shape of the first inwardly tapered surface 705a of the first coupling member 115 a. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the first inwardly tapered surface portion 707a may include a conical surface that matches the shape of the conical surface of the first inwardly tapered conical surface 705a of the first coupling member 115 a. As further shown in fig. 7, in some embodiments, the first inwardly tapered surface 705a (e.g., a first inwardly tapered conical surface) of the first coupling member 115a may be pressed against the first inwardly tapered surface portion 707a (e.g., a first inwardly tapered conical surface portion) of the cylindrical roller body 103 by a first spring 709 a.

The second inwardly tapered surface portion 707b of the cylindrical roller body 103 can match the shape of the second inwardly tapered surface 705b of the second coupling member 115 b. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the second inwardly tapered surface portion 707b can include a conical surface that matches the shape of the conical surface of the second inwardly tapered conical surface 705b of the second coupling member 115 b. As further shown in fig. 7, in some embodiments, the second inwardly tapered surface 705b (e.g., a second inwardly tapered conical surface) of the second coupling member 115b can be urged against the second inwardly tapered surface portion 707b (e.g., a second inwardly tapered primary conical surface portion) of the cylindrical roller body 103 by a second spring 709 b.

In some embodiments, although not shown, the tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body may not mate with the tapered surface of the coupling member. For example, one of the tapered surface portion of the cylinder or the tapered surface of the coupling member may comprise a conical surface, while the other of the tapered surface portion of the cylinder and the tapered surface of the coupling member may comprise a spherical segment. However, providing mating surfaces may increase the surface area of contact, wherein the resulting increased friction may inhibit (e.g., prevent) relative rotation between the coupling member and the cylindrical roller body to reduce wear and performance of the device.

Urging the first inwardly tapered surface 705a of the first coupling member 115a against the first inwardly tapered surface portion 707a of the cylindrical roller body 103 and the second inwardly tapered surface 705b of the second coupling member 115b against the second inwardly tapered surface portion 707b of the cylindrical roller body 103 may help orient the geometric center axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103 to substantially coincide with the rotational axis 501 of the roller device 101 to reduce total indicator run out (TIR) of the outer cylindrical surface 109 of the cylindrical roller body 103 to less than or equal to about 50 microns, less than or equal to about 20 microns, and/or less than or equal to about 10 microns. For the purposes of this application, TIR is measured by fixedly mounting each end of the shaft to a fixed support. The probe is then arranged to engage the outer cylindrical surface 109 at a lateral position of the outer cylindrical surface 109 and laterally positioned at a location between the first axial end 113a and the second axial end 113b of the shaft 111. The cylindrical roller body 103 is then rotated a full turn about the axis of rotation 501 of the roller device 101 while measuring the radial distance the probe moves during a complete rotation of the cylindrical roller body 103. This process is repeated at each lateral position of the outer cylindrical surface 109. The maximum radial displacement for all lateral positions is considered to be the total indicator run out (TIR).

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 7, a taper angle "a" may be defined between the first inwardly tapered surface 705a of the first coupling member 115a and the rotational axis 501. A taper angle "a" may also be defined between the second inwardly tapered surface 705b of the second coupling member 115b and the rotation axis 501. The taper angle "a" is the angle between the cross-sectional profile of the inwardly tapered surface, which results from the cross-section including the axis of rotation 501, and the axis of rotation 501, as shown in fig. 7. When a linear taper is used, the angle "A" is measured between the linear direction of the cross-sectional profile and the axis of rotation 501. Under a non-linear taper, angle "a" is considered to be the average angle of the tapered surface along the axis of rotation 501. In some embodiments, the taper angle "a" may be about 7 ° to about 60 ° and/or about 10 ° to about 45 °. Providing a taper angle "a" of greater than about 7 ° or greater than about 10 ° may help prevent a press-fit locking of the inwardly tapered surface of the coupling member with the corresponding inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body. Further, providing a taper angle "a" of less than about 60 ° or less than about 45 ° may avoid excessive compressive forces that may be used to encourage automatic orientation of the geometric center axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103 (if successful) while may substantially coincide with the axis of rotation 501 of the roller device 101 provided by the interaction between the tapered surfaces. Excessive force may cause undesirable wedging, resulting in other damage to the cylindrical roller body 103 to break. Further, in some embodiments, a taper angle "a" of greater than 45 ° or greater than 60 ° may be less effective or ineffective to facilitate automatic orientation of geometric center axis 801 to substantially coincide with rotational axis 501.

