JP2018116132A - Roll member, fixing device, and image-forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a roll member having an adhesive layer between an elastic layer having a circular cross section and a surface layer covering the elastic layer, as compared with a case where the strain of the surface layer is 3 [%] or more. A roll member, a fixing device, and an image forming device capable of suppressing the formation of recesses or wrinkles in the layer. SOLUTION: The surface layer 62 of the roll member 54 has a strain of 2 [%] or less. The occurrence of wrinkles and dents in the surface layer 62 is suppressed as compared with the case where the strain of the layer 62 is 3% or more. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a roll member, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus.

  In the manufacturing method of the cylindrical body covering member described in Patent Document 1, the core body in which the diameter-expanding member having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the core body is attached to the end portion on the leading side in the insertion direction is used as one end portion of the cylindrical body. The first step of maintaining the expanded portion by the pressure difference inside and outside the cylinder, and eliminating the pressure difference. And a second step of covering the core body with the cylindrical body.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-88088

  The problem of the present invention is that, in a roll member having an adhesive layer between an elastic layer having a circular cross section and a surface layer covering the elastic layer, the strain of the surface layer is 3% or more. Thus, it is to suppress the formation of recesses or wrinkles in the surface layer.

  The roll member according to claim 1 of the present invention covers the shaft, the elastic layer having a circular cross section formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer, and has a strain of 2 [ %], And an adhesive layer that is provided between the elastic layer and the surface layer and adheres the surface layer to the elastic layer.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixing device comprising: the roll member according to the first aspect; a heating member that heats the roll member; and a pressing member that presses the recording medium onto which the image has been transferred against the roll member. It is characterized by.

  An image forming apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention is a transfer member that transfers an image to a recording medium, and a fixing device according to claim 2 that fixes the image transferred to the recording medium by the transfer member to the recording medium. It is characterized by providing.

  According to the roll member of Claim 1 of this invention, it can suppress that a recessed part or a wrinkle arises in a surface layer compared with the case where the distortion of a surface layer is 3 [%] or more.

  According to the fixing device of the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of uneven fixing as compared with the case where the distortion of the surface layer of the roll member is 3% or more.

  According to the image forming apparatus of claim 3 of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of image unevenness as compared with the case where the fixing device of claim 2 is not provided.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) (B) It is the perspective view which showed the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and sectional drawing. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the front view which showed the coating device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the front view which showed the coating device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the front view which showed the coating device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the side view which showed the coating device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) (B) It is the perspective view which showed the diameter-expansion member of the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the decompression device used in manufacturing the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing a decompression device used for manufacturing a roll member concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is drawing which showed the evaluation result which evaluated the roll member which concerns on embodiment of this invention with the table | surface.

  An example of a roll member, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the arrow H shown in the figure indicates the vertical direction (vertical direction) of each device, the arrow W indicates the device width direction (horizontal direction) of each device, and the arrow D indicates the device depth direction (horizontal direction) of each device. ).

(overall structure)
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a storage unit 14 that stores a sheet member P serving as a recording medium, and a transport that transports the sheet member P stored in the storage unit 14. Part 16 is provided. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming unit 20 that forms an image on the sheet member P conveyed from the storage unit 14 by the conveying unit 16, and a control unit 48 that controls each unit.

[Container]
The accommodating portion 14 includes an accommodating member 26 that can be pulled out from the apparatus main body 10 </ b> A of the image forming apparatus 10 toward the front side in the apparatus depth direction, and the sheet member P is stacked on the accommodating member 26. Further, the accommodating portion 14 is provided with a delivery roll 30 that sends out the sheet member P stacked on the accommodating member 26 to a conveying path 28 that constitutes the conveying portion 16.

[Transport section]
The transport unit 16 includes a plurality of transport rolls (reference numerals omitted) that transport the sheet member P along the transport path 28 along which the sheet member P is transported.

(Image forming part)
The image forming unit 20 includes four image forming units 18Y, 18M, 18C, and 18K of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). In the following description, Y, M, C, and K may be omitted when there is no need to distinguish between Y, M, C, and K.

  Each color image forming unit 18 is detachable from the apparatus main body 10A. Each color image forming unit 18 includes an image carrier 36 that rotates in the direction of arrow B in the figure, and a charging member 38 that charges the surface of the image carrier 36. Further, the image forming unit 18 includes an exposure device 42 that irradiates the charged image carrier 36 with exposure light, and a development that develops the electrostatic latent image formed by irradiating the exposure light and visualizes it as a toner image. The apparatus 40 is provided.

