JP2006106152A - Manufacturing method of roller, and electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of various rollers for use in electrophotographic devices, wherein sufficient adhesive strength between conductive shaft bodies and elastic bodies can be obtained, and to provide an electrophotographic device, provided with a roller having a sufficient adhesive strength between a conductive shaft body and an elastic body. <P>SOLUTION: The manufacturing method of the roller, which is used in the electrophotographic device, such as copying machine or printer and has a revolving shaft body and the elastic body integrated, includes a step of forming an SiO<SB>2</SB>layer 2 on the surface of a conductive shaft body 1, a step of disposing an unvulcanized cylindrical elastic material layer 3 on the outside of the SiO<SB>2</SB>layer 2, and a step of cross-linking the unvulcanized elastic material layer 3 for integrating the conductive shaft body 1 and the elastic material layer 3 into a single body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a roller in which a rotating shaft used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer is integrated, and in particular, a roller in which a cylindrical elastic body is integrated on the outer periphery of a conductive shaft. And an electrophotographic apparatus including the roller.

  Conventionally, in electrophotographic apparatuses such as copying machines and printers, a roller in which a conductive shaft body such as a toner supply roller, a developing roller, a charging roller, a transfer roller, a heating roller, and a fixing roller is integrated with a cylindrical elastic body. Is used.

  In recent years, with the increase in speed and life of electrophotographic apparatuses, higher performance is required for the adhesion between the conductive shaft body and the elastic body.

  In order to improve the adhesion between the conductive shaft body and the elastic body, the surface of the conductive shaft body is usually roughened, the primer is applied to the surface of the conductive shaft body, the primer is heated and dried, etc. Is employed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, the metal cored bar (shaft body) is heated by high-frequency induction heating means, and the adhesive located on the outer periphery of the metal cored bar (shaft body) is heat-melted to convert the elastic body into the metal core bar (shaft body) ) Is employed (see Patent Document 2).

However, in the case of these manufacturing methods, there is a problem that it takes time and effort due to its complexity, leading to an increase in product cost. That is, at present, there is no simple manufacturing method for various rollers used in an electrophotographic apparatus for obtaining a sufficient adhesive force.
JP 2002-194103 A JP 2003-140476 A

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for producing various rollers used in an electrophotographic apparatus capable of obtaining a sufficient adhesive force between a conductive shaft and an elastic body in order to solve the problems of the conventional production methods as described above. It is an issue to provide. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic apparatus provided with a roller having a sufficient adhesive force between the conductive shaft and the elastic body.

In order to achieve the above problems, the roller manufacturing method according to claim 1 is a roller manufacturing method in which a rotating shaft body and an elastic body used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer are integrated. A step of forming a SiO ₂ layer on the surface of the shaft body, a step of disposing a cylindrical elastic body outside the SiO ₂ layer, and a cross-linking step of integrating the shaft body and the elastic body. It is characterized by having.

Invention according to claim 2, in addition to the structure according to claim 1, as a step of forming a SiO ₂ layer on the surface of the shaft body, that employs a sputtering method or combustion chemical vapor deposition It is a feature.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the one according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shaft body is made of a metal material such as iron, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, thermoplastic resin or thermosetting. It has a metal film plated or vapor-deposited on the surface of the core of the conductive resin, and is composed of a resin composition in which a conductivity imparting agent such as carbon black or metal powder is blended with a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. It is one of things.

The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration according to claim 1 or 2, the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer is 100 nm or less.

The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in claim 1 or 2, a primer treatment is performed outside the SiO ₂ layer.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic apparatus comprising the roller manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

Since the present invention has the configuration as described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the presence of the SiO ₂ layer increases the surface energy of the conductive shaft body that is the base material, improves the wettability, and provides an elastic body. By improving the adhesion between the adherend and the adherend, such as the formation of a chemical surface structure that conforms to the surface, a roller having sufficiently high adhesion between the conductive shaft and the elastic layer can be obtained.

According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, it is possible to form a SiO ₂ layer having high adhesion to the surface of the conductive shaft body which is a base material. .

  According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, since the shaft body has conductivity, it can be used as a roller of an electrophotographic apparatus.

According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, the adhesion between the conductive shaft body and the elastic body layer is further improved by defining the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer. Can be improved.

According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, the adhesion between the SiO ₂ layer and the elastic body can be further improved by performing primer treatment, As a result, it is possible to provide a roller in which the adhesion between the conductive shaft and the elastic layer is further improved.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, in addition to the effects of the inventions described in claims 1 to 5, a roller having a sufficiently high performance of adhesion between the conductive shaft body and the elastic body layer can be obtained. In addition, by improving the durability of the roller itself, it is possible to provide an electrophotographic apparatus that can meet the demands for higher speed and longer life.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view of a roller according to a manufacturing method of an embodiment of the present invention.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a conductive shaft, specifically, a rod-like member having a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 275 mm obtained by electroless nickel plating on a metal material of SUM22.

