JP2006337622A - Manufacturing method for semiconductive roller, and electrophotographic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a semiconductive roller that has ample bonding force between a semiconductive elastic body and a surface resistance adjustment layer and is uniform in electrical resistance, and to provide an electrophotographic apparatus that has the semiconductive roller. <P>SOLUTION: A manufacturing method is provided for the roller that is integrally formed from a conductive shaft body (rotary shaft body) 1, a semiconductive elastic body 3 covering the semiconductive shaft body 1, and a surface resistance adjusting layer 4, formed on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body 3 and that is used in an electrophotographic apparatus, such as copying machines, FAXs, or printers. The method includes the step of forming a SiO<SB>2</SB>layer 5 on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body 3, and the step of forming a surface resistance adjustment layer 4 on the outside of the SiO<SB>2</SB>layer 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to 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, a FAX, and a printer are integrated, and in particular, on the outer periphery of a semiconductive cylindrical elastic body. The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductive roller in which a surface resistance adjusting layer is integrated, and an electrophotographic apparatus including the semiconductive roller.

  Conventionally, in electrophotographic apparatuses such as copiers, fax machines, printers, etc., a conductive shaft body such as a developing roller, a charging roller, a transfer roller, a cylindrical semiconductive elastic body, and a surface resistance adjusting layer are integrated. A conductive roller is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

With these semiconductive rollers, the uniformity of the overall electrical resistance of the semiconductive roller and the adhesion between the elastic body and the surface resin layer have been improved in recent years as the image quality is improved and the printing speed is increased. Higher performance is required.
The volume resistivity of the semiconductive resin is usually set to 10 ² to 10 ⁶ Ω · cm because the volume resistivity of the semiconductive resin can usually provide product stability. On the other hand, the electrical resistance of the semiconductive roller is required to be 10 ⁴ to 10 ⁸ Ω. Therefore, the thickness of the semiconductive resin can be adjusted to match the required resistance value of the semiconductive roller. However, since a thin roller is currently required for miniaturization of the electrophotographic apparatus, the resistance value is coated on the surface. The current situation is to adjust the surface resin layer.

  The surface resin layer must have a low volume resistivity of the resin itself in order to adjust the electric resistance of the semiconductive roller. In order to reduce the volume resistivity, it is an effective method to add a small amount of the conductive material added to the resin, but as the addition amount decreases, it becomes difficult to mix uniformly. Specifically, it is difficult to uniformly mix a small amount of conductive filler with a resin.

  In order to obtain adhesion between the semiconductive elastic body and the surface resin layer, a step of applying a primer to the surface of the semiconductive elastic body, a heating drying step of the applied primer, and the like are usually employed. However, when a primer is applied, it may not be applied uniformly when the layer is thin due to the wettability of the primer. Further, when the layer is thick, the primer layer is broken at the bonding interface, and sufficient adhesive strength cannot be obtained.

As described above, at present, there is no simple method for manufacturing various rollers used in a semiconductive electrophotographic apparatus having a sufficient adhesive force between the semiconductive elastic body and the surface resin layer.
JP 2004-109206 A

  Accordingly, the present invention provides various rollers used in an electrophotographic apparatus capable of obtaining a sufficient adhesive force between the semiconductive elastic body and the surface resistance adjusting layer in order to solve the problems of the conventional manufacturing method as described above. It is an object to provide a manufacturing method. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing various rollers used in an electrophotographic apparatus in which the electrical resistance of the semiconductive roller is uniform. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrophotographic apparatus including a semiconductive roller having sufficient adhesion between the semiconductive elastic body and the surface resistance adjusting layer and having uniform electric resistance.

In order to achieve the above-described problems, a method of manufacturing a semiconductive roller according to claim 1 includes a rotating shaft body used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine, a FAX, and a printer, and a semi-coated body on the rotating shaft body. A method of manufacturing a roller in which a conductive elastic body and a surface resistance adjusting layer on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body are integrated, the step of forming a SiO ₂ layer on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body; And a step of forming a surface resistance adjusting layer outside the SiO ₂ layer.

The invention according to claim ₂ employs a sputtering method or a combustion chemical vapor deposition method as a step of forming a SiO ₂ layer on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body in addition to the configuration according to claim 1. It is characterized by being.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect, the rotating shaft body is a metal shaft body made of any one of iron, aluminum, stainless steel, and brass. It is characterized by being.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, the rotating shaft body has a metal film plated or vapor-deposited on a thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin core surface. It is a shaft body.

