JPH06280855A - Cylindrical member - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Correction) [Purpose] Especially, the cylindrical outer diameter and the end engaging member, which are advantageously applied to the cylindrical member used for office machines such as copiers, printers, and facsimiles, can be precisely defined. In addition, it enables strong bonding. A cylinder member having an end engaging member 1 at least at one end of a cylinder 2, the end engaging member including a fitting portion that fits on the outside of the cylinder 2. The cylindrical member is fitted to the end portion of and the end portion of the cylinder is bent and joined into the notch 1a of the engaging member.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cylindrical member, and more particularly to a cylindrical member having an end engaging member fixed to one end.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The cylindrical member of the present invention is advantageously applied to a cylindrical member used in office equipment such as copiers, printers and facsimiles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member (hereinafter referred to as "photosensitive drum") has a drum gear and a drum flange for rotating the photosensitive drum at both ends of a cylinder whose surface is coated with a photosensitive conductive material. The end engaging members such as (hereinafter, referred to as "gear" and "flange", respectively) are adhered with an adhesive, or are pressed into the drum cylinder by an external pressure so as to be coupled to the cylindrical body. .

Also in the developing sleeve, the end engaging members such as the sleeve gear and the sleeve flange are connected by the same means.

As a method of bonding, an appropriate amount of adhesive is applied to the portion of the gear or the flange to be inserted into the cylinder, and after fitting, the adhesive is not affected by temperature and humidity until the adhesive is completely cured. It was stored in a place (environment) and completely cured. Instant adhesives, adhesive primers and anaerobic adhesives, etc. are mainly used as the types of adhesives used for adhesion, and they are appropriately selected according to their use, purpose, required strength and the like.

[0005] Further, Japanese Patent Application No.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 194117, the outer diameter of the insertion portion of the end engaging member into the cylindrical end portion and the inner diameter of the cylinder are fitted to each other so that the cylindrical end portion has the cylindrical end portion of the end engaging member. It is also conceivable to bend and join in the recess of the insertion part to the part.

As a process cartridge using the above configuration, Japanese Patent Application No. 4-282 previously proposed by the applicant of the present application.
232, and the like.

[0007]

However, in the conventional photosensitive drum and developing sleeve as described above,
There were some drawbacks listed below.

(1) Environment under high temperature and high humidity (for example, temperature:
When adhesion is performed at 32.5 ° C. and relative humidity: 85% and completely cured in the same environment, the water content in the air has an adverse effect on the adhesive surface during curing, resulting in a decrease in torque strength. .

(2) Some adhesives require a very long curing time until the adhesive is completely cured, so that a storage space between them is secured, and
Equipment and the like for keeping the temperature and humidity of the storage environment constant are necessary, and there were many problems from the viewpoint of cost, management, and productivity.

(3) In order to obtain high adhesive strength, there are restrictions on the material of the gear and the flange.

(4) In the case where the gear or the end of the flange is provided with an electrode plate in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder to establish continuity with the apparatus main body,
After the bonding, the adhesive may drip before the adhesive is completely cured, and the adhesive may flow into the contact portion between the electrode plate and the inner surface of the cylinder, resulting in poor conduction.

(5) In the case of fitting by press fitting, the coupling force between the gear or the flange and the cylinder was insufficient.

(6) In the joining method described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No. 3-194117, since the outer diameter of the insertion portion of the end engaging member into the cylindrical end portion and the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion are fitted together, In some cases, there is a possibility that the outer diameter of the cylinder and the axis of the end engaging member may be deviated due to the influence of the uneven thickness error of the cylinder.

The deviation between the outer diameter of the cylinder and the axis of the end engaging member affects the distance between the photosensitive drum and the developing sleeve and causes image unevenness. Therefore, it is desirable to keep it as small as possible.

[0015]

According to the present invention, in a cylindrical member having an end engaging member at at least one end of the cylinder, the end engaging member has an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cylinder. And a cylindrical fitting portion having a plurality of cutout portions formed therein, the fitting portion is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the end portion of the cylinder is inside the cutout portion of the engaging member. There is provided a cylindrical member characterized by being bent and cut to be joined.

