JP2002178345A - Method for manufacturing blade for electrophotographic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a blade having an uneven shape relatively inexpensively by utilizing a centrifugal molding method. SOLUTION: In the method for manufacturing the blade having the uneven shape for an electrophotographic apparatus by curing the blade material cast in a heated cylindrical mold while rotating the mold, a thermosetting resin material is cast in the mold to form a cylindrical resin molded object. After unevenness is formed to the inside of the resin molded object, the blade material is cast in the resin molded object and cured to form a sheet to which the unevenness of the resin molded object is transferred and the sheet is cut appropriately.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a blade for an electrophotographic apparatus, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a blade having a surface having irregularities (texture).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method for manufacturing various blades used in an electrophotographic apparatus, for example, a blade for an electrophotographic apparatus such as a cleaning blade and a developing blade, a heated cylindrical mold is rotated while rotating the mold. There is known a centrifugal molding method in which a blade material is poured inside and hardened. The obtained blade is usually formed in a long plate shape having elasticity, and is used in an electrophotographic apparatus in the form of a blade member having one surface side adhered to a support (for example, an L-shaped metal plate or the like). I have. Such a blade member is generally mounted on an electrophotographic apparatus such that the end of the blade opposite to the support rubs against a photosensitive member of the electrophotographic apparatus.

[0003] Among the uses of this type of blade, a developing blade used for forming a thin layer of particles attached to the surface of a photoreceptor has a rubbing surface.
It is preferable that a slight unevenness is formed than a smooth surface (mirror surface) because the character thickening can be prevented for a long period of time (in addition,
In this regard, the applicant of the present application has filed Japanese Patent Application No.
No. 24). In addition, such a blade having irregularities formed on one surface is capable of expecting an anchor effect when the adhesive enters into the concave portion when the blade member is formed by bonding the support to the support with an adhesive. Preferably, such effects are common to blade members in general, regardless of the use of the blade.

When a blade having such an uneven surface is manufactured by the above-mentioned centrifugal molding method, Japanese Patent Application No.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 137224, a desired uneven shape is formed on the inner side (inner peripheral surface) of a heating mold, and a blade material such as polyurethane is poured into the heated mold and centrifugally molded, so that one surface has an uneven surface. A mirror-finished blade can be manufactured.

[0005]

However, in order to manufacture blades having different irregularities by using such a manufacturing method, the mold itself must be replaced, and in particular, a small number of blades of various types are manufactured. In this case, the cost increases. In addition, since the release agent used inside the mold is attached to the uneven surface of the blade obtained by such a manufacturing method, in order to adhere the uneven surface of the blade to the support,
There is a problem that the uneven surface must be cleaned.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-32511 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
Although there is a 000-172068 publication, any of them describes a manufacturing method in which both surfaces of a blade are mirror surfaces,
There is no description or suggestion of forming an uneven surface on the blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a method of manufacturing a blade having an uneven shape, by which a blade having a different uneven shape can be manufactured relatively inexpensively by using a centrifugal molding method. The task is to provide Furthermore, a second object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a blade having an uneven shape that can be adhered to a support via an adhesive without removing a release agent.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method of forming a concave and convex shape by rotating a heated cylindrical mold and curing a blade material poured into the mold. A method of manufacturing a blade for an electrophotographic apparatus, comprising: pouring a thermosetting resin material inside the mold to form a cylindrical resin molded body;
Further, after forming irregularities on the inside of the resin molded body, the blade material is poured into the inside of the resin molded body, and is cured to prepare a sheet on which the irregularities of the resin molded body are transferred. Provided is a method for manufacturing a blade for an electrophotographic apparatus having an uneven shape to be cut.

According to this manufacturing method, the uneven shape formed on the resin molded body is transferred to the sheet made of the blade material. Therefore, by appropriately cutting this sheet, a blade having an uneven shape is manufactured by a centrifugal molding method. Then, by replacing only the resin molded body (without replacing the mold), blades having different uneven shapes can be manufactured.

Further, the thermosetting resin material includes:
Although various forms can be used, it is preferably substantially solvent-free, and furthermore, an addition-reaction-type resin material is particularly preferable in that clear and highly accurate irregularities can be formed. As the thermosetting resin material, various components can be used, but silicone is preferably used because of excellent releasability (a release agent need not be used).

