JPS595574Y2 - Solid ink crawler structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a solid ink roller structure used in a recording device, which is composed of solid ink that melts when heated, a heating element, recording paper, and the like.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional explanatory view of a conventional recording apparatus using this type of solid ink roller.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a solid ink roller, on which an ink support 3 having some elasticity, such as silicone rubber, is mounted on a shaft 2 for rotating the roller, and a solid ink layer 4 is formed thereon.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a preheater for the solid ink roller 1, which is controlled to maintain a constant temperature.

6 is a heating element, and 7 is an actual heat generating part. A recording paper 8 is placed between the heat generating section 7 and the solid ink roller 1, and is sandwiched between the heat generating section 7 and the solid ink roller 1 with a constant pressure.

Arrow 9 is the feeding direction of the recording paper 8, and 10 is the rotation direction of the solid ink roller.

A conventional solid ink roller 1 is manufactured by attaching an ink support 3 to a shaft 2, setting the shaft 2 in a mold, injecting heated and melted solid ink onto the outside of the ink support 3, and cooling it. An ink layer 4 was formed.

In the recording method of the recording apparatus having this structure, the solid ink roller 1 is preheated by the preheater 5 to a temperature slightly lower than the melting temperature of the solid ink layer 4, and in addition, the heat generating part 7 of the heat generating element 6 is heated. This method heats the back side of the recording paper 8 by generating heat, and this heat reaches the surface of the solid ink layer 4 and dissolves the ink on the surface of the solid ink layer 40, causing it to adhere to the surface of the recording paper 8. .

When the preheater 5 is not used, it is necessary to detect the ambient temperature of the solid ink layer 4 and control the amount of heat generated by the heat generating section 7.

Further, especially in a recording apparatus having this structure, it is necessary to keep the entire solid ink layer 4 at a uniform temperature at all times for uniformity of recording.

However, since the ink support 3 such as silicone rubber is arranged inside the solid ink layer 4, it is difficult to rapidly diffuse and make uniform the uneven heat from the preheater 5 and the heat generating part 7. In the longitudinal direction of the solid ink roller 1, the central part becomes high temperature, and the solid ink roller 1
This was inconvenient because multiple high-temperature areas were formed in the length direction.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, since temperature variations tend to occur in the length direction of the solid ink roller 1, the rubber hardness of the ink support 3 changes depending on the location, and the pressure of the solid ink roller 1 against the recording paper 8 changes. As a result, uniform recording becomes impossible, and as the solid ink layer 4 wears out and becomes thinner as recording is performed, the expansion of the ink support 3 becomes impossible to ignore, and in some cases, cracks may occur in the solid ink layer 4. There were many drawbacks, such as the fact that

The purpose of the present invention is to solve these drawbacks by disposing a cylindrical thin metal layer inside a solid ink roller, which will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the solid ink roller 11 according to the present invention, in which an ink support 13 having some elasticity, such as silicone rubber, is arranged on the roller rotation shaft 12, and A thin metal cylinder 14 made of rust-free material such as stainless steel is provided on the metal cylinder 14, and a solid ink layer 15 is formed on the metal cylinder 14.

The thickness of the thin metal cylinder 14 is approximately 0.01 to 0.1 mm in a recording apparatus that uses recording paper of approximately A4 size.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a cylindrical thin metal layer used in the present invention.

FIG. 3A shows an embodiment of a thin metal tube 14 with a number of holes 16.

This is to strengthen the mechanical bond between the solid ink 15 and the metal tube 14, and the hole 16 may have a round, triangular, oval, or other special shape.

Further, although the hole 16 is provided in the embodiment, the hole 16 may be replaced by a convex portion or a concave portion.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, a cylindrical metal mesh 17 made of fine wire such as stainless steel may be used.

The mesh 18 strengthens the mechanical bond with the solid ink 15.

The method for manufacturing the solid ink roller 11 of this embodiment is to fit the ink support 13 onto the shaft 12, fit the metal cylinder 14 or metal mesh 17 thereon, set it in a concentric mold, and then heat it. It is possible to complete the ink layer 15 by injecting melted solid ink to the outside, or by setting the shaft 12 and the metal tube 14 or the metal mesh 17 concentrically in a mold and injecting the liquid ink inside. The ink support 13 is formed by injecting and hardening silicone rubber.
The ink layer 15 can be completed by injecting solid ink that has been melted by heating into the outside and solidifying it.

In the embodiment according to the present invention, a thin metal layer 14 is provided at the boundary between the solid ink layer 15 and the ink support 13, which is effective for uniformizing heat over the entire length of the solid ink roller 11. The rubber hardness of the ink support 13 does not change depending on the location, allowing uniform recording, and even if the solid ink layer 15 is worn out and becomes thinner, the solid ink layer 15 will not crack due to expansion of the ink support 13. As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides a thin metal layer between the solid ink layer and the ink support.
Despite its simple structure, the solid ink layer and ink support can be kept at a uniform temperature over the entire length of the solid ink roller, and when applied to recording devices such as facsimile machines and printers, clear printing can be achieved and a great effect can be produced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a recording device using a conventional solid ink roller, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the solid ink roller of the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows an example of a cylindrical thin metal layer used in the present invention, FIG. 3A is a metal tube, and FIG. 3B is a metal mesh. 12... Shaft, 13... Ink support, 14.
...Thin metal tube, 15...Solid ink layer, 16...
Hole, 17... cylindrical metal mesh.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A shaft that rotates a solid ink roller is placed in the center, an ink support is placed on the outside of the core between them, a cylindrical thin metal layer is placed on the outside of the core, and a heat-melting solid ink layer is placed on the outermost side. A solid ink roller structure characterized by forming.