JP3405560B2 - Drum chucking device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drum chucking device, which is used, for example, for manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive drum in which a photosensitive material is applied to the outer peripheral surface of a drum, and which holds a cylindrical drum from its inner surface side. The present invention relates to a drum chucking device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A photoconductor drum used in an electrophotographic copying machine has a process of degreasing and cleaning the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum drum, a process of applying a photosensitive material to the degreased and cleaned outer peripheral surface, and a drum outer peripheral surface. It is manufactured by sequentially performing a step of heating the photosensitive material applied to the surface to form a photosensitive layer. In these processes, a drum chucking device that holds the drum from the inner peripheral surface side is used to protect the outer peripheral surface of the drum to which the photosensitive material is applied and the photosensitive material applied to the outer peripheral surface of the drum. It was For example, in the step of degreasing and cleaning the outer peripheral surface of the drum, a large number of drums are held vertically by the drum chucking device and are sequentially transferred to a plurality of cleaning layers. In addition, in the step of applying the photosensitive substance to the outer peripheral surface of the degreased and washed drum, for example,
A dipping method is employed in which the drum is vertically dipped in the coating liquid, and then the drum is withdrawn from the coating liquid in the axial direction thereof at a predetermined speed. Even in such an immersion method, a drum chucking device that holds the drum from the inner peripheral surface side has been used.

[0003]

However, the conventional drum chucking device as described above has the following problems. (1) In the degreasing and cleaning process of the outer peripheral surface of the drum used for manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the drum cannot be reliably held by the conventional drum chucking device for some reason, and either cleaning is performed. The drum may remain in the tank. In such a case, usually, the operator manually pulls up the drum, or the operator operates an appropriate jig to pull up the drum to take it out of the cleaning tank. However, when the operator directly pulls up the drum by hand, it is necessary to drain the washing liquid in the washing tank when pulling up the drum, which causes a problem that workability is deteriorated. Further, since the worker enters the cleaning tank after the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is discharged, the cleaning tank may be contaminated with dust or the like, and the drum cleaning degree may be deteriorated. Furthermore, the vapor of the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning tank may adversely affect the human body. On the other hand, such a problem does not occur when the drum is taken out of the cleaning tank with a jig. However, the conventional jig has a problem that it is locked only to a drum having a specific inner diameter. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare various types of jigs according to the inner diameter of the drum. In addition, even if a jig having a size corresponding to the inner diameter of the drum is used, the drum is not stably held by the jig,
The drum may fall from the jig during the pulling up. (2) The drum chucking device used in the step of applying the coating liquid to the outer peripheral surface of the drum can hold only the drum having a specific inner diameter, like the above-mentioned jig for pulling up the drum. Therefore, every time the diameter of the drum is changed, it is necessary to replace the drum chucking device with one capable of holding a drum having a predetermined inner diameter, which significantly lowers workability. Also, when replacing the drum chucking device,
Since dust is generated, there is also a problem that the cleanliness of the drum coating chamber deteriorates. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the problems in the prior art, the present invention improves a drum chucking device and can smoothly operate and stably hold various drums having different inner diameters from the inner peripheral surface side. An object of the present invention is to provide a chucking device.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention of the present application is to provide a guide cylinder arranged coaxially with an axial center of a drum to be held, and a shaft of the guide cylinder in the guide cylinder. A movable shaft body slidably supported in the axial direction, and a first shaft having one end rotatably supported by the movable shaft body in a predetermined plane parallel to the shaft center of the movable shaft body. A link member, a second link member in the same plane as the predetermined plane, one end of which is rotatably supported by the guide cylinder, and the movable shaft body around the movable shaft body. They are arranged so as to be located on the same circle with the axis as the center, and with the relative movement of the movable shaft in the axial direction with respect to the guide cylinder,
A plurality of shafts are rotatably supported at the other ends of the first and second link members, respectively, so as to move in parallel with each other in the radial direction approaching and separating from the axis of the movable shaft while maintaining a parallel state. A drum chucking device comprising: a holding arm; and a biasing unit that biases the movable shaft toward the guide cylinder so as to move the respective holding arms in a direction away from the axis of the movable shaft. And the drum fulcrum disposed on the holding arm side of the first link member is located downstream of the urging means on the holding arm side of the second link member. It is configured as a king device. The second aspect of the present invention is a guide cylinder arranged coaxially with the shaft center of a drum to be held, and a movable shaft body supported by the guide cylinder so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the guide cylinder. A first link member, which is in a predetermined plane parallel to the axis of the movable shaft body and has one end rotatably supported by the movable shaft body, and a first link member