JP2020152079A - Method of producing cylinder coating member, roll, and image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress air from remaining between a core and a cylinder.SOLUTION: A method of producing a cylinder coating member includes: a first step of allowing a container to house a first cylinder to allow the verge of the opening of the container to retain one end of the first cylinder; a second step of sucking gas in the container and inserting an insert including a core and a second cylinder arranged in the outer periphery of the core from the one end of the first cylinder into the first cylinder while maintaining the first cylinder in the state of increase in the diameter thereof due to the difference between the internal and external pressures of the first cylinder; a third step of stopping the suction, cancelling the difference between the pressures, and coating the insert with the first cylinder; and a fourth step of pulling the second cylinder from between the core and the first cylinder and coating the core with the first cylinder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 27

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a tubular covering member, a roll, and an image forming apparatus.

Patent Document 1 describes a method for manufacturing a fixing member having a cylindrical elastic layer and a fluororesin tube covering the peripheral surface of the cylindrical elastic layer, wherein the cylindrical shape is formed by (1) extrusion molding. A step of molding a fluororesin tube having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the elastic layer, (2) a step of expanding the diameter of the fluororesin tube and covering the cylindrical elastic layer, and (3) the cylindrical elastic layer. Disclosed is a method for producing a fixing member, which comprises a step of extending the fluororesin tube covered with the fluororesin tube in the longitudinal direction and heat-treating the fluororesin tube while maintaining the state.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-143118

Here, in a configuration in which the core body is covered with the cylinder body by inserting the core body into a cylinder body such as a tube whose diameter is expanded due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside and eliminating the pressure difference, the core body and the cylinder body are used. Air may remain between and.

The present invention suppresses air from remaining between the core body and the cylinder body as compared with the case where the cylinder body whose diameter is expanded due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside is covered with the core body only by eliminating the pressure difference. The purpose is to do.

The first aspect is a first step of accommodating the first cylinder in a container and holding one end of the first cylinder at the opening edge of the container, and sucking the gas in the container to suck the first cylinder. An insert body having a core body and a second cylinder body arranged on the outer periphery of the core body while maintaining the diameter-expanded state of the first cylinder body by a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the body is formed of the first cylinder body. A second step of inserting the insert into the first cylinder from one end, a third step of stopping the suction to eliminate the pressure difference and covering the insert with the first cylinder, and the second cylinder. Is provided from between the core body and the first cylinder body, and a fourth step of covering the core body with the first cylinder body.

The second aspect is a fifth step performed after the third step and before the fourth step, in which the holding of one end of the first cylinder covering the insert is released in the third step. Be prepared.

In the third aspect, in the fifth step, after releasing the holding of one end of the first cylinder, the one end is held again.

In the fourth aspect, in the fifth step, after releasing the holding of one end of the first cylinder, leaving it for a predetermined time in the released state, and then holding the one end again.

The fifth aspect is performed after the third step and before the fourth step, and in the third step, at the one end portion of the first cylinder in a state where the insert is covered, the core body. A sixth step of depressurizing the inside of another container through which the inside communicates with the gap between the first cylinder and the first cylinder is provided.

In the sixth aspect, in the fourth step, the second cylinder is placed between the core body and the first cylinder while maintaining the depressurized state inside the other container in the sixth step. The core body is covered with the first cylinder body.

A seventh aspect includes a core body and a first cylinder body that covers the outer surface of the core body, and the second cylinder body is pulled out from between the outer surface of the core body and the inner surface of the first cylinder body. The pull-out marks are rolls used in the image forming apparatus formed on at least one of the outer surface of the core body and the inner surface of the first cylinder body.

In the eighth aspect, the withdrawal marks are formed on both the outer surface of the core body and the inner surface of the first cylinder body.

In the ninth aspect, the pull-out marks are regularly formed on the outer surface of the core body along the circumferential direction of the core body.

A tenth aspect includes a transfer unit that transfers an image to a recording medium, and a fixing device that fixes the image to the recording medium by using a fixing roll as any of the rolls of the seventh to ninth aspects.

According to the first aspect, the distance between the core body and the first cylinder body is compared with the case where the first cylinder body whose diameter is expanded by the pressure difference between the inside and outside is covered with the core body only by eliminating the pressure difference. It is suppressed that air remains in the air.

According to the second aspect, as compared with the case where the first cylinder body whose one end is held in the first step is maintained in the holding state and the fourth step is performed, the first cylinder body is covered with the core body. The wrinkles that occur are suppressed.

According to the third aspect, as compared with the case where the fourth step is performed while the first cylinder whose one end is released from being held in the fifth step maintains the released state, the first cylinder is covered with the core body. Wrinkles that occur on the body are suppressed.

According to the fourth aspect, as compared with the case where the first cylinder whose one end is released in the fifth step is not left in the released state and one end is held again and the fourth step is performed. Wrinkles generated in the first cylinder covering the core body are suppressed.

According to the fifth aspect, air remains between the core body and the first cylinder body is suppressed as compared with the case where the inside of the other container remains at normal pressure.

According to the sixth aspect, when the inside of the other container is under normal pressure, the second cylinder is pulled out from between the core and the first cylinder, and the first cylinder is the core. It is suppressed that air remains between the core body and the first cylinder body as compared with the case of covering.

According to the seventh aspect, air remains between the core body and the first cylinder body is suppressed as compared with the case where both the outer surface of the core body and the inner surface of the first cylinder body are smooth surfaces. ..

According to the eighth aspect, air remains between the core body and the first cylinder body is suppressed as compared with the case where at least one of the outer surface of the core body and the inner surface of the first cylinder body is a smooth surface. To.

According to the ninth aspect, as compared with the case where the withdrawal marks are irregularly formed on the outer surface of the core body along the circumferential direction of the core body, the first cylinder covering the outer surface of the core body and the core body The variation of the adhesive force in the circumferential direction is suppressed.

According to the tenth aspect, image defects are suppressed as compared with the case of using a fixing roll in which both the outer surface of the core body and the inner surface of the first cylinder body are smooth surfaces.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the tube covering roll which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front sectional view which shows the structure of the manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the roll body, the diameter expansion member and the fitting member which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the transport device which concerns on this embodiment. It is sectional drawing (cross-sectional view of line 6-6 of FIG. 8) of the lower end part of the insert body which concerns on this embodiment. It is sectional drawing (the sectional view of line 7-7 of FIG. 8) of the upper side part of the insert body which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which held the tube in the insert body which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the lower holding mechanism which concerns on this embodiment. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the expanded portion is expanded in the configuration shown in FIG. 9. It is a front sectional view which shows the structure of the lower holding mechanism which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the structure of the upper holding mechanism which concerns on this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the upper holding mechanism which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the claw part of the upper holding mechanism which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing a state in which a tube is conveyed to the inside of a container in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the lower end portion of the tube is held in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the state which sucked the outer circumference of the upper end part of a tube by the suction pad of this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a front view showing a state in which the tip of the claw portion is inserted into the tube after the insert body is pulled out from the tube in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the state which expanded the diameter of the tube in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state in which a tube is folded back in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the state which held the tube in the container in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing a state in which insertion of an insert into a tube is started in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the insert body has been inserted into the tube in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 22. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing a state in which an insert is covered with a tube in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the holding of the upper end portion of the tube is released in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 24. FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the upper end portion of the tube is held again in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 25. FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a state in which an outer cylinder is pulled out from between a roll body and a tube and the roll body is covered with the tube in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 26. It is the schematic which shows the process of expanding the diameter of a tube, and the process of reducing the diameter of the expanded tube. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the image forming apparatus. It is a figure which shows the calculation formula about the measurement of the air layer capacity. It is a table which shows the evaluation result.