That is, according to the present invention, in the cylindrical member having the end engaging member at least at one end of the cylinder, the outer diameter of the insertion portion of the end engaging member into the end of the cylinder and the inner diameter of the cylinder are fitted to each other to form a cylinder. A structure in which the end portion is cut and bent into the cutout portion of the end engaging member so as to be joined, whereby the outer diameter of the cylinder and the end engaging member can be joined accurately and firmly. Is.

As an embodiment of the cylindrical member of the present invention, the cylindrical member can be applied to an image holding member having an image holding layer on its surface. The image holding layer may be a photoreceptor layer or an insulating layer.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the cylindrical member will be described as a photosensitive drum.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a part of a photosensitive drum according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 designates an end member joined to the end of a cylinder 2 made of a suitable material such as an aluminum alloy. In this example, the cylinder 2 is a photosensitive drum, and the end member 1 is an end member that is coupled to the end portion of the photosensitive drum and supports the photosensitive drum rotatably about its axis. The photosensitive drum 2 has a photoconductive layer 3 having a surface coated with a photosensitive material. The end member 1 is, for example, a gear or a flange. The end member 1 has a cutout portion 1a provided in a bent cut portion with the cylinder 2 and an opening portion 1b thereof. The end member 1 is fitted with a certain fitting tolerance.

FIG. 2 shows a step of cutting and bending the end portion of the cylinder 2. In FIG. 2, the abutting tool denoted by the reference numeral 4 enters the cylindrical end of the photosensitive drum 2 toward the opening 1b provided in the end member 1 after fitting the end member 1 and the photosensitive drum 2 together. , Contact, bend and shear.

In the process of cutting and bending the end of the cylinder 2,
The end member 1 and the cylinder 2 are first fitted along the inner diameter of the fitting portion of the end member 1. At this time, it is desirable that the end member 1 and the same cylinder 2 be fitted with each other without any play between them and without deformation with respect to the outer diameter of the end member 1.

After the end member 1 and the same cylinder 2 are fitted together, the stepping tool 4 having a stepped shape whose tip has an acute angle is drawn from the front side of the end member 1 in the axial direction of the cylinder 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder 2 moves in the axial direction, enters the inside of the opening 1b provided in the end member 1, and contacts the cylinder 2.

As the approach further proceeds, from the end of the cylinder 2,
A cylinder 2 that bends along the surface shape of the butting tool 4 and that follows the width of the cutout portion 1a provided in the fitting portion of the end member 1.
The ends are sheared. When the approach further proceeds, the stepped portion of the butting tool 4 comes into contact with the end of the sheared cylinder 2, and further pushes and bends the end of the sheared cylinder 2. As a result, the end portion of the partially curved cylinder 2 is fixed in a state in which it is in close contact with the cutout portion 1a, and the end member 1 and the cylinder 2 are joined together.

At the time of this cutting and bending, the end of the cylinder 2 is completely sheared by inserting the abutting tool 4,
It is preferable that the sheared surface is in close contact with the shape of the notch 2. In such a state, the sheared surface of the partially bent end is closely attached to the notch 1a provided in the fitting portion of the end member 1, so that the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum and the It is possible to maintain a higher coupling force without causing looseness or looseness in the axial direction.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A), 3 (B) and 3 (C), the positions of the cutouts 1a provided in the end member 1 are 2, 3, 4 or You may provide in the above-mentioned location.

Further, since the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder is substantially exposed at the end of the cylinder 2 which is cut and bent by the butting tool 4, the end surface of the coat layer of the photosensitive material applied to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. It is desirable that the fitting portions of the end member 1 and the end member 1 do not overlap each other.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure of a general transfer type electrophotographic apparatus using a photosensitive drum. In FIG. 4, 101
Is a photosensitive drum as an image carrier, and is rotationally driven around the shaft 101a in the direction of the arrow at a predetermined peripheral speed. The photosensitive drum is uniformly charged with a predetermined positive or negative potential on its peripheral surface by the charging means 102 in the course of its rotation, and then the exposure unit 1
At 03, an optical image exposure L (slit exposure, laser beam scanning exposure, etc.) is performed by an image exposure means (not shown). As a result, electrostatic latent images corresponding to the exposed images are sequentially formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum.