As shown in fig. 2, the first and second springs 709a, 709b may comprise compression springs, although other types of springs may be used in other embodiments. In some embodiments, as shown, the compression spring may comprise a wave spring that may provide the desired spring characteristics in a compact design. In some embodiments, the first spring 709a may be positioned between the first coupling member 115a and the first pressure member 711 a. In further embodiments, the second spring 709b may be positioned between the second coupling member 115b and the second pressure member 711 b. The pressure members 711a, 711b may comprise a retaining ring, a clamp, or any piece of material. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, 2, 4, and 7-8, the pressure members 711a, 711b can include a pressure plate, such as the annular pressure plate shown. As shown in fig. 4, in some embodiments, one or both of the first and second pressure members 711a, 711b can include a plurality of radial holes 401 radially spaced from the central hole 403 of the pressure members 711a, 711 b. A plurality of radial holes 401 may optionally be provided to allow heated air to be expelled from the central hole 201 to assist in cooling the roller device 101 in use. The shaft 111 may be inserted through the central hole 403 to slidably mount the pressure members 711a, 711b to the shaft.

An exemplary method of assembling the roller device 101 will first be described by way of illustration with reference to fig. 1, but it will be appreciated that alternative methods may be provided in other embodiments. For example, the order of the assembly steps described is merely exemplary, wherein in further embodiments the steps may be performed in a different order. Illustratively, in some embodiments, the method can include inserting the shaft 111 through the central bore 201 such that the first axial end 113a of the shaft 111 is positioned outward from the first axial end 105 of the cylindrical roller body 103 and the second axial end 113b of the shaft 111 is positioned outward from the second axial end 107 of the cylindrical roller body 103, as shown in fig. 1. In some embodiments, the first coupling component 115a may be slidably positioned on the shaft 111 by axially inserting the first axial end 113a of the shaft 111 through the central bore 301 of the first coupling component 115a such that the first inwardly tapered surface 705a of the first coupling component 115a faces the first inwardly tapered surface portion 707a of the cylindrical roller body 103. The first spring 709a may then be positioned on the shaft by axially inserting the first axial end 113a of the shaft 111 through the central bore of the first spring 709 a. Then, the first pressure member 711a may be slidably positioned on the shaft by axially inserting the first axial end 113a of the shaft 111 through the central hole 403 of the first pressure member 711 a. Once the first pressure member 711a is mounted on the shaft 111, the first spring 709a is positioned between the first coupling member 115a and the first pressure member 711 a. The first coupling member 115a, the first spring 709a, and the first pressure member 711a may be slid down onto the shaft 111 until the first retaining groove 217a of the shaft 111 is axially positioned between the first axial end 113a of the shaft 111 and the first pressure member 711 a. In some embodiments, the first retaining ring 713a may then be mounted to the first retaining groove 217a of the shaft 111 such that the first retaining ring 713a acts as an axial stop to prevent the first pressure member 711a, the first spring 709a, and/or the first coupling member 115a from moving axially rearward on the first retaining groove 217 a.

The assembly method may be continued by slidably positioning the second coupling member 115b on the shaft 111 by axially inserting the second axial end 113b of the shaft 111 through the central bore 301 of the second coupling member 115b so that the second inwardly tapered surface 705b of the second coupling member 115b faces the second inwardly tapered surface portion 707b of the cylindrical roller body 103. The second spring 709b may then be positioned on the shaft by axially inserting the second axial end 113b of the shaft 111 through the central bore of the second spring 709 b. Then, the second pressure member 711b may be slidably positioned on the shaft 111 by axially inserting the second axial end 113b of the shaft 111 through the central hole 403 of the second pressure member 711 b. Once the second pressure member 711b is mounted on the shaft 111, the second spring 709b is positioned between the second coupling member 115b and the second pressure member 711 b. The second coupling member 115b, the second spring 709b, and the second pressure member 711b may be pressed downward until the second retaining groove 217b of the shaft 111 is axially positioned between the second axial end 113b of the shaft 111 and the second pressure member 711 b. The second retaining ring 713b may then be inserted into the second retaining groove 217b such that the second retaining ring 713b acts as an axial stop to prevent the second pressure member 711b, the second spring 709b, and/or the second coupling member 115b from moving axially rearward on the second retaining groove 217 b. As described above, once the second retaining ring 713b is installed, the roller device 101 is assembled from the cylindrical roller body 103, and the roller device 101 is installed onto the shaft 111 by the first and second coupling members 115a, 115 b. Once the roller device 101 is assembled, the first spring 709a may be compressed between the first pressure member 711a and the first coupling member 115a such that the first inwardly tapered conical surface 705a of the first coupling member 115a is urged (by the first compression spring 709a) against the first inwardly tapered conical surface portion 707a of the cylindrical roller body 103. Further, once the roller device 101 is assembled, the second spring 709b may be compressed between the second pressure member 711b and the second coupling member 115b such that the second inwardly tapered conical surface 705b of the second coupling member 115b is pushed (by the second compression spring 709b) against the second inwardly tapered conical surface portion 707b of the cylindrical roller body 103. Pressing the inwardly tapered conical surfaces 705a, 705b of the coupling members 115a, 115b against the inwardly tapered conical surface portions 707a, 707b of the cylindrical roller body 103 may help to align the cylindrical roller body 103 relative to the coupling members 115a, 115b and thus properly orient the cylindrical roller body 103 relative to the shaft 111 such that the geometric central axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103 substantially coincides with the rotational axis 501 of the roller apparatus 101. With the mating tapered conical surfaces of the coupling members and the corresponding tapered conical surface portions of the cylindrical roller body 103, proper orientation of the cylindrical roller body 103 relative to the shaft 111 may reduce the total indicator run-out (TIR) of the outer cylindrical surface 109 of the cylindrical roller body 103 to less than or equal to about 50 microns, less than or equal to about 20 microns, and/or less than or equal to about 10 microns. The reduced TIR may allow the roller apparatus 101 to consistently compress the substrate without significant TIR that may otherwise significantly alter the thickness, shape, or other characteristics of the substrate being compressed by the roller apparatus 101.