  In addition to the structure of Claim 1 or 2, the rotating shaft body mix | blended carbon black, a metal powder, etc. as a electroconductivity imparting agent with the thermoplastic resin or the thermosetting resin in addition to the structure of Claim 1 or 2. It is characterized by being a shaft formed of a resin composition.

  According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in addition to the constitution of the first or second aspect, the semiconductive elastic body is made of silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, polyurethane, chloroprene rubber, natural rubber, butyl rubber, polyisoprene. Rubber, polybutadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, acrylic rubber, or thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin composed of rubber (elastomer) of these, carbon black, metal powder, etc. It is the resin composition which mix | blended the electroconductivity imparting agent.

The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that, in addition to the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer is 100 nm or less.

The invention according to claim 8, in addition to the configuration of any one of claims 1 to 6, on the outside of the SiO ₂ layer is characterized by applying a primer treatment.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic apparatus invention comprising the semiconductive roller manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any one of the first or eighth aspect.

Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, according to the invention described in claim 1, the electrical resistance of the semiconductive elastic body as the base material is greatly increased due to the presence of the SiO ₂ layer. The specific volume resistivity of the resistance adjusting layer is greatly reduced, the uniformity of the conductive filler mixed with the resin is greatly increased, and a semiconductive roller having sufficient uniformity of electric resistance is obtained. In addition, the presence of the SiO ₂ layer increases the surface energy of the semiconductive elastic body that is the base material, improves wettability, and forms a chemical surface structure that conforms to the elastic body surface. A semiconductive roller having a sufficiently high adhesion between the conductive rotating shaft and the semiconductive elastic body is obtained by improving the adhesion and chemically bonding with the surface resistance adjusting resin layer. It is done.

According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, it is possible to form a SiO ₂ layer having high adhesion to the surface of the semiconductive elastic body as the substrate. .

  According to the invention described in claims 3 to 5, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 or 2, the rotating shaft body has conductivity, so that it can be used as various rollers of an electrophotographic apparatus.

According to the invention described in claim 6, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 or 2,
Since the resin composition capable of efficiently forming the SiO ₂ layer by sputtering or combustion chemical vapor deposition is used as the material of the semiconductive elastic body, a more practical electrophotographic apparatus roller can be obtained.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to sixth aspects, the semiconductive elastic body and the surface resistance adjusting layer are highly adhesive with a very thin SiO ₂ layer. Therefore, a thinner semiconductive roller can be completed.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a semiconductive roller having a sufficiently high adhesive property between the semiconductive elastic body and the surface resistance adjusting layer is completed by implementing a primer on the outer side of the SiO ₂ layer. can do.

  According to invention of Claim 9, it has sufficient adhesive force of a semiconductive elastic body and a surface resistance adjustment layer, and sufficient adhesive force of a semiconductive elastic body and a surface resistance adjustment layer is obtained. An electrophotographic apparatus provided with a semiconductive roller and capable of obtaining high-quality images without unevenness at high speed can be provided.

  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 perspective view of a semiconductive roller according to the manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a conductive shaft (rotating shaft), which is, for example, a rod-shaped member having a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 275 mm obtained by electroless nickel plating on a metal material of SUM22.

  The conductive shaft 1 is, for example, (1) a metal shaft called a metal core formed of iron, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, or the like, and (2) a thermoplastic resin or thermosetting. Shaft body with a metal film plated on the surface of the core of the conductive resin, (3) shaft body with the metal film deposited on the surface of the core of the thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin, and (4) the thermoplastic resin or thermoset. The shaft body etc. which were integrally formed with the resin composition which mix | blended carbon black, a metal powder, etc. as an electroconductivity imparting agent to conductive resin should just be used. The conductive shaft 1 may be either solid or hollow.

  Therefore, the primer 2 is applied to the surface of the conductive shaft 1, the raw material of the semiconductive elastic body 3 is wound around the outer side of the conductive shaft 1, and the semiconductive elastic body 3 having a diameter of 18 mm is vulcanized. A semi-conductive roller of a semi-finished product in which the semi-conductive elastic body 3 is integrated with the outside of the conductive shaft body 1 through a predetermined secondary vulcanization is obtained.

Next, the SiO ₂ layer 5 having a thickness of 10 to ₂₀ nm is formed on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body 3 of the semiconductive roller of this semi-finished product. The SiO ₂ layer 5 is a combustion chemical vapor phase in which an organic silicon compound, oxygen, and liquefied petroleum gas are mixed and heated and vaporized oxide flame is sprayed to coat the SiO ₂ layer 5 using a chemical reaction on the surface. A DC high voltage is applied between the semiconductive elastic body 3 as a base material and a target (substance to be coated) while introducing an inert gas in a vacuum or vacuum, and the ionized inert gas collides with the target. sputtering to cover the SiO ₂ layer 5 a target material flicked on the conductive shaft member 1 surface is a base material Te may be employed.

