JP2004090430A - Method for manufacturing foam roller, foam roller and printed image forming device using that - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a foam roller which can make a compact roller producing line without necessitating a long drying line and can manufacture a foam roller of a stabilized quality without impairing cost properties, productivity and quality properties, and to provide the foam roller and a printed image forming device using that. <P>SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing the foam roller is provided by forming an elastic layer 2 and a solid layer 3 comprising at least one resin layers on an outer periphery of an axis 1. A molding process for integrally molding the elastic layer 2 on the outer periphery of the shaft 1 by injecting raw material components of the elastic layer 2 into a cylindrical mold 20 under a condition wherein the shaft 1 is provided by penetrating on a central line of a cylindrical mold 20, is included. In the molding process, the elastic layer 2 is formed by mixing and injecting two kinds of monomer components comprising the raw material components into the cylindrical mold 20 to be reacted by polymerization and simultaneously foamed. After the molding process, at least one layer of the resin layers is formed by coating an ultraviolet curing resin on the elastic layer 2 to be cured. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

【００６１】
【表２】

【００６２】
【発明の効果】
以上説明してきたように、本発明によれば、ＲＩＭ成形法およびＵＶ硬化樹脂の適用により、以下のような利点を得ることができる。
即ち、型面数を１／５以下程度、成形ライン長を１／３以下とすることが可能となり、初期設備投資を低減して、工場の占有スペースを小さくすることができる。また、長い乾燥ラインが不要になるので、工程スペースや高価な設備を必要としなくなり、コスト的に有利となる。さらに、成形工程、その後の塗装工程ともに、サイズ切り替えが容易である。さらにまた、一定条件での成形／キュアが再現性よく実施できるため、ローラ間の品質バラツキを少なく抑えることが可能となる。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】本発明の製造方法に係る筒状型の一例を示す斜視図である。
【図２】本発明の発泡体ローラの一例を示す斜視図である。
【図３】非磁性一成分系の現像装置を示す概略図である。
【符号の説明】
１　軸
２　弾性層
３　ソリッド層
１０　発泡体ローラ
１１　トナー
１２　現像ローラ
１３　画像形成体
１４　クリーニング部
１５　クリーニングブレード
１６　ブレード
２０　筒状型[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a foam roller, a foam roller, and an image forming apparatus using the same, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a foam roller suitably used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer. And a foam roller and an image forming apparatus using the same.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art With the recent development of electrophotographic technology, image forming apparatuses such as dry-type electrophotographic apparatuses include polymer elastic members as various roller members such as a charging roller, a developing roller, a transfer roller, a paper feed roller, and a toner supply roller. The rollers used, especially foamed rollers having an elastic layer made of a low-hardness polymer elastic foam, are widely used. For such a foamed roller, various improvements have been studied in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-150370, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-20754, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-4749, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-305039. I have.
[0003]
However, since the elastic layer made of a low-hardness polymer elastic foam has a relatively large coefficient of friction, the toner tends to thermally and physically adhere to the surface, and sufficient charging properties can be obtained by toner filming. And the image quality decreases with an increase in the number of output images. Therefore, a solid layer is provided on the surface of the elastic layer to lower the coefficient of friction. It is known that such a solid layer is an effective technique from the viewpoints of improving surface strength and surface smoothness with the extension of machine life, and imparting electrical characteristics to the surface.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Examples of a method of providing the solid layer include a method of covering the tube after forming the elastic layer, a method of setting the tube in a cylindrical mold in advance, and a method of integrally forming the elastic layer and the solid layer. These methods require (1) a separate step for forming the tube, and (2) the method of covering the tube after the formation of the elastic layer involves problems such as adhesion between the tube and the elastic layer. There are various problems in terms of quality and cost, such as the necessity of a separate solution, and the method of integrally molding in a mold, in which the mold structure is complicated and wrinkles are easily generated.
[0005]
As a method of solving these problems, there is a method of providing a solid layer by coating the surface after forming the elastic layer, but drying and curing with hot or hot air after dipping or spraying the roller in a solvent-based or water-based paint. Conventional surface coating methods have the following problems. In other words, a long drying line is necessary because a long drying time is required, and the solid layer of the roller requires delicate conductivity and surface condition for its application. There are various problems in terms of cost and quality, such as variations in the temperature distribution and air volume in the inside, which greatly affect the performance.
