JP4577897B2 - Method for correcting semiconductive belt - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for correcting a semiconductive belt in which a defective portion of a semiconductive belt containing a conductive substance in a resin is corrected and flattened, and in particular, a printer, a copying machine, a video printer, etc. This is useful as a method for correcting a seamless intermediate transfer belt and transfer conveyance belt used in an electrophotographic recording apparatus.

Conventionally, as a semiconductive belt that can be used for an intermediate transfer belt of an electrophotographic recording apparatus, a semiconductive belt using a film made of vinylidene fluoride, an ethylene / tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, polycarbonate, or the like is known. It was. In addition, polyimide film is used to solve problems such as cracks at the belt end due to insufficient mechanical properties such as strength, friction and wear, and deformation of the transferred image due to deformation caused by load during driving. A material having a volume resistivity of 1 to 10 ¹³ Ω · cm by mixing a conductive substance is known.

  The semiconductive belt as described above is generally formed into a film by drying, curing, etc., after seamlessly applying a raw material solution containing a resin, a conductive substance, and a solvent to the inner surface of a cylindrical mold. It is manufactured by the method.

  However, in the manufacturing method as described above, when the belt is peeled off from the mold, there may be a case where a shape defect portion such as a small protrusion or a bend is generated on the belt surface. And with the progress of higher image quality and higher speed in recent electrophotographic recording apparatuses, such a defective part causes image defects and cannot be used as an intermediate transfer belt or transfer conveyance belt, and is semiconductive. Yield when manufacturing a conductive belt was deteriorated.

  Therefore, the present applicant has invented a method for correcting a semiconductive belt that can improve the manufacturing yield by heating and flattening even if a geometric defect occurs in the manufacturing stage or the like ( Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-365926 A

  However, the correction method for flattening the shape defect portion only by the above heat treatment is not a method that can completely flatten and correct all the shape defect portions, but has room for improvement in terms of yield.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to flatten the shape defect portion as compared with the conventional correction method by heat treatment and correct it to a state where there is no problem in practical use, and to improve the manufacturing yield than the correction method by heat treatment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for correcting a semiconductive belt.

  The inventors of the present invention have intensively studied to achieve the above-mentioned object. As a result, the shape defect portion of the semiconductive belt is polished or polished after being heat-treated, so that there is no problem in practical use. It has been found that it can be corrected and can be made better than a correction method using only heat treatment, and the present invention has been completed.

That is, the method for correcting a semiconductive belt according to the present invention is characterized by polishing and flattening a shape defect portion of a semiconductive belt containing a conductive substance in a resin.

  According to the method for correcting a semiconductive belt of the present invention, a geometrically defective portion can be polished and flattened. As a result, the semiconductive belt can be corrected in a state where there is no problem in actual use such as an improved transfer image when used for the intermediate transfer belt, and the product can be made better than the correction method by heat treatment.

  Further, the method for correcting a semiconductive belt according to the present invention is characterized in that after a heat treatment is performed on a shape defect portion of a semiconductive belt containing a conductive substance in a resin, it is polished and flattened. .

  According to such a method for correcting a semiconductive belt, a geometrically defective portion can be heat-treated, and the remaining defective portion that could not be corrected by the heat treatment can be polished and flattened. As a result, the semiconductive belt can be corrected in a state where there is no problem in practical use, such as an improved transfer image when used for the intermediate transfer belt, and the quality can be improved compared to the correction method by polishing.

  In addition, the method for correcting a semiconductive belt according to the present invention is a method in which a semiconductive belt is supported in a state where tension is applied to a rotatable support roll, and polishing is performed with the support roll inscribed in a shape defect portion. Alternatively, heat treatment and polishing are performed.

  According to such a method for correcting a semiconductive belt, since the support roll is inscribed in the shape defect portion, only the shape defect portion can be heat-treated or polished. Further, since tension is applied, the semiconductive belt can be easily polished without bending. In addition, since the semi-conductive belt is hooked on the support roll and tension is applied, the semi-conductive belt can be easily rotated to easily visually check the shape defect portion.

  The present invention is particularly effective when the shape defect is a protrusion-like defect. The shape defects generated in the manufacturing process of the semiconductive belt are mainly protrusions, and a belt having protrusion defects is a fatal defect that cannot be used for a transfer belt or the like. According to the correction method of the present invention, it is possible to flatten the projecting shape which is a fatal defect and to improve the quality.

