JPH07136574A - Cylindrical body holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To commonly use the single holding device to easily and surely hold a cylindrical body having different diameters by sealing a fluid into an elastic material bag, bringing the elastic material bag into tight contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and press deforming the elastic material bag. CONSTITUTION:The fluid (more particularly liquid) 2 is sealed into the hollow annular elastic material bag 1 formed of rubber, etc., and the elastic material bag is molded to, for example, the shape of a tire tube of a bicycle. The elastic material bag 1 is held between a pressurizing member 3 and an upper supporting rod 4. The holding device constituted in such a manner that is housed in the cylindrical body 7 and is supported by a supporting plate 5. The pressurizing member 3 is pulled up by diving a pressurizing device 6, by which the elastic material bag 1 is crushed to extrude the fluid 2 to the outer side of the pressurizing member and to expand and deform the outside diameter of the elastic material bag 1 to a sufficient size to hold the inside surface of the cylindrical body 7. As a result, the cylindrical body 7 of the different diameters is easily and surely held by commonly using the single holding device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot hand for transferring an electrophotographic photosensitive drum used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser beam printer, or a photosensitive member on the photosensitive drum. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a tubular body gripping device used in a coating device for coating a coating liquid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the industrial field, it is often necessary to grip an inner peripheral surface in order to process the outer surface of a cylindrical body. As a typical example, various kinds of manufacturing in the case of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive drum in which a photosensitive layer is applied on the outer peripheral surface of a hollow cylindrical drum made of metal such as aluminum used in an electrophotographic copying machine or a laser beam printer. Examples thereof include a transfer operation between steps and a case where a photosensitive layer is applied to the photosensitive drum.

The photosensitive layer is coated by a dip coating method,
A coating method such as a spray coating method, a spin coating method, a bead coating method, a blade coating method, a roller coating method, or a curtain coating method is used, but a mechanism for gripping the inner peripheral surface is required regardless of which coating method is used. Become.

As a device for gripping the inner peripheral surface of such a cylindrical body, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-15064, a purely mechanical device (combined with a mechanism) is used. (Hereinafter referred to as mechanical chuck method),
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-147192, a rubber elastic body is deformed under pressure so as to be expanded in the circumferential direction and gripped (hereinafter referred to as an elastic body deformation method). As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 52-121067, a rubber bag is inserted into a tubular body, and air is injected into the rubber bag to expand and hold the rubber bag (hereinafter, referred to as an air chuck. Method), and an air chuck method applied to a photoconductor drum coating device, such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-4466.

In particular, when applying a dip coating method to a cylindrical photosensitive drum whose both ends are open, it is necessary to grip the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, and at the same time, the coating liquid is applied to the inside of the cylindrical body. It is necessary to enclose air inside the tubular body in order to prevent entry. For that purpose, it is necessary to seal the upper part of the tubular body, and the elastic body deformation method,
It is convenient to use the air chuck method because the function of gripping and the function of sealing can be simultaneously actuated.

[0006]

However, the mechanical chuck method has problems that it is mechanically complicated and the operation reliability is lower than that of the air chuck method. Further, when it is used in the dip coating method for the photosensitive drum, it is necessary to add a sealing function separately.

Further, in the elastic body deforming method, the deformation of the rubber O-ring packing or the like is slight even when strongly pressed by the force of the air cylinder or the like, and when the cylindrical body having a slightly different inner diameter is gripped. Requires a setup change such as replacing the elastic body according to the inner diameter of the tubular body.