An example of the embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, when the dimensional ratio of each part of each member shown in each figure in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions and the dimensional ratio of each member in the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions are different from the actual dimensional ratios. There is.

(Manufacturing equipment 10)
First, the manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

The manufacturing apparatus 10 is an apparatus for manufacturing the tube covering roll 100 (an example of the tubular covering member) shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a lower container 20, an upper container 80, an outer cylinder 56, a diameter-expanding member 50, a transport device 300 (see FIG. 5), and a lower container. It includes a holding mechanism 200 (see FIG. 9), an upper holding mechanism 400 (see FIG. 12), an upper suction mechanism 40, a lower suction mechanism 70, and an insertion mechanism 90. Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the tube coating roll 100 and a specific configuration of each part of the manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described.

(Tube coating roll 100)
As shown in FIG. 2, the tube covering roll 100 to be manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a roll body 110 (an example of a core body) and a tube 120 (an example of a first tubular body) covering the roll body 110. ,have. That is, the tube-coated roll 100 is a roll formed by coating the roll body 110 with the tube 120. The tube 120 is formed in a cylindrical shape (tubular shape) and is adhered to the roll body 110 by an adhesive 130.

The roll body 110 has a cylindrical or columnar shaft portion 112, and a cylindrical (tubular) elastic body 114 formed on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 112. Both ends of the shaft portion 112 are supported portions 116 supported by bearings.

As an example, a metal material is used for the shaft portion 112. As an example, a rubber material such as silicon rubber is used for the elastic body 114. The tube 120 has elasticity (flexibility), and a fluororesin such as PFA or PTFE is used for the tube 120 as an example.

(Lower container 20)
The lower container 20 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a “container”. The lower container 20 accommodates the tube 120 (see FIG. 22). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lower container 20 has a body portion 24, a bottom portion 22 arranged on the lower side of the body portion 24, and a top portion arranged on the upper side of the body portion 24. It has 30 and.

The body portion 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape with both end portions (upper and lower end portions) in the axial direction open. The body portion 24 and the side wall portion 32 described later on the top portion 30 form a side wall of the lower container 20. Further, the body portion 24 is formed with a suction port 24E to which the suction pipe 76 described later in the lower suction mechanism 70 is connected.

The bottom portion 22 is formed in a disk shape. The bottom portion 22 is fixed to the lower end portion of the body portion 24. As a result, the bottom portion 22 closes the lower open portion of the body portion 24 and constitutes the bottom wall of the lower container 20.

The top portion 30 has a cylindrical side wall portion 32, an annular (ring-shaped) annular wall portion 34, and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 38.

Specifically, the annular wall portion 34 is a plate-shaped wall portion having a thickness in the vertical direction, and is formed in an annular shape in a plan view. The annular wall portion 34 constitutes the upper wall of the lower container 20.

The side wall portion 32 is formed so as to extend downward from the outer peripheral edge of the annular wall portion 34. The lower end of the side wall 32 is attached to the upper end of the body 24.

The peripheral wall portion 38 is formed so as to rise upward from the inner peripheral edge of the annular wall portion 34. The inner peripheral space on the inner peripheral side of the peripheral wall portion 38 and the annular wall portion 34 constitutes the opening 20A of the lower container 20. The peripheral wall portion 38 has an opening edge 20B in which the upper end portion (an example of one end portion) of the tube 120 is held.

Inside the lower container 20, a closed space opened only by the opening 20A and the suction port 24E is formed by the body portion 24, the bottom portion 22 and the top portion 30.

(Upper container 80)
The upper container 80 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of “another container”. The upper container 80 is arranged above the lower container 20. Specifically, the upper container 80 has a body portion 84 and a top portion 82 arranged above the body portion 84, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The body portion 84 is formed in a cylindrical shape with both end portions (upper and lower end portions) in the axial direction open. As shown in FIG. 1, the body portion 84 is formed with a suction port 84E to which a suction pipe 46 described later in the upper suction mechanism 40 is connected.

The top 82 is formed in a disk shape. The top portion 82 is fixed to the upper end portion of the body portion 84. As a result, the top 82 closes the upper open portion of the body 84 and constitutes the top wall (that is, the top wall) of the upper container 80.

The upper container 80 has, for example, an opening / closing portion (not shown) on the body portion 84. With the opening / closing portion open, the tube 120, the roll body 110, and the outer cylinder 56 can be accommodated inside the upper container 80, and the manufactured tube covering roll 100 can be taken out. Further, the inside of the upper container 80 becomes a closed space when the opening / closing portion is closed. In FIGS. 9, 10, 15, 16, 18 to 21, the upper container 80 is not shown.

(Diameter expansion member 50)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the diameter-expanding member 50 is mounted coaxially with the roll body 110 on the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the roll body 110. Specifically, the diameter-expanding member 50 is mounted on the supported portion 116 (shaft portion 112) on the lower side of the roll body 110.

The diameter of the diameter-expanding member 50 is gradually increased from the insertion direction (lower side) to the opposite direction (upper side) with respect to the tube 120, and then gradually decreased. That is, the diameter-expanding member 50 has a tapered shape that has a maximum diameter at the central portion in the vertical direction and tapers from the central portion in the vertical direction toward the upper and lower sides.

Further, the diameter-expanding member 50 has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the roll body 110. Specifically, the diameter-expanding member 50 has a larger outer diameter than the outer diameter of the roll body 110 including the adhesive 130 applied to the roll body 110 before coating the tube 120. In the present embodiment, the outer diameter at the upper and lower ends of the diameter-expanding member 50 is the same as the outer diameter of the roll body 110. The diameter-expanding member 50 may have an overall outer diameter in the vertical direction, including the outer diameters at the upper and lower ends, larger than the outer diameter of the roll body 110. Further, the outer diameter at the upper and lower ends of the diameter-expanding member 50 may be smaller than the outer diameter of the roll body 110. As described above, the diameter-expanding member 50 may include an outer diameter equal to or less than the outer diameter of the roll body 110, as long as it has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the roll body 110 at least in part. Good.