Once assembled, the compression springs 709a, 709b may urge the tapered surfaces 705a, 705b of the coupling members 115a, 115b against the tapered surface portions 707a, 707b of the cylindrical roller body 103, wherein friction between the mating surfaces prevents relative rotation between the coupling members 115a, 115b and the cylindrical roller body 103. Further, the respective ends of the compression springs 709a, 709b may be pressed against the coupling parts 115a, 115b and the pressure parts 711a, 711b, wherein the friction between the ends of the compression springs 709a, 709b and the coupling parts 115a, 115b and the pressure members 711a, 711b prevents relative rotation between the compression springs 709a, 709b and the coupling members 115a, 115b, and between the compression springs 709a, 709b and the pressure members 711a, 711 b. Furthermore, the compression springs 709a, 709b push the pressure members 711a, 711b against the retaining rings 713a, 713b, which may result in increased friction that may prevent relative rotation between the retaining rings 713a, 713b and the pressure members 711a, 711 b. Still further, the snap fit of the retaining rings 713a, 713b with the shaft 111 and the increased friction caused by the compression springs 709a, 709b pressing the retaining rings 713a, 713b against the inner walls of the retaining slots 217a, 217b may prevent relative rotation between the retaining rings 713a, 713b and the shaft 111. Thus, the assembly roller device 101 shown in fig. 5-6 is configured to rotate as a unit about the rotational axis 501 of the roller device 101. In some embodiments, the ends of the shaft 111 containing the axial ends 113a, 113b of the shaft 111 may be mounted within rotational bearings (not shown) that allow the shaft to rotate about the shaft 501 with the complementary components of the roller device 101. Providing rotation of the roller means 101 as a unit may help to reduce TIR of the roller means 101 which maintains alignment of the geometric central axis 801 of the cylindrical roller 103 with the rotational axis 501 of the roller means 101.

As shown in fig. 5-7, upon assembly, in some embodiments, one or both of the first and second coupling members 115a, 115b may be positioned partially or fully within the central bore 201 of the cylindrical roller body 103. As further shown in fig. 5-7, upon assembly, in some embodiments, one or both of the first spring 709a and the second spring 709b may be positioned partially or fully within the central bore 201 of the cylindrical roller body 103. As further shown in fig. 5-7, upon assembly, in some embodiments, one or both of the first pressure member 711a and the second pressure member 711b can be positioned partially or fully within the central bore 201 of the cylindrical roller body 103. For example, as shown, the first coupling member 115a, the first spring 709a, and the first pressure member 711a may be positioned entirely within the first outer portion 601a of the central bore 201, although in further embodiments, one of the first coupling member 115a, the first spring 709a, and the first pressure member 711a may be positioned partially within the first outer portion 601a of the central bore 201. As further shown, for example, the second coupling member 115b, the second spring 709b, and the second pressure member 711b may be positioned entirely within the second outer portion 601b of the central bore 201, although in further embodiments, one of the second coupling member 115b, the second spring 709b, and the second pressure member 711b may be positioned partially within the second outer portion 601b of the central bore 201. Positioning one or more of the coupling members 115a, 115b, compression springs 709a, 709b, and/or pressure members 711a, 711b partially or fully within the central bore 201 may increase the effective length of the outer cylindrical surface 109 of the cylindrical roller body 103 to allow a greater percentage of the total length of the roller device 101 to be devoted to potentially compressing the substrate; thereby allowing the roller apparatus 101 to compress a wider substrate over the entire length of the roller apparatus 101 and avoiding potential contact between the mounting hardware and the substrate in use.