In the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes a SiO ₂ layer formed on the surface of the conductive shaft 1 on which nickel plating is applied. Specifically, a DC high voltage is applied between the conductive shaft 1 as a base material and a target (substance to be coated) while introducing an inert gas into a vacuum, and the ionized inert gas collides with the target. Based on the sputtering method in which the surface of the conductive shaft body 1 as a base material is coated with the SiO ₂ layer with the target material that has been blown off, or an oxide flame that is heated and vaporized by mixing an organic silicon compound, oxygen, and liquefied petroleum gas. By adopting a combustion chemical vapor deposition method in which a SiO ₂ layer is coated by using a chemical reaction on the surface of the conductive shaft 1 as a base material by spraying on the surface of the conductive shaft 1 as a material. Become.

  The conductive shaft 1 includes, for example, (1) a metal shaft formed of iron, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, etc., and (2) a metal on the surface of a thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin core. Shaft body plated with film, (3) Shaft body with metal film deposited on the surface of thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin core, (4) Conductivity imparting agent on thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin What is necessary is just the shaft etc. which were integrally formed with the resin composition which mix | blended carbon black, metal powder, etc. The conductive shaft 1 may be either solid or hollow, and the hollow conductive shaft 1 is used in a fixing roller (heating roller) having a heater built in the shaft center portion.

On the outside of the SiO ₂ layer 2 formed on the surface of the conductive shaft 1, a cylindrical elastic body layer 3 is provided in an integrated state with the conductive shaft 1.

  The elastic body layer 3 may be foamed or not foamed, and the roller 4 according to the manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention may be either or a combination of both depending on the location where the electrophotographic apparatus is used. A multilayer structure may be used. The elastic layer 3 may be either conductive or non-conductive. The roller 4 according to the manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention may have a multilayer structure in which either or a combination of both is used according to the location where the electrophotographic apparatus is used.

  As the foamed elastic layer 3, for example, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, chloroprene rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber or the like, or a foam of copolymer rubber of epichlorohydrin and ethylene oxide is used. it can.

  Examples of the non-foamed elastic layer 3 include ordinary nitrile butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polynorbornene rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, acrylic rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, and the like. Rubber or thermoplastic rubber such as styrene-butadiene styrene rubber (SBS) or its hydrogenated product (SEBS) can be used.

  For example, in the case of a roller used as a toner supply roller, it is preferable to use an elastic foam, more preferably urethane foam or silicone foam. In the case of a roller used for a transfer roller, a developing roller, and a charging roller, a solid elastic body such as ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, and urethane rubber may be used.

Examples of manufacturing methods according to embodiments of the present invention and comparative examples for evaluating the examples will be described below, and test results for rollers (samples) completed for these manufacturing methods will be described.
[Example 1]

First, a rod-shaped conductive shaft 1 having a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 275 mm obtained by electroless nickel plating on a metal material of SUM22 (sulfur and sulfur composite free-cutting steel) is manufactured, and nickel plating of the conductive shaft 1 is performed. The SiO ₂ layer 2 having a thickness of 10 to ₂₀ nm is formed by a combustion chemical vapor deposition method in which a mixed gas (oxidation flame) composed of an organosilicon compound, oxygen, and liquefied petroleum gas is sprayed on the surface.

  On the other hand, 100 parts by weight of methyl vinyl silicone raw rubber (trade name: KE-78VBS, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and 20 parts by weight of dimethyl silicone raw rubber (trade name: KE-76VBS, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 10 parts by mass of carbon black (trade name: Asahi Thermal, manufactured by Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd.), 15 parts by mass of fumed silica-based filler (trade name: AEROSIL 20, manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.), platinum catalyst (trade name: 0.5 parts by mass of C-19A, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., and 2 parts by mass of hydrogen siloxane (trade name: C-19B, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) were added and kneaded with a pressure kneader. Then, the silicone rubber composition that is a raw material of the elastic body layer 3 is prepared.

  Next, the silicone rubber composition which is a raw material of the elastic body layer 3 is integrated and dispensed through a crosshead with an extruder, and heated in a gear oven at 250 ° C. for 30 minutes, so that the conductive shaft 1 having a diameter of 10 mm is obtained. The elastic body layer 3 having a diameter of 18 mm is formed on the outside by vulcanization adhesion.