  Further, in the present invention, it is more preferable to polish the shape defect portion using different polishing means step by step when polishing. By performing the polishing stepwise with different polishing means, the surface can be efficiently planarized in a short time, and the planarization accuracy (finish accuracy) is also good. For example, in the first stage of polishing, roughing can be performed using coarse polishing means, and in the second stage of polishing, finishing can be performed using precision polishing means, so that flattening can be performed in a short time with high accuracy. .

  In the above, the temperature for the heat treatment is preferably 150 ° C. to 350 ° C. If the temperature of the heat treatment is lower than 150 ° C., the defect portion is not sufficiently corrected, and if the temperature is higher than 350 ° C., deformation other than flattening is likely to occur and affects the transferred image.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. As the semiconductive belt used in the present invention, any conventionally known semiconductive belt can be used as long as it contains a conductive substance in the resin. For example, in addition to vinylidene fluoride, ethylene / tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, polycarbonate, and the like, those having a heat-resistant resin such as polyimide, polyamideimide, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polybenzimidazole, and the like as resin components can be mentioned. . Of these, a polyimide resin excellent in mechanical properties, heat resistance and flexibility is most suitable.

  In addition, as conductive materials, conductive polymers such as polyacetylene, polypyrrole and polythiophene, carbon such as ketine black and acetylene black, metals such as graphite, silver, nickel and copper, alloys thereof, mica, carbon and glass are plated. And composite oxides, metal oxides such as tin oxide and indium oxide, anions, cations, nonions, and amphoteric surfactants. In the present invention, the semiconductive belt may contain other fillers.

  In the case of a semiconductive belt containing a conductive substance in a polyimide resin, for example, after a diamine component and a dianhydride component are polymerized in a solution to obtain a polyamic acid polymer, carbonic black is added to the amic acid polymer. And the like, and a semiconductive polyimide belt can be obtained by forming a film on a mold, heating and drying, and imidization. The method for correcting a semiconductive belt according to the present invention is particularly effective for a seamless belt in which a defective portion cannot be removed.

Surface resistivity ρs of semiconductive belt thus obtained is 10 ⁸ ~10 ¹⁶ Ω / □, the volume resistivity ρv is 10 ⁸ ~10 ¹⁶ Ω · cm, thickness 50~150μm things common is there.

  In the present invention, a semiconductive belt including a shape defect portion generated in a manufacturing process or the like is an object to be corrected. Examples of the shape defect include small folds and small protrusions. These cause defects (toner missing) in the transferred image and the like, making it unusable as an intermediate transfer belt or a transfer conveyance belt.

  A method for correcting a semiconductive belt (hereinafter simply referred to as “belt”) will be described below with reference to FIG.

  First, tension is applied to the protruding defective portion 1 a of the belt 1. In FIG. 1, the belt 1 has a protruding defect portion 1a (see FIG. 1A). Two cylindrical support rolls 2 are inserted into the belt 1. At this time, the protrusion-like defective portion 1a is inserted so as to be positioned on the columnar support roll 2 (see FIG. 1B).

  Then, one of the two columnar support rolls 2 is arranged on the upper side and the other is arranged vertically below the belt 1, and tension is applied to the belt 1 (see FIG. 1C). The tension applied to the belt needs to be in a range suitable for heat treatment and polishing. When the tension is low, the belt 1 is bent during the heat treatment and during the polishing, and the belt 1 is damaged. If the tension is high, the belt 1 is excessively heated and polished, and the belt 1 is damaged. In addition, if the column-shaped support roll 2 is metal, the tension | tensile_strength by the dead weight is also possible.

  Next, the projecting defect portion 1a to which tension is applied is subjected to heat treatment.

  The heating means used for the heat treatment is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a soldering iron 3 (see FIG. 1), a heating roll, or the like.

  The temperature of the heat treatment is not particularly limited as long as the defect portion can be flattened. However, for the reasons described above, the temperature is preferably 150 ° C. to 350 ° C., and the heat treatment is particularly performed at 200 ° C. to 300 ° C. Is preferred. Further, in the case of a semiconductive belt using a polyimide resin as a resin component, the temperature is preferably equal to or lower than the curing temperature of the belt, and is preferably heat-treated at 100 to 350 ° C., particularly 200 to 300 ° C.

