JP2005089790A - Seamless belt substrate, production method therefor, and seamless belt for heat fixing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low cost and simple seamless belt substrate having excellent heat resistance, high durability, and resistance to bending, and in which occurrence of kinks or the like can be prevented despite a thin film, and to provide its production method. <P>SOLUTION: In the seamless belt substrate, the main component in the material of the substrate is a nickel metal comprising ≥5 wt.% cobalt, and its hardness Hv is 450 to 550. The seamless belt substrate is formed so that compressive stress satisfies the electrodeposition stress of 0 to -5 kg/mm<SP>2</SP>. Both the end parts are cut by the peripheries of roller edges confronted each other, and the cutting level difference is ≤0.05 mm. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a seamless belt substrate for heat fixing used in an image forming apparatus, a method for producing the substrate, and a seamless belt.

  In image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic and electrostatic recording copying machines, facsimiles, and laser beam printers, in general, (1) a process for uniformly and uniformly charging the surface of a photoconductor, and (2) image exposure are performed. A step of forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor, (3) a step of forming a toner image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image, and (4) transferring the toner image on the photoconductor to transfer paper or OHP. An image is formed by a series of steps including a step of transferring onto a transfer material such as a sheet, and (5) a step of heating and fixing the toner image on the transfer material. As the toner, colored particles containing a binder resin and a colorant are used. The fixing of the toner image is usually performed by heating and pressurizing the toner image on the transfer material to melt or soften the toner and fix it on the transfer material.

  In recent years, endless belt members (endless belts) have been used in place of conventionally used roller members in order to meet the demands for downsizing, energy saving, printing and copying speeds, and the like. Yes. In the conventional fixing roller, since it takes a relatively long time to heat the surface to the fixing temperature by the heating means built in the fixing roller after the power is turned on, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine There was a problem that waiting time occurred in the use of. In contrast, a fixing belt made of an endless belt member is provided with a heating means that comes into contact with the inner surface of the fixing belt, so that the toner image on the transfer material is heated almost directly only through the thin fixing belt. Therefore, there is an advantage that the waiting time after power-on can be eliminated. An electromagnetic induction heating method can also be applied to a fixing belt using an endless metal belt base material.

  As such a fixing belt, a seamless belt in which a release layer of a fluororesin is formed is used for heat fixing. The seamless belt base is made of electrocasting, but has the disadvantage that it breaks and breaks when the fixing process is repeated at a heating temperature of 160 to 180 ° C. in the image forming apparatus. doing.

  The cause of the cracks and fractures is that the electrocasting liquid composition contains several percent sulfur, and the nickel film to be electrodeposited contains about 0.01 to 0.04% sulfur. It is mentioned that when heat is continuously applied, sulfur embrittlement that easily becomes brittle occurs. Furthermore, since the baking conditions for forming the release layer of the fluororesin formed on the seamless belt substrate are at a high temperature of 340 to 360 ° C. and a holding time of 15 to 20 minutes, sulfur brittleness is caused. .

Next, it is concretely based on FIG. 1 that cracks and breaks occur due to repeated use, and that a seamless belt on which a release layer of fluororesin is formed is used for heat fixing. Explained.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a heat fixing unit incorporated in an image forming apparatus.
In the heat fixing unit 1 shown in FIG. 1, a toner image is formed on a recording paper 3 by an image forming unit 2 of an image forming apparatus using a photoconductor, and is conveyed on a transfer belt 4 to be a heating roller made of silicon rubber. 5 and a pressure roller 8 made of silicon rubber coating are pressed against a fixing belt 7 stretched by a fixing roller 6 made of silicon rubber coating, and are heated under pressure when passing through a nip portion 9 having a width of 5 to 8 mm. Then, the toner image is fixed, conveyed to the external tray by the paper discharge roller 10, and distributed and stored.

  Here, at least 150 to 160 ° C. is required to fix the unfixed toner image on the recording paper 3. Further, the toner image is fixed by setting the nip portion 9 to a width of 5 to 8 mm and pressurizing and heating the toner on the recording paper to melt and penetrate the toner. At this time, since the heat capacity varies depending on the thickness of the recording paper 3 to be used, the fixing temperature is set to 170 to 180 ° C. The heat necessary for fixing is supplied from the halogen heater 12 of the heating roller 5, and the heating temperature is detected by the temperature sensor 11 at the entrance of the nip portion 9. There is also a model in which the fixing roller 6 and the pressure roller 8 are also provided with a halogen heater for preheating and supplied with heat to shorten the rise time of the temperature of the fixing belt 7 and efficiently fix.

  Heat supply by the halogen heater 12 to the fixing belt 7 is supplied through a 0.1 to 0.2 mm silicon rubber layer 14 coated on the surface of the aluminum base 13 of the heating roller 5 to heat the seamless belt base 15, The fixing temperature of 170 to 180 ° C. is set by heating the 0.05 to 0.1 mm silicon rubber layer 16 and the 10 to 15 μm fluororesin layer 17 coated on the upper layer.

  However, since the fixing temperature of 170 to 180 ° C. is a steady one and may be 200 ° C. or more when the image forming apparatus is started up, in a fixing belt based on a nickel simple substance formed by electroforming, In terms of durability, brittleness accompanied by sulfur brittleness is likely to occur, and cracks tend to break, and it has been considered unsuitable for heat fixing. However, with the colorization of the image forming apparatus, the fixing heating temperature and the applied pressure are reduced due to the color development property of the toner and the width of the nip portion 9 can be increased using a belt member. A fixing method using a belt has been demanded, and an attempt has been made to improve a seamless belt base mainly composed of nickel. That is, when a base made of electrocasting mainly composed of nickel is used as the base of the seamless belt for heat fixing, nickel is alloyed and electrodeposited to improve heat resistance and be a thin film resistant to bending However, attempts have been made to prevent the occurrence of kinks and the like.

  As a substrate for solving these problems, for example, JP 09-34286 A (Patent Document 1), JP 2001-225134 A (Patent Document 2), JP 2002-206188 A (Patent Document 3). ), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-241984 (Patent Document 4), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-258648 (Patent Document 5).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a fixing belt capable of circulating around a nip portion between a pressure member and a nip portion for pressure-fixing an unfixed toner image on a recording medium. An endless fixing belt for an electrophotographic apparatus is disclosed which is formed by using an endless electric sheet having a micro Vickers hardness of 450 to 650 made of a nickel-manganese alloy containing 0.5 to 0.6% by weight as a base. The endless fixing belt of Patent Document 1 uses a long-life fixing belt for a metal electrophotographic apparatus having high thermal conductivity, high rigidity, excellent heat resistance and fatigue resistance, and such a fixing belt. The fixing device incorporated has the advantage of high durability.

However, in the endless fixing belt of Patent Document 1, when an alloy is mainly formed of nickel metal by an electroforming method, the standard electrode potential (quantized ionization sequence) is manganese-1.18V, nickel- 0.25V, the potential difference between them is as large as 0.93, and manganese is more likely to be electrodeposited. Therefore, the current density is higher than the current density of 4-5 A / dm ² of ordinary nickel electroforming, and the current density is 7 A / dm 2. ² is required. As a result, there is a defect that protrusion defects are generated on the surface of the electrodeposited film to be formed and are easily grown, and that the liquid composition is difficult to manage in an electrolytic bath produced continuously.

  In Patent Document 2, a metal material having high thermal conductivity and durability is used as the material of the photosensitive member and the fixing metal cylinder. Further, this metal material can be used as a belt or a sleeve by a spinning method which is a rotational plastic processing method. It is disclosed to process a metal cylinder having a thickness of 0.03 to 0.09 mm. According to Patent Document 2, it is possible to further reduce the size of electrophotographic printers and copiers, shorten the time required for toner fixing, reduce power consumption, and turn on a switch to instantly copy. There is an advantage that it is possible to provide a photoreceptor and a fixing metal cylinder capable of starting the process.

  However, the fixing metal cylinder of Patent Document 2 is formed by a spinning method as a thin film processing method obtained by nickel electroforming, and the defect of the material structure of the nickel electroformed thin film is changed by the processing method. It must be annealed for work-hardening and distortion removal due to heat treatment, and kinks due to slight bending when handling a thin substrate of 20 to 30 μm, which becomes a seamless belt for heat fixing, are likely to occur, making handling difficult and productivity Has the disadvantage of lacking.

  Patent Document 3 provides an electroformed nickel belt that is extremely low in hardness and strength under heat treatment and high-temperature conditions, and has outstanding durability. A coated nickel belt excellent in durability and durability and a method for producing the same, and a crystal represented by a ratio of the peak intensity on the (200) plane to the peak intensity on the (111) plane measured by X-ray diffraction An electroformed nickel belt having an orientation plane strength ratio of 0.6 or more, a coated nickel belt using the electroformed nickel belt as a metal belt substrate, and a method for producing the same are disclosed.

  In the coated nickel belt of Patent Document 3, when forming an electroformed nickel belt having heat resistance, when the peak intensity in the (111) plane is increased by analyzing the peak intensity in X-ray diffraction, the crystal structure is random. Since the tendency to show layered orientation increases as the peak intensity on the (200) plane increases, the bending resistance of the electroformed nickel belt is improved, heat resistance is improved, and high durability can be achieved. There are advantages.

  However, in the coated nickel belt of Patent Document 3, the layered electrodeposition film is formed in a low current region and the film thickness is deposited at 0.4 to 0.6 μm / min. Electroforming time of 50 minutes or more is required to obtain a film thickness of 30 to 35 μm, which is normally used as a nickel belt, so it is more accurate and expensive than the case of a deposited film thickness of 0.8 to 1.0 μm / min. There is a drawback in that the number of manufacturing electrocast metal molds, equipment space, equipment costs, utilities, etc. increase.

  Patent Document 4 discloses an electroformed nickel belt containing at least one metal element belonging to Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the periodic table in a mass fraction of 10 to 10,000 ppm, and further manganese. An electroformed nickel belt containing 0.01 to 0.50% by mass, an electroformed nickel belt having a sulfur content of 0.05% by mass or less, an electroformed nickel belt having a crystal transition temperature of 340 ° C. or higher, and An electroformed nickel belt having an intensity ratio of the crystal orientation plane represented by the ratio of the peak intensity at the (200) plane to the peak intensity at the (111) plane measured by X-ray diffraction is 0.6 or more, and the Vickers hardness is There is disclosed an electroformed nickel belt having a Vickers hardness change rate of 300 to 480 and an absolute value of 10% or less after a heat aging test at 230 ° C. for 2 days. The electroformed nickel belt of Patent Document 4 has the advantage that the decrease in hardness and strength under heat treatment and high temperature conditions is extremely small and the durability is remarkably excellent.

  However, in the electrocast nickel belt of Patent Document 4, like the coated nickel belt of Patent Document 3, there is an increase in the number of high-accuracy and high-priced electroformed metal masters, equipment space, equipment costs, utilities, etc. There is a disadvantage that it increases.

  Patent Document 5 has a release layer and a nickel electroformed metal layer, and the nickel electroforming has a crystal orientation of (200) plane priority growth with a crystal orientation ratio of I (200) / I (111) 3 or higher. And a fixing belt having a micro Vickers hardness of 280 to 450 is disclosed. The fixing belt of Patent Document 5 has high durability, and when this belt is used, an image heating apparatus capable of low-energy heating using a heating body having a small heat capacity, and a highly durable and reliable image heating apparatus are provided. can do.

  However, in the fixing belt of Patent Document 5, like the coated nickel belts of Patent Documents 3 and 4, there is an increase in the number of high-precision, high-priced electroformed metal masters, equipment space, equipment costs, utilities, etc. There is a disadvantage that it increases.

  As described above, even if the conventional seamless belt substrate is improved in durability at high temperatures, it has not yet been sufficient in terms of inexpensive and simple production. Therefore, it is expected to provide a seamless belt substrate that is excellent in durability at high temperatures and that can be manufactured inexpensively and easily. Specifically, nickel is alloyed and electrodeposited to improve heat resistance, and a seamless belt substrate that does not generate kinks or the like even with a thin film resistant to bending is required. It is required to produce a seamless belt substrate using an outer diameter of a metal matrix in order to facilitate the release of an electrodeposited film using an easy liquid and to prevent the occurrence of kinks and the like. .

JP 09-34286 A JP 2001-225134 A JP 2002-206188 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-241984 JP 2002-258648 A

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can prevent the occurrence of kinks and the like even with a thin film having excellent heat resistance, high durability, and resistance to bending, and is manufactured inexpensively and easily. An object of the present invention is to provide a seamless belt substrate that can be manufactured, and a method for manufacturing the same.

According to the present invention, there are provided a seamless belt substrate, a method for producing the seamless belt substrate, and a seamless belt for heat fixing described below.
[1] The base material is nickel metal containing 5% by weight or more of cobalt, the hardness Hv is 450 to 550, and the electrodeposition stress is a compressive stress of 0 to -5 kg / mm ^2. A seamless belt substrate made of a nickel-cobalt alloy, characterized in that both end portions are cut at the peripheral edges of the opposing roller blades, and the cutting step is 0.05 mm or less.
[2] The seamless belt substrate according to [1], wherein the film thickness is 25 to 30 μm.
[3] A method for producing a seamless belt substrate, wherein the seamless belt substrate according to [1] or [2] is formed by a nickel sulfamate / cobalt bath electroforming method.
[4] In the sulfamate nickel cobalt bath electroforming method, using an electrolytic solution containing cobalt sulfamate 10 to 15 g / l in the liquid of nickel sulfamate 450~550g / l, of 4~5A / dm ² The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to [3], wherein the substrate is produced with an electrolytic current density.
[5] The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to [4], wherein 50 to 100 ppm of saccharin is added to the electrolytic solution as a compressive stress adjusting agent for the deposited film.
[6] A soluble anode is used to supply nickel and cobalt ions into the electrolytic solution, an electrolytic current having a current density of 4 to 5 A / dm ² is continuously supplied to the nickel anode plate of the soluble anode, and the cobalt anode of the soluble anode The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to [1] or [5], wherein an electrolytic current is adjusted and supplied to the plate in accordance with a composition ratio of cobalt ions in the electrolysis solution.
[7] The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to [6], wherein the soluble anode is made of a nickel-cobalt alloy formed using a 7 to 10 mm pellet-shaped active anode.
[8] The seamless belt base is formed by using an outer diameter surface of a metal matrix that is mirror-finished so that the outer diameter surface roughness is Rz 0.1 μm or less and the outer diameter straightness is 10 μm or less. ] The manufacturing method of the seamless belt base | substrate in any one of [7].
[9] The seamless belt substrate according to [8], wherein the metal matrix is provided with cut portions for cutting off the electrodeposited films at both ends so that the range of the seamless belt width is 3 μm or less. Production method.
[10] Silicon rubber and fluororubber are formed on the seamless belt substrate according to [1] or [2] or the seamless belt substrate manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any of [3] to [9]. A seamless belt for heat fixing, which is formed by sequentially coating and firing.
[11] The heat fixing apparatus according to [9], wherein both ends serving as a member width used in the image forming apparatus are cut into a cutting step of 0.05 mm or less at the peripheral edge of the roller roller facing each other. Seamless belt.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the nickel metal, which is the main component of the heat-fixing seamless belt substrate material of the image forming apparatus, contains 5% by weight or more of cobalt for improving heat resistance, so that the hardness is higher than that of nickel alone. cured in the range of Hv450～550, electrodeposition stress is formed by the compressive stress of 0~-5kg / mm ² range, forming a step by cutting with a roller blade periphery facing the opposite ends of the base body to 0.05mm or less This improves the heat resistance when forming a release layer made of a fluororesin as a functional film under conditions of a baking temperature of 340 to 360 ° C. and a baking time of 20 minutes, and heat fixing in the image forming apparatus The heat resistance is improved even when heat stress of 160 to 180 ° C. is repeated, and the fixing nip formed by the heat fixing device has a predetermined width in the range of the hardness Hv 450 to 550 of the seamless belt substrate. Crack damage from the edge that occurs in the durability of the substrate can be ensured by cutting the both ends of the substrate at the peripheral edge of the opposing roller blade to a cutting step of 0.05 mm or less. Thermal brittleness due to the processing heat is reduced, and durability is ensured. Further, by forming the electrodeposition stress with a compressive stress in the range of 0 to −5 kg / mm ² , mold release can be easily performed using the outer diameter of the metal matrix.
According to the invention according to claim 2, by forming the film thickness thinner than the base made of nickel alone, the flexibility of the cured portion is given, and the bending load on the front and back of the film is reduced. Durability can be secured.
According to the invention of claim 3, by forming the seamless belt substrate by the nickel sulfamate / cobalt bath electrocasting method, a seamless belt substrate having a uniform film thickness distribution of 3 μm or less can be obtained. Flexible hardness Hv450-550 necessary for the heat treatment, and heat resistance of 25-30 μm film thickness with hardness that does not easily cause bending such as kinks during handling even if the film thickness is made thinner than nickel alone An excellent seamless belt substrate can be obtained.
According to the invention of claim 4, the electrocasting liquid composition is an electroforming liquid containing 10 to 15 g / l of cobalt sulfamate in a liquid of nickel sulfamate 450 to 550 g / l, and an electrolysis current density of 4 to 5 A / Electrodeposition at dm ² results in a film deposition amount of 0.8 to 1.0 μm / min, which can be processed in a manufacturing time of about 30 minutes to obtain a seamless belt substrate, and is highly accurate and expensive electroforming It can be produced without increasing the number of metal molds, equipment space, equipment costs, utilities, etc.
In addition, since it is an electrodeposited film containing 5% by weight or more of cobalt in nickel metal, it can be formed thin by increasing the hardness of the film, and it can be flexibly secured and has improved heat resistance. A seamless belt substrate can be obtained.
According to the invention according to claim 5, by forming a nickel-cobalt alloy seamless belt substrate from a nickel-cobalt sulfamate electroforming solution to which 50 to 100 ppm of saccharin is added as a stress adjusting agent, electrodeposition stress is applied to the electrodeposited film. A compressive stress in the range of 0 to -5 kg / mm ² works easily, and the sulfur content in the film becomes small.
In addition, in order to form a film with compressive stress, use of the outer surface of the metal matrix and an anode plate that can be manufactured by reducing the width of the film thickness distribution are arranged on the outer periphery of the metal matrix. Therefore, the layout on the apparatus configuration for obtaining a constant film thickness of 25 to 30 μm and a film thickness distribution of 3 μm or less is facilitated. In addition, the electrodeposited film can be easily released from the metal matrix using compressive stress.
According to the invention concerning claim 6, the ratio of nickel sulfamate to cobalt sulfamate is in the range of 30/1 to 40/1 in the liquid composition for containing 5 wt% or more of cobalt in nickel metal. Since the cobalt component, which is relatively easily electrodeposited during production, is consumed quickly by adjusting to electrolysis, a nickel anode plate and a cobalt anode plate are arranged in the electrolytic solution. By continuously supplying a current density of 4 to 5 A / dm ² which is a main electrolysis current for obtaining a film thickness of 25 to 30 μm, it is possible to ensure the formation of an electrodeposited film thickness and to consume cobalt in the cobalt anode plate. By supplying the current density by adjusting the current density according to the composition ratio of cobalt ions in the electrolysis solution for replenishment of ions, the replenishment of cobalt components accompanying production can be stably supplied, and the liquid composition is large. Can be suppressed to vary, is reduced the number of analytical control of the liquid, it is possible to obtain a seamless belt base made of nickel-cobalt alloy under the control of easy liquid composition.
According to the invention according to claim 7, by using pellets having a diameter of 7 to 10 mm as active anodes for the formation of electrodeposited films and ion replenishment anode plates, the active anode surface area can be increased, and the dissolution rate is reduced by the electrodeposition current. The amount of added halide such as nickel bromide can be reduced as an anodic dissolution accelerator in electroforming liquid, and the surface of the metal matrix for electrodepositing a seamless belt substrate is caused by corrosion. The occurrence of fine pitting corrosion can be suppressed, and the metal matrix can be used for a long time, and a seamless belt substrate made of a nickel-cobalt alloy can be obtained.
According to the invention of claim 8, the electrodeposited film is subjected to compressive stress in the range of electrodeposition stress of 0 to -5 kg / mm ² so that the outer diameter surface roughness is Rz 0.1 μm or less and the outer diameter straightness is 10 μm or less. Seamless belt base made of nickel-cobalt alloy with improved heat resistance, which makes it easy to release the electrodeposited film with an inner diameter of φ50mm or more by producing it using the outer surface of the mirror-finished metal matrix Can be produced.
According to the invention according to claim 8, the cutting using the roller blade periphery is provided by providing the cutting part for cutting off the electrodeposited film in the range of the film thickness distribution of 3 μm or more at both ends which becomes the width of the seamless belt base of the metal matrix. When cutting to the seamless belt width in the process, the deviation of the start and end of the seamless belt is reduced, and the cutting step that can suppress cracks from the cutting step during use can be made 0.05 mm or less. . Further, a gap based on a compressive stress is formed between the outer surface of the metal matrix and the electrodeposited film that has been cut off, so that release by blowing compressed air can be facilitated.
According to the invention of claim 10, a seamless belt substrate containing 5% by weight or more of cobalt is coated with a silicon rubber layer, and a fluororesin layer is fired at a temperature of 340 to 360 ° C. for 20 minutes. Even when used repeatedly, cracks are less likely to occur, and the fixing heating temperature is usually 160 to 180 ° C. as a seamless belt for fixing and heating in the image forming apparatus, or 180 to 200 depending on the thickness of the recording paper used. Even when used at a heating temperature of ℃, it is more heat resistant than nickel alone and exhibits excellent durability.
According to the invention of claim 11, a seamless belt substrate made of a nickel-cobalt alloy containing 5% by weight or more of cobalt is coated with a fluororesin layer on the upper layer before the functional film is formed or after the silicon rubber layer is coated. Cracks in repeated use by cutting the both ends of the member width used in the image forming apparatus at the periphery of the opposing roller blades to a cutting step of 0.05 mm or less as a seamless belt for fixing and heating formed by firing. Since the generation of heat is prevented and the temperature at which heat embrittlement occurs is not reached because the heat generated by cutting is very small, a problem in durability is less likely to occur.

In the seamless belt substrate of the present invention, the main component of the substrate material is nickel metal containing 5 wt% or more of cobalt, the hardness Hv is 450 to 550, and the electrodeposition stress is 0 to −5 kg / mm ² . It forms so that it may become stress, and it cut | disconnects by the roller blade periphery which both ends oppose, The cutting | disconnection level | step difference is 0.05 mm or less. The seamless belt substrate of the present invention contains 5% by weight or more of cobalt in nickel metal, which is the main component of the substrate material, so that the heat resistance is improved and the heat resistance when forming a release layer made of fluororesin is improved. In addition, the heat resistance is improved even when heat stress of 160 to 180 ° C. is repeated during heat fixing in the image forming apparatus. Further, since the hardness Hv of the seamless belt substrate is in the range of 450 to 550, the fixing nip formed by the heat fixing device can be secured to a predetermined width. In addition, since both ends of the substrate are cut at the peripheral edge of the opposing roller blade to form a cutting step of 0.05 mm or less, crack damage from the end that triggers crack initiation is unlikely to occur, and excellent durability is achieved. Therefore, thermal brittleness due to processing heat at the time of cutting is reduced, and durability is ensured. In addition, since the electrodeposition stress is formed with a compressive stress in the range of 0 to -5 kg / mm ² , mold release can be easily performed using the outer diameter of the metal matrix.

  The film thickness of the seamless belt substrate of the present invention is preferably 25 to 30 μm. In this way, when the film thickness is made thinner than the base made of nickel alone, the flexibility is maintained even if it is cured, the bending load on the front and back of the film is reduced, and durability is ensured. .

  The seamless belt substrate of the present invention is preferably formed by a nickel sulfamate / cobalt bath electroforming method. Next, the nickel sulfamate / cobalt bath electroforming method will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows the production process of forming a nickel-cobalt seamless belt substrate containing 5% by weight or more of cobalt, coating the functional film on the substrate, and cutting the member to a width required for the image forming apparatus. It is a thing.

In the nickel sulfamate / cobalt electroforming step 18 shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical metal mold 20 detachably attached to the carrier 19 is transported to the standby position 21, and the surface of the cylindrical metal mold 20 is moved in the process A. The surface is activated in order to polish and deposit the electrodeposition film by polishing with a polishing cloth 22.
Next, in step B, cleaning with pure water and sponge 23 and heating before electroforming to 40 ° C. are performed so that the surface of the cylindrical metal mold 20 is not dried when it is conveyed.
Next, in Step C, a liquid temperature of 55 to 60 ° C. in which cobalt sulfamate 10 to 15 g / l and saccharin 50 to 100 ppm as a compressive stress adjusting agent for the deposited film were added in a nickel sulfamate 450 to 550 g / l liquid. An ion-permeable diaphragm cathode case 24 is used to enhance the effect of air stirring of the electrolyte, and to prevent the formation of protrusions on the surface of the electrodeposited film from foreign matter in the electrolyte. The cylindrical metal matrix 20 is rotated at 6 to 10 rpm at the center of the cathode case 24 to supply an electric current having an electrolytic current density of 4 to 5 A / dm ^{2, and} an electrodeposition time of about 1 μm / min is 25 to 30 μm. A film thickness is produced.

The film thickness thus obtained is 4-5 μm thinner than that of nickel alone. This is to provide flexibility for repeated bendability. The replenishment of metal ions by electroforming is performed by supplying active nickel pellets of a soluble anode into the anode back 25, and similarly supplying active cobalt pellets of a soluble anode into the anode back 26, and an anode into which the active nickel pellets are charged. This is performed by supplying a current to the back metal 25 with an electrolytic current density of 4 to 5 A / dm ² to form a film thickness between the back metal 25 and the cylindrical metal matrix 20. By supplying an electrolytic current of 1/30 to 1/40 as the current corresponding to the composition ratio of the electrolytic solution to the anode back 26 into which the active cobalt pellets are charged, cobalt sulfamate is replenished as cobalt metal ions. The number of times can be reduced, management becomes easy, and fluctuations in cobalt metal ions in the electrolyte can be suppressed.

Next, in Step D, the electrolytic solution adhering to the cylindrical metal matrix 20 and the electrodeposited film is washed away, and in Step E, the electrodeposited film formed on the surface of the cylindrical metal matrix 20 is washed with pure water and dried. Therefore, heating is performed at 60 to 70 ° C., and the water is dried with an air knife or the like at the time of pulling up so that there is no stain.
Next, a release tool 27 is attached and clamped to the outer diameter surfaces at both ends of the electrodeposited film having a thickness distribution of 3 μm or more of the cylindrical metal mold 20 in the process F, and the cylindrical metal mold 20 is clamped. The film thickness increasing portion 28 of the electrodeposited film having a width of 20 to 30 mm formed on both ends is manually peeled off in the direction of the arrow from the pointed-shaped peeling start portion 29 that is insulated around, and cut off. The mold 27 for release is opened and the high-pressure air is cut off between the cylindrical metal matrix 20 and the electrodeposited film at both ends, and is peeled away to remove the entire mold. It is dropped onto the cushion sponge 31 of the jig 30 and taken out.

  If a seamless belt substrate is manufactured through the steps A to F, a substrate having a film thickness of 25 to 30 μm is formed. This base is 4-5 μm thinner than a single nickel, flexible against repeated bendability, and a kink that poses a problem in the case of a nickel-cobalt alloy seamless belt base containing 5% by weight or more of cobalt. It is excellent in durability without generating such a minute bend. According to the present invention, such a substrate can be manufactured with high productivity.

  Next, the electrodeposited film 32 dropped on the receiving jig 30 and taken out is used as a seamless belt substrate of the image forming apparatus, as a photosensitive layer as a photosensitive member, and as a seamless belt for heat fixing, a silicon rubber layer and a silicon rubber layer. After the formation, a functional film such as a fluororesin layer is coated and cut in a cutting step 33 to a width necessary for the image forming apparatus. In addition, when the functional coating is formed by using an extruded tube, the functional coating is formed after being sent to the cutting step 33 first to obtain a predetermined image forming member width and a cutting step of 0.05 mm or less. The

  In the cutting step 33, a super hard metal roller facing up and down is used, and the seamless belt 34 with the functional film formed is inserted into the lower roller 35 and placed, and the upper roller 36 that has been waiting is placed on the lower roller 35. And the entire circumference is cut while rotating both ends of the seamless belt 34 at the opposite roller blade periphery. The cut end portion 37 is formed with a step difference of 0.05 mm or less in the heat fixing seamless belt and its base, and a detent guide or the like is formed on the back side as necessary.

  When used in an image forming apparatus as a fluororesin-coated seamless belt for heating and fixing with a level difference of 0.1 mm or more at the cut end 37, the level difference becomes fatigued as a starting point of cracking due to repeated bending loads. It becomes easy to break and lowers durability.

  The heat-fixing seamless belt that has undergone this cutting step is produced without lowering the durability because both cut surfaces do not have a high temperature that expresses brittleness such as sulfur embrittlement at the time of cutting.

  Since the printing durability of the recording paper in the image forming apparatus is usually in the range of 40 to 50,000 sheets, the life of the seamless belt substrate is required to be 1 to 2 times. If it is safe even if it is structurally damaged, the life may be the same as the functional film life. However, with a seamless belt using a metal film, if it breaks, the fracture surface becomes sharp, causing unexpected damage, so the seamless belt It is necessary to increase the durability of the substrate.

Examples 1 and 2
Cobalt 5 having a film thickness of 25 to 30 μm, hardness HV 450 to 550, and a compressive stress in the range of 0 to −5 kg / mm ² , formed from a sulfamic acid electroforming solution containing nickel and cobalt by the above-described method. A nickel-cobalt seamless belt substrate containing at least wt% was prepared. Next, by the above-described method, 0.05 to 0.1 mm of silicon rubber is coated on the substrate, and FEP fluorine resin 10 to 15 μm, which can be fired at a lower temperature than PFA fluorine resin, is formed thereon at a temperature of 340 and 360 ° C. A heat-fixing seamless belt having a width of 300 mm necessary for the image forming apparatus and cut at both edges of the upper and lower opposing roller blades in the cutting step 33 and having a cutting step at both ends of 0.05 mm or less. Two types were prepared as Example 1 and Example 2.

  The obtained seamless belt is incorporated into an endurance tester 38 having a layout in which the same nip width as that of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is formed, and a fixing roller 39 coated with a silicone rubber having an outer diameter of 25 mm and a silicone rubber coated having an outer diameter of 25 mm. A heating roller 40 and a silicon rubber-coated fixing pressure roller 41 having an outer diameter of 30 mm are applied with a pressure of 10 to 15 kgf, and a 600 W halogen heater 42 is used to detect and adjust the substrate temperature of the heating and fixing seamless belt 43 with a thermistor 44. The surface temperature of the fixing pressure roller 41 is detected and adjusted using a thermistor 46 with a 400 W halogen heater 45 and heated to 100 to 120 ° C., and the heating and fixing seamless belt 43 is set to a linear speed of 100 mm / second. Then, the A4 printing durability equivalent to 50,000 sheets was driven to rotate.

  With the number of printing durability equivalent to 50,000 sheets, the two types of seamless belts do not generate cracks as shown in FIG. No cracks occurred in the release layer within the image forming width even with the number of printings, and the function of the substrate as a fluororesin-coated seamless belt for heat fixing satisfied an A4 printing number equivalent to 50,000 sheets or more.

Comparative Examples 1 and 2
Except that a nickel sulfamate electroforming solution containing no cobalt was used, as in the examples, the film thickness was 30 to 35 μm, the hardness was HV 450 to 500, and the compressive stress was in the range of electrodeposition stress 0 to −5 kg / mm ^2. A seamless belt substrate containing cobalt having the following structure was prepared. Next, 0.05 to 0.1 mm of silicon rubber is coated on the substrate, and 10 to 15 μm of FEP fluororesin, which can be fired at a lower temperature than PFA, is fired and coated at a firing temperature of 340 and 360 ° C. for 20 minutes. Then, two types of seamless belts for heat-fixing, in which both end portions are cut to the width of 300 mm necessary for the image forming apparatus at the periphery of the upper and lower opposing roller blades in the cutting step 33, and the cutting step at both end portions is 0.05 mm or less, comparative example 1 and produced as Comparative Example 2.

  The obtained seamless belt was incorporated into a durability test machine 38 having a layout having the same nip width as that of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. A pressing force of 10 to 15 kgf is applied by a heating roller 40 of 25 mm silicon rubber coating and a fixing pressure roller 41 of silicon rubber coating of an outer diameter of 30 mm, and the substrate temperature of the seamless belt 43 for heating and fixing is controlled by a thermistor 44 by a 600 W halogen heater 42. Detection and adjustment, heating to a temperature of 160 to 180 ° C., detection and adjustment of the surface temperature of the fixing pressure roller 41 using a thermistor 46 by a 400 W halogen heater 45, heating to a temperature of 100 to 120 ° C. Rotating at a linear speed of 100 mm / sec. It was.

In both types of seamless belts, cracks as shown in FIG. 4 (a) do not occur from the steps at both ends of the substrate, but the number of printings corresponding to 30,000 to 40,000 is shown in FIG. Both types of crack-like streaks as shown in (b) began to occur, the streaks expanded at a printing durability equivalent to 45,000 sheets, and the inside of the streaks was cut.
Even if the step at both ends of the substrate, which is likely to cause cracking, is processed to a thickness of 0.05 mm or less, if it is processed and formed as a fluororesin-coated seamless belt for heat fixing, the electroformed substrate made of nickel alone has an A4 resistance. It is judged that more than 50,000 copies cannot be satisfied.

  Table 1 summarizes the differences between the examples and comparative examples.

＜実施例の電気鋳造液組成＞
スルファミン酸ニッケル：４５０〜５５０ｇ／ｌ
スルファミン酸コバルト：１０〜１５ｇ／ｌ
液温：５５〜６０℃
ｐＨ：３〜４（ホウ酸４０ｇ／ｌ添加）
圧縮応力調整剤：サッカリン（スルフォベンズイミドナトリウム）５０〜１００ｐｐｍ
臭化ニッケル：１〜２ｇ／ｌ
界面活性剤：０．１ｇ／ｌ（アルキルベンゼンスルフォン酸塩）
＜比較例の電気鋳造液組成＞
スルファミン酸ニッケル：４５０〜５５０ｇ／ｌ
液温：５５〜６０℃
ｐＨ：３〜４（ホウ酸４０ｇ／ｌ添加）
圧縮応力調整剤：サッカリン（スルフォベンズイミドナトリウム）５０〜１００ｐｐｍ
ナフタレントリスルフォン酸ナトリウム：１２００〜１５００ｐｐｍ
臭化ニッケル：１〜２ｇ／ｌ
界面活性剤：０．１ｇ／ｌ（アルキルベンゼンスルフォン酸塩）

<Electrocasting liquid composition of the example>
Nickel sulfamate: 450-550 g / l
Cobalt sulfamate: 10-15 g / l
Liquid temperature: 55-60 degreeC
pH: 3-4 (40 g / l of boric acid added)
Compressive stress modifier: Saccharin (sulfobenzimide sodium) 50-100 ppm
Nickel bromide: 1-2 g / l
Surfactant: 0.1 g / l (alkylbenzene sulfonate)
<Composite electroforming solution composition>
Nickel sulfamate: 450-550 g / l
Liquid temperature: 55-60 degreeC
pH: 3-4 (40 g / l of boric acid added)
Compressive stress modifier: Saccharin (sulfobenzimide sodium) 50-100 ppm
Naphthalene sodium lisulfonate: 1200-1500ppm
Nickel bromide: 1-2 g / l
Surfactant: 0.1 g / l (alkylbenzene sulfonate)

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a heat fixing unit incorporated in an image forming apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the manufacturing process cut | disconnected to the formation of the nickel-cobalt seamless belt base | substrate containing 5 weight% or more of cobalt, the coating of the functional film on the base | substrate, and a member width required for an image forming apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of an endurance test machine. (A) It is explanatory drawing of the crack which generate | occur | produced in the level | step difference of the both ends of a base | substrate. (B) It is explanatory drawing of the crack which generate | occur | produced in the side part of the base | substrate.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat fixing unit 21 Standby position 2 Image formation part 22 Abrasive cloth 3 Recording paper 23 Sponge 4 Transfer belt 24 Diaphragm cathode case 5 Heating roller 25 Anode bag containing active nickel pellet 6 Fixing roller 26 Anode bag containing active cobalt pellet 7 Fixing belt 27 Mold release tool 8 Pressure roller 28 Thickness increasing part 9 Nip part 29 Peeling start part 10 Paper discharge roller 30 Receiving jig 11 Temperature sensor 31 Cushion sponge 12 Halogen heater 32 Electrodeposition film 13 Aluminum substrate 33 Cutting process 14 Silicon Rubber layer 34 Seamless belt 15 Seamless belt base 35 Lower roller 16 Silicon rubber layer (16) 36 Upper roller 17 Fluoropolymer layer 37 Cutting end 18 Electroforming process 38 Durability tester 19 Carrier 39 Kongomu coated fixing roller 20 cylindrical metal matrix 40 silicone rubber-coated heating roller 41 silicone rubber covered fixing pressure roller 42 600W halogen heater 43 heat-fixing seamless belt 44 thermistor 45 400W halogen heater 46 Thermistor

Claims (11)

The main component of the base material is nickel metal containing 5% by weight or more of cobalt, the hardness Hv is 450 to 550, and the electrodeposition stress is formed to be a compressive stress of 0 to -5 kg / mm ^2. A seamless belt substrate made of a nickel-cobalt alloy, wherein the portions are cut at the peripheral edges of the opposing roller blades, and the cutting step is 0.05 mm or less.   The seamless belt substrate according to claim 1, wherein the film thickness is 25 to 30 μm.   A method for producing a seamless belt substrate, comprising forming the seamless belt substrate according to claim 1 or 2 by a nickel sulfamate / cobalt bath electroforming method. In the nickel sulfamate / cobalt bath electrocasting method, an electrolytic current density of 4 to 5 A / dm ² is obtained using an electrolytic solution containing 10 to 15 g / l of cobalt sulfamate in a liquid of 450 to 550 g / l of nickel sulfamate. The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to claim 3, wherein the substrate is produced by a step.   The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to claim 4, wherein 50 to 100 ppm of saccharin is added to the electrolytic solution as a compressive stress adjusting agent for the deposited film. A soluble anode is used to supply nickel and cobalt ions into the electrolyte, an electrolytic current having a current density of 4 to 5 A / dm ² is continuously supplied to the nickel anode plate of the soluble anode, and an electric field is applied to the cobalt anode plate of the soluble anode. 6. The process for producing a seamless belt substrate according to claim 4, wherein the electrolytic current is adjusted and supplied in accordance with the composition ratio of cobalt ions in the liquid.   The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to claim 6, wherein the soluble anode is made of a nickel-cobalt alloy formed using a 7 to 10 mm pellet-shaped active anode.   8. The seamless belt base is formed by using an outer diameter surface of a metal matrix that is mirror-finished with an outer diameter surface roughness of Rz 0.1 μm or less and an outer diameter straightness of 10 μm or less. The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to any one of the above.   9. The method for producing a seamless belt substrate according to claim 8, wherein the metal matrix is provided with cut portions for cutting off the electrodeposited films at both ends so that the range of the seamless belt width is 3 μm or less.   It was formed by coating and firing silicon rubber and fluororubber in order on the seamless belt substrate according to claim 1 or 2 or the seamless belt substrate produced by the production method according to any one of claims 3 to 9. A seamless belt for heat fixing characterized by the above.   10. The seamless belt for heat fixing according to claim 9, wherein both ends of a member width used in the image forming apparatus are cut into a cutting step of 0.05 mm or less at the periphery of the opposing roller blades.

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