[0006]
On the other hand, as an efficient method of manufacturing a roller which has been conventionally used, a shaft is set in a cylindrical mold, and polyurethane or other elastomeric resin, or a foamed material thereof is formed in a gap in the mold. There is a method in which the shaft and the base material are integrally formed by filling the base material. However, this method requires about 10 minutes or more from the injection of the resin to the demolding due to the curing time. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the number of molds in order to shorten the production tact, that is, the cost is increased. Met.
[0007]
In order to solve such a problem, a so-called RIM (Reaction Injection Molding) molding technique has been proposed in which a polyurethane resin or the like is used and its polymerization reaction is used to increase the reactivity and shorten the demolding time. . However, even when the RIM molding method is used, when the integrally molded article is used without grinding, the surface is strengthened in order to ensure surface strength, smoothness, stain resistance, and the like. Coating becomes essential, and it takes time to dry and cure the solvent, so that a process with good productivity could not be achieved.
[0008]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a foam roller having a stable quality in a more compact roller production line without requiring a long drying line as in the related art, without impairing cost, productivity, and quality. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a foam roller, a foam roller, and an image forming apparatus using the same.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventors have conducted intensive studies and as a result, achieved the above object by applying an ultraviolet (UV) curable resin to the solid layer and combining this with an integral molding method using a RIM molding method. The inventors have found that the present invention has been completed, and have completed the present invention.
That is, the present invention is as follows.
[0010]
(1) A method of manufacturing a foamed roller in which an elastic layer composed of a foam layer or a foam layer and a skin layer and a solid layer composed of one or more resin layers are formed on the outer periphery of a shaft. A forming step of injecting the raw material components of the layer into the cylindrical mold in a state where the shaft passes through the center line of the cylindrical mold, and integrally forming the elastic layer on the outer periphery of the shaft. In a method of manufacturing a foam roller including
In the molding step, the elastic layer is formed by mixing and injecting two types of monomer components constituting the raw material components into the cylindrical mold, causing a polymerization reaction and foaming at the same time, and after the molding step, A method for manufacturing a foamed roller, characterized in that at least one of the resin layers is formed by applying an ultraviolet curable resin on the elastic layer and curing the resin.
[0011]
(2) The method according to (1), wherein the foam layer is formed of polyurethane foam.
[0012]
(3) The method according to (1) or (2), wherein a (meth) acrylate-based UV-curable resin composition is used as the UV-curable resin.
[0013]
(4) The method according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the elastic layer or the elastic layer and the solid layer contain a conductive material.
[0014]
(5) The method according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the solid layer is formed with a thickness of 1 to 500 μm.
[0015]
(6) A foam roller manufactured by any one of the manufacturing methods (1) to (5).
[0016]
(7) An image forming apparatus comprising the foamed roller of (6).
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 2, the foam roller 10 of the present invention has an elastic layer 2 mainly composed of a foam layer and a solid layer 3 made of one or more resin layers on the outer periphery of the shaft 1. The elastic layer 2 is formed integrally with the shaft 1 by using a cylindrical mold that forms the final shape of the foam roller 10.
[0018]
In the integral molding of the shaft 1 and the elastic layer 2, for example, a cylindrical mold 20 as shown in FIG. 1A can be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, the raw material component of the elastic layer 2 is injected into the cylindrical mold 20 in a state where the shaft 1 extends through the center line of the cylindrical mold 20, The mold 20 is sealed (FIG. 1 (b)), and the elastic layer 2 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the shaft 1.
[0019]
In the manufacturing method of the present invention, a so-called RIM molding method is used in the molding step for integrating the shaft 1 and the elastic layer 2. That is, the two types of monomer components constituting the raw material components of the elastic layer 2 are mixed and injected into the cylindrical mold 20 to cause a polymerization reaction and foaming at the same time, so that the shaft 1 and the elastic layer 2 are integrated. As a result, the molding process can be performed in a required time of about 60 seconds from the injection of the raw material to the demolding, so that the production cost can be significantly reduced.