  Further, the image forming unit 20 includes an endless transfer belt 22 that circulates in the direction of arrow A in the figure, and a primary transfer roll 44 that transfers the toner image formed by the image forming unit 18 of each color to the transfer belt 22. Is provided.

  Further, the image forming unit 20 heats and presses the secondary transfer roll 46 that transfers the toner image transferred to the transfer belt 22 to the sheet member P, and the sheet member P to which the toner image is transferred, and thereby the toner image. Is fixed to the sheet member P. Details of the fixing device 50 will be described later. The secondary transfer roll 46 is an example of a transfer member.

(Operation of image forming apparatus)
In the image forming apparatus 10, an image is formed as follows.

  First, the charging member 38 of each color to which a voltage is applied charges the surface of the image holding member 36 of each color uniformly with a predetermined potential. Subsequently, based on the image data received from the outside of the apparatus, the exposure device 42 irradiates the surface of the charged image carrier 36 with exposure light to form an electrostatic latent image.

  Thereby, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the data is formed on the surface of the image carrier 36 of each color. Further, each color developing device 40 develops the electrostatic latent image and visualizes it as a toner image. In addition, the toner images formed on the surface of each color image holding member 36 are sequentially transferred to the transfer belt 22 by the primary transfer roll 44.

  Therefore, the sheet member P sent from the housing member 26 to the transport path 28 by the sending roll 30 is sent to the transfer position T where the transfer belt 22 and the secondary transfer roll 46 come into contact with each other. At the transfer position T, the sheet member P is conveyed between the transfer belt 22 and the secondary transfer roll 46, so that the toner image on the surface of the transfer belt 22 is transferred to the surface of the sheet member P.

  Further, the toner image transferred to the surface of the sheet member P is fixed to the sheet member P by the fixing device 50. Then, the sheet member P on which the toner image is fixed is discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 10A.

(Main part configuration)
Next, the fixing device 50 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fixing device 50 includes a heating roll 52 and a pressing roll 70 as an example of a pressing member disposed on the opposite side of the heating roll 52 with respect to the conveyance path 28. .

(Pressing roll)
The pressing roll 70 includes a columnar shaft portion 70A extending in the apparatus depth direction and a cylindrical elastic portion 70B through which the shaft portion 70A passes. Both ends of the shaft portion 70A are attached to a support member (not shown) via bearings.

  In this configuration, the pressing roll 70 comes into contact with the rotating heating roll 52 and rotates following the heating roll 52 while being pressed against the heating roll 52 by an urging member (not shown). Yes. The pressing roll 70 is configured to press the sheet member P sandwiched and conveyed between the heating roll 52 against the heating roll 52.

[Heating roll]
The heating roll 52 includes a roll member 54 whose axial direction is the apparatus depth direction, and a heating member 56 that heats the roll member 54.

  The heating member 56 is a halongen heater that is disposed inside the roll member 54 and heats the roll member 54.

  The roll member 54 covers the cylindrical shaft portion 58 whose axial direction is the apparatus depth direction, the elastic layer 60 having a circular cross section formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 58, and the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60. And an adhesive layer 64 that adheres the surface layer 62 to the elastic layer 60.

  In the present embodiment, the shaft portion 58 is a cylindrical material made of aluminum (JIS H4000 A-5052), and has an outer diameter of 25 [mm], a thickness of 2 [mm], and a length of 300 [mm].

  The elastic layer 60 is a member formed of a material having a Young's modulus of 4 [Mpa] or less. In this embodiment, the elastic layer 56 is made of silicone rubber (X-34-2086A / B, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), has an inner diameter of 25 [mm], a thickness of 300 [μm], and a length of 260 [mm]. It is.

  The surface layer 62 is formed of a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (hereinafter referred to as “PFA”), which is a fluororesin, and has a thickness of 35 [μm].

  The adhesive layer 64 is formed of a silicone rubber adhesive (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., X34-2967A / B). In this embodiment, the thickness of the central side of the adhesive layer 64 is 50 [μm] or more, The thickness of the end portion of the adhesive layer 64 is made thinner than the thickness of the center side of the adhesive layer 64.