The formed electrostatic latent image is then developed by the developing means 1.
04 toner-developed, the toner-developed image is transferred means 1
By 05, the transfer material P is sequentially transferred from the sheet feeding unit (not shown) to the surface of the transfer material P that is fed between the photosensitive drum 101 and the transfer unit 105 in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum.

The transfer material P which has received the image transfer is separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum and is introduced into the image fixing means 108, where it is image-fixed and printed out as a copy.

After the image is transferred, the surface of the photosensitive drum is cleaned by the cleaning means 106 to remove residual toner after transfer, and is further discharged by the pre-exposure means 107 to be repeatedly used for image formation.

As a uniform charging means 102 for the photosensitive drum, a corona charging device is generally widely used. Also, as the transfer device 5, corona transfer means is generally widely used. The electrophotographic apparatus is configured by integrally combining a plurality of components such as the photosensitive drum, the developing unit, and the cleaning unit described above as an apparatus unit, and this unit is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body. May be.
For example, at least one of a charging unit, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit is integrally supported together with a photoconductor to form a unit, which is a detachable single unit in the apparatus main body.
It may be detachable by using a guide means such as a rail of the apparatus body. At this time, the above device unit may be provided with a charging unit and / or a developing unit.

When the electrophotographic apparatus is used as a copying machine or a printer, the optical image exposure L is a laser beam scan or LED according to reflected light or transmitted light from a document or a signal obtained by reading a document and converting it into a signal. It is performed by driving the array, driving the liquid crystal shutter array, or the like.

When used as a printer for a facsimile, the light image exposure L becomes an exposure for printing the received data. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of this case.

The controller 111 includes an image reading section 110.
And control the printer 119. The entire controller 111 is controlled by the CPU 117. The read data from the image reading unit is transmitted to the partner station through the transmission circuit 113. The data received from the partner station is sent to the printer 119 through the receiving circuit 112. Predetermined image data is stored in the image memory. Printer controller 11
Reference numeral 8 controls the printer 119. 114 is a telephone.

The image received from the line 115 (image information from a remote terminal connected via the line) is demodulated by the receiving circuit 112, and then the CPU 117 decodes the image information and sequentially stores it in the image memory 116. Is stored. When the image of at least one page is stored in the memory 116, the image of that page is recorded. CPU11
Reference numeral 7 reads out one page of image information from the memory 116 and sends the combined one page of image information to the printer controller 18. The printer controller 118 is C
When the image information of one page is received from the PU 117, the printer 119 is controlled to record the image information of the page.

The CPU 117 is receiving the next page while recording by the printer 119.

As described above, the image is received and recorded.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the photosensitive drum is used for the cylinder has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the same can be applied to the developing sleeve as shown in FIG. it can. In this case, it is desirable that the end surface of the blast treatment 5a applied to the surface of the developing sleeve 5 and the fitting portion of the end member 6 at the end of the cylinder do not overlap.
In FIG. 7, 6a is a notch provided in the end member 6, and 5b is a bent portion of the developing sleeve 5.

Further, it can be similarly applied to various roller members to which driving force is transmitted, such as a platen roller, a conveying roller, a fixing roller and a printing plate roll.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the abutment tool 4 is moved in the axial direction of the cylinder to be coupled to the end member 1 has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, FIG. As shown, let the abutment tool 4 penetrate inside the cylinder,
The end face of the cylinder may be cut and bent to be coupled with the end member by linearly moving radially outward from the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention, the end engaging member is fitted to the outer diameter of the cylinder, and the end of the cylinder is bent and cut into the notch formed in the end engaging member. By doing so, it is possible to always maintain a stable coupling force without being affected by external influences, and it is possible to obtain a torque strength equal to or higher than that of the conventional method of adhesion and press fitting. Further, by fitting the outer diameter of the cylinder and the end engaging member, the outer diameter of the cylinder and the end engaging member can be more accurately coupled.