[0020]
In the present invention, after the above-mentioned molding step, at least one of the resin layers constituting the solid layer 3 is formed by applying an ultraviolet curable resin on the elastic layer 2 and curing the resin. Since the UV curable resin can be cured in a very short time by UV irradiation after application, by using the UV curable resin for forming the solid layer 3, a completely new compact roller that does not use a long drying line as in the past. A production line can be made, and it is possible to efficiently mass-produce foam rollers that are stable in quality.
[0021]
Examples of the foam layer constituting the elastic layer 2 include a polyurethane foam, a silicone rubber foam, an ethylene propylene rubber foam, an acrylonitrile butadiene rubber foam, and a polyurethane rubber foam. Of these, a polyurethane foam is preferable. In this case, a polyurethane raw material is used as a raw material component of the elastic layer 2, and the two types of monomer components are composed of a polyisocyanate component and a polyol component.
[0022]
As the polyisocyanate component constituting the polyurethane raw material, aromatic isocyanate or its derivative, aliphatic isocyanate or its derivative, alicyclic isocyanate or its derivative is used. Among these, aromatic isocyanates or derivatives thereof are preferable, and tolylene diisocyanate or derivatives thereof, diphenylmethane diisocyanate or derivatives thereof are particularly preferably used.
[0023]
Examples of tolylene diisocyanate or derivatives thereof include crude tolylene diisocyanate, 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate, 2,6-tolylene diisocyanate, a mixture of 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate and 2,6-tolylene diisocyanate, A urea-modified product, a buret-modified product, a carbodiimide-modified product, or the like is used.
[0024]
As diphenylmethane diisocyanate or its derivative, for example, diphenylmethane diisocyanate or its derivative obtained by phosgenating diaminodiphenylmethane or its derivative is used. Examples of the derivative of diaminodiphenylmethane include polynuclear substances, and pure diphenylmethane diisocyanate obtained from diaminodiphenylmethane, and polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate obtained from a polynuclear substance of diaminodiphenylmethane can be used. Regarding the number of functional groups of the polymer diphenylmethane diisocyanate, a mixture of pure diphenylmethane diisocyanate and polymer diphenylmethane diisocyanate having various numbers of functional groups is usually used, and the average number of functional groups is preferably 2.05 to 4.00, more preferably 2 to 4.0. .50 to 3.50 are used. In addition, derivatives obtained by modifying these diphenylmethane diisocyanates or derivatives thereof, for example, urethane modified products modified with polyols, dimers formed by uretdione, isocyanurate modified products, carbodiimide / uretonimine modified products, allohanate modified products And urea-modified and buret-modified products. In addition, several kinds of diphenylmethane diisocyanate and derivatives thereof can be used by blending.
[0025]
Further, as the polyol component constituting the polyurethane raw material, polyether polyol obtained by addition polymerization of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, polytetramethylene ether glycol, polyester polyol obtained by condensing an acid component and a glycol component, and caprolactone were subjected to ring-opening polymerization. Polyester polyol, polycarbonate diol and the like can be used.
[0026]
Examples of the polyether polyol obtained by addition polymerization of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide include, for example, water, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, glycerin, trimethylolpropane, hexanetriol, triethanolamine, diglycerin, pentaerythritol, ethylenediamine, and methylglucozide. , Aromatic diamine, sorbitol, sucrose, phosphoric acid and the like as starting materials, and those obtained by addition polymerization of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. Examples thereof include water, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, glycerin, and trimethylolpropane. And hexanetriol as a starting material. Regarding the ratio of ethylene oxide to propylene oxide and the microstructure to be added, the ratio of ethylene oxide is preferably from 2 to 95% by weight, more preferably from 5 to 90% by weight. Further, those having ethylene oxide added to the terminal are preferably used. Furthermore, the arrangement of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide in the molecular chain is preferably random.
[0027]
The molecular weight of the polyether polyol is bifunctional when water, propylene glycol or ethylene glycol is used as a starting material, and is preferably in the range of 300 to 6000 in weight average molecular weight, particularly preferably in the range of 400 to 3000. Is preferred. When glycerin, trimethylolpropane, or hexanetriol is used as a starting material, it is trifunctional, and preferably has a weight average molecular weight in the range of 900 to 9000, and particularly preferably 1500 to 6000. In addition, a bifunctional polyol and a trifunctional polyol can be appropriately blended and used.
