JP2002120245A - Apparatus and method for centrifugally molding seamless belt made of resin - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for centrifugally molding a seamless belt made of a resin capable of heating a mold at a uniform temperature and accurately and satisfactorily molding the seamless belt. SOLUTION: The apparatus for centrifugally molding the seamless belt made of the resin molds the seamless belt from the resin in a mold while rotating and heating the mold. The apparatus comprises an energy emitting type heater for heating the mold, and a regulating plate provided between the heater and the mold to shade an emitting energy from the heater so as to heat the mold at the uniform temperature.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a resin seamless belt centrifugal molding apparatus for molding a seamless belt used in an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser printer, and the like, and a molding method therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a seamless belt made of a resin material is formed into a tube by centrifugal molding. In centrifugal molding, a liquid resin material is applied to the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical mold, the resin material is solidified while rotating the mold, and a seamless resin layer is formed in the mold. By removing the resin layer, a seamless belt is formed.
Here, the solidification of the resin material may be performed by evaporating and solidifying a solvent in the resin, a heat solidification reaction of the resin material, or the like. At this time, the mold is heated, and the solidification of the resin material is promoted.
In order to heat the rotating mold, it is usually heated by a heating device provided outside the mold. Conventionally, visible light of a halogen lamp or far infrared light of a far infrared lamp has been used. It is performed by energy irradiation from a remote position.

However, lids are provided at both ends of the mold to prevent the resin material from flowing out, and rotation supporting rollers and the like are provided on the peripheral wall of the mold to support or drive the mold. For example, when heated by the above-mentioned heating device, a mold temperature difference occurs between the end and the center of the mold due to the influence of the lid material and the support roller, or the mold support portion and the non-mold support portion May cause a mold temperature difference.
When the temperature difference occurs in the mold as described above, the solidification speed of the resin material varies, and as a result, the thickness of the seamless belt becomes uneven. If the resistance value of the belt surface varies, etc., and this is used as the intermediate transfer belt,
It may adversely affect image formation.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and demands, and can heat a mold to a uniform temperature. An object of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal molding apparatus and a centrifugal molding method for a resin seamless belt that can be molded.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a centrifugal molding apparatus which solves the above-mentioned problems, and in which a resin-made seamless belt is formed in a mold while heating and rotating the mold. In the belt centrifugal molding apparatus, the mold is heated by the energy irradiation type heating device, and the adjusting plate for shielding the irradiation energy from the irradiation type heating device is so formed that the mold is heated to a uniform temperature. This object has been achieved by providing a resin seamless belt centrifugal molding device provided between an irradiation type heating device and a mold. In other words, the present inventors have conducted intensive studies in view of the problems and demands of the above-mentioned prior art, and as a result, in order to heat the entire mold for centrifugal molding to a uniform temperature, the heat capacity and heat dissipation of the mold have been considered. Focusing on the fact that the non-uniformity should be adjusted on the heating means side, and as a result of various studies on the configuration for this, it was confirmed that according to the above configuration, the entire mold could be easily heated to a uniform temperature. The invention has been completed.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are a front view and a side view of a mold portion in a resin seamless belt centrifugal molding apparatus according to one embodiment. 2A and 2B are a front view and a side view of an energy irradiation type heating device in the resin seamless belt centrifugal molding device according to the present embodiment.

[0007] A centrifugal molding apparatus for a resin seamless belt according to the present invention molds a resin into a seamless belt in the mold while heating and rotating the mold.
As shown in FIG. 1, the centrifugal molding apparatus 1 has a mold 2,
The mold 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A ring-shaped plate 4 (lid material) is detachably attached to each end of the mold 2. The outer diameter of the ring-shaped plate 4 is larger than the diameter of the mold 2, and the inner diameter of the ring-shaped plate 4 is the mold. Is smaller than the diameter. A predetermined amount of the resin material before solidification is filled in the mold 2, and outflow from the mold 2 is regulated by the ring-shaped plates 4 at both ends of the mold 2. In addition, the ring-shaped plate 4
May be a disc-shaped lid material detachable from the end of the mold 2, and the plate 4 may have any shape as long as the outflow of the resin material before solidification is regulated. The ring-shaped plate is not indispensable, and a weir may be provided in the mold to regulate the outflow of the resin material before solidification.