Then, in the present embodiment, the diameter-expanding member 50 is inserted into the tube 120 so that the diameter of the tube 120 is expanded in the elastic region. As an example, a resin material such as fluororesin is used for the diameter-expanding member 50.

(Outer cylinder 56)
The outer cylinder 56 is an example of a “second cylinder”. The outer cylinder 56 is formed in a cylindrical shape with both end portions (upper and lower end portions) in the axial direction open. The inner diameter of the outer cylinder 56 is larger than the outer diameter of the roll body 110. The axial length of the outer cylinder 56 is the same as the axial length of the elastic body 114 of the roll body 110. The axial length of the outer cylinder 56 may be longer than the axial length of the elastic body 114. Further, in a state where the tube 120 is covered with the outer cylinder 56 in the first coating step described later (see FIG. 24), the outer cylinder 120 and the elastic body 114 of the roll body 110 can be provided with a gap. The axial length of the cylinder 56 may be shorter than the axial length of the elastic body 114.

The outer cylinder 56 is made of, for example, a resin material or a metal material. As the outer cylinder 56, one having good slidability (that is, slipperiness) on the inner surface and the outer surface is preferable. A mold release layer or the like may be provided on the inner surface of the outer cylinder 56 in order to suppress the adhesion of the adhesive 130 previously applied to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic body 114 of the roll body 110.

The outer cylinder 56 is arranged on the outer circumference of the roll body 110 as shown in FIG. The insert body 59 is composed of the outer cylinder 56 and the roll body 110. Then, the inserter 59 is inserted into the tube 120. In other words, the roll body 110 is inserted into the tube 120 integrally with the outer cylinder 56 in a state where the outer cylinder 56 is arranged on the outer circumference.

Specifically, the outer cylinder 56 is arranged on the outer periphery of the roll body 110 with a gap from the roll body 110. More specifically, the outer cylinder 56 is supported by the support portion 94 described later of the insertion mechanism 90 at a position having a gap with respect to the roll body 110.

(Transport device 300)
The transport device 300 is a device that transports the tube 120 into the lower container 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the transport device 300 has an insertion body 390 inserted inside the tube 120 along its axial direction, a suction portion 382, and a moving mechanism 349. ing.

The insertion body 390 has a length along the vertical direction (the insertion direction with respect to the tube 120). As shown in FIG. 6, the lower end portion 391 of the insertion body 390 is formed in a circular shape in a cross section viewed in the insertion direction (axial direction of the tube 120) with respect to the tube 120. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower end portion 391 has a constant portion 391A having a constant outer diameter along the longitudinal direction of the insert 390, and a tapered portion 391B that gradually tapers. .. The constant portion 391A is formed in a columnar shape. The constant portion 391A may be cylindrical. The outer circumference (outer circumference length) of the constant portion 391A is shorter than the inner circumference (inner circumference length) of the tube 120.

As shown in FIG. 7, the upper portion 393 of the insertion body 390 excluding the lower end portion 391 has a recess formed on the outer periphery in a cross section viewed in the insertion direction (axial direction of the tube 120) with respect to the tube 120. It has 392. In the above-mentioned cross section, four recesses 392 are arranged at equal intervals (every 90 degrees) along the circumferential direction of the insert 390. As a result, the upper portion 393 is formed in a substantially cross shape in the above-mentioned cross section. Further, the peripheral length of the insert 390 including the concave portion 392 (concave surface) is made longer than the inner circumference of the tube 120. The circumference of the insertion body 390 excluding the recess 392 (concave surface) (the circumference of the shortest distance formed by the outer edge of the insertion body 390, that is, the circumference indicated by the alternate long and short dash line 392S) is inside the tube 120. It is shorter than the circumference. In the above-mentioned cross section, the longest distance 393L from the center 393C of the upper side portion 393 to the outer edge of the insertion body 390 and the radius of the fixed portion 391A of the lower end portion 391 are, for example, the same. The radius may be different from the longest distance of 393L.

A hole 394 opened by a recess 392 is formed in the upper portion 393. The hole 394 communicates with a passage 396 formed inside the upper portion 393 along the longitudinal direction of the insert 390. The passage 396 communicates with the suction portion 382 at the upper end portion. With the insertion body 390 inserted inside the tube 120, the suction unit 382 operates to suck the tube 120 through the hole 394. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the tube 120 is attracted to the outer circumference of the insert 390, and the tube 120 is held on the outer circumference of the insert 390.

The moving mechanism 349 (see FIG. 5) is composed of, for example, a three-axis robot that moves the insertion body 390 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (horizontal direction).

(Lower holding mechanism 200)
The lower holding mechanism 200 is a mechanism for holding the lower end portion of the tube 120. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, the lower holding mechanism 200 is provided on the main body 212, the movable portion 214 movable with respect to the main body 212, and the movable portion 214. It has an expansion portion 216 such as an air picker and a guide cone 220 (fitting portion).

The main body portion 212 is fixed to the central portion of the disk-shaped bottom portion 22 in a state of penetrating the central portion in the vertical direction in a plan view. Further, the main body portion 212 is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding upward from the bottom portion 22.

The movable portion 214 is formed in a columnar shape and is supported inside the main body portion 212 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Further, the movable portion 214 can be fixed to the main body portion 212 by a fixing mechanism (not shown). That is, the movable portion 214 is switched between a free state in which the movable portion 214 can move in the vertical direction with respect to the main body portion 212 and a fixed state in which the movable portion 214 is fixed to the main body portion 212. Further, the movable portion 214 is moved downward by a drive mechanism (see illustration) in a free state.

The movable portion 214 is formed with a passage 214A in which one end is opened at the upper end portion of the movable portion 214 and the other end is opened at the side portion of the movable portion 214 and is L-shaped in a side cross-sectional view. There is. The passage 214A communicates with the passage 212A that penetrates the main body 212 in the radial direction thereof. The passages 214A and 212A allow the expansion portion 216 to pass through the internal space of the lower container 20 and the internal space of the tube 120 even when the inner peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the tube 120 is held from the inside. Even when the movable portion 214 moves, the passage 214A of the movable portion 214 and the passage 212A of the main body portion 212 are maintained in a connected state.

The expansion portion 216 is formed in an annular shape (doughnut shape) having a circular hole 216A in the central portion in a plan view. The expansion portion 216 is formed of an elastic film such as rubber that covers the upper portion of the movable portion 214 in the circumferential direction. The inner peripheral end of the expanding portion 216 is fixed to the upper end of the movable portion 214, and the outer peripheral end of the expanding portion 216 is fixed to the peripheral wall above the movable portion 214. As a result, it is configured in a bag shape having an internal space.