[0028]
Polytetramethylene ether glycol is obtained, for example, by cationic polymerization of tetrahydrofuran, and those having a weight average molecular weight of 400 to 4000, particularly preferably 650 to 3000 are preferably used. It is also preferable to blend polytetramethylene ether glycols having different molecular weights. Further, polytetramethylene ether glycol obtained by copolymerizing an alkylene oxide such as ethylene oxide or propylene oxide can also be used.
[0029]
It is also preferable to use polytetramethylene ether glycol and a polyether polyol obtained by addition polymerization of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and in this case, polytetramethylene ether glycol, addition polymerization of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are used. It is preferable to use such that the ratio with the polyether polyol is in the range of 95: 5 to 20:80 by weight, particularly preferably in the range of 90:10 to 50:50.
[0030]
In addition, together with the polyol component, various polyamines, acrylonitrile-modified polymer polyols, polyols added with melamine to polyols, diols such as butanediol, polyols such as trimethylolpropane, and derivatives thereof may be used in combination. it can.
[0031]
Further, the polyol may be pre-polymerized with a polyisocyanate in advance, and the method may be as follows. The polyol and the polyisocyanate are put in an appropriate container and sufficiently stirred, and 30 to 90 ° C., more preferably 40 to 70 ° C. A method in which the temperature is kept at 6C for 6 to 240 hours, more preferably 24 to 72 hours.
[0032]
Examples of the catalyst used for the curing reaction of the polyurethane raw material include monoamines such as triethylamine and dimethylcyclohexylamine, diamines such as tetramethylethylenediamine, tetramethylpropanediamine and tetramethylhexanediamine, pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, pentamethyldipropylenetriamine and tetraamine. Cyclic amines such as triamines such as methylguanidine, triethylenediamine, dimethylpiperazine, methylethylpiperazine, methylmorpholine, dimethylaminoethylmorpholine, dimethylimidazole, dimethylaminoethanol, dimethylaminoethoxyethanol, trimethylaminoethylethanolamine, and methylhydroxy Alcohol amines such as ethyl piperazine and hydroxyethyl morpholine; Ether amines such as (dimethylaminoethyl) ether, ethylene glycol bis (dimethyl) aminopropyl ether, stannas octoate, dibutyltin diacetate, dibutyltin dilaurate, dibutyltin marker peptide, dibutyltin thiocarboxylate, dibutyltin dimaleate, Examples include organometallic compounds such as dioctyltin marker peptide, dioctyltin thiocarboxylate, phenylmercury propionate, and lead octenoate. These catalysts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
[0033]
In the foam roller of the present invention, it is necessary to impart conductivity, and a conductive material is added to the foam material. The conductive material includes an ionic conductive material and an electronic conductive material, and the conductive material added to the foam raw material is not limited. As the ion conductive material, tetraethylammonium, tetrabutylammonium, dodecyltrimethylammonium such as lauryltrimethylammonium, hexadecyltrimethylammonium, octadecyltrimethylammonium such as stearyltrimethylammonium, benzyltrimethylammonium, modified aliphatic dimethylethylammonium such as dimethylethylammonium Organic ion conductive materials such as perchlorate, chlorate, hydrochloride, bromate, iodate, borofluoride, sulfate, alkyl sulfate, carboxylate and sulfonate, lithium and sodium , Calcium, magnesium and other alkali metal or alkaline earth metal perchlorates, chlorates, hydrochlorides, bromates, iodates, borofluorides, trifluoromethyl sulfates, sulfates Inorganic ion conductive material such as phosphate salts. Examples of the electronic conductive material include conductive carbon blacks such as ketjen black and acetylene black; carbon blacks for rubber such as SAF, ISAF, HAF, FEF, GPF, SRF, FT, and MT; carbon blacks for inks such as carbon oxide black. , Pyrolytic carbon black, graphite; conductive metal oxides such as tin oxide, titanium oxide, and zinc oxide; metals such as nickel and copper; carbon whiskers, graphite whiskers, titanium carbide whiskers, conductive potassium titanate whiskers, and conductive Examples include conductive whiskers such as barium titanate whiskers, conductive titanium oxide whiskers, and conductive zinc oxide whiskers. By adding the conductive material, the volume resistivity of the foamed roller of the present invention can be adjusted to a desired range. The resistance may be adjusted by using an ionic conductive material and an electronic conductive material together.
