JPH09244404A - Apparatus for production of developer thin layer forming member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to form a developer regulating part free from ruggedness, strains, etc., at its front end even if the transverse size of a sheet spring member is large by disposing an injection port in a position opposite to the transverse central part of this sheet spring member and proximity to a recessed part and communicating this injection port and the recessed part via a recessed part for pouring disposed on another metal mold. SOLUTION: The sheet spring member 23 is first held in the holding recessed part 33 of the one metal mold 31. Next, the other metal mold 41 is placed thereon from above in such a manner that its another butt surface 42 comes into tight contact with a butt surface 32. A liquid rubber material flows immediately into the transverse central part of the recessed part 43 via the recessed part 44 for pouring and flows from the central part toward the respective ends when both metal molds 31, 42 are butted against each other and the rubber material is injected from the injection port 45. At this time, the rubber material does not collide against each other within the recessed part 43 and since the distances from the transverse central part to the respective ends are not long, the smooth pouring of the rubber material to the respective ends is made possible and the occurrence of the strains, etc., in the developer regulating member is averted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a one-die mold having a holding portion for holding a thin leaf spring member formed on one abutting surface, and a thin leaf spring member on the other abutting surface that can be in close contact with the one abutting surface. A developer thin layer forming member having a concave portion for forming a developer regulating portion is formed facing the tip portion, and the other mold is provided with an injection port for injecting a liquid rubber material into the concave portion. Manufacturing equipment

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, FIG. 4 shows the overall construction of a developing device incorporating a developer thin layer forming member. The developing device includes a developing device main body 15, a developing roller 11, a supply roller 13, a stirring member 14, and a developer thin layer forming member 21P, and a developer regulating portion of the developer thin layer forming member 21P is provided on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 11. The developer (for example, non-magnetic one-component toner T) supplied to the photoconductor 2 is charged by pressing 22 and is regulated to a predetermined thickness.

More specifically, the developing device main body 15 has a toner T
And a developing roller 11 is disposed in the front opening so as to face and contact the photoconductor 2. The developing roller 11 is rotationally driven in a predetermined direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4) by a driving unit (not shown), and the toner T in the toner accommodating portion 16 is provided on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 11 by the supply roller 13. And so on. The roller portion of the developing roller 11 is usually made of conductive urethane rubber.

The developer thin layer forming member 21P is a thin plate spring member 23 made of an elastic material, which is mounted in the front opening of the developing device main body 15 via a mounting member 24, and a tip end portion of the thin plate spring member 23. 23a provided on the developer regulating portion 22.
The developer regulating portion 22 is in contact with the peripheral surface 12 of the developing roller 11 with a predetermined linear pressure by utilizing the elastic restoring force of the thin leaf spring member 23.

Usually, the developer thin layer forming member 21P has a length corresponding to the length of the developing roller 11 in the axial direction (direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 4), and the developer regulating portion 22 is made of rubber. It is made of a material (for example, silicon rubber).

The toner (T), which is carried on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 11 and whose layer thickness is regulated and charged by the developer regulating portion 22 of the developer thin layer forming member 21P, is an electrostatic latent image portion of the photoconductor 2. It is supplied to the (exposure part) by electrostatic force.

In order to achieve high quality printing by using the above developing device, the toner (T) carried on the developing roller 11 needs to be uniformly regulated and charged by the developer thin layer forming member 21. Therefore, the developer regulating portion 22 of the developer thin layer forming member 21 is required to be straight in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 4) without unevenness or distortion on the surface.

The cross-sectional shape of the developer regulating portion 22 is often a semi-circular shape as shown in FIG. 5 so that a predetermined linear pressure can be applied to the developing roller 11. Further, the developer regulating portion 22 is formed to have a small radius r of 1 to 3 mm, for example, in accordance with the current reduction in the diameter of the developing roller 11.