The internal space of the expansion portion 216 communicates with the passages 214B and 212B formed in the movable portion 214 and the main body portion 212, respectively. The passages 214B and 212B are passages separated from the passages 214A and 212A. A supply unit 213 for supplying air is connected to the passage 212B. When the supply unit 213 supplies air to the inside of the expansion unit 216 through the passages 214B and 212B, the expansion unit 216 expands and is inside the lower end portion of the tube 120, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Hold the peripheral surface from the inside.

As shown in FIG. 11, the guide cone 220 has a lower end portion in the expansion portion 216 with respect to the opening end 112A (fitted portion) on the lower end side of the shaft portion 112 (supported portion 116) in the roll body 110. It is a member that fits along the axial direction of the held tube 120 in the held state. The guide cone 220 has a fitting portion 222 fitted to the opening end 112A of the shaft portion 112, and a fixed shaft portion 224 protruding downward from the fitting portion 222 and fixed to the upper end portion of the movable portion 214. are doing.

The fitting portion 222 has a cylindrical surface 222A that is fitted inside the opening end 112A, and a conical surface 222B whose outer diameter gradually decreases upward from the upper end of the cylindrical surface 222A. The outer diameter of the cylindrical surface 222A is the same as the inner diameter of the shaft portion 112 of the roll body 110, or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the shaft portion 112. The guide cone 220 is fixed to the movable portion 214 coaxially with the expansion portion 216 by the fixed shaft portion 224. As a result, the cylindrical surface 222A and the outer peripheral surface of the expansion portion 216 are arranged coaxially.

In the lower holding mechanism 200, the movable portion 214 is movable with respect to the main body portion 212, but the movable portion 214 is fixed to the main body portion 212, and the main body portion 212 is in a free state and a fixed state with respect to the lower container 20. It may be switched to. The specific holding operation by the lower holding mechanism 200 will be described in the manufacturing method described later.

(Upper holding mechanism 400)
The upper holding mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 12 is a mechanism for holding the upper end portion (an example of one end portion) of the tube 120 with the lower container 20. Specifically, the upper holding mechanism 400 has a function of holding the upper end portion of the tube 120 housed in the lower container 20 at the opening edge 20B of the lower container 20. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the upper holding mechanism 400 includes a plurality of (specifically four) suction pads 410 (an example of a suction mechanism) and a plurality (specifically, four) suction pads 410. It has four) claw portions 420 and.

The four suction pads 410 are arranged at equal intervals of 90 degrees above the top 30 (see FIG. 12) along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 38 (tube 120), as shown in FIG. There is. The suction port 412 of the suction pad 410 is directed inward in the radial direction of the peripheral wall portion 38. By sucking through the suction port 412, the suction pad 410 sucks the outer periphery of the upper end portion (one end portion) protruding from the opening of the peripheral wall portion 38 of the tube 120 housed in the lower container 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the suction pad 410 can be moved by the moving mechanism 415 to the inner side in the radial direction and the outer side in the radial direction of the peripheral wall portion 38 as shown by the arrow Y. As the moving mechanism 415, for example, a cylinder is used.

The four claws 420 are located above the top 30 (see FIG. 12), in plan view, between each of the four suction pads 410, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the four claw portions 420 are arranged at equal intervals of 90 degrees along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion 38.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, the four claw portions 420 are formed in an L shape in a lateral view. Each claw portion 420 has a claw portion main body 422 extending radially inward of the peripheral wall portion 38, and a tip portion 424 protruding downward from the radial inner end portion of the claw portion main body 422.

As shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of groove portions 427 along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion 38 (tube 120) are formed on the contact surface 423 on the radial outer side (claw portion main body 422 side) of the tip portion 424. .. Specifically, for example, three groove portions 427 are arranged vertically.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the claw portion 420 can be moved by the moving mechanism 425 in the radial inside and the radial outside of the peripheral wall portion 38 as shown by the arrow Y, and in the vertical direction. It is movable. As the moving mechanism 425, for example, a biaxial robot is used. Then, the four claw portions 420 hold the upper end portion of the tube 120 by sandwiching it with the peripheral wall portion 38 of the lower container 20. The specific holding operation by the upper holding mechanism 400 will be described in the manufacturing method described later.

(Upper suction mechanism 40)
As shown in FIG. 1, the upper suction mechanism 40 includes a suction pump 42, a regulator 44, and a suction pipe 46. One end of the suction pipe 46 is connected to the suction pump 42, and the other end is connected to the suction port 84E of the upper container 80. The regulator 44 is arranged in the middle portion of the suction pipe 46.

In the upper suction mechanism 40, when the suction pump 42 is driven, the gas (air) inside the upper container 80 is sucked through the suction pipe 46, and the inside of the upper container 80 is depressurized. The regulator 44 has a pressure adjusting function for adjusting the pressure inside the upper container 80. The specific suction operation by the upper suction mechanism 40 will be described in the manufacturing method described later.

(Lower suction mechanism 70)
The lower suction mechanism 70 has a suction pump 72, a regulator 74, and a suction pipe 76, as shown in FIG. One end of the suction pipe 76 is connected to the suction pump 72, and the other end is connected to the suction port 24E of the lower container 20. The regulator 74 is arranged in the middle portion of the suction pipe 76.

In the lower suction mechanism 70, when the suction pump 72 is driven, the gas (air) inside the lower container 20 is sucked through the suction pipe 76, and the inside of the lower container 20 is depressurized. The regulator 74 has a pressure adjusting function for adjusting the pressure inside the lower container 20.

Then, the lower suction mechanism 70 sucks the gas inside the lower container 20 to reduce the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube 120 held by the upper holding mechanism 400 (hereinafter, "the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube 120"). The tube 120 is maintained in the expanded state by the pressure difference between the inside and the outside. The specific suction operation by the lower suction mechanism 70 will be described in the manufacturing method described later.

(Insert mechanism 90)
The insertion mechanism 90 shown in FIG. 23 and the like is a mechanism for inserting the insert body 59 into the tube 120 held in the lower container 20. Specifically, the insertion mechanism 90 includes a support member 96 having a shaft portion 93 and a support portion 94, and a drive portion 98.

The shaft portion 93 extends in the vertical direction. The shaft portion 93 penetrates the top portion 82 of the upper container 80 and is supported by the top portion 82 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

The support portion 94 is fixed to the lower end portion of the shaft portion 93. The support portion 94 has a function of supporting the upper portion of the insert body 59. Specifically, the support portion 94 independently supports each of the supported portion 116 on the upper side of the roll body 110 and the upper portion of the outer cylinder 56. More specifically, the support portion 94 independently supports each of the supported portion 116 and the upper portion of the outer cylinder 56 so as to have a gap between the roll body 110 and the outer cylinder 56. Further, the support portion 94 can support only the outer cylinder 56. The drive unit 98 is composed of an actuator or the like that moves the shaft unit 93 in the vertical direction.