in the same plane surface as the predetermined plane surface. And a second link member, one end of which is rotatably supported by the guide cylinder, and is arranged around the movable shaft body on the same circle with the axis of the movable shaft body as the center. With the relative movement of the movable shaft body with respect to the guide tube in the axial direction, the movable shaft body is moved in the radial direction approaching and separating from the axial center of the movable shaft body by an equal distance while maintaining the parallel state. A plurality of holding arms axially supported by the other ends of the first and second link members, respectively. A drum chucking device comprising: biasing means for biasing the movable shaft body to the guide cylinder so as to move each holding arm in a direction away from the axis of the movable shaft body, The guide cylinder is composed of a tubular body having a hollow portion in which the movable shaft body can move, and a drum chat with a plurality of windows through which the first link member penetrates is formed on a side wall portion of the tubular body. It is a king device.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the guide cylinder is arranged coaxially with the shaft center of the drum to be held, and the movable shaft is slidably supported in the axial direction of the guide cylinder. One end of the first link member in a predetermined plane parallel to the axis of the body is rotatably supported by the movable shaft body in the predetermined plane, and in the same plane as the predetermined plane. One end of a certain second link member is rotatably supported by the guide cylinder in the same plane, and is located on the same circle around the movable shaft body about the axis of the movable shaft body. The plurality of holding arms arranged in such a manner as to move relative to the guide tube in the axial direction of the movable shaft body by an equal distance in the radial direction that comes in contact with and separates from the shaft center of the movable shaft body. The other end of each of the first and second link members is moved so as to move while maintaining the parallel state. When the movable shaft body is urged against the guide cylinder by the urging means in order to move each holding arm in a state away from the axis of the movable shaft body in this state, A shaft fulcrum of the first link member on the holding arm side is arranged downstream of a shaft fulcrum of the second link member on the holding arm side in the urging direction of the urging means. Then, external force is applied to insert the holding arms into various drums having different inner diameters in the initial state in which the holding arms are brought close to the axial center side of the movable shaft body. In this state, if the external force is removed from the movable shaft body, the biasing means exerts an outward rotation moment on each holding arm, so that the arms are easily disengaged from the initial state and the movable shaft bodies are moved by equal distances. Move in a radial direction away from. The inner peripheral surface of the drum is pressed by each of the moved holding arms, and the drum is stably held. The external force may be automatically generated by mechanical means or manually. Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the guide cylinder is composed of a tubular body having a hollow portion in which the movable shaft body can move, and a plurality of the first link members through which a side wall portion of the tubular body penetrates. Windows are formed. Thus, even when the holding arm-side shaft fulcrum of the first link member is located downstream of the holding arm-side shaft fulcrum of the second link member in the urging direction of the urging means. The movement of the movable shaft supported by the guide cylinder is transmitted to the holding arm via the first link member, and the chain mechanism includes the guide cylinder, the movable shaft, the first and second link members, and the holding arm. Can operate smoothly including the above initial state. As a result, it is possible to obtain a drum chucking device which operates smoothly and can stably hold various drums having different inner diameters from the inner peripheral surface side.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention (first and second inventions) will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings for the understanding of the present invention. The following embodiments are examples of embodying the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a schematic structure of a drum chucking device according to an embodiment of the first invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing an initial state of the drum chucking device, and FIG. 3 is a drum chucking. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operating principle of the device, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure around the guide cylinder of the drum chucking device according to the embodiment of the second invention. A drum chucking device according to an embodiment of the first invention is used, for example, to take out a drum used for manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive drum from a cleaning tank. The drum in the cleaning tank is placed vertically on the bottom of the cleaning tank while being immersed in the cleaning liquid. This drum chucking device is, as shown in FIG. 1, a guide cylinder 2 arranged coaxially with the axial center of the drum 1 to be held, and supported by the guide cylinder 2 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the guide cylinder. Movable axis 3
(Corresponding to the movable shaft body) and an auxiliary link 4 (first end) which is rotatably supported on the movable shaft 3 at a shaft fulcrum A in a plane parallel to the shaft center of the movable shaft 3. (Corresponding to the link member) and a parallel link 5, 5 '(one of which is rotatably supported on the guide cylinder 2 at the fulcrum points B, B'in the same plane as above). Equivalent to the second link member)
And are arranged around the movable shaft 3 so as to be located at equal intervals on the same circle with the shaft center of the movable shaft as the center, and as the movable shaft 3 moves relative to the guide tube 2 in the axial direction, The auxiliary link 4 is moved so as to move in the radial direction approaching and separating from the axis of the movable shaft 3 by an equal distance while maintaining the parallel state.