Thereafter, secondary vulcanization was performed in a gear oven at 200 ° C. for 4 hours to obtain a roller 4 in which the elastic body layer 3 was integrated on the outside of the conductive shaft body 1.
[Example 2]

In Example 2, after forming the SiO ₂ layer 2 having a thickness of 10 to ₂₀ nm by the combustion chemical vapor deposition method of Example 1, a silicone primer (trade name: Primer No. 1) was formed on the surface of the SiO ₂ layer 2. 16, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was applied, followed by baking at 150 ° C. for 10 minutes in a gear oven.

Other than that, the elastic body layer 3 was formed on the outside of the conductive shaft body 1 in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a roller 4 in which the conductive shaft body 1 and the elastic body layer 3 were integrated.
[Example 3]

In Example 3, the elastic layer 3 is formed outside the conductive shaft 1 by the same method as in Example 1 except that the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer 2 by the combustion chemical vapor deposition method of Example 1 is set to 90 nm. Thus, a roller 4 in which the conductive shaft 1 and the elastic layer 3 were integrated was obtained.
[Example 4]

In Example 4, the elastic body layer 3 is formed outside the conductive shaft 1 by the same method as in Example 1 except that the SiO ₂ layer 2 is formed by a sputtering method and the thickness is 10 to 20 nm. A roller 4 in which the conductive shaft 1 and the elastic layer 3 were integrated was obtained.
[Example 5]

In Example 5, instead of the rod-shaped conductive shaft 1 obtained by electroless nickel plating the SUM22 metal material of Example 1, a PP conductive shaft having a metal surface layer was used. The elastic body layer 3 is formed outside the conductive shaft body 1 by the same method as in Example 1 except that the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer 2 by the combustion chemical vapor deposition method is set to 10 to ₂₀ nm. 1 and the elastic body layer 3 were integrated.
[Comparative Example 1]

In Comparative Example 1, without forming the SiO ₂ layer 2 by the combustion chemical vapor deposition method, the nickel plating surface of the conductive shaft 1 is not subjected to any treatment. A baking treatment was performed at 10 ° C. for 10 minutes.

Other than that, the elastic body layer 3 was formed on the outside of the conductive shaft body 1 in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a roller 4 in which the conductive shaft body 1 and the elastic body layer 3 were integrated.
[Comparative Example 2]

In Comparative Example 2, a silicone primer (trade name: Primer No. 16, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was formed on the surface of the nickel plating of the conductive shaft 1 without forming the SiO ₂ layer 2 by combustion chemical vapor deposition. )), And then baked in a gear oven at 150 ° C. for 10 minutes.

Other than that, the elastic body layer 3 was formed on the outside of the conductive shaft body 1 in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a roller 4 in which the conductive shaft body 1 and the elastic body layer 3 were integrated.
[Test method]

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rollers (samples) manufactured according to Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are made of stainless steel that is commercially available at the interface between the conductive shaft body 1 and the elastic body layer 3. The elastic body layer 3 in parallel with the axis of the conductive shaft 1 while keeping the posture of the cutter 5 at an inclination angle of 30 degrees while contacting the blade edge of the cutter 5 (made by NT Corporation, product number: BL-150P) When the elastic layer 3 is moved with a force capable of cutting, the peeling of the elastic body layer 3 is visually confirmed, and the surface of the conductive shaft body 1 is visible over the entire length of the elastic body layer 3 Judged.

In practice, 100 rollers each prepared according to Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were prepared, and by comparing the number of the rollers determined to have undergone interface peeling, a conductive shaft body was compared. The adhesion performance between 1 and the elastic layer 3 was evaluated.
[Test results]

  Table 1 shows the adhesion performance test results for Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

It is the perspective view which fractured | ruptured partially the roller which concerns on the manufacturing method of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the test state of the adhesive performance of the roller.

Explanation of symbols

1 Conductive shaft (shaft)
2 SiO ₂ layer 3 Elastic layer (elastic body)
4 Rubber roller 5 Cutter

Claims (6)

A method of manufacturing a roller in which a rotating shaft body and an elastic body used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer are integrated, the step of forming a SiO ₂ layer on the surface of the shaft body, and the SiO ₂ A method for manufacturing a roller, comprising: a step of disposing a cylindrical elastic body outside the layer; and a cross-linking step of integrating the shaft body and the elastic body. The roller manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a sputtering method or a combustion chemical vapor deposition method is employed as a step of forming the SiO ₂ layer on the surface of the shaft body. The shaft body is made of a metal material such as iron, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, etc., has a metal film plated or vapor-deposited on the surface of a thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin core, The roller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roller is made of a resin composition in which a conductivity imparting agent such as carbon black or metal powder is blended with a plastic resin or a thermosetting resin. Manufacturing method. The method for manufacturing a roller according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer is 100 nm or less. The roller manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a primer treatment is performed outside the SiO ₂ layer. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising: a roller manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 1.

Images