[0034]
In addition, foam materials such as polyurethane materials include, in addition to the above conductive materials, fillers such as inorganic carbonates, foam stabilizers such as silicone foam stabilizers and various surfactants, and antioxidants such as phenol and phenylamine. , A low friction agent, a charge control agent and the like can be added.
[0035]
As the silicone foam stabilizer, a dimethylpolysiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymer or the like is suitably used, and those comprising a dimethylpolysiloxane portion having a molecular weight of 350 to 15,000 and a polyoxyalkylene portion having a molecular weight of 200 to 4000 are particularly preferable. . The molecular structure of the polyoxyalkylene moiety is preferably an ethylene oxide addition polymer or a co-addition polymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and it is also preferable that the molecular end be ethylene oxide. Examples of the surfactant include cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, ionic surfactants such as amphoteric surfactants, and nonionic surfactants such as various polyethers and various polyesters.
[0036]
The amount of the silicone foam stabilizer and various surfactants is preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the foam raw material. preferable.
[0037]
The elastic layer 2 formed by the above-mentioned molding step of the present invention comprises: (1) a so-called integral skin foam (foam layer and skin layer) which simultaneously forms a skin layer on the roller surface during molding; and (2) a roller surface skin. There is a molded article of a type that does not form a layer (only the foam layer), but when the latter molded article is used and the solid layer 3 is applied and formed on this surface, the surface of the molded article becomes porous. The improved adhesion of the coating film to be applied and the absence of the base skin result in a softer surface hardness of the product, reducing the stress on the toner, and the fit to curved surfaces when contacting an OPC drum etc. This is advantageous in terms of performance. The skin layer of the elastic layer 2 obtained by the former method can be used after being removed by polishing.
[0038]
Therefore, the solid layer 3 is applied and formed on the foam layer of the elastic layer 2 or on the skin layer formed on the foam layer surface. As described above, the solid layer 3 is formed of one or more resin layers. If at least one of the resin layers is formed by applying a UV curable resin, the intended effect of the present invention can be obtained. Obtainable.
[0039]
The thickness of the solid layer is suitably from 10 to 500 μm, preferably from 50 to 300 μm for the purpose of improving the strength of the surface, and the physical properties such as the electrical properties of the surface (interface) and the prevention of toner adhesion. When the purpose is to improve the mechanical properties, the thickness is suitably 1 to 50 μm, preferably 3 to 30 μm.
[0040]
The UV-curable resin is not particularly limited, but a (meth) acrylate-based UV-curable resin composition containing a (meth) acrylate oligomer and a UV polymerization initiator is preferable.
[0041]
Examples of the (meth) acrylate oligomer include an epoxy (meth) acrylate oligomer, a urethane (meth) acrylate oligomer, an ether (meth) acrylate oligomer, an ester (meth) acrylate oligomer, and a polycarbonate (meth) acrylate oligomer. And fluorine-based and silicone-based acrylic oligomers.
[0042]
The (meth) acrylate oligomer includes compounds such as polyethylene glycol, polyoxypropylene glycol, polytetramethylene ether glycol, bisphenol A type epoxy resin, phenol novolak type epoxy resin, and adduct of polyhydric alcohol and ε-caprolactone; It can be synthesized by a reaction with (meth) acrylic acid or by urethane-forming a polyisocyanate compound and a (meth) acrylate compound having a hydroxyl group.
[0043]
Examples of the epoxy-based (meth) acrylate oligomer include any compound as long as it is a reaction product of a compound having a glycidyl group and (meth) acrylic acid. Among them, a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring, a spiro ring, dicyclopentadiene, A reaction product of a compound having a cyclic structure such as tricyclodecane and having a glycidyl group and (meth) acrylic acid is preferred.
[0044]
The urethane (meth) acrylate oligomer is obtained by urethane-forming a polyol, an isocyanate compound and a (meth) acrylate compound having a hydroxyl group. As the polyol and the isocyanate compound, those similar to those exemplified as constituting the polyurethane foam raw material as the foam raw material can be used.
[0045]
Further, ether (meth) acrylate oligomer, ester (meth) acrylate oligomer and polycarbonate (meth) acrylate oligomer are obtained by reacting polyol (polyether polyol, polyester polyol and polycarbonate polyol) with (meth) acrylic acid. Can be obtained by As the polyol, those similar to those exemplified as constituting the polyurethane foam raw material as the foam raw material can be used.