  Next, if necessary, after applying a primer to the surface of the elastic semi-conductor 3, spray coating a coating solution in which a conductive filler is added to a urethane-based paint, and heat-curing at a predetermined temperature condition. If the surface resistance adjusting layer 4 is formed, a finished product of the semiconductive roller 6 is completed.

The semiconductive roller 6 according to the present invention is manufactured by the process as described above, and the SiO ₂ layer 5 exists between the semiconductive elastic body 3 and the surface resistance adjusting layer 4. Increase in adhesion between the adherend and the adherend, such as an increase in surface energy of the semiconductive elastic body 3 as a base material, improvement in paintability, formation of a chemical surface structure suitable for the surface resistance adjustment layer 4, etc. It is illustrated. Therefore, a material having sufficiently high adhesion between the semiconductive elastic body 3 and the surface resistance adjusting layer 4 can be obtained without applying a primer. In order to further improve the adhesion, a primer may be further applied to the surface of the SiO ₂ layer 5.

  The semiconductive elastic body 3 may be foamed or non-foamed, and either a foamed body or a non-foamed body is used depending on the location where the electrophotographic apparatus is used (depending on the required performance). , Or a multilayer structure in which both are combined.

  Examples of the foamed semiconductive elastic body 3 include urethane rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, chloroprene rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, etc. to which a conductive filler is added, and epichlorohydrin and ethylene oxide. Copolymer rubber foams can be used.

  Examples of the non-foamed semiconductive elastic body 3 include, for example, nitrile butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polynorbornene rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber to which a conductive filler is added. Ordinary rubber such as acrylic rubber and epichlorohydrin 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 transfer roller, a developing roller, or a charging roller, a solid elastic body such as ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, or urethane rubber may be used.

Hereinafter, an example of the manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention and a comparative example for evaluating the example will be described, and test results of the semiconductive roller (sample) completed by the manufacturing method 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 is manufactured, and a silicone primer (trade name: Primer No. 16, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was applied, followed by baking in a gear oven at 150 ° C. for 10 minutes.

  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 200, 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, a silicone rubber composition that is a raw material of the semiconductive elastic body 3 is prepared.

  Next, the silicone rubber composition which is a raw material of the semiconductive elastic body 3 is integrated and dispensed through a cross head with an extruder, heated in a gear oven at 250 ° C. for 30 minutes, and a conductive shaft having a diameter of 10 mm. A semiconductive elastic body 3 having a diameter of 18 mm is vulcanized and bonded to the outside of 1.

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

The electrical resistance measurement result of the completed semiconductive roller is 2 × 10 ⁴ Ω.

A SiO ₂ layer 5 having a thickness of 10 to ₂₀ nm is formed on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body 3 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. To do.

  Next, a silicone primer (trade name: Primer No. 19, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) is applied to the surface of the elastic semi-conductor 3, and then a urethane paint (trade name: Nippon Run 5196, Nippon Polyurethane Co., Ltd.). )) 100 parts by mass, 10 parts by mass of fumed silica-based filler (trade name: AEROSIL 200, manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.), tin oxide (antimony oxide dope) on the surface of titanium oxide powder having an average particle size of 0.2 μm ) And 25 parts of conductive filler (trade name: W-1, manufactured by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation) and 18 parts by weight of a blocked isocyanate-based crosslinking agent are applied once by spray coating, and 150 The surface resistance adjusting layer 4 was formed by heating and curing at 30 ° C. for 30 minutes.

The finished semi-conductive roller 6 coated with the surface resistance adjusting layer 4 has an electric resistance of 3.2 × 10 ⁶ Ω.
[Example 2]

Example 2 is a manufacturing method similar to Example 1, but the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer 5 was formed to have a thickness of about 90 nm by adjusting the deposition time and deposition amount of the combustion chemical vapor deposition method. The electric resistance of the obtained semiconductive roller 6 of Example 2 is 1.3 × 10 ⁸ Ω.
[Example 3]

In Example 3, the semiconductive elastic body layer 3 was formed outside the conductive shaft body 1 by the same method as in Example 1 except that the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer 5 by sputtering was 10 to 20 nm. The semiconductive elastic roller 6 of Example 3 was obtained. The electric resistance of the obtained semiconductive roller 6 of Example 2 is 3.7 × 10 ⁶ Ω.
[Comparative Example 1]