And the fulcrums C, D, D'at the other ends of the parallel links 5, 5 '.
The three holding arms 6 each pivotally supported by, and a compression spring 7 for urging the movable shaft 3 against the guide cylinder 2 in order to move each holding arm 6 in a direction away from the axis of the movable shaft 3. (Corresponding to biasing means), and the compression spring 7 is used to set the axial fulcrum C of the auxiliary link 4 on the holding arm 6 side with respect to the axial fulcrums D and D'of the parallel links 5 and 5'on the holding arm 6 side. It is arranged on the downstream side in the urging direction. Flange portions 8 and 9 are provided on the upper ends of the guide cylinder 2 and the movable shaft 3, respectively, and a compression spring 7 is attached between them so as to generate the biasing force.

The drum chucking device of this embodiment having such a structure is used as follows, for example, when the drum 1 remaining in the cleaning tank is taken out. First, the guide cylinder 2 is grasped by a hand, and the flange portion 9 of the movable shaft 3 is pushed so as to approach the flange portion 8 of the guide cylinder 2 against the biasing force of the compression spring 7. As a result, the movable shaft 3 moves downward in the figure, and the auxiliary link 4 and the parallel link 5,
Each holding arm 6 held by 5'moves while maintaining a parallel state in the radial direction so as to approach the axis of the movable shaft 3. When the movable shaft 3 is moved until the diameter of the circle formed by the outer surfaces of the three holding arms 6 becomes smaller than the inner diameter of the drum 1, each holding arm 6 is shown in the state shown in FIG. Thus, each arm holding portion 6 is inserted into the drum 1 (initial state). In this initial state, it is necessary to make each holding arm 6 as close as possible to the movable shaft 3 so as to be compact so as to accommodate a drum having a small inner diameter. As a result, the angle formed by the auxiliary link 4 and the movable shaft 3 and the angle formed by the parallel links 5, 5'and the guide cylinder 2 are both very small. This means that the movable shaft 3
Even if the pushing force applied to the shaft is released, the chain mechanism consisting of the guide cylinder 2, the movable shaft 3, the auxiliary link 4, the parallel links 5, 5'and the holding arm 6 is fulcrumed by the urging force of the compression spring 7. This means that it becomes difficult to operate against the frictional force applied to A to D'and it becomes difficult to separate from the initial state. Therefore, in the drum chucking device of the present embodiment, as described above, the axial fulcrum C of the auxiliary link 4 on the holding arm 6 side is attached to the axial fulcrums D and D'of the parallel links 5 and 5'on the holding arm 6 side. It is arranged on the downstream side in the direction of force. This is schematically shown in FIG. 3 (in the figure, a parallel link is represented by 5), and the basic principle of its operation is considered as follows. (1) The urging force F applied to the movable shaft 3 can be decomposed into the axial component force F1 of the auxiliary link 4 and its orthogonal component force F2. This inner axial direction component force F1 is transmitted to the shaft fulcrum C via the shaft fulcrum A and the auxiliary link 4 to generate an outward rotational moment M1 about the shaft fulcrum D. However, the rotation moment M1 is given by the product of the axial direction component force F1 and the distance L1 between the axial fulcrum D and the axial center of the auxiliary link 4. (2) Furthermore, the axial component force F1 applied to the shaft fulcrum C described in (1) above can be decomposed into the longitudinal component component F11 of the holding arm 6 and its orthogonal component component F12. This inward orthogonal component force F12 produces a rotational moment M2 in the outward direction about the shaft fulcrum D.

However, the rotational moment M2 is given by the product of the component force F12 in the perpendicular direction and the distance L2 between the fulcrums C and D. The rotational moments M1 and M2 given by the above (1) and (2) are substantially the same, and this rotational moment facilitates the separation from the initial state. Further, when the urging force F is the same as in the above (1) and (2), in order to increase this rotational moment and facilitate the above-mentioned disengagement, the shaft fulcrum C is located downstream of the shaft fulcrum D in the urging direction. It can be seen that it is effective to provide it on the side and make the distance L2 between the shaft fulcrums C and D as large as possible. Then,
In this state, the pushing force applied to the movable shaft 3 is released. Then, the initial state is released as described above, and then the movable shaft 3 is relatively moved by the urging force of the compression spring 7 so that the flange portion 9 of the movable shaft 3 is separated from the flange portion 8 of the guide cylinder 2, and The holding arm 6 moves in the radial direction while keeping the parallel state away from the axis of the movable shaft 3. Since the maximum diameter of the circle on which the outer surfaces of the three holding arms 6 are located is larger than the inner diameter of the drum 1, the outer surfaces of the holding arms 6 are set before the compression spring 7 reaches the maximum length. Is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the. Since each holding arm 6 presses the three circumferentially equidistant positions on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 1 along the axis of the drum 1, the drum 1 is reliably held by each holding arm 6. When the drum 1 is held by each holding arm 6, the entire drum chucking device is lifted up. As a result, the drum 1 is taken out from the cleaning tank. As described above, in the drum chucking device of the present embodiment, the three holding arms 6 are moved in the radial direction so as to approach and move away from the axis of the movable shaft 3, so that the drums 1 having different inner diameters can be safely operated. Can be held. Further, when the drum 1 is taken out from the cleaning tank (not shown), it is not necessary to discharge the cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank and it is not necessary to enter the cleaning tank. Further, since the drum 1 is securely held by the drum chucking device, there is no possibility that the drum 1 will be detached from the drum chucking device while the drum 1 is being taken out.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the compression spring 7 is used as the urging means, and the external force is manually applied in the initial state. Instead of these, a drive source (mechanical means) such as a servo motor is used. The above external force may also be automatically generated, and in that case, instead of the flange portion 9 at the upper end portion of the movable shaft 3, it is necessary to provide a connection portion with this drive source (see FIG. 4). Further, more specifically, the guide cylinder 2 is, as shown in FIG. 4, a hollow portion 2a in which the movable shaft 3 can move.
It is possible to have a structure in which three window portions 2C through which the auxiliary link 4 penetrates are formed on the side wall portion 2b of the tubular body (see the second invention. Example). In this case, the solid portion 2 is attached to the lower end of the guide tube 2.
By providing d, the parallel links 5 and 5'may be pivotally supported by this solid portion. When the guide cylinder 2 having such a structure is used, the movement of the movable shaft 3 supported by the guide cylinder 2 even when the shaft fulcrum C is located downstream of the shaft fulcrum D in the urging direction as shown in FIG. Is smoothly transmitted to the holding arm 6 through the auxiliary link 4, etc., and the chain mechanism including the guide cylinder 2, the movable shaft 3, the auxiliary link 4, the parallel links 5, 5 ', and the holding arm 6 includes the initial state. It becomes possible to operate smoothly. As a result, it is possible to obtain a drum chucking device which operates smoothly and can stably hold various drums having different inner diameters from the inner peripheral surface side. In the above two embodiments, three pairs of chain mechanisms are provided, but in actual use, two pairs or four or more pairs may be provided. However, it is considered that 3 pairs are optimal in terms of drum holding performance and processing accuracy of the device. In the above embodiment, the parallel link composed of two links was used as the second link member, but in actual use, one link or three or more parallel links may be used. However, two parallel links are desirable in terms of drum holding performance. Further, the first link member may be a parallel link.