Further, in the air chuck method, when a plurality of pieces are simultaneously transferred or coated, the air supply is switched by one valve, and the valves are branched by a pipe before the individual cylinder holding devices. The supply method is often used, but if a problem such as a crack in the rubber bag occurs in one tubular body gripping device, all tubular body gripping devices connected to the same air supply line release the object to be grasped.・ There was a problem that it was dropped and the damage was increased. Further, in order to avoid this, it is conceivable to attach an air supply switching valve to all of the individual cylindrical body gripping devices, but this is not realistic because the device becomes bulky.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to have a sealing function, and it is possible to grip even tubular bodies having slightly different inner diameters, and even when a pressure control device is shared by a plurality of tubular body gripping devices. An object of the present invention is to provide a tubular body gripping device in which a defect of the tubular body gripping device does not affect the remaining tubular body gripping devices.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a tubular body gripping device for gripping from the inner peripheral surface of a tubular body, wherein (1) a hollow ring inserted into the tubular body. A bag made of an elastic material containing a fluid, and (2) having a size large enough to allow the bag to come into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body and to grip the tubular body. Provided is a tubular body gripping device having a mechanism for pressurizing and deforming the bag so as to have an outer diameter.

The tubular body gripping device of the present invention is particularly useful mainly when a photosensitive layer is provided on a cylindrical conductive support and, if necessary, between the photosensitive layer and the conductive support. It can also be used when an adhesive layer or a barrier layer is formed on.

Examples of the material of the conductive support include aluminum, copper, zinc, stainless steel, chromium, titanium,
Nickel, molybdenum, vanadium, indium, gold,
Examples include metals or alloys such as platinum, conductive polymers, conductive compounds such as indium oxide; paper, plastic films, ceramics, etc. coated, vapor-deposited or laminated with metals or alloys such as aluminum, palladium and gold. Metallic ones, especially aluminum ones, are preferable. If necessary, the surface of the conductive support may be subjected to chemical or physical treatment.

The photosensitive layer is of a first type in which a charge generating layer mainly composed of a charge generating material and a charge transporting layer mainly composed of a charge transporting material are sequentially laminated, a charge transporting layer and a charge generating layer are successively formed. It may be a laminated second type or a third type in which a charge generating material is dispersed in a charge transfer medium.

The first type photosensitive layer is formed by vapor deposition of a charge generating material or dispersion of fine particles of the charge generating material in a solvent in which a binder resin is dissolved, if necessary, and then coating and drying. Then, the charge transporting material may be used alone or, if necessary, a binder resin may be used in combination, and a solution in which the binder resin is dissolved is applied and dried.

In the second type of photosensitive layer, a solution in which a charge transporting material is used alone or, if necessary, a binder resin is used in combination is coated on a conductive support, dried, and the charge is generated thereon. It can be obtained by vapor deposition of a material, or by applying a dispersion obtained by dispersing fine particles of a charge generating material in a solvent or a binder resin solution and drying.

The third type of photosensitive layer is prepared by dispersing fine particles of a charge generating material in a solution in which a charge transporting material is used alone or, if necessary, a binder resin is also used in combination, and the resultant is used as a conductive support. It can be produced by coating on the surface and drying.

Regarding the thickness of the photosensitive layer, in the case of the first and second types of photosensitive layers, the thickness of the charge generation layer is 5 μm or less, preferably 0.01 to 2 μm, and the thickness of the charge transport layer. The length is 3 to 50 μm, preferably 5 to 30 μm. In the case of the third electrophotographic photosensitive member, the thickness of the photosensitive layer is 3 to 50.
μm, preferably 5 to 30 μm.

The proportion of the charge transport material in the charge transport layer in the first and second type photosensitive layers is 5 to 100% by weight.
Can be appropriately selected within the range of, preferably 40 to 80% by weight. The ratio of the charge generating material in the charge generating layers of the first and second type photosensitive layers is 5 to 5.
It can be selected appropriately in the range of 100% by weight, and preferably in the range of 40 to 80% by weight. The proportion of the charge transporting material in the third type photosensitive layer can be appropriately selected within the range of 5 to 99% by weight, and the proportion of the charge generating material is 1 to 50% by weight, preferably 3 to 20% by weight. %. In addition, in any of the first to third photosensitive layers, a plasticizer and a sensitizer can be used together with the binder resin.

Examples of the charge generating material include azo pigments such as monoazo pigments, disazo pigments and trisazo pigments;
Phthalocyanine pigments such as various metal phthalocyanines, metal-free phthalocyanines, and naphthalocyanines; condensed polycyclic pigments such as perinone pigments, perylene pigments, anthraquinone pigments, quinacridone pigments; squarylium dyes; azurenium dyes; thiapyrylium dyes; cyanine dyes And the like.