The mold 2 is supported and rotated by a plurality of rotating rollers 6 and the like. Incidentally, in the centrifugal molding apparatus according to the present invention, as long as the mold 2 is rotated,
The present invention is not limited to the roller 6, and other rotational drive transmitting members such as a construction belt can be used. The rotation driving force is transmitted to the rotation roller 6 by a driving device (not shown), and generates a rotation centrifugal force in the mold 2. The resin material before solidification is uniformly supplied to the inner surface of the mold while being moved in the direction of the rotation axis of the mold by a fixed-rate discharge device,
It is leveled uniformly on the inner peripheral surface of the mold 2 by centrifugal force,
A uniform resin layer is formed.

In the above-mentioned resin seamless belt centrifugal molding apparatus 1, the mold 2 is heated by the energy irradiation type heating device 8. The energy irradiation type heating device 8 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the mold 2, and irradiation energy from the irradiation type heating device 8 is applied to the outer wall surface of the mold 2.
The irradiation energy used here is not limited to visible light, but may be ultraviolet light, far infrared light, infrared light, or other high energy rays, and should be used as long as the mold 2 can be heated by irradiation. Can be. Specifically, an irradiation type heating device that irradiates light energy such as a halogen lamp, infrared energy such as an infrared heater, far-infrared energy and the like is desirable.

The irradiation type heating device 8 includes an irradiation lamp 10 (irradiation light source: halogen lamp heater) and a reflector 12 (reflection member) which covers one surface of the irradiation lamp 10. The shape of the irradiation lamp 10 is rod-shaped in the present embodiment,
The irradiation lamp 10 is disposed along the axial direction of the cylindrical mold 2 to be heated. Therefore, the shape of the irradiation lamp 10 is not limited to a rod shape, and it is desirable that the shape conforms to the shape of the mold 2 to be heated. The reflector 12 has a substantially parabolic cross section, is arranged on the side opposite to the side where the mold 2 is mounted, and reflects the irradiation energy on the side opposite to the irradiation lamp 10 toward the mold 2. As a material, a structure, and the like of such a reflector 12, a conventionally known material or the like can be used. The irradiation energy capacity of the irradiation lamp 10 is appropriately determined in consideration of the heat capacity of the mold 2 to be used, a desired mold temperature, a heating rate, a heat loss in the entire apparatus, and the like. Although only one energy irradiation type heating device 8 is provided in FIG. 1, a plurality of irradiation type heating devices may be provided as necessary.

In the centrifugal molding apparatus 1, the adjusting plate 16 for shielding the irradiation energy from the irradiation type heating device 8 is connected to the irradiation type heating device 8 and the mold 2 so that the mold 2 is heated to a uniform temperature. It is provided between. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the reflector 1 of the energy irradiation type heating device 8 is used.
A plurality of mounting brackets 14 are mounted on 2, and the mounting bracket 14 is formed of a wire that is bridged between both peripheral ends of the reflector 12 having a substantially parabolic cross section. The mounting bracket 14 is installed substantially at right angles to the axial direction of the rod-shaped irradiation lamp 10 and is located between the irradiation lamp 10 and the mold 2. A strip-shaped adjustment plate 16 is rotatably attached to the mounting bracket 14, and the adjustment plate 16 partially shields the irradiation energy from the irradiation lamp 10 and locally adjusts the irradiation amount of the irradiation energy to the mold 2. Adjustments are being made.

The strip-shaped adjustment plate 16 may be formed of a member that completely blocks irradiation energy, or may be formed of a member that can partially transmit light. The adjusting plate 16 changes its own irradiation energy shielding ability, or the adjusting plate 16 rotates to directly adjust the amount of irradiation energy transmitted, so that the local irradiation energy amount to the mold 2 can be reduced. Adjustments can be made. Therefore, to shield the irradiation energy from the irradiation type heating device 8 in the resin seamless belt centrifugal molding device 9 according to the present invention, the shielding ability (transmittance) of the adjusting plate 16 itself may be changed. The shielding structure or angle of the plate 16 may be changed, and by at least one method,
This adjusts the shielding amount of the irradiation energy.

