JP5349864B2 - Seal structure and process cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sealing structure and a process cartridge that have a hot melt abutting member such as a sealing seal plate guided to a central section of the hot melt seal and abutted to a correct position and carry out a sure sealing without increasing the used amount of a hot melt adhesive. <P>SOLUTION: In the sealing structure formed by having an abutting section 110a of a second member 110 abutted to the hot melt seal 210 which is provided by hot melt molding on the groove 201 formed on a first member 102, the hot melt seal 210 is provided so as to have a gap between with a groove wall 201b of the groove 201. In addition, guides 211, 212 are formed, on the first member 102, for guiding the abutting section 110a of the second member 110 so that the abutting section 110a is abutted to an abutment surface 210c of the hot melt seal 210. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a seal structure formed by bringing a contact portion of a second member into contact with a hot melt seal provided by hot melt molding in a groove formed in a first member. In particular, the present invention relates to a process cartridge having such a seal structure and used in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile.

  First, the background art regarding the seal structure using a hot melt seal will be described.

  Conventionally, the most commonly used seal structure is one in which a foamed urethane sponge foam is pasted to a seal portion with a double-sided tape as a seal. The foamed urethane sponge has different characteristics such as repulsive force, restoring force, and air permeability depending on the degree of foaming of the sponge.

  That is, it is divided into single bubbles (closed cells) and open cells (open cells) depending on the density and size of the foamed cells, and is generally determined by the ratio (semi-closed semi-open cells).

  In order to improve the sealing performance, a closed cell which has a high rebound resilience and does not allow the toner to pass through the urethane foam is preferable. However, as in the case of the process cartridge, in the case of an elongated part inside or a thin and elongated resin molded part, if a part having a high repulsive elastic force is used as a seal between the parts, the center swells and deforms.

Further, in the case of a small space, a low-pressure, sliding surface seal or the like with a non-woven fabric such as felt in the gap is used. Felt is a combination of fibers, and there is a space between the fibers, where the toner enters, eventually the entire felt becomes the color of the toner, and the toner that has passed through the nonwoven fabric is exposed to the outside. There was a problem that it gradually scattered. When a higher pressure is applied, there is a problem that the toner is clogged, the contact pressure increases, and the sealing performance decreases due to wear.

  On the other hand, a method of sealing by hot melt sealing has recently been proposed and put into practice.

  Hot melt seals are low-pressure chemical products that use thermoplastic polyamide-based resins, and because they are molded at a much lower pressure than conventional plastic molded products, it is possible to perform insert molding of delicate electronic components. . Moreover, since the polyamide resin also has the performance as an adhesive, depending on the base material, it can also have a secret sealing function after molding. Since the molding pressure is very low, an aluminum material can be used for the mold.

  Accordingly, the molded product has vibration resistance, chemical resistance, and a wide temperature use range, and the molding time is cured in several tens of seconds (20 to 120 seconds), and there is no need for heat curing.

  Taking advantage of these advantages, it is molded inside the casing of the process cartridge by two-color molding, etc., and this is combined with the casing member that is opened to make a seal by its flexibility and repulsive force, maintaining confidentiality. is there.

  However, the rubber-like repulsive force becomes a reaction force against the casing, and stresses the casing. Therefore, in order to make up the accuracy of the casing, it is necessary to increase the strength of the casing, and it is necessary to reinforce by providing a useless rib or the like having only a reinforcing function.

  In addition, the cost and molding time required for the mold increase the costs as they are, and it is necessary to consider the design so as to obtain a shape that can be molded, and the degree of freedom is reduced.

  Patent Document 1 proposes a method for molding a hot-melt resin composition, a method for sealing a hard disk drive using the same, and a hot-melt sealant composition for a hard disk drive cover. An object of the present invention is to provide a molding method with excellent dimensional accuracy in a molding method of a hot-melt resin composition.