In the insertion mechanism 90, the shaft portion 93 is lowered by the drive portion 98 in a state where the support portion 94 supports the supported portion 116 on the upper side of the roll body 110 and the upper portion of the outer cylinder 56, thereby expanding by the lower suction mechanism 70. The insert 59 is inserted into the tube 120 from the upper end of the tube 120 maintained in the diameter state. The specific operation of the insertion mechanism 90 will be described in the manufacturing method described later.

(Manufacturing method of tube coating roll 100 using manufacturing apparatus 10)
Next, a method of manufacturing the tube coating roll 100 using the manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described.

This manufacturing method includes a preparation process, a transfer process, a holding process (an example of the first process), an insertion process (an example of the second process), a fitting process, and a first coating process (an example of the third process). ), A re-holding step (an example of a fifth step), a depressurizing step (an example of a sixth step), a second coating step (an example of a fourth step), an extraction step, and a cutting step. ing. The preparation step, the transfer step, the holding step, the insertion step, the fitting step, the first coating step, the reholding step, the depressurizing step, the second coating step, the taking out step, and the cutting step are performed in this order, for example.

(Preparation process)
In the preparation step, the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing the tube coating roll 100 is prepared.

(Transport process)
The transporting step is a step of transporting the tube 120 into the lower container 20. Specifically, the transfer process is performed as follows. That is, in the transfer step, as shown in FIG. 5, first, the suction unit 382 of the transfer device 300 is operated with the insertion body 390 of the transfer device 300 inserted inside the tube 120. As a result, the tube 120 is attracted to the outer circumference of the insert 390, and the tube 120 is held on the outer circumference of the insert 390 (see FIG. 8).

Next, the moving mechanism 349 lowers the insert 390 from the opening 20A of the lower container 20 into the inside of the lower container 20, so that the tube 120 is conveyed to the inside of the lower container 20 as shown in FIG. To. Specifically, the tube 120 is conveyed to the inside of the lower container 20 in a state where the lower end portion protrudes to the lower side of the insertion body 390, and the lower holding mechanism 200 protrudes to the inner peripheral side of the lower end portion. The expansion portion 216 of the above is inserted.

(Holding process)
The holding step is a step of holding the tube 120. Specifically, the holding step includes a lower end holding step and an upper end holding step. Hereinafter, the lower end holding step and the upper end holding step will be described.

(Lower end holding process)
The lower end holding step is a step of holding the lower end of the tube 120. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, in the lower end holding step, the supply section 213 supplies air to the inside of the expansion section 216 through the passages 212B and 214B. As a result, the expansion portion 216 expands and holds the inner peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the tube 120 from the inside. At this time, the movable portion 214 to which the expansion portion 216 is mounted is in a fixed state fixed to the main body portion 212.

(Upper end holding process)
The upper end holding step is a step of holding the upper end of the tube 120 in the lower container 20. Specifically, the upper end holding step is performed as follows. That is, in the upper end holding step, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the four suction pads 410 suck through the suction port 412, so that the upper end (one end) protruding from the opening of the peripheral wall 38 in the tube 120. Part) Adsorbs the outer circumference. When the suction of the suction pad 410 is started, the suction by the suction unit 382 at the insertion body 390 is stopped. Further, in the insertion body 390, the suction may be stopped and air may be ejected through the hole 394. This makes it easier for the tube 120 to separate from the insert 390.

Next, as shown in FIG. 18, the insert 390 rises and the insert 390 is pulled out of the tube 120. Next, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 13, the four claw portions 420 descend from a position above the tube 120 in a state where the outer periphery of the upper end portion is attracted by the four suction pads 410 by the moving mechanism 425. By doing so, the tip portion 424 is inserted inside the upper end portion of the tube 120.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the four claw portions 420 move outward in the radial direction of the peripheral wall portion 38 by the moving mechanism 425 in a state where the contact surface 423 is in contact with the inner circumference of the tube 120. As a result, the diameter of the upper end portion of the tube 120 is expanded. When the four claw portions 420 move outward in the radial direction of the peripheral wall portion 38, the suction pad 410 moves outward in the radial direction of the peripheral wall portion 38 by the moving mechanism 415. Therefore, the suction pad 410 does not interfere with the tube 120. The suction pad 410 is moved, for example, before or at the same time as the claw portion 420 is moved.

After that, as shown in FIG. 20, the four claw portions 420 are moved downward by the moving mechanism 425 on the outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall portion 38, so that the upper end portion of the tube 120 is folded back and then shown in FIG. It moves inward in the radial direction of the peripheral wall portion 38 so as to be. As a result, the upper end portion of the tube 120 is pressed against the outer wall of the peripheral wall portion 38 by the four claw portions 420, and the upper end portion of the tube 120 is held. In this way, by sandwiching the upper end portion of the tube 120 between the four claw portions 420 and the peripheral wall portion 38 of the lower container 20, the tube 120 is held by the opening edge 20B of the peripheral wall portion 38.

(Insert process)
The insertion step is a step of inserting the insert body 59 into the tube 120 in which the upper end portion and the lower end portion are held. Specifically, the insertion step is performed as follows. That is, in the insertion step, first, the suction pump 72 of the lower suction mechanism 70 is driven to start sucking the air inside the lower container 20.

Here, the movable portion 214 to which the expansion portion 216 is mounted is in a free state in which it can move in the vertical direction with respect to the main body portion 212. In this state, as shown in FIG. 22, the insertion body 59 in which the diameter-expanding member 50 is attached to the lower end of the roll body 110 is inserted into the tube 120 by the insertion mechanism 90.

When the insert 59 is inserted into the upper end of the tube 120 and the diameter-expanding member 50 seals the upper opening of the tube 120, the inside of the lower container 20 is depressurized, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the lower container 20 causes the insert 59 to be inserted. On the other hand, a force that pulls downward (insertion direction) acts. In the present embodiment, the inserting body 59 is lowered by the pushing force of the inserting mechanism 90, the pulling force of the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the lower container 20, and the gravity, and the inserting body 59 moves from the upper end to the lower end of the tube 120. Will be inserted.

As shown in FIG. 23, when the diameter-expanding member 50 passes through each part of the tube 120, the tube 120 is expanded in diameter and contracts in the axial direction (see FIG. 28 (A)), but the expansion portion 216 is free. Since it is in the state, it rises while maintaining the state of holding the lower end portion of the tube 120.

When the insert body 59 is lowered, the diameter of the tube 120 is expanded in the elastic region at the portion where the diameter expanding member 50 has passed. The diameter-expanded portion is maintained in the expanded state due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube 120 (see FIG. 23).

In this way, while inserting the insert body 59 from the upper end to the lower end of the tube 120, the portion of the tube 120 whose diameter has been expanded by the passage of the diameter expanding member 50 is expanded by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube 120. maintain.