In Comparative Example 1, the primer and the surface resistance adjusting layer 4 are directly formed on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body 3 without forming the SiO ₂ layer 5 by the combustion chemical vapor deposition method. A roller 6 was obtained. The electric resistance of the obtained semiconductive roller 6 of Example 2 is 8.7 × 10 ⁴ Ω.
[Comparative Example 2]

In Comparative Example 2, the production method was the same as in Example 1, but the SiO ₂ layer 5 was formed to have a thickness of about 110 nm by adjusting the deposition time and deposition amount of the combustion chemical vapor deposition method. The electric resistance of the obtained semiconductive roller of Comparative Example 2 is 7.8 × 10 ⁸ Ω.
[Comparative Example 3]

In Comparative Example 3, the production method is the same as in Example 1, but the amount of the conductive filler W-1 added to the resin of the surface resistance adjusting layer 4 is 15 parts. Other than that, a semiconductive elastic roller 6 of Comparative Example 3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The electric resistance of the obtained semiconductive roller 6 of Example 2 is 2.8 × 10 ⁶ Ω.
[Adhesion test method]

About the semiconductive roller (sample) manufactured by Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-3, as shown in FIG. 2, (1) On the surface of a roller, using a punch with a diameter of 8 mm, it is circular. Scratches (over the surface thickness) 7 are made. Next, (2) 30 μm sand paper is pressed against the scratch 7 on the surface of the semiconductive roller 6 (pressing is 0.25 kg / cm ² ). (3) The semiconductive roller 6 is rotated for 2 minutes at a rotation speed of 1000 rpm. (4) If there is peeling of the surface layer, it is determined as an adhesion failure.

Actually, 100 semiconductive rollers 6 manufactured according to Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were prepared for each, and by comparing how many were determined to be interface peeling, The adhesion performance between the semiconductive elastic body 3 and the surface resistance adjusting layer 4 was evaluated.
[Total resistance measurement method]

About the semiconductive roller (sample) 6 manufactured by Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-3, it puts on the sheet | seat of metal, applies a load of 500 g to both ends of the semiconductive roller 6, respectively, and is 100V in voltage. The resistance between the sheet and the conductive shaft 1 of the semiconductive roller 6 is measured.
[Partial resistance measurement method]

About the semiconductive roller (sample) 6 manufactured by Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-3, as shown in FIG. 3, by applying the measuring element 9 over the full length of the surface resistance adjusting layer 4, Measure partial resistance. Specifically, 36 points and 40 laps per circle are measured, and the variation in electrical resistance is judged by the maximum resistance / minimum resistance.
[Test results]

  Table 1 shows the test results of variations in adhesion performance, overall resistance, and partial resistance for Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3.

It is the perspective view which fractured | ruptured a part of semiconductive roller which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the conceptual diagram which showed the adhesion performance test method of the semiconductive roller which concerns on the embodiment. It is the conceptual diagram which showed the electrical resistance test method of the semiconductive roller which concerns on the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Conductive shaft (rotating shaft)
2 Primer 3 Semiconductive elastic body 4 Surface resistance adjusting layer 5 SiO ₂ layer 6 Semiconductive roller

Claims (9)

An electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine, a FAX, or a printer in which a rotating shaft body, a semiconductive elastic body coated on the rotating shaft body, and a surface resistance adjusting layer formed on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body are integrated. A method of manufacturing a roller to be used, which includes a step of forming a SiO ₂ layer on the surface of the semiconductive elastic body and a step of forming the surface resistance adjusting layer on the outside of the SiO ₂ layer. A method for producing a semiconductive roller, characterized in that: The method for producing a semiconductive roller 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 semiconductive elastic body. . The semiconductive roller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotating shaft body is a metal shaft body made of any one of iron, aluminum, stainless steel, and brass. Method. 3. The semiconductive roller according to claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft body is a shaft body in which a metal film is plated or vapor-deposited on a surface of a thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin core. 4. Manufacturing method. 3. The shaft according to claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft is a shaft formed by a resin composition in which carbon black, metal powder, or the like is blended as a conductivity imparting agent in a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. The manufacturing method of the semiconductive roller of description. The semiconductive elastic body is silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, polyurethane, chloroprene rubber, natural rubber, butyl rubber, polyisoprene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, acrylic rubber, Or it is a resin composition which mix | blended conductivity imparting agents, such as carbon black or a metal powder, with the thermoplastic resin comprised by rubber | gum (elastomer) of these mixtures, or a thermosetting resin. Or the manufacturing method of the semiconductive roller of 2. The method of manufacturing a semiconductive roller according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the thickness of the SiO ₂ layer is 100 nm or less. The method for producing a semiconductive roller according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a primer treatment is performed on the outside of the SiO ₂ layer. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising a semiconductive roller manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 1.

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