[0046]
A reactive diluent having a polymerizable double bond is added to the ultraviolet-curable resin composition for viscosity adjustment, if necessary. Examples of such a reactive diluent include a monofunctional, bifunctional or polyfunctional polymerizable compound having a structure in which (meth) acrylic acid is bonded to a compound containing an amino group or a hydroxyl group by an esterification reaction and an amidation reaction. Compounds and the like can be used. These diluents are preferably used in an amount of usually 10 to 200 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the (meth) acrylate oligomer.
[0047]
When the foam roller of the present invention is a conductive roller, it is preferable to add a conductive material to the ultraviolet curable resin in order to impart conductivity not only to the elastic layer 2 but also to the solid layer 3. . As the conductive material, the ionic conductive material or the electronic conductive material exemplified above as the conductive material to be added to the foam raw material can be appropriately used.
[0048]
Known UV polymerization initiators can be used, for example, 4-dimethylaminobenzoic acid, 4-dimethylaminobenzoic acid ester, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, acetophenone diethyl ketal, alkoxy Benzophenone derivatives such as acetophenone, benzyldimethylketal, benzophenone and 3,3-dimethyl-4-methoxybenzophenone, 4,4-dimethoxybenzophenone, 4,4-diaminobenzophenone, alkyl benzoylbenzoate, bis (4-dialkylaminophenyl) Ketones, benzyl derivatives such as benzyl and benzyl methyl ketal, benzoin derivatives such as benzoin and benzoin isobutyl ether, benzoin isopropyl ether, 2-hydroxy-2-meth Lepropiophenone, 1-hydroxycyclohexylphenyl ketone, xanthone, thioxanthone and thioxanthone derivatives, fluorene, 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide, bis (2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl) -2,4,4-trimethyl Pentylphosphine oxide, bis (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) -phenylphosphine oxide, 2-methyl-1- [4- (methylthio) phenyl] -2-morpholinopropane-1,2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino -1- (morpholinophenyl) -butanone-1 and the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
[0049]
The amount of the ultraviolet polymerization initiator is preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the (meth) acrylate oligomer.
[0050]
In the present invention, in addition to the above essential components, if necessary, a tertiary amine such as triethylamine and triethanolamine, and an alkyl such as triphenylphosphine for promoting the photopolymerization reaction by the above photopolymerization initiator. A phosphine-based photopolymerization accelerator, a thioether-based photopolymerization accelerator such as p-thiodiglycol, or the like may be added. The addition amount of these compounds is usually preferably in the range of 0.01 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the (meth) acrylate oligomer.
[0051]
In the production method of the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the method of applying the ultraviolet curable resin to the surface of the elastic layer 2, such as a method of dipping a foam roller in a resin solution, a spray coating method, a roll coating method, and the like. Can be appropriately selected and used according to the situation.
[0052]
As a light source for irradiating ultraviolet rays, any of commonly used mercury lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, ultrahigh-pressure mercury lamps, metal halide lamps, xenon lamps and the like can be used. In addition, the condition of the ultraviolet irradiation may be appropriately selected according to the type and the application amount of the ultraviolet curable resin, and the illuminance is 100 to 700 mW / cm.², Integrated light amount 200-3000mJ / cm²Is appropriate.
[0053]
The foam roller of the present invention manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention can be used for an image forming apparatus such as a plain paper copying machine, a plain paper facsimile machine, a laser beam printer, a color laser beam printer, and a toner jet printer. It is preferably used as a transfer roller, a paper feed roller, a toner supply roller, or the like. That is, the image forming apparatus of the present invention may be any one in which the above-described foamed roller of the present invention is mounted as various roller members, and the conditions of other members and the like are not particularly limited. As an example of such an image forming apparatus, for example, an apparatus provided with a non-magnetic one-component type developing device shown in FIG. 3 using the foam roller 10 as a toner supply roller is exemplified. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes toner, 12 denotes a developing roller, 13 denotes an image forming body, 14 denotes a cleaning unit, 15 denotes a cleaning blade, and 16 denotes a blade.
[0054]
【Example】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described specifically with reference to Examples.
Example 1
As shown in FIG. 1 (a), after setting a metal shaft 2 having a diameter of 6 mm as shown in FIG. 1 from an opening on one side of a metal cylindrical mold 1 having an inner diameter of 16 mm and a length of 250 mm and having an inner surface treated with fluorine, 20.0 g of a liquid mixture having the composition shown in Table 1 below was injected into the cavity from a foaming machine for RIM molding equipped with a mixing head to fill the cavity.
[0055]
Thereafter, the mold was cured in an oven at 80 ° C. for 1.0 minute and demolded to obtain a urethane foam roller in which the shaft 1 and the urethane foam as the elastic layer 2 were integrated. The resulting roller has a foam density of 0.36 g / cm.³And a molded article having uniform density and hardness throughout.
[0056]
When this substrate was sliced in a direction perpendicular to the axis 1 and observed, it was found that the inside had a uniform cell density, the density gradient of the surface layer portion, and the formation of solid skin was not recognized. Further, when the roller surface was similarly observed under magnification, it was found that the surface was porous and foam cells were also formed on the surface.
[0057]
Next, the surface of the roller was coated with a UV-curable resin solution having the composition shown in Table 2 below using a roll coater so as to have a thickness of 100 μm, and using Ushio Electric's Unicure UVH-0252C. While rotating the sample, illuminance 400 mW / cm², Integrated light quantity 1000mJ / cm²When UV irradiation was performed, the coated UV resin was instantaneously cured to form an elastic solid layer 3. The obtained roller was suitable for a paper feeding roller, a transfer roller, a developing roller, a charging roller, and the like.
[0058]
Example 2
The urethane foam as the elastic layer 2 was given the conductivity as the content shown in Table 1 below, and the solid layer 3 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition was also shown in Table 2 below. A roller was made.
[0059]
The coated UV resin was instantaneously cured in the same manner as in Example 1 to form an elastic solid layer 3. The obtained roller was pressed against an aluminum plate by applying a load of 0.1 N to both ends, and when a voltage of 200 V was applied between the shaft and the aluminum plate, 2 × 10⁷It was confirmed that the roller had a conductivity of Ω and was suitable for various rollers requiring conductivity.
[0060]
[Table 1]

[0061]
[Table 2]

[0062]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the following advantages can be obtained by applying the RIM molding method and the UV curable resin.
That is, the number of mold surfaces can be reduced to about 1/5 or less and the molding line length can be reduced to 1/3 or less, so that the initial capital investment can be reduced and the space occupied by the factory can be reduced. Further, since a long drying line is not required, a process space and expensive equipment are not required, which is advantageous in cost. Further, the size can be easily changed in both the forming step and the subsequent coating step. Furthermore, since molding / curing under constant conditions can be performed with good reproducibility, it is possible to suppress quality variations between rollers.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cylindrical mold according to a manufacturing method of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the foam roller of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a non-magnetic one-component developing device.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 axis
2 elastic layer
3 solid layer
10mm foam roller
11 toner
12mm developing roller
13 image forming body
14 Cleaning unit
15 cleaning blade
16mm blade
20 cylindrical type

Claims (7)

A method for producing a foam roller, wherein an elastic layer composed of a foam layer or a foam layer and a skin layer and a solid layer composed of one or more resin layers are formed on the outer periphery of a shaft. A foam comprising a molding step of injecting the component into the cylindrical mold in a state where the shaft is provided on the center line of the cylindrical mold, and integrally forming the elastic layer on the outer periphery of the shaft. In the method of manufacturing a roller,
In the molding step, the elastic layer is formed by mixing and injecting two types of monomer components constituting the raw material components into the cylindrical mold, causing a polymerization reaction and foaming at the same time, and after the molding step, A method for manufacturing a foamed roller, wherein at least one of the resin layers is formed by applying and curing an ultraviolet curable resin on the elastic layer. The method according to claim 1, wherein the foam layer is formed of a polyurethane foam. The method for producing a foam roller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a (meth) acrylate-based ultraviolet-curable resin composition is used as the ultraviolet-curable resin. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elastic layer or the elastic layer and the solid layer contain a conductive material. The method for manufacturing a foamed roller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the solid layer is formed with a thickness of 1 to 500 m. A foam roller manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 1. An image forming apparatus provided with the foam roller according to claim 6.

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