The outer peripheral surface of the elastic body 114 of the roll body 110 is coated with an adhesive 130 (see FIG. 2) in advance before being inserted into the tube 120.

(Mating process)
The fitting step is a step of fitting the guide cone 220 to the lower end of the roll body 110 of the insertion body 59. Specifically, in the fitting step, as shown in FIG. 23, to the fitting position where the guide cone 220 is fitted to the lower end of the roll body 110 of the insertion body 59 inserted into the tube 120. The insert 59 is lowered. As a result, the cylindrical surface 222A of the guide cone 220 is fitted to the opening end 112A on the lower end side of the shaft portion 112 in the roll body 110. At this fitting position, the lowering of the insert 59 is stopped.

(First coating process)
The first coating step is a step of coating the insert 59 with the tube 120. Specifically, in the first coating step, the insert body 59 is coated with the tube 120 in a state where the guide cone 220 is fitted to the lower end portion of the roll body 110. More specifically, the first coating step is performed as follows.

That is, in the first coating step, first, the drive of the suction pump 72 is stopped in a state where the guide cone 220 is fitted to the lower end portion of the roll body 110, and the inside of the lower container 20 is opened to the atmosphere. As a result, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube 120 is eliminated while the diameter expanding member 50 is inside the lower end of the tube 120, and the diameter of the tube 120 is reduced. As the diameter of the tube 120 is reduced in this way, the insert 59 is covered with the tube 120 as shown in FIG. 24. Specifically, the tube 120 covers the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 56 in the insert 59.

(Reholding process)
The re-holding step is a step of releasing the holding of the tube 120 covering the insert 59 with respect to the upper end portion and then holding the upper end portion of the tube 120 again. Specifically, the re-holding step is performed as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 25, the four claw portions 420 are moved radially outward of the peripheral wall portion 38 of the lower container 20 by the moving mechanism 425, and the upper end portion of the tube 120 is pressed against the outer wall of the peripheral wall portion 38. To release. As a result, the holding of the tube 120 covering the insert 59 with respect to the upper end portion is released. In other words, the restraint on the upper end of the tube 120 covering the insert 59 is weakened.

Next, after releasing the holding of the tube 120 with respect to the upper end portion, the tube 120 is left in the released state for a predetermined leaving time.

The leaving time is set, for example, from the release of the holding to the release of the axial tension acting on the tube 120. Specifically, the leaving time acts on the tube 120 to the extent that the tube 120 does not move in the axial direction when the tube 120 is coated on the outer peripheral surface of the roll body 110 (see the second coating step described later). It is set to the time when the axial tension that had been used is weakened. In other words, the axial tension of the tube 120 does not have to be completely released, and the tube 120 has a tension within a range where the tube 120 does not move axially when the outer peripheral surface of the roll body 110 is covered. You may be. Specifically, the leaving time is, for example, 1 minute.

Then, after leaving it in the released state for a predetermined leaving time, the upper end portion of the tube 120 is held again. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 26, the four claw portions 420 are moved inward in the radial direction of the peripheral wall portion 38 of the lower container 20 by the moving mechanism 425, and the upper end portion of the tube 120 is moved to the peripheral wall portion 38. Press against the outer wall of the tube 120 to hold the top edge of the tube 120.

(Decompression process)
The depressurizing step is a step of depressurizing the inside of the upper container 80. Specifically, the suction pump 42 of the upper suction mechanism 40 is driven to start suctioning the air inside the lower container 20. As a result, the inside of the upper container 80 is depressurized.

Here, the inside of the upper container 80 communicates with the gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 at the upper end portion of the tube 120 in the state of covering the insert body 59. As a result, air is sucked from the gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120. In other words, this step can be said to be a step of sucking air from the gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120.

The gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 includes a gap between the roll body 110 and the outer cylinder 56.

(Second coating process)
The second coating step is a step of coating the roll body 110 with the tube 120. Specifically, in the second coating step, as shown in FIG. 27, the outer cylinder 56 is pulled out from between the roll body 110 and the tube 120, and the roll body 110 is coated with the tube 120. More specifically, the second coating step is performed as follows.

That is, in the second coating step, first, the support portion 94 of the insertion mechanism 90 supports only the outer cylinder 56. Next, while maintaining the depressurized state inside the upper container 80, the shaft portion 93 of the insertion mechanism 90 is raised by the drive portion 98 (see FIG. 23), and the outer cylinder 56 is brought into the roll body 110 and the tube 120. Pull out from between. As a result, the roll body 110 is covered with the tube 120.

In the present embodiment, since the outer cylinder 56 is pulled upward from between the roll body 110 and the tube 120, the roll body 110 is gradually covered with the tube 120 from the lower end portion to the upper end portion.

(Removal process)
Next, the expansion portion 216 is deflated to release the holding of the lower end portion of the tube 120. Further, the moving mechanism 425 causes the four claws 420 to perform a moving operation opposite to the moving operation in the upper end holding step. As a result, the holding of the upper end portion of the tube 120 is released. Then, the roll body 110 is taken out from the inside of the lower container 20, and further taken out from the upper container 80.

(Cutting process)
After the roll body 110 is taken out from the upper container 80, the remaining lower end portion and upper end portion of the tube 120 are cut, and the diameter expanding member 50 is removed from the roll body 110. As a result, the tube coating roll 100 is manufactured.

(Supplement of tube coating roll 100)
The tube coating roll 100 is used, for example, as a fixing roll for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium through each step of charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing. The tube coating roll 100 may be, for example, a charging roll of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, or a roll used for other purposes.

The tube-coated roll 100 is manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturing method, and the pull-out marks from which the outer cylinder 56 is pulled out from between the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120 are the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the tube 120. It is formed on both inner surfaces of the. The tube-coated roll 100 may have a pull-out mark formed on either the outer surface of the roll body 110 or the inner surface of the tube 120. That is, the pull-out marks may be formed on at least one of the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120.

Further, specifically, the pull-out marks are regularly formed on the outer surface of the roll body 110 along the circumferential direction of the roll body 110. Specifically, the pull-out marks are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the roll body 110, for example. It should be noted that the inner surface of the outer cylinder 56 may be provided with convex portions regularly along the circumferential direction to intentionally (forcedly) form pull-out marks. The pull-out mark can be found by cutting the tube covering roll 100 in the axial direction or the circumferential direction and observing the interface between the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120.

As the image forming apparatus 500 in which the tube coating roll 100 is used as the fixing roll (hereinafter referred to as the fixing roll 100), the apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. 29 is used. As shown in FIG. 29, the image forming apparatus 500 includes an image forming unit 502, a transfer unit 504, and a fixing device 506. The image forming unit 502 forms an image. Specifically, the image forming unit 502 forms an image through each step of charging, exposure, and development. The transfer unit 504 transfers the image formed on the image forming unit 502 to a recording medium P such as paper.