In use, the first inwardly tapered surface 705a (e.g., a conical surface) of the first coupling member 115a can be urged against the first inwardly tapered conical surface portion 707a of the cylindrical roller body 103 by the first compression spring 709 a. Further, a second inwardly tapered surface 705b (e.g., a conical surface) of the second connection member 115b may be urged against a second inwardly tapered conical surface portion 707b of the cylindrical roller body 103 by a second compression spring 709 b. As shown, some embodiments may include two compression springs, where a first compression spring 709a is associated with the first coupling member 115a and a second compression spring 709b is associated with the second coupling member 115 b. Although not shown, a single compression spring may be provided. For example, in some embodiments, a single compression spring 709a may be provided and associated with the first coupling member 115a, wherein the force exerted by the single compression spring 709a may urge the force against the two inwardly tapered surfaces of the coupling member against the respective inwardly tapered surfaces of the cylindrical roller body. In some embodiments, providing a single spring may simplify the design and reduce parts. In some embodiments, providing two springs may reduce the force exerted by each spring. Whether one or two springs are provided, the mating tapered surfaces may align the cylindrical roller body 103 relative to the shaft 111 such that the geometric center axis 801 of the cylindrical roller body 103 is substantially coincident with the rotational axis 501 of the roller device 101; thereby desirably reducing total indicator run-out (TIR) of the outer cylindrical surface 109 of the cylindrical roller body 103 to less than or equal to about 50 microns, less than or equal to about 20 microns, and/or less than or equal to about 10 microns. Providing reduced TIR may avoid deforming the substrate (e.g., glass-based substrate, ceramic-based substrate), which may have a sufficiently high temperature so that the substrate may be deformed while being pressed to planarize the substrate during transport of the substrate. Further, the coupling members 115a, 115b slidably mounted to the shaft 111 may also accommodate thermal expansion of the cylindrical roller body 103. For example, in some embodiments, the cylindrical roller body 103 can be made of a material (e.g., fused silica) having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is different than the material (e.g., stainless steel) used to rotatably mount the cylindrical roller body 103 to the hardware on the shaft. Because the coupling members 115a, 115b are slidably mounted to the shaft 111 and biased into engagement with the cylindrical roller body 103, as the coupling members 115a, 115b slide relative to the shaft 111, thermal expansion and contraction may result in compression or decompression of the compression springs 709a, 709b to accommodate expansion or contraction of the length of the cylindrical roller body 103 relative to the shaft 111. Furthermore, in use, the radial holes 401 of the pressure members 711a, 711b (if provided) may assist in releasing heated gas (e.g. air) from within the central hole 201 to prevent gas from being trapped within the central hole 201, thereby causing overheating of portions of the roller device 101.

As used herein, the terms "the", "a" or "an" mean "one or more" and should not be limited to "only one" unless explicitly indicated to the contrary. Thus, for example, reference to "a component" includes embodiments having two or more such components, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

As used herein, the term "about" means that quantities, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art. When the term "about" is used to describe a value or an endpoint of a range, the disclosure should be understood to include the specific value or endpoint referred to. Whether or not the numerical values or endpoints of ranges in the specification recite "about," the numerical values or endpoints of ranges are intended to include two embodiments: one is modified by "about" and one is not modified by "about". It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

The terms "substantially", "essentially" and variations thereof as used herein are intended to indicate that the feature being described is equal or approximately equal to the value or description. For example, a "substantially planar" surface is intended to mean a planar or near-planar surface. Further, as defined above, "substantially similar" is intended to mean that the two values are equal or approximately equal. In some embodiments, "substantially similar" may mean values within about 10% of each other, such as within about 5% of each other, or within about 2% of each other.

As used herein, the terms "comprises" and "comprising," and variations thereof, are to be construed as synonymous and open-ended, unless otherwise indicated.

Although various embodiments have been described in detail with respect to certain illustrative and specific embodiments thereof, the disclosure should not be considered limited thereto as numerous modifications and combinations of the disclosed features are contemplated without departing from the following claims.