  In the method of Patent Document 1, a mold (upper mold) and a mold (lower mold) are opposed to each other, the lid portion is sandwiched between both molds, fixed under load, and the mold is softened by a sealing agent. Keep the following predetermined temperature. Next, using a hot runner system of a molding machine, a molten hot melt type sealing agent composition is injected into this mold from an injection port near the forming part. This is a molding method in which after completion of the injection, the mold is cooled to a set temperature of the mold and solidified, and the solidified sealing agent is released from the mold (upper mold).

  This method realizes a technology relating to hot melt molding, which has been difficult in the past for hot melt sealing materials having high adhesiveness and flexibility.

  Patent Document 2 proposes a sealing method for a hard disk device and a hot-melt sealant composition. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing method for a hard disk drive that does not require a mounting operation of a sealing agent at the time of assembly and does not use a mold or a punching die. Also provided is a hot melt type (HM type) sealing agent composition for a hard disk device which does not hinder the floating stability of a hard disk head or adversely affects other materials and has excellent heat resistance. It is an object.

  The method of Patent Document 2 is characterized by assembling a hard disk drive by melt-coating the hot-melt type sealing agent composition on the cover surface of the hard disk drive, solidifying it by cooling, and mounting it on the main body of the hard disk drive. . Patent Document 2 teaches a hot-melt type sealant composition that is suitably used in this method.

  However, even in the route to the hot melt supply device and the mold, the viscosity may change in combination with external factors such as temperature and diameter change unnecessary for the hot melt material, or in the worst case, it may be hardened. . Therefore, appropriate management was necessary.

  On the other hand, if the above hot-melt seal structure is used, assembly work that relies on manual work compared to the conventional method of sealing by sticking double-sided tape to urethane foam and sticking it in a seal shape Is automatically performed in the mold. Therefore, it has excellent features such as stable quality and satisfactory function at low cost.

  However, various problems occur depending on the amount of hot melt used.

  For example, Patent Document 3 discloses that in a building material mounting structure, a locking piece protrudes from a base and a recess is formed in the base in order to perform the work easily and accurately. The engaging portion is recessed at the end of the housing, and the recess is formed on the back surface of the building material. The engaging portion of the building material is inserted and locked to the locking piece of the base. The recess of the base is made to face the recess of the building material, and a hot melt adhesive is injected and cured into the recess and the recess. By locking the locking piece of the base to the engaging portion of the building material, one end of the building material can be temporarily fixed to the base until the hot melt adhesive is cured. Moreover, the attachment position of a building material can be determined easily.

  In this method, the hot melt is poured into the sealing groove while the position is determined by temporary positioning, and the seal is formed by allowing the hot melt to stand until it is cured. However, it takes time for the hot melt molding to solidify from the molded state, and there is a problem that the shape is unstable during that time. That is, immediately after molding, it does not have a positioning function like a double-sided tape.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a process cartridge, a developer is separated into a developer container and a developing chamber by a sealing seal plate so as not to leak to the developing sleeve side that is a developing chamber. The inventors of the present invention formed a hot melt material into a flat shape and provided a sealing seal plate at the center. However, according to the experiments conducted by the present inventors, it has been found that there are the following problems.

  In other words, a skin layer is formed on the hot melt surface and it becomes slippery, and the end of the sealing seal plate is bowed and curved in the longitudinal direction due to the internal pressure of the developer. descend.

In addition, when the hot melt layer is thickened to prevent bending deviation, sink marks due to shrinkage of the molded product occur. Furthermore, the increase in volume results in longer molding time and lower production efficiency. Although the hot melt molding process is incorporated in the automated production assembly line, the assembly tact time will not be within the specified time, or the equipment cost will be increased by adding a molding machine. Furthermore, there is a problem that the cost increases due to an increase in the materials used.
JP 2003-323781 A JP 2001-57065 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-158739

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a sealing structure and a process cartridge capable of performing reliable sealing by guiding a hot-melt contact member such as a sealing seal plate to the center of the hot-melt seal and bringing it into the correct position. Is to provide.