  And the position of the apparatus depth direction in the both ends of the elastic layer 60, the contact bonding layer 64, and the surface layer 62 is made the same.

  In addition, the edge part of the adhesive layer 64 is a part of length 10 [%] of each both ends, when the full length of the adhesive layer 64 in an apparatus depth direction (axial direction) is 100 [%]. The center side of the adhesive layer 64 is a portion excluding the end portion of the adhesive layer 64.

  In the present embodiment, the strain of the surface layer 62 is 2% or less. A method for deriving this distortion will be described below.

  First, the elastic layer 60, the adhesive layer 64, and the surface layer 62 are cut at equal intervals in the axial direction to obtain ten cut pieces (see FIG. 2A). And in each cut piece, the thickness of the surface layer 62 of both end surfaces is measured using an optical microscope. Specifically, the thickness of the surface layer 62 is measured at intervals of 10 degrees around the axis of the roll member 54 (see FIG. 2B). That is, the thickness of the surface layer 62 is measured at 36 locations on one end face of one cut piece. This is performed for all the end faces of the ten cut pieces.

  The strain of the surface layer 62 is calculated by the following formula (1). Note that one line after the decimal point is rounded off.

Strain of surface layer [%] = (maximum thickness−minimum thickness) / maximum thickness × 100 (1)
In this configuration, the heating roll 52 receives a rotational force from a motor (not shown) and rotates in the direction of the arrow R1 in the drawing as shown in FIG. The fixing device 50 configured to include the heating roll 52 and the pressing roll 70 fixes the toner image onto the sheet member P that is sandwiched and conveyed between the heating roll 52 and the pressing roll 70. ing.

(Method for manufacturing roll member)
Next, the manufacturing method of the roll member 54 which comprises the heating roll 52 is demonstrated. The method of manufacturing the roll member 54 includes a preparation step of preparing a member in which the elastic layer 60 is formed on the shaft portion 58, a step of forming an adhesive layer for forming an adhesive layer, and a step of forming a surface layer. Forming a surface layer.

[Preparation process]
First, a member is prepared in which a cylindrical elastic layer 60 is formed on a shaft portion 58 having an outer diameter of 25 [mm], a thickness of 2 [mm], and a length of 300 [mm].

[Adhesion layer formation process]
The forming process of the adhesive layer is a process for forming (applying) the adhesive layer 64 on the elastic layer 60. In this step, a so-called flow coating method is used. First, the coating apparatus 100 used for the flow coating method will be described, and then the adhesive layer forming step will be described.

-Applicator-
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the coating apparatus 100 used for the flow coating method includes a rotating unit 104, a discharge unit 108, a plate-like blade 112, and a moving mechanism 116.

  The rotating portion 104 rotates the shaft portion 58 in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 58 while supporting both ends of the shaft portion 58 in the axial direction. In the present embodiment, the rotating unit 104 rotates the shaft unit 58 at 50 [rpm].

  The discharge unit 108 discharges the adhesive liquid 118 to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60 formed on the shaft portion 58 rotated by the rotating portion 104 while moving along the axial direction of the shaft portion 58 by the moving mechanism 116. It has become.

  In this embodiment, a liquid silicone rubber coating liquid (a liquid containing 50% by mass of a silicone rubber adhesive (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., X34-2967A / B) in n-heptane) is used as the adhesive liquid 118. Further, the moving speed of the discharge unit 108 moved by the moving mechanism 116 is 23.4 [mm / s] when the liquid is applied to the central side of the elastic layer 60, and the liquid is applied to the end of the elastic layer 60. In the case of coating, it is faster than 23.4 [mm / s].

  Note that the end portions of the elastic layer 60 are portions having a length of 10% at both ends when the total length of the elastic layer 60 in the apparatus depth direction (axial direction) is 100%. The center side of the elastic layer 60 is a portion excluding the end of the elastic layer 60.

The blade 112 is configured to smooth the adhesive liquid 118 discharged to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60 by the discharge portion 108 while moving along the axial direction of the shaft portion 58 by the moving mechanism 116.
-Formation process of adhesive layer-
In the adhesive layer forming step, the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60 formed on the shaft portion 58 that is rotated by the rotating portion 104 is formed by the discharge portion 108 of the coating apparatus 100 as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. The adhesive liquid 118 is discharged. As the discharge unit 108 moves from one end to the other end of the elastic layer 60 by the moving mechanism 116, the discharge unit 108 discharges the adhesive liquid 118 over the entire outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60.