The fixing device 506 includes a fixing roll 100 and a pressure roll 508. In the fixing device 506, the image transferred to the recording medium P is fixed to the recording medium P by heating with the fixing roll 100 and pressurizing with the pressure roll 508. In this way, the fixing device 506 uses the fixing roll 100 to fix the image on the recording medium P.

(Action of this embodiment)
In the present embodiment, as described above, in the second coating step, as shown in FIG. 27, the outer cylinder 56 is pulled out from between the roll body 110 and the tube 120, and the roll body 110 is coated with the tube 120. .. Therefore, the roll body 110 is gradually covered with the tube 120 from the lower end portion to the upper end portion. As a result, the air between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 is discharged above the roll body 110.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the roll body 110 and the tube 120 are compared with the case where the tube 120 whose diameter is expanded due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside is directly covered with the roll body 110 only by eliminating the pressure difference. Air remains in between is suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the re-holding step, the holding of the tube 120 covering the insert 59 with respect to the upper end portion is released.

Here, when the second coating step is performed while the tube 120 whose upper end is held in the holding step is maintained in the holding state (hereinafter referred to as Comparative Example 1), the tension of the tube 120 coated with the roll body 110 As a result, the tube 120 may be wrinkled due to shrinkage in the axial direction.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as compared with Comparative Example 1 described above, the tube 120 is less likely to shrink in the axial direction, and wrinkles generated in the tube 120 coated with the roll body 110 are suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the re-holding step, after releasing the holding of the tube 120 with respect to the upper end portion, the upper end portion of the tube 120 is held again.

Therefore, the upper end portion of the tube 120 is less likely to fall off from the lower container 20 as compared with the case where the second coating step is performed while the tube 120 whose upper end portion is released from being held in the re-holding step is maintained in the released state. , Wrinkles generated in the tube 120 due to the dropout are suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the re-holding step, after releasing the holding of the tube 120 with respect to the upper end portion, the tube 120 is left in the released state for a predetermined leaving time, and then the upper end portion of the tube 120 is released again. Hold the part.

Therefore, in the re-holding step, the tension of the tube 120 is higher than that in the case where the upper end portion is held again without leaving the tube 120 whose upper end portion is released from being held in the released state and the second coating step is performed. As a result, shrinkage in the axial direction is less likely to occur, and wrinkles generated in the tube 120 coated with the roll body 110 are suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the depressurizing step, the inside of the upper container 80 communicates with the gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 at the upper end portion of the tube 120 in the state of covering the insert body 59. The inside of the container 80 is depressurized.

Therefore, as compared with the case where the inside of the upper container 80 remains at normal pressure, the air in the gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 is discharged, and the air is suppressed from remaining between the roll body 110 and the tube 120. Will be done.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the second coating step, the outer cylinder 56 is pulled out from between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 while maintaining the depressurized state inside the upper container 80. Therefore, as compared with the case where the outer cylinder 56 is pulled out from between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 and the roll body 110 is covered with the tube 120 while the inside of the upper container 80 is under normal pressure, the roll body 110 and the tube The air in the gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 is discharged, and the air remaining between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 is suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the tube covering roll 100 is manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturing method, so that the pull-out mark from which the outer cylinder 56 is pulled out from between the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120 is a roll. It is formed on at least one of the outer surface of the body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120.

Therefore, the outer cylinder 56 is in close contact with at least one of the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120 as compared with the case where both the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120 are smooth surfaces. Since it is pulled out by, it is suppressed that air remains between the roll body 110 and the tube 120.

Further, since air remains between the roll body 110 and the tube 120, when the tube coating roll 100 is used as the fixing roll, the fixing unevenness is suppressed and the image defect is suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the pull-out marks are specifically formed on the outer surface of the roll body 110 along the circumferential direction of the roll body 110.

Therefore, as compared with the case where the pull-out marks are irregularly formed on the outer surface of the roll body 110 along the circumferential direction of the roll body 110, the tube 120 covering the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the roll body 110 are attached. The variation of the applying force in the circumferential direction is suppressed.

(Modification example)
Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the re-holding step, the holding of the tube 120 covering the insert 59 with respect to the upper end portion is released, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a manufacturing method in which the second coating step is performed while the tube 120 whose upper end is held in the holding step is maintained in the holding state may be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the re-holding step, after releasing the holding of the tube 120 with respect to the upper end portion, the upper end portion of the tube 120 is held again, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a manufacturing method in which the second coating step is performed while the tube 120 whose upper end is released from the holding in the re-holding step is maintained in the released state may be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the re-holding step, after releasing the holding of the tube 120 with respect to the upper end portion, the tube 120 is left in the released state for a predetermined leaving time, and then the upper end portion of the tube 120 is released again. It held the part, but it is not limited to this. For example, in the re-holding step, a manufacturing method may be used in which the upper end portion is held again without leaving the tube 120 whose upper end portion is released from being held in the released state, and the second coating step is performed.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the depressurizing step, the inside of the upper container 80 communicates with the gap between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 at the upper end portion of the tube 120 in the state of covering the insert body 59. The inside of the container 80 was depressurized, but the pressure is not limited to this. For example, a manufacturing method may be used in which the inside of the upper container 80 remains at normal pressure. Further, a manufacturing apparatus that does not have the upper container 80 may be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, the tube covering roll 100 is manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturing method, so that the pull-out mark from which the outer cylinder 56 is pulled out from between the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120 is a roll. It was formed on at least one of the outer surface of the body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120, but is not limited to this. For example, the tube coating roll 100 may be a roll in which no pull-out marks are formed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the pull-out marks are specifically formed on the outer surface of the roll body 110 along the circumferential direction of the roll body 110, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pull-out marks may be rolls irregularly formed on the outer surface of the roll body 110 along the circumferential direction of the roll body 110.

In the present embodiment described above, the upper end portion of the tube 120 is held by the four claw portions 420, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper end portion of the tube 120 may be attracted to and held on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 38 by sucking through a plurality of suction holes formed in the peripheral wall portion 38.

As the core body, a roll body 110 having a shaft portion 112 and a cylindrical elastic body 114 formed on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 112 is used, but the core body is not limited to this. As the core body, for example, only the shaft portion 112 may be used.

In the manufacturing apparatus 10, the tubes 120 are arranged along the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lower container 20 may be installed along the horizontal direction, and the tube 120 may be arranged along the horizontal direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the tube covering roll 100 is manufactured as an example of the tubular covering member, but the tubular covering member to be manufactured is not limited to this. For example, the tubular body covering member may be a tube covering belt in which the belt body is covered with the tube 120. In the case of a tube-coated belt, a core body having a core material and a cylindrical belt body (an example of a tubular body) formed on the outer periphery of the core material is used. That is, the core body is inserted into the tube 120 in the same manner as the roll body 110 described above, and the belt body is covered with the tube 120. After that, the tube-coated belt is manufactured by removing the core material from the belt body coated with the tube 120 (an example of the sixth step). As the belt body, a resin belt, a metal belt, or the like made of polyimide or the like is used.