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the manufacturing method of the present invention, an existing machine can be used as a centrifugal molding machine. For example, as shown in FIG. A cylindrical mold 3 attached to the tip of the shaft 2 and supported in a cantilevered and rotatable manner, a heater 5 appropriately arranged on the outer periphery of the mold 3, the heater 5 and the mold 3, etc. A heat insulating case 6 to be covered and a hatch 7 opened in the heat insulating case 6
And a centrifugal molding machine 1 having a door 8 for opening and closing the hatch 7
And the like.

Next, a method for manufacturing a blade having an uneven shape will be described. <Molding step of resin molded article> First, the mold 3 of the centrifugal molding machine 1
A thermosetting resin material is poured into the inside 3a of the mold 3 from the hatch 7, and the mold is rotated while being heated to primary cure the resin material to form a cylindrical plastic resin molded body. . Next, after adding irregularities of a desired shape to the inside of the plastic resin molded body by irregularities forming means,
Next, it is cured to produce the resin molded body 10. Here, the primary curing of the resin material refers to curing the resin material to a plastic molded body which can maintain its shape as a cylindrical molded body and can add irregularities by the irregularity forming means.

The thermosetting resin material is not particularly limited as long as it is liquid at room temperature and has heat resistance. For example, a silicone material, a polyurethane rubber material,
A phenol resin material, a polyimide resin material, or the like can be used. Among these, a silicone material is preferred from the viewpoint of excellent releasability of the molded blade.

As the thermosetting resin material, any one of a form dissolved in a solvent and a form substantially free of a solvent can be used. Since the solvent volatilizes from the surface in the middle, even if the unevenness is formed by the unevenness forming means on the inner peripheral surface of the resin molded product at the time of the primary curing, there is a high possibility that the unevenness shape is deformed by the volatilization of the solvent generated thereafter. Therefore, a desired solvent-free thermosetting resin material is preferable because a desired clear uneven shape cannot be expected.

Further, as the thermosetting resin material, a reaction type material such as an addition reaction type or a condensation reaction type can be used. However, since there are no by-products and there is almost no curing shrinkage after secondary curing, Preferred is an addition-reaction-type thermosetting resin material.

The unevenness forming means presses the embossed roll formed with the unevenness on the inner peripheral surface of the primary cured resin molded body, rubs the inner peripheral surface with sandpaper, or Means such as, for example, scattering salt and rubbing it and then rinsing it with a solvent such as water,
It is preferable to use Sivolol in that it can form highly accurate irregularities.

The shape of the irregularities formed on the resin molded body is appropriately designed according to the irregularities of the blade to be obtained. For example, when an uneven surface of a blade is used as an adhesive surface, the roughness of the uneven surface (JIS
10 points average roughness R according to B0601 (1994)
z) is preferably designed so as to be formed to 0.7 μm or more. Further, when the blade is used as a developing blade, the roughness of the uneven surface of the blade is 1.0 to 1.5 μm because the toner rotation and the toner alignment are within an appropriate range and character thickening is hard to occur. It is preferable to design it so that it can be formed in the form of a strip having an interval of 5 to 10 μm parallel to the ridge line of the blade.

The thickness of the resin molded product is generally 0.2 to 5 mm in consideration of the strength and heat transfer as a resin mold.
The degree is preferred.

<Process of Forming Concavo-convex Sheet> After the resin molded body 10 having the irregularities formed inside the mold 3 as described above, a blade material is poured into the inside thereof, and rotated while heating. The blade material is cured to produce a cylindrical sheet 11. The irregularities formed on the inner peripheral surface of the resin molded body 10 are transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the sheet 11 to form an irregular surface. Since the mold 3 is rotating, air or the like in the blade material escapes inward, and the material is pressed against the resin molded body 10 and hardened. The transferred cylindrical sheet 11 having small thickness unevenness is obtained.

The material of the blade is not particularly limited as long as it is liquid. For example, polyurethane, silicone rubber,
Ethylene / propylene / diene copolymer (EPDM) and the like can be mentioned.
Polyurethane is preferred because of its small permanent set and excellent abrasion resistance. As the polyurethane, those obtained by a reaction between a polymer polyol and a diisocyanate are preferable.