  The blade 112 smoothes the adhesive liquid 118 discharged to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60 by the discharge portion 108 while moving along the axial direction of the shaft portion 58 by the moving mechanism 116. Thereby, the adhesive liquid 118 is applied to the entire outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60.

  Then, after the adhesive liquid 118 is applied to the elastic layer 60, the adhesive liquid 118 applied to the elastic layer 60 is dried for 20 [minutes] in an environment of 60 ° C. Remove the solvent. In this way, the adhesive layer 64 is formed on the elastic layer 60. In the present embodiment, the viscosity of the formed adhesive layer 64 is 100 [Pa · s] or less in an environment of 25 [° C.].

[Formation process of surface layer]
The surface layer forming step is a step for forming the surface layer 62 on the elastic layer 60 having the adhesive layer 64 formed on the outer peripheral surface. Specifically, the surface layer 62 is formed on the elastic layer 60 by covering the elastic layer 60 with the tube 120 that becomes the surface layer 62. In this step, a so-called decompression expansion method is used. First, the decompression device 150 used in the decompression expansion method will be described, and then the surface layer forming step will be described. In this embodiment, as the tube 120, a PFA tube having an inner diameter that is 2% smaller than the outer diameter of the elastic layer 60 and a thickness of 35 μm is used.

  In the following description, for convenience, a member in which the adhesive layer 64 is formed on the elastic layer 60 of the shaft portion 58 may be referred to as a “roll body 68”.

-Pressure reducing device-
As shown in FIG. 8, the decompression device 150 includes a container 160, a holding mechanism 240, a diameter expanding member 190, a first suction mechanism 200, a second suction mechanism 210, and a third suction mechanism 220. ing.

[container]
As shown in FIG. 8, the container 160 has a cylindrical main body 162 that extends in the vertical direction of the apparatus, a bottom 164, and a top 166.

  The top portion 166 is disposed at the upper end of the main body portion 162, and is formed integrally with the top plate 168 on the top plate 168 on which the through hole 168A is formed, and the main body portion via the through hole 168A. 162 has a cylindrical cylindrical portion 170 connected to the inside of 162.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the cylindrical portion 170 has a hollow portion 170A therein, and a plurality of suction holes 170C connected to the hollow portion 170A are formed on the inner peripheral surface 170B of the cylindrical portion 170. ing. Further, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 170 is made larger than the outer diameter of the tube 120.

  The bottom portion 164 is disposed at the lower end of the main body portion 162, and a through hole 164A is formed.

[Retention mechanism]
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the holding mechanism 240 is attached to the bottom portion 164 and disposed inside the main body portion 162. The holding mechanism 240 includes a cylindrical base 242 extending in the vertical direction, a moving unit 244 that moves in the vertical direction with respect to the base 242, and an inflating unit 246 such as an air picker attached to the upper end of the moving unit 244. And have.

  The base portion 242 is attached to a through hole 164 </ b> A formed in the bottom portion 164.

  The moving unit 244 moves in the vertical direction with respect to the base 242, and moves in the vertical direction by a drive mechanism (not shown).

  The inflatable portion 246 is formed in a bag shape by an elastic film such as rubber, and has an annular shape (doughnut shape) having a circular hole 246A at the center when viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 19, the circular hole 246 </ b> A of the expansion portion 246 is connected to the inside of the main body portion 162 through passages 244 </ b> A and 242 </ b> A formed in the moving portion 244 and the base portion 242, respectively.

  In addition, the inside of the inflatable portion 246 is formed in each of the moving portion 244 and the base portion 242 and is connected to the passages 244B and 242B partitioned from the passages 244A and 242A. The inflating portion 246 is inflated by injecting air.

  And in the state where air is not inject | poured into the inside of the expansion part 246, the outer diameter of the expansion part 246 is made small compared with the internal diameter of the tube 120 (refer FIG. 10). On the other hand, the discharge pump 222 (see FIG. 8) described later is operated, and air is injected into the expansion portion 246 through the passages 242B and 244B, whereby the expansion portion 246 expands and holds the tube 120. (See FIG. 12).