Particularly, phthalocyanines are suitable because they have high sensitivity in an electrophotographic system using a long wavelength light source such as a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode.

The charge generating material is not limited to those described here, and may be used alone or in combination of two or more when used.

The charge transport material is roughly classified into low molecular weight compounds and high molecular weight compounds.

Examples of the charge transport material of the low molecular weight compound include pyrene; carbazoles such as N-ethylcarbazole, N-isopropylcarbazole and N-phenylcarbazole; N-methyl-N-phenylhydrazino-3.
-Methylidene-9-ethylcarbazole, N, N-diphenylhydrazino-3-methylidene-9-ethylcarbazole, p- (N, N-dimethylamino) benzaldehyde diphenylhydrazone, p- (N, N-diethylamino) benzaldehyde diphenyl Hydrazone, 1-
[4- (N, N-diphenylamino) benzylideneimino] -2,3 dimethylindoline, N-ethylcarbazole-3-methylidene-N-aminoindoline, N-ethylcarbazole-3-methylidene-N-aminotetrahydrokyrin Hydrazones such as; oxadiazoles such as 2,5-bis (p-diethylaminophenyl) -1,3,4-oxadiazole; 1-phenyl-3- (p-
Diethylaminostyryl) -5- (p-diethylaminophenyl) pyrazoline, 1- [quinolyl- (2)]-3
Pyrazolines such as-(p-diethylaminophenyl) pyrazoline; tri-p-tolylamine, N, N'-diphenyl-N, N'-bis (3-methylphenyl) -1,
Arylamines such as 1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine; 1,1-bis (p-diethylaminophenyl)
Butadiene such as -4,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene; 4- (2,2-diphenylethenyl) -N, N
Examples include stills such as -diphenylbenzenamine and 4- (1,2,2-triphenylethenyl) -N, N-diphenylbenzenamine.

Further, as the charge transport material of the polymer compound, for example, poly-N-vinylcarbazole, halogenated poly-N-vinylcarbazole, polyvinylpyrene,
Examples thereof include polyvinyl anthracene, polyvinyl acridine, poly-9-vinylphenyl anthracene, pyrene-formamide resin, ethylcarbazole-formaldehyde resin, triphenylmethane polymer, and polyphenylalkylsilane.

The charge transporting material is not limited to those described here, and may be used alone or in combination of two or more when used.

As the binder resin which can be used if necessary, it is preferable to use a hydrophobic and electrically insulating polymer compound capable of forming a film. Examples of such high molecular weight polymers include polycarbonate, polyester, methacrylic resin, acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride,
Polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, styrene-butadiene copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride copolymer, silicone resin, silicone-alkyd resin, phenol-formaldehyde resin, styrene-alkyd resin, Examples thereof include poly-N-vinylcarbazole, polyvinyl formal, and polysulfone.

The binder resin is not limited to those described here, and may be used alone or in combination with the binder resin.
It can be used as a mixture of more than one kind.

Further, in order to improve the film forming property, flexibility and mechanical strength, additives such as well-known plasticizers and surface modifiers may be used together with these binder resins.

Examples of the plasticizer include biphenyl, biphenyl chloride, o-terphenyl, p-terphenyl,
Dibutyl phthalate, diethyl glycol phthalate,
Examples thereof include dioctyl phthalate, triphenyl phosphoric acid, methylnaphthalene, benzophenine, chlorinated paraffin, polypropylene, polystyrene and various fluorohydrocarbons.

Examples of the surface modifier include silicone oil and fluororesin.

Any known sensitizer can be used as the sensitizer which is optionally used in the photosensitive layer.

Examples of the sensitizer include chloranil, tetracyanoethylene, methyl violet, rhodamine B, cyanine dye, merocyanine dye, pyrylium dye and thiapyrylium dye.