  In addition, when heat-treating the protrusion-like defect portion 1a, for example, the protrusion-like defect portion 1a can be heat-treated while being held from both sides of the belt by a holding member having a smooth surface. As the holding member having a smooth surface, a flat plate state, a member having a curved surface along the belt shape, a deformable plate state, a film, or the like can be used. The smooth surface may be any surface that is flatter than the defective portion, but is preferably smooth to the extent that unevenness is not generated on the surface of the semiconductive belt. Specifically, as a simple method, there is a method of holding a film such as a fluororesin from the inside of the defective portion, applying a film on the defective portion, and performing a heat treatment while pressing the film with a heating means from above the defective portion. Illustrated.

  In addition, a cylindrical holding member having an outer peripheral length smaller than the inner peripheral length of the semiconductive belt (preferably having a slightly smaller outer peripheral length) is inserted inside the semiconductive belt, and while checking the position of the defective portion, If necessary, there is a method in which an outer holding member is interposed and heat treatment is performed while being pressed by a heating means. At that time, the outer clamping member and the heating means may be used together and correction may be performed by one means, for example, a rotatable heating roll having an elastic layer on the surface, or a smooth surface of the inner clamping member. What comprises a heating means inside the surface material which forms the smooth surface along is preferable. The surface material is preferably coated with a slidable material. In the present invention, heating from the inside of the belt is also possible.

  Next, the projecting defect portion 1a to which tension is applied is polished.

  At the time of polishing, it is preferable to perform the polishing step by step with a plurality of polishing means rather than polishing with one kind of polishing means. By doing in this way, the planarization by grinding | polishing can be performed in a short time, and it can grind | polish accurately. For example, in the first stage polishing, rough cutting is performed using a polishing means having a large grain size of abrasive grains, and in the second stage polishing, precision polishing is performed using a polishing means having a small grain size of abrasive grains. Polishing with accuracy in time. Further, it may be polished with a felt material for finishing. The surface of the flattened portion can be polished by polishing with the felt material.

  The polishing means used for polishing can be appropriately selected depending on the material, grain, shape, etc., and is not particularly limited, but a rubber grindstone 4 (see FIG. 1) in which rubber and a grindstone are mixed is preferable. As the rubber grindstone 4, a commercially available rubber grindstone can be used. Further, the rubber grindstone 4 is, for example, for grinding (with a harder rubber and a grain size of # 80 to # 320) and for polishing (with a softer rubber and a grain size of # 400 to ## 2000), and can be selected according to the protruding defect portion. Moreover, the shape of the rubber grindstone 4 includes, for example, a cylindrical shape and a shell shape, and can be selected according to a protruding defect portion. The rubber constituting the rubber grindstone 4 may be natural rubber or synthetic rubber, and may be further composed of silicon, urethane, or the like. The components of the abrasive grains constituting the rubber grindstone 4 are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include electrofused alumina, silicon carbide, non-molten aluminum oxide ceramic, artificial diamond, and cubic boron nitride.

  Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in particular as a drive device which rotates a grindstone, However, Preferably, the router 5 (refer FIG. 1) is good. The rotational speed of the rotary drive device is appropriately set according to the physical properties, thickness, and state of the projecting defect portion 1a (for example, size), the type of grindstone, and the like. For example, the rotational speed of the router 5 is preferably 100 to 50000 rpm, and more preferably 1000 to 20000 rpm.

  The polishing period is a period until the projection-like defect portion 1a is scraped and flattened by the polishing means, and is a factor such as the number of revolutions of the projection-like defect portion 1a, the polishing means, and the rotation drive device. It changes appropriately.

  Further, in the above description, a correction method for polishing and flattening the protrusion-like defect portion 1a after heat treatment has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the protrusion-like defect portion 1a can be formed without heat treatment. Even in the correction method of polishing and flattening, the product can be made better than the correction method of only heat treatment.

(Example)
Examples and the like specifically showing the configuration and effects of the present invention will be described below. The evaluation items in the examples and the like were performed as follows.

(1) Evaluation of image transferability The obtained semiconductive belt was incorporated in a commercially available copying machine as an intermediate transfer belt, and image evaluation was performed. In the evaluation, a case where a clear and accurate image was obtained was determined to be good, a case where a defect or a change was observed in the image was determined to be poor, and a case where the image was improved from before the belt correction was determined to be slightly good.