Here, an apparatus for manufacturing a developer thin layer forming member is shown in FIG. In this manufacturing apparatus, the holding portion (holding concave portion 3) that holds the thin leaf spring member 23 on the one butting surface 32 is used.
3) One-side mold 31 and one-side butting surface 32
A concave portion 43 for forming a developer regulating portion is formed on the other butting surface 42 that can be in close contact with the thin plate spring member 23 so as to face the tip portion (23a) of the thin leaf spring member 23, and a liquid rubber material is injected into the concave portion 43. The other mold 41 is provided with a pouring port 45. The injection port 45 is, as shown in FIG.
It is provided so as to be directly connected to the concave portion 43 at a position deviated from the central portion in the width direction.

For example, when a liquid rubber material (silicon rubber) having a temperature of 170 ° C. is poured from the injection port 45, the rubber material flows into the recess 43. In this way, when the liquid rubber material filled in the recess 43 is solidified, the thin leaf spring member 2
The developer regulating portion 22 is formed on the tip portion 23 a of the No. 3 portion.

[0011]

By the way, in the above-described manufacturing apparatus, since the cross-sectional shape of the recess 43 for forming the developer regulating portion is small, a gap between the viscous liquid rubber material and the inner wall surface of the recess 43 is formed. Since the resistance is large and the gas resistance of the gas generated from the rubber material is also added, the rubber material may not flow into the both ends of the recess 43 to cause dimension shortage, the rubber may be peeled off at the end, and sagging may occur. [FIG. 9 (A),
(B), (C)].

Therefore, the injection port 45 is connected to another portion (for example,
These injection ports 4 are also provided in the parts A1 and A2) shown in FIG.
There is a case where the rubber material is injected from 5 at the same time. However, since the rubber material collides with each other in the concave portion 43, distortion (k) is generated in the rubber material at the collided portion as shown in FIG. . When the toner (T) on the developing roller 11 is regulated / charged by using the developer regulating portion 22 having such a distortion (k), black streaks (or white streaks) or the like occur on the paper.

Further, the molding temperature of the rubber material is, for example, 150 ° C.
It may be carried out by lowering the temperature to a lower level to improve the flow-in, but this causes the low-molecular-weight siloxane component of the rubber material to seep out due to insufficient flow, and when incorporated into the developing device, the developing roller 11 and the photoconductor 2 are Contamination causes a white spot phenomenon in which halftone portions and characters are white.

Further, since the rubber material injection mark (g) remains in the developer regulating portion 22, black streaks and print density unevenness are likely to occur.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention provides a developer thin layer forming member capable of forming a developer regulating portion having no unevenness or distortion at its tip even when the width of the thin leaf spring member is large. To provide a manufacturing apparatus.

[0016]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, one die has a holding portion for holding a thin leaf spring member formed on one abutting surface, and a thin leaf spring is formed on the other abutting surface that can be in close contact with the one abutting surface. Forming a thin developer layer including a concave portion for forming a developer regulating portion, which is opposed to the tip of the member, and the other die provided with an injection port for injecting a liquid rubber material into the concave portion. In the apparatus for manufacturing a member, the injection port is provided at a position facing the central portion in the width direction of the thin leaf spring member and close to the recessed part, and the injection port and the recessed part are provided in the other mold to provide a casting recess. It is characterized by being communicated via.

In this invention, when the rubber material is injected from the injection port, the rubber material immediately flows into the widthwise central portion of the concave portion through the pouring concave portion and flows from the central portion toward each end portion.

Therefore, the rubber material can be smoothly poured into the end portion of the recess, and the dimension is not insufficient and peeling does not occur at the end portion. Further, since the rubber materials do not collide with each other in the concave portion, distortion does not occur. Further, since it is not necessary to lower the molding temperature of the rubber material, there is no insufficient inflow, and the developing roller is not contaminated. Further, no rubber material injection mark is left on the developer regulating portion.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present developer thin layer forming member has the same basic configuration as that of the conventional example (FIGS. 6 and 7), but the inlet 45 is connected to the developer regulating portion. It is provided at a position close to the widthwise center of the forming recess 43, and the injection port 45 and the widthwise center of the recess 43 are communicated with each other through a pouring recess 44 provided in the other mold 41. Has been done.

The same components as those of the conventional example (FIGS. 6 and 7) are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

The pouring recess 44 has a height h1 lower than the height h2 of the recess 43, and the pouring port 4 has a height h1.
The widthwise dimension of the recess 43 gradually increases from 5 toward the center of the recess 43.

As shown in FIG. 3, the developer thin layer forming member 21 manufactured by using this manufacturing apparatus has a thin leaf spring member 23 having a width dimension larger than the width of the A3 size sheet, and the thin leaf spring member 23, for example. The developer regulating portion 22 is formed over the entire length in the width direction of the tip portion 23a.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. To manufacture the developer thin layer forming member 21, first, the thin leaf spring member 23 is held in the holding recess 33 of the one die 31. Next, the other die 41 is placed from above so that the other butting surface 42 is in close contact with the one butting surface 32.

In this way, when a liquid rubber material (for example, silicon rubber) having a temperature of 170 ° C. is injected from the injection port 45 when the two dies (31, 41) are abutted with each other, the rubber material is poured into the concave portion for pouring. Immediately flow into the widthwise central portion 43m of the recess 43 via 44, and the central portion 43m
It flows from m toward each end (43a, 43b).

At this time, the rubber material does not collide with each other in the concave portion 43, and the rubber material does not collide with each other from the central portion 43m in the width direction to each end portion (43).
Since the distance to a, 43b) is not long, it is possible to smoothly pour into the respective end portions (43a, 43b).

Therefore, the insufficient size of the developer regulating portion 22 and the peeling at the end, sagging, and distortion do not occur. Further, since it is not necessary to lower the molding temperature of the rubber material, there is no deficiency in the flow rate, and the developing roller 1 when incorporated in the developing device.
It does not pollute 1.

According to this embodiment, however, the injection port 45 is formed in the central portion 4 in the width direction of the recess 43 for forming the developer regulating portion.
The thin plate spring member 23 is provided at a position close to 3 m, and the injection port 45 and the central portion 43 m in the width direction of the recess 43 are communicated with each other through the pouring recess 44 provided in the other mold 41.
Even if the width dimension of the developer is large, the developer regulating portion 22 having no unevenness or distortion can be formed on the tip portion 23a.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the injection port is provided at a position close to the center in the width direction of the recess for forming the developer regulating portion, and the injection port and the center in the width direction of the recess are formed in the other mold. Since they are communicated with each other through the provided recess for pouring, even if the width of the thin leaf spring member is large, it is possible to form the developer regulating portion having no unevenness or distortion at its tip.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is likewise a side view for explaining one mold and the other mold.

FIG. 3 is likewise an external perspective view of a manufactured developer thin layer forming member.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view for explaining a developing device in which a developer thin layer forming member is incorporated.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the cross-sectional shape of the developer regulating portion.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a conventional configuration of a developer thin layer forming member manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a side view for explaining one mold and the other mold in the same manner.

FIG. 8 is likewise a front view of the manufactured developer thin layer forming member.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing defect of the developer regulating portion.

FIG. 10 is also a diagram for explaining a problem caused by the distortion of the developer regulating portion.

FIG. 11 is also a diagram for explaining a problem caused by contamination of the developing roller by the developer regulating portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 Developer Thin Layer Forming Member 22 Developer Limiting Part 23 Thin Leaf Spring Member 31 One Mold 32 One Butting Surface 33 Holding Recess (Holding Part) 41 Other Mold 42 Other Butting Surface 43 Recess for Forming Developer Restricting Part 45 Inlet

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kazumasa Takada 570, Ohito, Ohito-cho, Takata-gun, Shizuoka, Ltd. Inside the Tech Ohito office (72) Inventor Shigeru Fujiwara 570, Ohito, Ohito-cho, Takata-gun, Shizuoka Inside the Tech Ohito Office

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A one-sided mold having a holding portion for holding a thin leaf spring member formed on one abutting surface, and the other abutting surface, which is in close contact with the one abutting surface, facing the tip portion of the thin leaf spring member. In the manufacturing apparatus of the developer thin layer forming member, the recess for forming the developer regulating portion is formed, and the other mold is provided with the injection port for injecting the liquid rubber material into the recess. The inlet is provided at a position close to the center of the recess in the width direction, and the inlet and the center of the recess in the width direction are communicated with each other through a pouring recess provided in the other mold. Manufacturing device for developer thin layer forming member.