Further, in order to improve the storability, durability and environmental resistance, it is possible to add a deterioration preventing agent such as an antioxidant or a light stabilizer in the photosensitive layer. Examples thereof include phenol compounds, hydroquinone compounds, amine compounds and the like.

Furthermore, in order to improve the adhesive between the conductive support and the photosensitive layer and to prevent the injection of free charges from the conductive support to the photosensitive layer, a gap between the conductive support and the photosensitive layer is provided. ,
An adhesive layer or a barrier layer can be provided if necessary.

Materials used for these layers include, in addition to the polymer compound used for the binder resin, casein, gelatin, ethyl cellulose, nitrocellulose,
Carboxy-methyl cellulose, vinylidene chloride-based polymer latex, styrene-butadiene-based polymer latex, polyvinyl alcohol, polyamide, polyurethane, phenol resin, aluminum oxide, tin oxide,
Titanium oxide and the like can be used, but the film thickness is preferably 1 μm or less.

When a laminated type photosensitive layer having a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer is formed by coating, the solvent that dissolves the binder resin varies depending on the kind of the binder resin, but does not dissolve the lower layer. It is desirable to select from among them.
Specific examples of the organic solvent include, for example, methanol,
Alcohols such as ethanol and n-propanol; ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and cyclohexanone; amides such as N, N-dimethylformaldehyde and N, N-dimethylacetamide; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran, dioxane and methylcellosolve; acetic acid Esters such as methyl and ethyl acetate; Sulfoxides and sulfones such as dimethyl sulfoxide and sulfolane;
Aliphatic hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethane; aromatics such as benzene, toluene, xylene, monochlorobenzene and dichlorobenzene.

[0037]

The tubular body gripping device of the present invention uses an elastic hollow ring-shaped bag containing a fluid as the elastic body of the elastic body deforming method so that the elastic body is elastic as compared with the normal elastic deforming method. The amount of body deformation can be extremely increased. Further, even when a plurality of tubular body gripping devices of the present invention are connected so that a large number of tubular bodies can be processed at the same time, one defect does not entirely affect.

[0038]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to embodiments with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of the tubular body gripping device of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a hollow ring-shaped elastic body bag made of rubber, in which a fluid 2 is enclosed, and has a shape just like a tube of a bicycle tire. Therefore, when the pressure is not applied, the cross section becomes circular, and the structure is such that it can be transformed into a free shape by applying pressure. When a liquid is used as the fluid 2 enclosed in the hollow annular elastic body bag 1, when the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 is pressurized, the fluid has an incompressible property. It is convenient because the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 is deformed more and is restored more quickly so that the cross section of the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 becomes circular when the pressure is released. In the gripping device of the present invention, since the hollow annular elastic bag 1 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the pressing member 3 and the upper support rod 4, the pressing member 3 is moved upward by an appropriate force. When the hollow annular elastic bag 1 is crushed, the hollow annular elastic bag 1 is crushed and the internal fluid 2 is pushed out of the pressurizing member 3, so that the hollow annular elastic bag 1 is deformed and expanded, and the hollow annular elastic bag The outer diameter of No. 1 can be set to a sufficiently large outer diameter for gripping the inner surface of the tubular body 7 as compared with the initial outer diameter at which the pressing member 3 does not act. Further, when the pressure of the pressurizing member 3 is released, the fluid 2 enclosed in the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 tends to be uniform, so that the cross section is instantly restored to a circular shape, so that the tubular body 7 is formed. Can be released.

Since the present gripping device uses the hollow annular elastic body bag 1, the amount of change in the outer diameter of the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 when the pressure member 3 is acted and when it is not acted is unloaded. In the state, it was possible to greatly change the outer diameter of φ30 mm to 5 to 10 mm. When a conventional annular elastic body, for example, an O-ring was pressed and elastically deformed, only a change amount of 0.2 to 0.4 mm was obtained under the same conditions.