(2) Visual appearance evaluation Visually evaluated the state of the defect after correction. In the evaluation, the case where the surface was flattened so as not to be visually confirmed was good, the case where a slight protrusion was confirmed was considered to be slightly good, and the case where the protrusion was clearly confirmed was regarded as poor.

Example 1
A polyimide belt containing carbon black in a polyimide resin, having a surface resistivity of 5 × 10 ¹² Ω / □ and an outer diameter of 300 mm and a thickness of 70 μm, the surface of which is a protrusion-like defect portion (3 mm conical protrusion, high Having a thickness of 0.2 mm). Put two cylindrical support rolls in the belt, hang them up, apply tension, bring the defective part on the cylindrical shape, and project it with a router with rubber grindstone (grain size # 500) Polishing was performed so as to cut the tip of the defective portion. In addition, the rotation speed of the router was 13000 rpm, and the polishing time was 5 to 10 seconds. As a result, as shown in Table 1, it was visually observed that a slight protruding portion of the belt surface remained, but no defect was observed in the image.

(Example 2)
Under the same conditions as in Example 1, tension was applied to a belt having a protrusion-like defect portion (3 mm conical protrusion, height 0.2 mm) on the surface, and the defect portion was brought on a cylindrical shape. The part was heat-treated by pressing for 5 to 7 seconds while lightly pressing with a soldering iron of 250 ° C. Thereafter, the heat-treated protrusion-like defect portion was polished by a router with a rubber grindstone (particle size # 500). In addition, the rotation speed of the router was 13000 rpm, and the polishing time was 5 to 10 seconds. As a result, as shown in Table 1, the protrusion-like defective portion on the belt surface was flattened to a state where it could not be visually confirmed, and no defect was observed in the image.

(Comparative Example 1)
Under the same conditions as in Example 1, tension was applied to a belt having a protrusion-like defect portion (3 mm conical protrusion, height 0.2 mm) on the surface, and the defect portion was brought on a cylindrical shape. The part was heat-treated by pressing for 5 to 7 seconds while lightly pressing with a soldering iron of 250 ° C. As a result, as shown in Table 1, it could be visually observed that the protruding defects on the belt surface remained slightly, but the image was slightly improved as compared with Comparative Example 2 in which no correction was made.

(Comparative Example 2)
A polyimide belt containing carbon black in a polyimide resin and having a surface resistivity of 5 × 10 ¹² Ω / □ and an outer diameter of 300 mm and a thickness of 70 μm, the surface of which is a defective part due to a protrusion (a 3 mm conical protrusion, Image evaluation was carried out without correcting those having a height of 0.2 mm. As a result, an image defect due to the defective portion occurred.

(Evaluation of non-defective product rate)
Next, 50 defective belts having protrusion-like defect portions were corrected by each correction method. In this case, the percentage of corrected non-defective products that were made non-defective by correcting defective products was evaluated. The corrected non-defective product rate is the ratio of the number of products that have been made good to the number of defective products. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2. The corrected quality improvement rate of the correction method combining the heat treatment and polishing is the best result at 90%, and then the corrected quality improvement rate of the polishing correction method is 75%, and the corrected quality improvement rate of the heat treatment correction method is The result was 50%.

The figure explaining the correction method in embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductive belt 1a Protruding defect part 2 Cylindrical support roll 3 Soldering iron 4 Rubber grindstone 5 Router

Claims (5)

A state in which a semiconductive belt containing a conductive material in a resin is supported while tension is applied to a rotatable support roll, and the support roll is inscribed in a defective portion of the shape of the semiconductive belt A method for correcting a semiconductive belt , wherein the defective portion is polished and flattened. A state in which a semiconductive belt containing a conductive material in a resin is supported while tension is applied to a rotatable support roll, and the support roll is inscribed in a defective portion of the shape of the semiconductive belt The method for correcting a semiconductive belt, in which the defective portion is heat-treated and then polished and flattened. Wherein the shape defects, the correction method of the semi-conductive belt according to claim 1 or 2 which is a defect of protruding. The method for correcting a semiconductive belt according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the shape defective portion is polished step by step using different polishing means in the polishing. The method for correcting a semiconductive belt according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein a temperature of the heat treatment is a temperature of 150 ° C to 350 ° C.

Images