As a material of the adjusting plate 16 for shielding the irradiation energy from the irradiation type heating device 8, since the irradiation energy is directly received, heat resistance to the irradiation energy is required. For example, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, etc. A metal plate can be used. Further, from the viewpoint of energy efficiency, it is desirable that the reflecting plate is more reflective than that absorbing the irradiation energy. In this case, the adjusting plate 16 is provided at a predetermined portion of the mold 2 which requires the most heat of the mold 2 (low temperature by a supporting member or the like). It is preferable that the reflection angle is set toward (the part where the conversion occurs). The shape and the number of the adjusting plates 16 are not particularly limited. However, in order to facilitate adjustment of various molds 2 having different sizes, shapes, or materials, a plurality of the adjusting plates 16 are used to adjust the reflection angle. It is preferable to adjust and attach individually. Further, if the adjusting plate 16 is a complete shielding member, the temperature unevenness of the mold 2 may be rather increased in some cases. Therefore, as described above, a punching metal, a metal mesh, a metal-deposited glass, etc. It is desirable to adjust the transmittance of the irradiation energy by using the semi-shielding member.

Next, a method for centrifugally molding a resin seamless belt according to the present invention used in the centrifugal molding apparatus will be briefly described. The centrifugal molding method for a resin seamless belt according to the present invention is a centrifugal molding method for molding a resin into a seamless belt in a heating and rotating mold, wherein the mold outer wall is irradiated with irradiation energy to heat the mold. At the same time, the irradiation energy is locally shielded so that the entire mold has a temperature of ± 4.
C., preferably ± 2.degree.

That is, a substantially cylindrical mold 2 which is heated and rotated.
The resin before heating and solidification is poured into the inside, and the resin is uniformly leveled on the inner peripheral surface of the mold 2 by the rotation of the mold 2. In this state, the energy irradiation type heating device 8 is operated (or operated in advance), and the outer wall surface of the mold 2 is irradiated with irradiation energy such as light energy to heat the mold 2. In this case, the adjustment plate 16 is rotated by a predetermined amount to adjust the reflection angle by changing the reflection angle. As a result, the adjustment plate 16 adjusts the irradiation energy amount of the central portion of the mold 2 where the temperature is most likely to rise by heating. On the other hand, the irradiation energy amount reflected by the adjustment plate 16 is superposed on the end of the mold 2 or the portion supported by the rotating roller 4 where the temperature rise is small even by heating.

As described above, a part of the irradiation energy is shielded by the adjusting plate 16, and the whole mold is heated to a temperature of ± 4 ° C., particularly ± 4 ° C.
Heat evenly to stay within 2 ° C. In particular, the temperature is preferably in the range of ± 1 ° C., and more preferably ± 1 ° C.
It is in the range of 0.5 ° C. The temperature of the whole mold 2 is ± 4 above
When the temperature falls within the range of ° C, particularly ± 2 ° C, no wrinkles or uneven resistance occurs on the molded resin seamless belt. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION As mentioned above, according to the centrifugal molding apparatus of the resin-made seamless belt and its manufacturing method which concern on this invention, between the radiation | emission part of irradiation energy, such as light energy, and a metal mold | die, adjustment which shields a part of irradiation energy By arranging the plates, it is possible to eliminate the temperature rise and temperature unevenness inherent in the mold 2 and to uniformly mold the thickness of the resin seamless belt without causing wrinkles on the belt surface. , And resistance non-uniformity can be reduced. Accordingly, the resin seamless belt formed by such an apparatus and method can be suitably used for an intermediate transfer belt of an image forming apparatus.

[0017]

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. (Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, a reflector having a substantially parabolic cross section (a depth of 40 mm and an opening width of 105 mm) was provided behind a halogen lamp heater 10.
Halogen lamp heater 1 with 2 kW and effective length of 445 mm
2 (manufactured by Nippon Heater Co., Ltd.), a mirror-finished stainless steel plate 16 (visible light reflectivity: 99%) having a length of 50 mm, a width of 10 mm, and a thickness of 0.5 mm was symmetrically placed 15 mm at the center in the longitudinal direction. Eight pieces were attached to each time, and the irradiation type heating device 8 in this example was manufactured. At this time, the stainless steel plate 1
Numeral 6 is rotatably attached to the mounting bracket 14, so that the plate surface angle can be adjusted. This irradiation type heating device 8 is placed 30 m from the mold 2 placed on the centrifugal forming device 1.
m, and the angle of the stainless steel plate 16 was adjusted so that the mold was heated to a uniform temperature.