Further, since the end engaging member and the cylinder can be joined by a very simple method of advancing the abutting tool, it does not require a complete curing time unlike the conventional bonding method, Since they can be combined instantly, they are advantageous in terms of productivity and cost.

Further, since no adhesive is used, there is no need for property management, a drying step after bonding, a storage space, etc.
Excellent in terms of management and economy.

Moreover, since the coupling torque strength is not influenced by the material of the end engaging member, the material can be freely selected according to the purpose and application.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing a case where a cylindrical member according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a photosensitive drum.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a process of cutting and bending an end portion of the photosensitive drum of FIG.

3A, 3B, and 3C are plan views of end engaging members that are engaged with the photosensitive drum according to the present invention.

4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a general transfer type electrophotographic apparatus using the photosensitive drum of FIG.

5 is a block diagram of a facsimile using the electrophotographic apparatus using the photosensitive drum of FIG. 1 as a printer.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a photosensitive drum as a cylindrical member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view showing a developing sleeve as a cylindrical member according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 End Member 1a Notch 1b Opening 2 Cylinder 3 Photoconductive Layer 4 Butting Tool

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical member having an end engaging member on at least one end of a cylinder, wherein the end engaging member has an inner diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the cylinder and has a plurality of cutouts. And a cylindrical fitting portion that is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the end portion of the cylinder is bent and cut into the notch portion of the engaging member. A cylindrical member characterized by. 2. The cylindrical member according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member is a developing sleeve. 3. An image holding member having an end engaging member on at least one end of a cylinder having an image holding layer on a surface thereof, wherein the end engaging member has an inner diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the cylinder, And a cylindrical fitting portion having a plurality of cutout portions, the fitting portion is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the end portion of the cylinder is bent into the cutout portion of the engaging member. An image holding member, which is cut and joined. 4. The image holding member according to claim 3, wherein the image holding layer is a photoconductive layer. 5. The image holding member according to claim 3, wherein the image holding layer is an insulating layer. 6. The image holding member according to claim 4, wherein the image holding layer is not formed in a fitting portion of the cylindrical end portion with the end engaging member. 7. An apparatus unit in which at least one of a charging unit, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit is integrally supported together with an electrophotographic photosensitive member to form a unit, and which is a detachable single unit in the apparatus main body. In a cylindrical member having an end engaging member on at least one end of a cylinder having a photoconductor photoconductive layer on its surface, the end engaging member has an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cylinder and has a plurality of cutting edges. A cylindrical fitting portion having a cutout portion is formed, the fitting portion is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the end portion of the cylinder is bent and cut into the cutout portion of the engaging member to be joined. An apparatus unit having the structure described above. 8. A cylinder having a photoconductive layer on its surface has an end engaging member at least at one end, and the end engaging member has an inner diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the cylinder, and a plurality of end engaging members are provided. A cylindrical fitting portion having a cutout portion is formed, the fitting portion is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the end portion of the cylinder is bent and cut into the cutout portion of the engaging member. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a latent image forming means, a means for developing the formed latent image, and a means for transferring the developed image to a transfer material, which are connected to each other. 9. A cylinder having a photoconductive layer on its surface has at least one end engaging member, the end engaging member having an inner diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the cylinder, and a plurality of end engaging members. A cylindrical fitting portion having a cutout portion is formed, the fitting portion is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the end portion of the cylinder is bent and cut into the cutout portion of the engaging member. Electrophotographic apparatus having combined electrophotographic photoreceptor, latent image forming means, means for developing formed latent image and means for transferring developed image to transfer material, and receiving means for receiving image information from remote terminal A facsimile characterized by having.