The above object is achieved by a seal structure and a process cartridge according to the present invention. In summary, according to the first aspect, the present invention is formed by bringing the contact portion of the second member into contact with the hot melt seal provided in the groove portion formed in the first member. In the seal structure
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first member is formed with a guide portion that guides the contact portion such that the contact portion of the second member contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal .
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
The width formed by the guide ribs formed on both sides of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove portion is larger than the width of the contact surface of the hot melt seal with which the contact portion of the second member contacts. A seal structure characterized by being narrowed is provided.
The present invention, according to the second aspect,
In the seal structure formed by contacting the contact portion of the second member with respect to the hot melt seal provided in the groove portion formed in the first member,
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first member is formed with a guide portion that guides the contact portion such that the contact portion of the second member contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal.
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
A seal structure is provided in which the guide rib and the hot melt seal are integrally formed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first resin casing, a second resin casing, and a hot melt seal provided in a groove formed in the first and second casings. In a process cartridge provided with a sealing seal plate attached by abutting against,
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first and second casings are formed with a guide portion for guiding the contact portion so that the contact portion of the sealing seal plate with the hot melt seal contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal. Has been
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
The width formed by the guide ribs formed on both sides of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove portion is larger than the width of the contact surface of the hot melt seal with which the contact portion of the sealing seal plate contacts. A process cartridge is provided that is narrowed .
According to the fourth aspect, the present invention provides a first casing made of resin, a second casing made of resin, and a hot melt seal provided in a groove formed in the first and second casings. In a process cartridge provided with a sealing seal plate attached by abutting against,
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first and second casings are formed with a guide portion for guiding the contact portion so that the contact portion of the sealing seal plate with the hot melt seal contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal. Has been
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
A process cartridge is provided in which the guide rib and the hot melt seal are integrally formed.

  According to the present invention, a hot-melt contact member such as a sealing seal plate can be guided to the center of the hot-melt and brought into contact with the correct position without increasing the amount of hot-melt used, and reliable sealing can be performed. it can.

  Hereinafter, the seal structure and process cartridge according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Example 1
(Overall configuration of image forming apparatus)
First, an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge according to the present invention is used will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus is a full-color image forming apparatus having an in-line type intermediate transfer belt (intermediate transfer member) employing an electrophotographic system, that is, a full-color printer.

  In the present embodiment, the full-color image forming apparatus 2 has a plurality of process cartridges 10 arranged on a substantially horizontal straight line with a constant interval. That is, in this embodiment, four process cartridges 10 (10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K) are provided, and yellow (Y) color, magenta (M) color, cyan (C) color, and black (K) color, respectively. The image is formed.

  Each process cartridge 10 is provided with a drum-type electrophotographic photosensitive member (hereinafter referred to as “photosensitive drum”) 18 (18Y, 18M, 18C, 18K) as an image carrier at substantially the center. Around the photosensitive drum 18, a primary charger 19 (19Y, 19M, 19C, 19K) as a primary charging unit and a developing sleeve 30 (30Y, 30M, 30C, 30K) as a developing unit are arranged. Has been. Further, drum cleaner devices 31 (31Y, 31M, 31C, 31K), which are cleaning means, are disposed around the photosensitive drum 18, respectively. The photosensitive drum 18, the primary charger 19, the developing sleeve 30 and the drum cleaner device 31 constitute one process cartridge 10. In this embodiment, four color cartridges are provided below the transfer belt unit 12. 10 is arranged.

  The primary charger 19 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 18 to a predetermined negative potential with a charging bias applied from a charging bias power source (not shown). The developing sleeve 30 carries toner, and attaches each color toner to each electrostatic latent image formed on each photosensitive drum 18 to develop (visualize) the toner image. The drum cleaner 31 has a cleaning blade 31 a (FIG. 2) for removing, from the photosensitive drum 18, transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 18 during the primary transfer.

  A transfer roller 20 (20Y, 20M, 20C, 20K) serving as a primary transfer unit is disposed at a position facing the photosensitive drum 18, and an exposure device 11 is disposed below the primary charger 19 and the developing sleeve 30. is set up. The transfer roller 20 is disposed in a transfer belt unit 12 including an intermediate transfer belt 12a as an intermediate transfer body, and is disposed so as to be biased to face the photosensitive drum 18. The intermediate transfer belt 12a is wound around a drive roller 71 and support rollers 72 and 73 and driven in the direction of the arrow.