[First suction mechanism]
As shown in FIG. 8, the first suction mechanism 200 includes a suction pump 202 and a suction pipe 206. One end of the suction pipe 206 is connected to the suction pump 202, and the other end is connected to the outer peripheral surface 170 </ b> D of the cylindrical portion 170 and is connected to the hollow portion 170 </ b> A of the cylindrical portion 170.

[Second suction mechanism]
As shown in FIG. 8, the second suction mechanism 210 includes a suction pump 212, a regulator 214, and a suction pipe 216. One end of the suction pipe 216 is connected to the suction pump 212, and the other end is connected to the outer peripheral surface 162 </ b> A of the main body portion 162, and is connected to the inside of the cylindrical portion 170. Further, the regulator 214 is disposed in the middle part of the suction pipe 216.

[Third suction mechanism]
As shown in FIG. 8, the third suction mechanism 220 includes a discharge pump 222 and a suction pipe 226. The suction pipe 226 has one end connected to the discharge pump 222 and the other end connected to the bottom 164 of the container 160, and is connected to the passage 242B of the base 242 (see FIG. 19).

[Expanded member]
As shown in FIGS. 8, 9 </ b> A and 9 </ b> B, the diameter-expanding member 190 is the same as the roll body 68 at the lower end of the roll body 68 arranged to extend in the vertical direction. It is attached to be a shaft. The diameter-expanding member 190 is gradually reduced in diameter after gradually increasing in diameter from the lower end to the upper end. That is, the diameter-expanding member 190 has a maximum diameter at the central portion in the vertical direction, and has a tapered shape that is reduced in diameter upward and downward from the central portion in the vertical direction.

  The maximum diameter of the diameter-expanding member 190 is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 170 and larger than the outer diameter of the roll body 68.

-Surface layer formation process-
As described above, the surface layer forming step is a step of forming the surface layer 62 on the elastic layer 60 by covering the elastic layer 60 with the tube 120 serving as the surface layer 62. The surface layer forming step includes an upper and lower end holding step for holding the upper end and the lower end of the tube 120 and a covering step for covering the tube 120 on the elastic layer 60. In addition, in the state before starting the formation process of a surface layer, the 1st suction mechanism 200, the 2nd suction mechanism 210, and the 3rd suction mechanism 220 are made into non-operation.

[Upper and lower end holding process]
In the upper and lower end holding step, as shown in FIG. 10, using an unillustrated setting jig, the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the tube 120 is opposed to the inner peripheral surface 170B of the cylindrical portion 170, and the tube 120 The inner peripheral surface of the lower end is opposed to the outer peripheral surface 246B of the inflating part 246.

  In this state, the suction pump 202 of the first suction mechanism 200 (see FIG. 8) is operated. Thus, the upper end of the tube 120 is sucked through the suction hole 170C, and the upper end of the tube 120 is expanded in diameter and held on the inner peripheral surface 170B of the cylindrical portion 170 as shown in FIG.

  With the upper end of the tube 120 held, the suction pump 232 of the third suction mechanism 220 (see FIG. 8) operates. As a result, air is injected into the expansion portion 246 through the passages 242B and 244B, and the expansion portion 246 expands as shown in FIG. Then, the lower end of the tube 120 is held by the expansion portion 246.

[Coating process]
In the covering step, the suction pump 212 of the second suction mechanism 210 (see FIG. 8) is operated, and the suction of the air inside the container 160 is started.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 13, the roll body 68 having the diameter-expanding member 190 attached to the lower end is inserted into the upper end of the tube 120 by an insertion mechanism (not shown). Is sealed. Thereby, due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container 160, the diameter expanding member 190 is lowered together with the roll body 68 and inserted from the upper end to the lower end of the tube 120 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the descending diameter expanding member 190 hits the expanding portion 246 and stops. Moreover, the site | part which the diameter expansion member 190 passed in the tube 120 is expanded in an elastic region. And the diameter-expanded state is maintained by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube 120 in the expanded part.

  Further, in a state where the diameter-expanding member 190 is stopped by hitting the expansion portion 246, the operation of the suction pump 212 (see FIG. 8) is stopped, and the inside of the container 160 is opened to the atmosphere. As a result, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube 120 is eliminated, and the portion below the upper end of the tube 120 is elastically restored to reduce the diameter. Further, the operation of the suction pump 202 (see FIG. 8) is stopped. Thereby, the upper end of the tube 120 is reduced in diameter. Thus, the diameter reduction of the tube 120 causes the roll body 68 to be covered (covered) by the tube 120 as shown in FIG.