Examples of the above polymer polyol include, for example,
Polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol,
Polyoxyalkylene glycols such as polyoxytetramethylene glycol; polyether-type polyols of bisphenol A and glycerin ethylene oxide adduct; dibasic acids such as adipic acid, phthalic anhydride, isophthalic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid and ethylene glycol ,
Propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,
Polyester-type polyols obtained by a polymerization reaction with glycols such as 6-hexanediol and trimethylolpropane; polycaprolactone diol, polycarbonate diol and the like. The number average molecular weight of the high molecular polyol is preferably from 500 to 5,000, more preferably from 1,000 to 3,000. The above polymer polyols may be used alone or in combination of two or more. As the diisocyanate compound, for example,
Tolylene diisocyanate, 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate,
Examples include isophorone diisocyanate and 1,4-cyclohexane diisocyanate. The diisocyanate compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of the chain extender include low molecular weight diols such as ethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, diethylene glycol, 1,6-hexanediol, and neopentyl glycol; diamines such as ethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, and isophoronediamine. be able to. Of these, low molecular weight diols are preferred. Further, if necessary, trimethylolpropane, triethanolamine, glycerin, and ethylene oxide and propylene oxide adducts thereof may be added as a polyfunctional component.

<Blade Fabrication Step> The obtained cylindrical sheet is appropriately cut into a desired shape (for example, a strip shape) to produce a blade having an uneven shape.

Further, by repeating the step of forming the uneven sheet and the step of preparing the blade, a large number of blades having an uneven shape can be manufactured. on the other hand,
When fabricating a blade having a different uneven shape, the existing resin molded body is removed from the mold, and according to the molding process of the resin molded body, a resin molded body having desired irregularities is formed, and so on. Manufacture the blade. in this way,
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the manufacturing method of the blade which concerns on this invention, a blade of a different uneven | corrugated shape can be manufactured only by changing a resin molding, without changing a metal mold | die.

The obtained blade is used, for example, in the form of a blade member 100 bonded to a support 30 via an adhesive as shown in FIG. Blade member 100
As a specific application, the uneven surface 20a of the blade 20
Blade A for rubbing the photoreceptor 40 and a cleaning blade B for bonding the uneven surface 20a of the blade 20 to the support 30 and rubbing the opposite surface against the developing roll 50
It is used in such a mode. In particular, when silicone is used as the resin molded body, the sheet can be removed without using a release agent, so that the blade cut from the sheet can adhere the uneven surface to the support as it is. it can. Further, when a solvent-free and / or addition-reaction type resin material is used as the resin molded body, the uneven shape formed on the resin molded body is reliably transferred, and a blade having a clear and accurate uneven shape is manufactured. can do.

The support is made of a surface-treated copper plate such as a zinc phosphate treatment, a chromate treatment and a lubricating resin treatment, phosphor bronze,
Examples thereof include metal products processed from an elastic metal plate such as spring steel, and resin products such as plastic and ceramic. Further, a blade of the device may be adhered using a frame of the device as a support. Examples of the adhesive include a hot-melt adhesive, a moisture-curable adhesive, and a two-reaction-curable adhesive.

[0026]