Claims (21)

1. A roller device comprising:

a cylindrical roller body comprising a first axial end and a second axial end spaced from the first axial end along an axis of rotation of the roller device, the cylindrical roller body further comprising an outer cylindrical surface extending between the first and second axial ends and a central bore extending through the axis of rotation from the first axial end to the second axial end, and the central bore comprising a first outer portion comprising a first tapered bore portion tapering inwardly in a first direction from the first axial end and a second outer portion comprising a second tapered bore portion tapering inwardly in a second direction from the second axial end;

a shaft passing through the central bore;

a first coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft, the first coupling member including a first inwardly tapered surface that is urged against a first inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body that defines the first tapered bore portion; and

a second coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft, the second coupling member including a second inwardly tapered surface that is urged against a second inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body that defines the second tapered bore portion.

2. The roller apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coupling member includes a length extending in a direction of the axis of rotation and a central bore slidably receiving the shaft, and a ratio of the length to a diameter of the central bore of the first coupling member is about 1 to about 3.

3. The roller device of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein a taper angle between the first inwardly tapered surface of the first coupling member and the axis of rotation is about 7 ° to about 60 °.

4. The roller arrangement of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first coupling member is positioned entirely within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

5. The roller arrangement of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a first spring urging the first inwardly tapered surface of the first coupling member against the first inwardly tapered surface portion on the cylindrical roller body.

6. The roller arrangement of claim 5, further comprising a second spring urging the second inwardly tapered surface of the second coupling member against the second inwardly tapered surface portion on the cylindrical roller body.

7. The roller arrangement of any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein the first spring is positioned entirely within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

8. The roller arrangement of any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising a first pressure member mounted to the shaft, wherein the first spring is positioned between the first coupling member and the first pressure member.

9. The roller apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first pressure member includes a plurality of radial holes radially spaced from a central hole of the first pressure member, and the shaft extends through the central hole of the first pressure member.

10. The roller arrangement of any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein the first pressure member is positioned entirely within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

11. The roller device of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the cylindrical roller body comprises fused silica.

12. The roller arrangement of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the shaft includes a first axial end positioned outwardly from the first axial end of the cylindrical roller body, and the shaft includes a second axial end positioned outwardly from the second axial end of the cylindrical roller body.

13. The roller device of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first inwardly tapered surface of the first coupling member comprises a conical surface and the first inwardly tapered surface portion of the cylindrical roller body comprises a conical surface.

14. The roller device of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein a total indicator run-out of the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical roller body is less than or equal to about 50 microns.

15. A roller device comprising:

a cylindrical roller body comprising a first axial end and a second axial end spaced from the first axial end along an axis of rotation of the roller device, the cylindrical roller body further comprising an outer cylindrical surface extending between the first and second axial ends and a central bore extending through the axis of rotation from the first axial end to the second axial end, the central bore comprising a first outer portion comprising a first tapered bore portion tapering inwardly in a first direction from the first axial end and a second outer portion comprising a second tapered bore portion tapering inwardly in a second direction from the second axial end;

a shaft extending through the central bore, the shaft including a first axial end positioned outwardly from the first axial end of the cylindrical roller body and the shaft including a second axial end positioned outwardly from the second axial end of the cylindrical roller body;

a first coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft, the first coupling member including a first inwardly tapered conical surface;

a first pressure member mounted to the shaft;

a first compression spring exerting a force between the first coupling member and the first pressure member, wherein the first inwardly tapered conical surface of the first coupling member is urged by the first compression spring against a first inwardly tapered conical surface portion of the cylindrical roller body defining the first tapered bore portion;

a second coupling member slidably mounted to the shaft, the second coupling member including a second inwardly tapered conical surface;

a second pressure member mounted to the shaft; and

a second compression spring exerting a force between the second coupling member and the second pressure member, wherein the second inwardly tapered conical surface of the second coupling member is urged against a second inwardly tapered conical surface portion of the cylindrical roller body defining the second tapered bore portion by the second compression spring.

16. The roller apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first coupling member includes a length extending in a direction of the axis of rotation and a central bore slidably receiving the shaft, and a ratio of the length to a diameter of the central bore of the first coupling member is about 1 to about 3.

17. The roller apparatus of any one of claims 15-16, wherein a taper angle between the first inwardly tapered conical surface of the first coupling member and the rotation axis is about 7 ° to about 60 °.

18. The roller apparatus of any one of claims 15-17, wherein the first coupling member and the first compression spring are all positioned within the central bore of the cylindrical roller body.

19. The roller apparatus of any of claims 15-18, wherein the first pressure member includes a plurality of radial holes radially spaced from a central hole of the first pressure member, and the shaft extends through the central hole of the first pressure member.

20. The roller apparatus of any one of claims 15-19, wherein the cylindrical roller body comprises fused silica.

21. The roller device of any one of claims 15-20, wherein the total indicator run-out of the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical roller body is less than or equal to about 50 microns.

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