  Further, the moving unit 244 is moved downward by a driving mechanism (not shown). Thereby, axial tension (in this embodiment, 15 [N] tension) is given to tube 120. That is, the roll body 68 is covered (covered) by the tube 120 in a state where the axial tension is applied to the tube 120.

  Then, the operation of the discharge pump 222 (see FIG. 8) is stopped. Thereby, the expansion part 246 contracts, and the lower end holding of the tube 120 is canceled as shown in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 18, the roll body 68 is taken out from the inside of the container 160, the lower end of the tube 120 is cut, and the diameter expanding member 190 is removed from the roll body 68. Thereby, the roll member 54 is manufactured.

[Evaluation]
Next, evaluation performed on the fixing device 50 according to the example of the present embodiment and the fixing device according to the comparative example will be described with reference to a table illustrated in FIG.

[Evaluation specifications]
Example 1: The viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 when the adhesive layer 64 is formed on the elastic layer 60 is 50 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer 64 is 50 [μm], and the adhesive layer 64 By setting the film thickness at the end to 20 [μm], the strain of the surface layer 62 was set to 0 [%].

  Example 2 The viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 when the adhesive layer 64 is formed on the elastic layer 60 is 80 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer 64 is 50 [μm], and By setting the film thickness at the end to 20 [μm], the distortion of the surface layer was set to 0 [%].

  Example 3 The viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 when the adhesive layer 64 is formed on the elastic layer 60 is 100 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer 64 is 50 [μm], and By setting the film thickness at the end to 30 [μm], the strain of the surface layer 62 was set to 0 [%].

  Example 4: The viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 when the adhesive layer 64 is formed on the elastic layer 60 is 100 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer 64 is 50 [μm], and By setting the film thickness of the end portion to 10 [μm], the strain of the surface layer 62 was set to 0 [%].

  Example 5: When the adhesive layer 64 is formed on the elastic layer 60, the viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 is 100 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer 64 is 50 [μm], and By setting the film thickness at the end to 20 [μm], the strain of the surface layer 62 was set to 2 [%].

  From the above, in the example, the strain of the surface layer 62 is 2% or less.

  Comparative Example 1: The viscosity of the adhesive layer when forming the adhesive layer on the elastic portion is 140 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer is 50 [μm], and the film thickness at the end of the adhesive layer Was set to 20 [μm], so that the strain of the surface layer was set to 3 [%].

  Comparative Example 2: The viscosity of the adhesive layer when forming the adhesive layer on the elastic part is 210 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer is 50 [μm], and the film thickness at the end of the adhesive layer Was set to 20 [μm], so that the strain of the surface layer was set to 4 [%].

  Comparative Example 3: The viscosity of the adhesive layer when forming the adhesive layer on the elastic part is 100 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer is 30 [μm], and the film thickness at the end of the adhesive layer Was set to 40 [μm], so that the strain of the surface layer was set to 4 [%].

  Comparative Example 4: The viscosity of the adhesive layer when forming the adhesive layer on the elastic part is 100 [Pa · s], the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer is 30 [μm], and the film thickness at the end of the adhesive layer By setting the thickness to 10 [μm], the strain of the surface layer was set to 4 [%].

  In each specification, the viscosity of the adhesive layer was changed by changing the drying conditions (temperature, time) of the adhesive layer in the adhesive layer forming step. Moreover, in each specification, the film thickness of the center side of an adhesive layer and the film thickness of the edge part of an adhesive layer were changed by changing the moving speed of the discharge part 108 in the coating device 100 (refer FIG. 4).

  The items other than those described above are the same between the specifications.

[Evaluation Items / Evaluation Methods / Evaluation Criteria]
1. Wrinkle evaluation The presence or absence of wrinkles in the surface layer of the roll member was visually evaluated. The thing without a wrinkle was set to "A", and the thing with a wrinkle was set to "B". The target quality is “A”.

2. Evaluation of dents The presence or absence of dents in the surface layer of the roll member was visually evaluated. The thing without a dent was set to "A", and the thing with a dent was set to "B". The target quality is “A”.

3. Image unevenness evaluation Each specification was attached to Docprint CP400 made by Fuji Xerox, and after forming a solid black image on 100 sheets of A4 size paper, the image unevenness of the output image was visually evaluated.