[0010]

Since the drum chucking device according to the present invention (the first and second inventions) is configured as described above, the holding arms are provided in various drums having different inner diameters. After the insertion in the initial state in which the arms are close to each other, each holding arm can be easily separated from the initial state by applying an outward rotation moment to each holding arm by the biasing means. After separation from the initial state, the multiple holding arms arranged around the movable shaft move in parallel with each other in the radial direction approaching and separating from the axis of the movable shaft while maintaining the same parallel state. Therefore, various drums having different inner diameters can be reliably held. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a drum chucking device according to the inner diameter of the drum. Moreover, since the drum is reliably held from the inner surface side by each holding arm, there is no fear that the drum will come off from each holding arm. In addition, the guide cylinder is formed of a cylindrical body having a hollow portion in which the movable shaft body can move, and a plurality of window portions through which the first link member penetrates are formed in the side wall portion of the cylindrical body, thereby forming a guide. The movement of the movable shaft supported by the cylinder is smoothly transmitted to the holding arm via the first link member, and the chain mechanism including the guide cylinder, the movable shaft, the first and second link members, and the holding arm is formed. It becomes possible to operate smoothly including the above initial state. As a result, it is possible to obtain a drum chucking device which operates smoothly and can stably hold various drums having different inner diameters from the inner peripheral surface side.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a drum chucking device according to an embodiment of the first invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an initial state of the drum chucking device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation principle of the drum chucking device.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure around a guide cylinder of a drum chucking device according to an embodiment of the second invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... drum 2 ... Guide tube 3 ... Movable shaft (corresponding to movable shaft) 4 ... Auxiliary link (corresponding to the first link member) 5, 5 '... Parallel link (corresponding to the second link member) 6 ... Holding arm 7 ... Compression spring (corresponding to biasing means)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-4-27535 (JP, A) JP-A-51-35954 (JP, A) JP-A-61-109689 (JP, A) 51327 (JP, U) Actual development Sho 62-50772 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B05B 12/00-13/06 G03G 5/00-5/16

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A guide cylinder arranged coaxially with the shaft center of a drum to be held, a movable shaft body slidably supported by the guide cylinder in the axial direction of the guide cylinder, and the movable shaft. A first link member in a predetermined plane parallel to the axis of the body, one end of which is rotatably supported by the movable shaft; and a first link member in the same plane as the predetermined plane. The second link member, one end of which is rotatably supported by the guide cylinder, is arranged around the movable shaft body so as to be located on the same circle around the axis of the movable shaft body. With the relative movement of the movable shaft body with respect to the guide tube in the axial direction, the first shaft is moved so as to move in the radial direction approaching and separating from the shaft center of the movable shaft by an equal distance while maintaining the parallel state. A plurality of holding arms pivotally supported on the other ends of the first and second link members, respectively A drum chucking device comprising: a biasing unit that biases the movable shaft body against the guide cylinder so as to move the arm in a direction away from the axis of the movable shaft body. A drum chucking device in which a shaft fulcrum of the link member on the side of the holding arm is disposed downstream of a shaft fulcrum of the second link member on the side of the holding arm in the urging direction of the urging means. 2. A guide cylinder arranged coaxially with the shaft center of the drum to be held, a movable shaft body slidably supported by the guide cylinder in the axial direction of the guide cylinder, and the movable shaft. A first link member in a predetermined plane parallel to the axis of the body, one end of which is rotatably supported by the movable shaft; and a first link member in the same plane as the predetermined plane. The second link member, one end of which is rotatably supported by the guide cylinder, is arranged around the movable shaft body so as to be located on the same circle around the axis of the movable shaft body. With the relative movement of the movable shaft body with respect to the guide tube in the axial direction, the first shaft is moved so as to move in the radial direction approaching and separating from the shaft center of the movable shaft by an equal distance while maintaining the parallel state. A plurality of holding arms pivotally supported on the other ends of the first and second link members, respectively A drum chucking device, comprising: a biasing unit that biases the movable shaft body against the guide cylinder so as to move the arm in a direction away from the axis of the movable shaft body. A drum chucking device comprising a tubular body having a hollow portion in which the movable shaft body is movable, and a plurality of windows through which the first link member penetrates are formed in a side wall portion of the tubular body.