In the manufacturing method described above, after the suction pump 72 of the lower suction mechanism 70 is driven to start sucking the air inside the lower container 20, the roll body 110 to which the diameter expanding member 50 is attached to the lower end is attached to the tube 120. Inserted at the top, but not limited to this. For example, after inserting the roll body 110 having the diameter-expanding member 50 attached to the lower end into the upper end of the tube 120, the suction pump 72 of the lower suction mechanism 70 is driven to start sucking the air inside the lower container 20. You may.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements can be made without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the above-mentioned modified examples may be configured by combining a plurality of them as appropriate.

(Evaluation)
In the examples and comparative examples (see FIG. 31) shown below, the tube coating roll 100 manufactured according to the above-mentioned manufacturing method was evaluated. In this evaluation, the tube-coated roll 100 was manufactured by changing a part of the above-mentioned manufacturing method for each of Comparative Examples and Examples. In this evaluation, the capacity of the air layer, wrinkles, the presence or absence of pull-out marks, and the image quality were evaluated by the following evaluation methods.

<Example 1>
The tube coating roll 100 was manufactured using the manufacturing method described above. The leaving time in the re-holding step was 1.0 minute.

<Example 2>
In the above-mentioned production method, the second coating step was performed without performing the depressurization step.

<Example 3>
In the above-mentioned manufacturing method, the second coating step was performed without performing the re-holding step.

<Example 4>
In the above-mentioned production method, the second coating step was performed without performing the depressurizing step and the re-holding step.

<Comparison example>
In the above-mentioned manufacturing method, the tube coating roll 100 was manufactured without using the outer cylinder 56. Specifically, in the insertion step of the above-mentioned manufacturing method, the roll body 110 was inserted instead of the insert body 59, and the outer peripheral surface of the roll body 110 was covered with the tube 120 in the first coating step. Therefore, the depressurization step, the re-holding step, and the second coating step are not performed.

<Measurement of air layer capacity>
The volume of the roll body 110 before coating the tube 120, the volume of the tube coating roll 100 (the roll body 110 after coating the tube 120), and the volume of the tube 120 stripped from the roll body 110 after coating the tube 120. Was measured.
These volumes were calculated based on Equation 1 of FIG. 30 (A) by measuring the weight in the atmosphere and the weight in the replacement liquid. Further, from these volumes, the capacity of the air layer existing between the roll body 110 and the tube 120 was calculated based on the formula 2 of FIG. 30 (B).

<Wrinkle evaluation>
The surface straightness of the tube coating roll 100 after coating the tube 120 was measured using a laser outer diameter measuring device (for example, manufactured by Asaka Riken Co., Ltd .: ROL2000), and the maximum amplitude value was calculated. It can be evaluated that the larger the maximum amplitude value is, the more wrinkles are generated.

<Pulling out mark>
The tube coating roll 100 was cut in the axial direction or the circumferential direction, and the interface between the outer surface of the roll body 110 and the inner surface of the tube 120 was observed with a stereomicroscope to confirm the presence or absence of pull-out marks.

<Image quality>
Image formation for evaluation was carried out under the conditions of an environment of 22 ° C./55RH%, a surface temperature of the heating roll of 175 ° C., and a process speed of 194 mm / sec. As the fixing roll of the fixing device portion of the color printer C2220 manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., the tube coating rolls 100 of Comparative Examples and Examples 1 to 4 were attached, and the image quality was evaluated. The image quality was evaluated visually at the initial stage and after 200,000 sheets were passed according to the following criteria.
A: No defects such as density unevenness B: Very slight density unevenness occurs C: Large density unevenness occurs D: Unusable density unevenness occurs

<Evaluation result>
As shown in the table of FIG. 31, in Examples 1 to 4, the air layer capacity was smaller and the wrinkles were smaller than in Comparative Examples. In addition, the image quality was improved. Further, in Examples 1 to 4, pull-out marks could be confirmed.

20 Lower container (example of container)
20B Opening edge 56 Outer cylinder (Example of second cylinder)
59 Insert 80 Upper container (an example of another container)
100 tube covering roll (an example of tubular covering member)
110 roll body (example of core body)
120 tubes (an example of the first cylinder)
500 Image forming device 504 Transfer unit 506 Fixing device

Claims (10)

The first step of accommodating the first cylinder in a container and holding one end of the first cylinder at the opening edge of the container.
The gas in the container is sucked, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the first cylinder keeps the first cylinder in an expanded state, while the core and the second cylinder arranged on the outer periphery of the core. The second step of inserting the insert body having the above into the first cylinder body from one end of the first cylinder body, and
The third step of stopping the suction, eliminating the pressure difference, and covering the insert with the first cylinder,
A fourth step of pulling out the second cylinder from between the core and the first cylinder and covering the core with the first cylinder.
A method for manufacturing a tubular covering member. The first aspect of the present invention includes a fifth step, which is performed after the third step and before the fourth step, and in the third step, the holding of one end of the first cylinder covering the insert is released. The method for manufacturing a tubular covering member according to the description. The method for manufacturing a tubular body covering member according to claim 2, wherein in the fifth step, after the holding of one end of the first tubular body is released, the one end is held again. The cylinder according to claim 3, wherein in the fifth step, after releasing the holding of one end of the first cylinder, the cylinder is left in the released state for a predetermined time, and then the one end is held again. A method for manufacturing a body covering member. The core body and the first cylinder are carried out after the third step and before the fourth step at one end of the first cylinder in a state where the insert is covered in the third step. The method for manufacturing a tubular covering member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a sixth step of reducing the pressure inside the other container through which the gap between the body and the inside communicates. In the fourth step, the second cylinder is pulled out from between the core body and the first cylinder while maintaining the depressurized state inside the other container in the sixth step. The method for manufacturing a tubular body covering member according to claim 5, wherein the core body is covered with the first tubular body. A core body and a first tubular body that covers the outer surface of the core body are provided.
An image in which a pull-out mark from which the second cylinder is pulled out from between the outer surface of the core and the inner surface of the first cylinder is formed on at least one of the outer surface of the core and the inner surface of the first cylinder. A roll used in a forming device. The roll according to claim 7, wherein the pull-out marks are formed on both the outer surface of the core body and the inner surface of the first cylinder body. The roll according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the pull-out marks are regularly formed on the outer surface of the core body along the circumferential direction of the core body. A transfer unit that transfers images to a recording medium,
A fixing device for fixing the image on the recording medium by using the fixing roll as the roll according to any one of claims 7 to 9.
An image forming apparatus comprising.