The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. Example 1 After mixing 700 g of a main agent and 70 g of a curing agent (trade name: TSE3032, manufactured by GE Toshiba Silicone Co., Ltd.) with an agitator, the mixture was placed in a cylindrical mold of a centrifugal molding machine rotating at 250 rpm (inner diameter: 720 mm, depth: 520 mm), the mold temperature is raised to 100 ° C., and the mold is
Heating was performed by rotating at 250 rpm for 0 minutes. After the silicone has been primarily cured, a silicone roll (see FIG. 3A) having a plurality of strips (irregularities) formed on the surface thereof in the axial direction is pressed and rolled on the inner peripheral surface of the silicone molded body. After forming irregularities, the mold was heated to 150 ° C. and rotated for 360 minutes to perform secondary curing. An ethylene adipate-based prepolymer (NCO content: 1) defoamed at 60 ° C.-3 mmHg for 2.5 hours inside the obtained molded body.
6.5%) and a predetermined amount of 104 parts of a liquid mixture obtained by mixing 100 parts of polyethylene adipate / 1,4-butanediol / trimethylolpropane as a curing agent at a mixing ratio of 88.6 / 6.8 / 4.6. After mixing using
The mixture was poured into a mold that was preheated at 50 ° C. and rotated at 250 rpm, and cured at 600 rpm-150 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain a cylindrical sheet having a thickness of 1.5 mm. This cylindrical sheet is cut open, post-heated at 120 ° C. for 6 hours, suspended for 2 days, and then cut so that the rotation direction of the centrifugal molding becomes the length direction, and a blade having a length of 305 mm and a width of 15 mm is cut. Obtained. The surface roughness of the silicone molded body contact surface of this blade was measured using a surface roughness meter (SURF TEST SV4
00), the roughness Rz was 1.1 μm. Example 2 A blade according to Example 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the paper roll was a paper roll (see FIG. 3B) in which a plurality of strips (irregularities) were formed in the circumferential direction. . The roughness Rz of the silicone molded body contact surface of the obtained blade was 0.7 μm. Example 3 A blade according to Example 3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the civolol was a sivolol (see FIG. 3C) on which meshes (irregularities) were formed. The roughness Rz of the silicone molded body contact surface of the obtained blade was 2.2 μm.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1 A blade having an uneven shape was produced by a manufacturing method according to Example 1 of Japanese Patent Application No. 11-137224. That is, except that a mold having irregularities formed on the inner peripheral surface was used, and the blade material was flowed directly to the inner peripheral surface of the mold without producing a silicone molded body, the same as Example 1 of the present invention. Similarly, a blade according to Comparative Example 1 was obtained. The roughness Rz of the mold contact surface of the obtained blade was 1.2 μm. Comparative Example 2 A blade according to Comparative Example 1 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 of the present invention, except that the blade material was allowed to flow directly on the inner peripheral surface of the mold without producing a silicone molded body. The roughness Rz of the inner side surface (a surface which is not a mold contact surface but a mirror surface) of the obtained blade was 0.5 μm. Comparative Example 3 A blade according to Comparative Example 3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that no irregularities were formed on the inner peripheral surface of the silicone molded body. The roughness Rz of the silicone molded body contact surface of the obtained blade was 0.5 μm.

Test Example The surface on which the roughness of each of the above blades was measured was attached to one end of a support formed by pressing a lubricating resin-treated surface of a copper plate having a thickness of 1.2 mm, and a dimer was placed in the longitudinal direction. Each blade member was obtained by fixing with an acid-based hot melt adhesive and melting and bonding by high frequency heating. When the adhesive strength of the obtained blade member was measured, the results shown in Table 1 were obtained.

[0029]

[Table 1]

From the results shown in Table 1, it can be seen that the blades of Examples 1 to 3 are strongly adhered to the support. In Comparative Example 1 obtained by the conventional manufacturing method, even if the blade has irregularities, the release agent adheres to the irregular surface, so that sufficient adhesive strength is obtained as it is (without washing). Could not be obtained.

[0031]

According to the method for manufacturing a blade according to the present invention, irregularities are formed inside a resin molded body in a mold, and this is transferred to produce a blade having an irregular shape. By simply changing the body, blades having different irregular shapes can be produced. Therefore, as compared with the manufacturing method in which the mold itself is replaced, blades having various types of uneven shapes can be manufactured at low cost. Furthermore, when a substantially solvent-free material and / or an addition-reaction type material is used as a material constituting the resin molded body, clear and highly accurate irregularities can be formed on the resin molded body. The design error of the uneven shape of the blade can be reduced. Further, when silicone is used as a material constituting the resin molded body, the releasability of the sheet formed of the blade material is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially omitted sectional view showing an example of a centrifugal molding machine.

FIG. 2 is a reference view showing an example of use of a blade member.

FIG. 3 is a partially omitted reference diagram showing civolol used in Examples.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Centrifugal molding machine, 2 ... Drive shaft, 3 ... Mold, 5 ... Heater
6: heat insulation case, 7: hatch, 8: door, 10: resin molded body, 11: sheet

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Ryuki Kuge 3-2-1-15 Meiwadori, Hyogo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo F-term (reference) 4F205 AA33 AA36 AA42 AF01 AG08 AH04 AJ09 GA02 GB01 GC04 GN28 GW23

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method of manufacturing a blade for an electrophotographic apparatus having an uneven shape by rotating a heated cylindrical mold and curing a blade material poured into the mold while rotating the mold. A thermosetting resin material is poured into the inside to form a cylindrical resin molded body, and after forming irregularities inside the resin molded body, the blade material is poured inside the resin molded body and cured. Let
A method for manufacturing a blade for an electrophotographic apparatus having an uneven shape, comprising: preparing a sheet to which the unevenness of the resin molded body has been transferred, and cutting the sheet appropriately. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermosetting resin material is substantially solvent-free. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermosetting resin material is an addition-reaction type resin material. 4. The method for manufacturing a blade for an electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said thermosetting resin material is silicone.