  “G0” is the level at which no image unevenness is generated, “G1” is the level at which slight image unevenness is generated, and “G2” is the level at which image unevenness is clearly generated. The level that is being used is “G3”. The target quality is “G0”.

〔Evaluation results〕
As shown in the table of FIG. 20, for Examples 1 to 5, the target quality is satisfied in all items. On the other hand, about Comparative Examples 1-4, target quality was not able to be satisfied by dent evaluation and image nonuniformity evaluation.

[Discussion]
When the tube 120 is coated on the roll body 68, the tube 120 extended in the axial direction tends to return. At this time, when the frictional force generated between the tube 120 and the elastic layer 60 is smaller, the tube 120 is more likely to return to its original state, and when the surface layer 62 is distorted, distortion occurs in the surface layer 62. Is suppressed.

  Specifically, the smaller the viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 60, the smaller the frictional force, so that the tube 120 is easily returned to the original state. That is, the occurrence of strain in the surface layer 62 is suppressed when the viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 is smaller than when the viscosity is high.

  Moreover, since the tube 120 is easy to move with respect to the elastic layer 60 when the thickness of the adhesive layer 64 is thick, the tube 120 is easy to return. That is, the generation of distortion in the surface layer 62 is suppressed when the adhesive layer 64 is thicker than when it is thin.

  When Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are compared, the viscosity of the adhesive layer 64 of Examples 1 to 5 is smaller than the viscosity of the adhesive layer of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. Moreover, when Examples 1-5 are compared with Comparative Examples 3 and 4, the thickness of the center side of the adhesive layer 64 of Examples 1 to 5 is the same as the thickness of the center side of the adhesive layer of Comparative Examples 3 and 4. It is thicker than that.

  For this reason, each Example is considered that generation | occurrence | production of the distortion in the surface layer 62 is suppressed compared with each comparative example, and generation | occurrence | production of the wrinkle and dent in the surface layer 62 is suppressed.

  In Examples 1 to 5, the occurrence of wrinkles and dents in the surface layer 62 is suppressed, so that the occurrence of uneven fixing of the toner image is suppressed, and further, the occurrence of uneven fixing of the toner image is suppressed. Thus, it is considered that the occurrence of image unevenness in the output image is suppressed.

  In Examples 1 to 5, the film thickness at the end of the adhesive layer 64 is thinner than the film thickness on the center side of the adhesive layer 64. This is to prevent the ends of the tube 120 from slipping too much with respect to the elastic layer 60 and causing wrinkles on the center side of the tube 120 (center side of the surface layer 62).

(Summary)
As described above, by setting the strain of the surface layer 62 of the roll member 54 to 2 [%] or less, the wrinkles in the surface layer 62 are compared with the case where the strain of the surface layer 62 is 3 [%] or more. The generation of dents is suppressed.

  Further, in the fixing device 50, the occurrence of wrinkles and dents in the surface layer 62 of the roll member 54 is suppressed, so that the toner image fixing unevenness is smaller than when the distortion of the surface layer is 3% or more. Is suppressed.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 10, by suppressing the occurrence of uneven fixing of the toner image, image unevenness occurs in the output image as compared with the case where the distortion of the surface layer 62 is 3% or more. Is suppressed.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments can be taken within the scope of the present invention. This will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, in the above embodiment, the roll member 54 is used for the fixing device 50, but the roll member 54 may be used for a transport roll or the like.

10 Image forming apparatus 46 Secondary transfer roll (an example of a transfer member)
50 Fixing Device 54 Roll Member 56 Heating Member 58 Shaft 60 Elastic Layer 62 Surface Layer 64 Adhesive Layer 70 Pressing Roll (Example of Pressing Member)

Claims (3)

The shaft,
An elastic layer having a circular cross section formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion;
A surface layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer and having a strain of 2% or less;
An adhesive layer that is provided between the elastic layer and the surface layer and adheres the surface layer to the elastic layer;
A roll member comprising: A roll member according to claim 1;
A heating member for heating the roll member;
A pressing member that presses the recording medium onto which the image has been transferred against the roll member;
A fixing device. A transfer member for transferring an image to a recording medium;
The fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the image transferred to the recording medium by the transfer member is fixed to the recording medium;
An image forming apparatus comprising: