JPH04270354A - Abrasion resistant mechanism or parts of oa instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suppress the content of metallic materials in the parts of the OA instrument to the utmost minimum and to reduce the number of the parts in order to curtail the total cost by using the flame spraying technique. CONSTITUTION:A material high in hardness is flame sprayed on the surface to be impregnated of a resin material 1 at the time of pressure-impregnating the impregnation material 3 into the resin material 1 to be used as the parts of the OA instruments.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wear-resistant mechanism for OA equipment parts used as high-load, high-durability parts of OA equipment such as copying machines.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a copying machine used as an OA device is equipped with various OA parts. For example, a developing device thereof includes a developing roller, a paddle, an agitator, etc. as rotating members. These rotating members are supported by bearings on the side plates, and driving force is transmitted through gears. In this case, to prevent the toner and carrier in the developing device from entering the bearing and causing problems such as bearing lock,
Packing such as G seal or felt seal is used. The drive transmission section of the rotating member as described above is generally referred to as a journal section, and the greater the load, the stronger the journal section is required to be. Therefore, when the load is large, journals made of stainless steel or iron are often used.
This results in an increase in weight and cost. As an alternative to this, aluminum (die-cast, etc.)
However, when high loads, high rotations, and high durability are required, wear of seals, bearings, and journals facing the gear often becomes a problem, so stainless steel has been unavoidable.

[0003] In view of these problems, a well-known technique called "thermal spraying" has been used in the past. By using this thermal spraying technology, it can be used not only for rust prevention and corrosion prevention, but also for increasing the strength of journal parts. There are two types of thermal spraying: arc and plasma, which are used depending on the purpose.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] For OA parts used in copying machines, etc., the use of resin is being promoted due to problems such as weight and cost, but due to problems such as the strength and durability of resin, it is still partially used. The current situation is to use metal. Therefore, there are many OA parts that are made by press-fitting metal into resin, inserting it, or integrally molding it, but considering the material cost of the metal part, processing cost (including setup, etc.), weight, etc., it is still insufficient. It cannot be said that there has been any improvement. Furthermore, at present, there are no examples in which thermal spraying technology has been used to achieve significant effects in terms of wear resistance for OA parts made of such resins.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problem] In the invention as set forth in claim 1, when a press-fitting member is press-fitted into a resin member used as a part of OA equipment, a high-hardness substance is thermally sprayed on the press-fitting surface of the resin member to increase the A hard layer was formed.

In the invention as claimed in claim 2, the resin member used as a driving part of OA equipment and the rotation center shaft of the idler gear are integrally provided, and the surface of the rotation center shaft or the sliding surface of the idler gear is coated with a wear-resistant material. was thermally sprayed to form a wear-resistant layer.

[0007] According to the invention set forth in claim 3, in the invention set forth in claim 2, the sliding surface of the resin member that slides on the idler gear is subjected to oil impregnation treatment.

[0008] In the invention according to claim 4, a cylindrical convex portion is formed in a part of the sheet metal by drawing the sheet metal used as a driving part of OA equipment, and a wear-resistant surface is formed on the surface of the convex portion. A wear-resistant layer was formed by thermal spraying a magnetic substance, and the convex portion was provided as a rotation center axis.

In the invention as set forth in claim 5, an idler gear used as a drive component of OA equipment is formed of a resin member or a light metal, and a wear-resistant material is sprayed on the shaft insertion portion of the idler gear to form a wear-resistant layer. .

[0010] According to the invention set forth in claim 6, in the invention set forth in claim 5, a low thermal conductivity layer is formed by thermally spraying a low thermal conductivity material on the surface of the roller gear that fits into the shaft insertion portion of the idler gear.

In the invention as set forth in claim 7, a cylindrical convex portion for supporting a rotating member is formed in a part of the sheet metal by drawing a sheet metal used as a bearing component of an idler gear of OA equipment. A wear-resistant layer was formed by thermally spraying a wear-resistant substance on the inner surface of the convex portion.

0012

[Function] In the present invention, a high hardness material, a wear-resistant material, and a low thermal conductivity material are thermally sprayed on the sliding areas of drive parts and bearing parts of OA equipment to create a high-hardness layer, a wear-resistant layer, and a low-thermal layer. By forming a conductive layer, it is possible to further expand the area that can be made of resin and minimize the proportion of metal, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing weight and cost. Furthermore, by applying oil impregnation to the sprayed part, sliding properties are improved, making it unnecessary to use ball bearings or sliding bearings in the mating idler, making it possible to further reduce costs.

[0013]

[Embodiment] First, an embodiment of the invention according to claims 1, 2, and 3 will be described based on FIG. A stud 3 serving as a rotation center shaft of an idler gear 2 is integrally molded into a resin side plate 1 as a resin member. This stud 3 is
It is usually made of metal such as stainless steel. A wear-resistant material (for example, a metal such as stainless steel, a non-metal such as gray alumina, etc.) (not shown) is sprayed on the sliding surface of the stud 3 in contact with the idler gear 2 (sprayed area A shown by a broken line) to form a wear-resistant layer. is formed. In such a configuration, for example, if ceramic is thermally sprayed, the stud 3 will have better wear resistance than the stud 3 made of stainless steel, and the reliability can be further improved. The thermal spraying range A may be applied only to the idler sliding area as described above, or may extend to the base of the stud 3 and the resin side plate 1 if there is a concern about the falling area of the stud 3. . Therefore, by forming a wear-resistant layer by thermal spraying in this way, it is possible to reduce the number of man-hours for processing the surface of the stud 3 and increase its strength, and the stud 3 is integrated with the resin side plate 1. Therefore, cost reduction
Weight reduction can be achieved.

[0014] Furthermore, by applying oil impregnation treatment to the sliding surface that is used as the thermal sprayed part, sliding properties are improved, and as a result, a ball bearing or a sliding bearing is not required for the idler gear 2 of the other party, so that it is possible to further reduce costs. Moreover, restrictions on the idler material (if no bearing is used) can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the case of this embodiment, when inserting and press-fitting a metal as a press-fitting member (for example, the stud 3 as described above) into the resin side plate 1, a high hardness material (not shown) is thermally sprayed on the press-fitting surface. Even in the case where a high hardness layer is formed using the above-mentioned method, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

Next, an embodiment of the invention according to claims 4 and 7 will be explained based on FIG. Note that the same parts as those of the invention described in claims 1, 2, and 3 are given the same reference numerals, and the description of the same parts will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 2(a), a cylindrical convex portion 5 is formed in a part of the sheet metal 4 by drawing the sheet metal 4. As shown in FIG. A wear-resistant material (not shown) is thermally sprayed onto the surface of the convex portion 5 to form a wear-resistant layer, thereby providing the convex portion 5 as a rotation center axis (equivalent to the stud 3). In such a configuration, if the sheet metal 4 is used as is, a ball bearing or the like is required for the idler gear 2, but as in this embodiment, the drawn portion of the convex portion 5 is thermally sprayed (sprayed area A), so that the idler gear 2 can be used as is, thereby increasing the strength, and at the same time reducing weight and cost due to the integrated structure. in this case,
The thermal spray area A may be subjected to oil impregnation treatment.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the inner surface of the cylindrical convex portion 5, which is the drawn portion of the sheet metal 4, is also thermally sprayed and oil-impregnated to form a roller 6 (as a rotating member). (developing roller, etc.) can be held without bearings.
It is possible to obtain the same effect as when thermal spraying is performed on the surface side described above.

Next, an embodiment of the invention according to claims 5 and 6 will be explained based on FIG. The idler gear 6 used as a driving component is made of a resin member. The idler gear 6 normally has a D-diameter hole and does not slide.
Since it is made of resin, it requires lightening to form.
The D-shaped hole may widen and drive may not be transmitted. Therefore, a wear-resistant material (not shown) is thermally sprayed onto the shaft insertion portion 7a of the inner diameter of the idler gear 7 (sprayed area A) to form a wear-resistant layer, thereby increasing the strength. Note that an oil impregnation treatment may be performed after the thermal spraying. In particular, in the case of large gears (such as the idler gear 7), there is a strong need to use resin to reduce weight, and it is also significant to increase the strength by spraying only the necessary parts.

In addition, for a gear (not shown) that becomes hot, such as a gear used for a fixing roller, a material with low thermal conductivity and resistant to thermal expansion, such as gray alumina as a light metal, is placed on the inner diameter side of the gear. By thermally spraying to form a low thermal conductivity layer, it is also possible to insulate the drive section.

Next, specific examples based on the contents of the invention described above will be sequentially listed and explained below. As a first specific example, a paddle will be described based on FIGS. 4 and 5. In the paddle 8 as shown in FIG. 4, the metal journal 10 is press-fitted into the resin part 9, and especially when the load on the paddle 8 is large, the strength of the press-fit becomes a problem, so some measures are required. In FIG. 4A, a metal pipe 11 is inserted into the resin part 9 for reinforcement, and the metal journal 10 is also press-fitted into the metal pipe 11. In FIG. 4(b), the metal journal 10 is directly press-fitted into the resin part 9, but the thickness of the resin part 9 is increased, the diameter of the seat of the metal journal 10 is increased,
This is not a very good method as it causes a lot of trouble to each part, such as making a large press-fit margin or applying adhesive to the press-fit part.
Also, the resin in the press-fit portion may swell and become deformed. Therefore, in order to eliminate this phenomenon, as shown in FIG. 4(c), a wear-resistant layer is formed by thermal spraying (sprayed area A) on the press-fitted part of the inner surface of the resin part 9 to increase its strength. This is an improvement in which a metal journal 10 is press-fitted into the sprayed area A.

Next, as a second specific example, a developing device will be explained based on FIGS. 6 and 7. The developer (not shown) drawn up by the paddle 8 at the lower part of the device in FIG. is supplied to the photoreceptor 14. Therefore,
The developer regulating section 13a of the developing doctor 13 is connected to the developing roller 1.
2 and a minute gap to maintain high accuracy. Further, since it receives pressure from the developer, the development doctor 13 itself is made to have a strong cross-sectional shape by extruding aluminum, for example, as shown in FIG. However, Fig. 7(a)
The B part of the developing doctor 13 shown in Figure 1 requires high accuracy in processing such as straightness, so the B part is subjected to post-processing (
Cutting finish area C) is applied. In addition, if foreign matter enters the developing device 15 (when the developing device 15 is taken out for maintenance etc., foreign matter such as metal pieces is likely to be captured by the magnetic force of the developing roller 12), the surface hardness of extruded aluminum may be affected by the foreign matter. It is easily damaged and parts may need to be replaced. In this way, it takes time and effort to process and replace parts.

[0022] Therefore, if cutting finishing is required, the method shown in Fig. 7 (
As shown in b), the strength of the developing doctor 13 can be increased by thermally spraying a hard material such as stainless steel on part B (sprayed area A), and then cutting it to finish, thereby making it strong against foreign substances. can.

Further, a developing bias is applied to the developing roller 12 in order to control the amount of toner adhering to the photoreceptor 14, and as described above, the developing doctor 13
2, the voltage drops when the developer passes through the development doctor 13, but a bias is also applied to the development doctor 13. When the developing doctor 13 contacts the guide 16 on the developing device 15 side and then the guide 17 on the main body side, the developing bias falls to the ground, and as a result, the predetermined bias is not applied to the developing roller 12 and the image is This may cause problems (staining of the background, etc.). In order to prevent such a phenomenon, the developing doctor 13 and the guide 17 are
A seal 18 (non-conductive material) is provided between the two for insulation. However, foreign matter such as chips when installing and removing the developing device 15 (
A problem such as metal pieces (metal pieces) stacking up on the seal 18 may occur, causing electrical continuity between the developing doctor 13 and the guide 16. In addition, it is desirable that the developing doctor 13 be made of a non-conductive material in order to eliminate the possibility that the bias applied to the developing doctor 13 will fall to the nearby metal (earth) due to the arrangement of the developing device 15, but the strength of the developing doctor 13 itself is Metal is often used for security purposes. In this way, the number of parts increases due to the attachment of various equipment, leading to an increase in costs.

Therefore, by thermally spraying ceramic or the like only on the portion B in FIG. 7(a), it is possible to increase the strength and insulate the developing doctor 13. In addition, the developing doctor 13
If it is made of an insulator such as resin and thermally sprayed, the strength of the B part can be increased and insulation can be ensured. If the development doctor 13 is made of resin, problems such as warping and bending may occur depending on the material, but if the material is thermally sprayed to thicken it and then cut, warping and the like can be absorbed. The developing doctor 13 has a complicated shape in the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, but since it also serves other functions, it may have a simple linear shape as shown in FIG. 7(c). By thermal spraying, the developing doctor 13 itself can be made thinner.

Next, as a third specific example, a developing device (
The guide section (see FIG. 6) will be explained based on FIG. 8 as an example. When the developing device 15 is attached and detached, chips are generated due to the rubbing of both guides, which may get mixed into the developing device 15 or damage the photoreceptor 14.
If it adheres to the surface of the product, it may cause abnormal images and damage to parts. For this reason, a mullet (not shown) is pasted on the sliding parts of the guides 16 and 17 to improve the sliding, but this is not easy to work with and is prone to breakage over time. If you use a hard material, there is no advantage in terms of cost increase or weight.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, on the sliding surface between the guide 17 on the main body side and the guide 16 on the developing device 15 side,
A wear-resistant material is thermally sprayed along its longitudinal direction (sprayed area A
) to form a wear-resistant layer, it is possible to prevent the generation of chips. The thermal spraying area A may be kept to a minimum, and in consideration of cost, it may be limited to areas that are severely abraded. Furthermore, although the description has been made regarding the guides 16 and 17 of the developing device 15, the same applies to units surrounding the photoreceptor 14, such as chargers, and the same applies to other parts where defects due to chips occur.

Next, as a fourth specific example, a developing device (
The fixing roller (see FIG. 6) will be explained based on FIG. 9 as an example. The heat from the heater 20 provided inside the fixing roller 19 heats the silicone rubber 21, thereby fixing the toner (not shown) onto the transfer paper, but the heat is also applied to the journal portion 22, causing thermal expansion of the journal portion 22 and Because it causes thermal deformation, there are many restrictions that must be taken into account when designing. Furthermore, in order to prevent heat from being transmitted to the drive unit through gears (not shown) and causing problems, a heat insulating material is integrated into the inner diameter of the gears. In this way, design defects and the like occur.

Therefore, by thermally spraying a low thermal conductivity material such as ceramic on the surface of the journal portion 22 (sprayed area A) to form a low thermal conductive layer, the expansion of the core metal such as aluminum is prevented and heat is transferred to the drive portion. conduction can be prevented. Therefore, the heat insulating material used on the inner diameter of the gear becomes unnecessary, thermal expansion can be reduced, there are fewer design restrictions, and it is no longer necessary to take into account problems specific to heat. Further, the same applies to the pressure roller for the fixing roller. Furthermore, the same effect can be obtained by spraying on parts where frictional heat is generated due to sliding (for example, the inner diameter part of an idler gear), near the lamp of a scanner, or even on parts near the power supply section.

[0029]

[Effects of the Invention] The invention as claimed in claim 1 provides the following advantages:
By thermally spraying a high-hardness material onto the press-fitted surface of the resin component to form a high-hardness layer, it is possible to further expand the area that can be made of resin and minimize the proportion of metal, thereby reducing the number of parts. This makes it possible to reduce weight and cost.

According to the second aspect of the invention, a resin member used as a driving part of OA equipment and a rotation center shaft of an idler gear are integrated, and a wear-resistant material is applied to the surface of the rotation center shaft or the sliding surface of the idler gear. By thermally spraying the material to form a wear-resistant layer, it is possible to further expand the area that can be made of resin and minimize the proportion of metal, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing weight and cost. It is something that can be done.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 2, in which the sliding surface of the resin member that slides with the idler gear is subjected to oil impregnation treatment. This improves sliding properties and eliminates the need for ball bearings or sliding bearings in the idler of the other party, further reducing costs.

[0032] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, a cylindrical convex portion is formed on a part of the sheet metal used as a driving part of OA equipment by drawing, and the surface of the convex portion is provided with wear-resistant material. By thermally spraying a wear-resistant material to form a wear-resistant layer, the convex part is used as the center axis of rotation, making it possible to minimize the proportion of metal, thereby reducing the number of parts and weight. This makes it possible to reduce costs.

[0033] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, an idler gear used as a driving part of OA equipment is formed of a resin member or a light metal, and a wear-resistant layer is formed by spraying a wear-resistant material on the shaft insertion portion of the idler gear. Therefore, it is possible to further expand the parts that can be made of resin and minimize the proportion of metal, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing weight and cost.

[0034] In the invention as claimed in claim 6, in the invention as claimed in claim 5, a low thermal conductivity layer is formed by thermally spraying a low thermal conductivity material on the surface of the roller gear that fits into the shaft insertion portion of the idler gear. You can further improve your performance.

[0035] According to the seventh aspect of the invention, a cylindrical convex portion for supporting a rotating member is formed in a part of the sheet metal by drawing a sheet metal used as a bearing component of an idler gear of OA equipment. Since a wear-resistant layer is formed by thermally spraying a wear-resistant substance on the inner surface of the convex part, it is possible to minimize the proportion of metal, which reduces the number of parts and reduces weight and cost. Furthermore, by applying oil impregnation treatment to the sprayed part, sliding properties are improved, and a ball bearing or sliding bearing is not required for the idler of the other party, making it possible to further reduce costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention according to claims 1, 2, and 3, in which (a) is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which a stud is embedded in a resin; b) is a side view showing the external appearance of the joint.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention according to claims 4 and 7, in which (a) is a side view showing a state in which a stud is fitted into the surface of a drawn sheet metal, and (b) is a side view showing a state in which a stud is fitted into the surface of a drawn sheet metal; FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which rollers are fitted into the inner surface of the sheet metal.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a gear showing an embodiment of the invention according to claims 5 and 6.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a paddle showing a first specific example.

FIG. 5 shows a first specific example, in which (a) is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing how the journal part is press-fitted with the metal pipe inserted into the resin part, and (b) is a vertical side view showing how the journal part is press-fitted with the metal pipe inserted into the resin part. A vertical side view showing a state in which a journal part is press-fitted into a thick resin part, and (c) a vertical side view showing a state in which the surface of a resin part is thermally sprayed.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a developing device showing a second specific example.

FIG. 7 shows a second specific example, in which (a) is a side view showing the state when the protrusion of the developing doctor is finished by cutting, and (b) is a side view showing the state when finishing by cutting after thermal spraying. (c) is a side view showing the situation, and (c) is a side view showing the situation when thermal spraying is performed after cutting and finishing.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a guide portion of a developing device as a third specific example.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing how the journal is press-fitted in the fixing roller section, which is a fourth specific example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Resin parts 2 Idler gear 3 Press-fit parts 4 Sheet metal 6 Rotating parts 7 Idler gear 7a Shaft insertion part

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An OA characterized in that when a press-fitting member is press-fitted into a resin member used as a part of an OA device, a high-hardness layer is formed by thermally spraying a high-hardness substance on the press-fitting surface of the resin member. Wear-resistant mechanism for equipment parts. 2. A resin member used as a driving part of OA equipment and a rotational center shaft of an idler gear are integrally provided, and a wear-resistant material is thermally sprayed on the surface of the rotational center shaft or the sliding surface of the idler gear. A wear-resistant mechanism for OA equipment parts characterized by forming a wear-resistant layer. 3. The wear-resistant mechanism for OA equipment parts according to claim 2, wherein the sliding surface of the resin member that slides on the idler gear is treated with oil. [Claim 4] A cylindrical convex portion is formed in a part of the sheet metal by drawing a sheet metal used as a driving part of OA equipment, and a wear-resistant material is thermally sprayed on the surface of the convex portion. A wear-resistant mechanism for OA equipment parts, characterized in that a wear-resistant layer is formed so that a convex portion thereof is provided as a rotation center axis. 5. An idler gear used as a driving part of OA equipment is formed of a resin member or a light metal,
A wear-resistant mechanism for OA equipment parts, characterized in that a wear-resistant layer is formed by thermally spraying a wear-resistant material on the shaft insertion portion of the idler gear. 6. The wear-resistant mechanism for OA equipment parts according to claim 5, wherein a low thermal conductivity layer is formed by thermally spraying a low thermal conductivity material on the surface of the roller gear that fits into the shaft insertion portion of the idler gear. . 7. A cylindrical convex portion for supporting a rotating member is formed in a part of the sheet metal by drawing a sheet metal used as a bearing component of an idler gear of OA equipment,
A wear-resistant mechanism for OA equipment parts, characterized in that a wear-resistant layer is formed by thermally spraying a wear-resistant substance on the inner surface of the convex portion.