The mold 2 used has an outer diameter of 270 mm and an inner diameter of 25
0mm, 400mm in length of general structural carbon steel was subjected to hard chrome plating after the inner peripheral surface was polished, and the outer peripheral surface was subjected to heat resistant matte black coating to increase the light energy absorption rate. A ring-shaped general structural carbon steel plate 4 for preventing resin resin from flowing out and coming off from the rotating roller 6 is detachably attached to both ends. is there. The mold 2 is placed on the rotating roller 6 and a non-contact temperature sensor is used by the irradiation-type heating device 8 so that the mold center temperature becomes 120 ° C. while maintaining the mold rotation speed at 200 rpm. Heated using a temperature controller. At this time, in the example, the angle of the stainless steel plate 16 was set in advance by a blank test so that the temperature of the mold 2 became substantially uniform.

(Comparative Example 1) Molding was performed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the irradiation type heating device was used without providing the stainless steel plate 16 on the halogen lamp heater 10.

(Evaluation) The actual measured values of the mold temperature (measured at 12 points at both ends and the center at four points in the circumferential direction, a total of 12 points) are as follows. ° C, and the maximum temperature was 120.8 ° C. In the comparative example, the minimum temperature was 114.1 ° C., the average temperature was 116.4 ° C., and the maximum temperature was 120.3 ° C., and the temperature was high at the center and low at both ends. Using a polyamide imide solution (solid content concentration: 20% by mass, solvent: N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)) as a resin material, with a mold rotation speed of 1000 rpm, and a moving device capable of moving in a horizontal direction at a constant speed. Discharge speed is set to 1 per minute by the provided quantitative discharge device.
The above resin material was supplied to the inner peripheral surface of the mold at the above temperature at 60.1 g at a moving speed of 30 cm / min. While maintaining the above temperature and rotation speed, the mold was dried for 45 minutes, further placed in an oven set at a temperature of 220 ° C. for 2 hours, and then allowed to cool at room temperature to produce a seamless belt. Table 1 shows the results of the thickness measurement (100 points / piece) of the obtained seamless belt.

[0021]

[Table 1]

As is apparent from the above results, the centrifugal molding apparatus for a resin seamless belt according to the embodiment can uniformly heat the mold with a simple structure, and the resin seamless belt formed using the apparatus can be heated uniformly. Thickness accuracy was extremely high.

[0023]

As described above, the centrifugal molding apparatus for a resin seamless belt according to the present invention heats the mold by the energy irradiation type heating device and heats the mold to a uniform temperature. In addition, since an adjusting plate for shielding irradiation energy from the irradiation-type heating device is provided between the irradiation-type heating device and the mold, the mold can be heated to a uniform temperature, and the accuracy of the seamless belt can be improved. And good molding can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view of a mold part in a centrifugal molding apparatus for a resin seamless belt according to one embodiment.

2 (a) and 2 (b) are a front view and a side view of a heating device in a resin seamless belt centrifugal molding device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Centrifugal molding apparatus of resin seamless belt 2 Die 4 Ring-shaped plate 6 Rotary roller 8 Irradiation type heating device (heating device) 10 Irradiation lamp (halogen lamp heater) 12 Reflector 14 Mounting bracket 16 Adjustment plate (stainless plate)

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a resin seamless belt centrifugal molding apparatus for molding a resin into a seamless belt in the mold while heating and rotating the mold, the mold is heated by an energy irradiation type heating device. An adjustment plate for shielding irradiation energy from the irradiation-type heating device is provided between the irradiation-type heating device and the mold so that the mold is heated to a uniform temperature. Belt centrifugal molding equipment. 2. A centrifugal molding method for molding a resin into a seamless belt in a heating and rotating mold, wherein the mold is heated by irradiating the mold outer wall with irradiation energy,
A method for centrifugally molding a resin seamless belt, wherein the irradiation energy is locally shielded and the entire mold is uniformly heated so as to be within a temperature range of ± 4 ° C. to mold the resin.