In FIG. 2, the gripping device is inserted into the cylindrical body 7 without the pressing member 3 being actuated, and after being inserted to an appropriate position, the pressing device 6 is actuated to pull up the pressing member 3. Thus, the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 is pressed and deformed and expanded to grip the tubular body 7. When this gripping device is used in an applicator that applies the coating liquid to the outer surface of a tubular body, the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 is made of rubber, so that it adheres closely to the inner surface of the tubular body 7, Since it also has an effect of sealing the upper open end of the tubular body 7, air can be sealed inside the lower portion of the tubular body 7, and as a result, the coating liquid can be prevented from entering the inside of the tubular body 7. Therefore, the coating liquid is not applied to the inner surface of the tubular body 7, which is convenient. Further, when the holding device is used in a coating device, the hollow annular elastic bag 1 may be required to have solvent resistance. In that case, silicon, viton, fluorosilicone, fluororubber, etc. The solvent-resistant material may be used if necessary.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram in which the present gripping device is applied to a cylindrical body dipping coating device. With this gripping device, the cylindrical body 7 is gripped and the upper open end is sealed, and the driving device 12 moves up and down to immerse it in the coating tank 11 filled with the coating liquid 13 and then pull it up at a predetermined speed. A coating film having a desired film thickness can be applied to the outer surface of the sheet 7.

FIG. 3 is a diagram in which the gripping device shown in FIG. 1 can simultaneously process a plurality of cylindrical bodies (only two are shown in this figure). In this way, by arranging the gripping devices in parallel, it is possible to configure a robot hand or a coating device that can easily process a plurality of cylindrical bodies at the same time. In that case, since the pneumatic lines for driving the pressurizing devices that are supplied to the individual pressurizing devices 6 can control pressurization-release for the pressurizing devices 6 with one pneumatic pressure supply valve 8,
The control device can be simplified. Even in this case, even if one gripping device malfunctions, for example, when the hollow annular elastic body bag 1 is cracked and the cylindrical body 7 cannot be gripped, the effect is the pneumatic line for driving the pressurizing device. Since it does not affect other gripping devices sharing the same, damage can be suppressed to a minimum. FIG. 5 shows an example of a conventional air chuck method as a comparative example. In this gripping device, the cylindrical elastic film 14 is used.
The elastic film 14 is expanded by applying air pressure to the inside of the tube by applying air pressure, and the elastic film 1 is formed on the inner surface of the tubular body 7.
It is grasped by bringing 4 into close contact. Even in the present gripping device, the control mechanism for pressurizing / releasing the air pressure to the inside of the elastic body film 14 can be shared by a plurality of gripping devices, but there is a problem that the elastic body film 14 of one gripping device is cracked. When it occurs, the pressure inside the elastic film 14 is released, which affects all the gripping devices that share the pressure-release line, resulting in a large damage.

[0044]

Since the tubular body gripping device of the present invention uses the elastic hollow ring-shaped bag containing the fluid as the elastic body, the amount of elastic deformation is large and even a tubular body having a slightly different inner diameter can be stepped. It can be gripped with the same gripping device without replacement. Further, even when a plurality of gripping devices are connected to each other, since the malfunction of each gripping device does not affect the whole, damage can be minimized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a tubular body gripping device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view in which the pressurizing device of the tubular body gripping device of the present invention is operated to grip the tubular body.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view in which two tubular body gripping devices are connected.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view in which a photosensitive drum is dip coated using the tubular body gripping device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional air chuck type gripping device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hollow annular elastic body bag 2 Enclosed fluid 3 Pressurizing member 4 Upper support rod 5 Grasping device support plate 6 Pressurizing device 7 Cylindrical body (object to be grasped) 8 Air pressure supply valve 9 Pressure release valve 10 Addition Pressure tube 11 Coating tank 12 Driving device 13 Coating liquid 14 Elastic film

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tubular body gripping device for gripping from an inner peripheral surface of a tubular body, comprising: (1) a hollow ring-shaped bag to be inserted into the tubular body, which is made of an elastic material containing a fluid. And (2) a mechanism for bringing the bag into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body and for deforming the bag under pressure so that the bag has an outer diameter large enough to grip the tubular body. A cylindrical body gripping device having. 2. The tubular body gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid enclosed in the hollow annular bag having elasticity is a liquid.