  The exposure device 11 includes laser light emitting means, a polygon lens, a reflection mirror, and the like that emit light corresponding to time-series electric digital pixel signals of given image information. The exposure device 11 forms an electrostatic latent image of each color according to image information on the surface of each photoconductive drum 18 charged by each primary charger 19 by exposing each photoconductive drum 18.

  The transfer belt unit 12 is arranged such that a drive roller 71 that also serves as a secondary transfer counter roller faces the secondary transfer roller 32. A fixing device 40 having a fixing roller 41 and a pressure roller 42 is installed in a vertical path configuration on the downstream side of the secondary transfer roller 32 in the conveyance direction of the transfer material P.

  The transfer material P set in the feeding cassette 3 is separated and fed one by one by the feeding roller 4 and conveyed to the nip between the secondary transfer roller 32 and the driving roller 71 by the registration roller pair 5 to transfer the toner image. Is done. Thereafter, the transfer material P onto which the toner image has been transferred has the image fixed by a fixing device 40 including a fixing roller 41 and a pressure roller 42, and is discharged to a discharge tray 44 by a discharge roller 43.

  Since the process cartridge 10 and the transfer belt unit 12 have a shorter life than the image forming apparatus 2 due to their properties, the process cartridge 10 and the transfer belt unit 12 need to be replaced to achieve the main body life. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1B, in order to make it easy to replace the process cartridge 10 and the transfer belt unit 12, a unit including the discharge tray 44 and the transfer belt unit 12 is used as an upper door unit 50. The main body 2A can be opened and closed.

  With this configuration, by opening the upper door unit 50 upward (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1B), both the process cartridge 10 and the transfer belt unit 12 can be freely attached and detached, and maintenance is improved. It is improving. That is, the process cartridge 10 is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 2 </ b> A in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive drum 18.

(Process cartridge)
In the present embodiment, the process cartridges 10 (10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K) have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the reference numerals indicating the members are used to distinguish the process cartridges 10 from each other. The following is a generic description without using subscripts such as Y, M, C, and K.

  In describing the configuration of the process cartridge 10, in order to facilitate understanding, in the present specification, the longitudinal axis direction of the photosensitive drum or the like, that is, the direction perpendicular to the transfer material conveyance direction is referred to as “longitudinal direction”. Or “width direction”.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge 10. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the process cartridge 10, and the cartridge container lid 102 and the shutter 103 are arranged so that the internal developing sleeve 30 and the sealing seal plate 110 can be seen from the external appearance of the process cartridge 10. 2 shows a state in which the photosensitive drum 18 and the like are removed.

  In this embodiment, the process cartridge 10 is integrally combined with a cartridge container lid (second casing) 102 based on a cartridge container (first casing) 101 to form a container-like unit. .

  Inside the process cartridge 10 that is an integrated container-like unit, toner conveying screws 107 and 108, a sealing seal plate 110, and the like are arranged. The rotating toner conveying screws 107 and 108 are arranged so as to rotate while being supported by a bearing (not shown) mounted on the cartridge container 101, and are rotated by the driving force transmitted from the image forming apparatus main body 2A. To carry the toner and stir.

  The sealing seal plate 110 is a partition that partitions between the developing chamber 105 side where the developing sleeve 30 is disposed and the developer accommodating portion 106 side where the toner conveying screws 107 and 108 are disposed. A sealing seal 111 (FIG. 4) is attached to the surface of the sealing seal plate 110 by heat welding, ultrasonic welding, or the like.

  FIG. 4 shows details of the sealing seal plate 110. The sealing seal plate 110 has an opening 110c formed by pressing a nonmagnetic stainless steel plate at the center. When the process cartridge is set in a use state, the developer can be moved from the developer accommodating portion 106 to the developing sleeve 30 of the developing chamber 105 through the opening 110c.

  Therefore, before using the process cartridge, in order to close the opening 110c, the sealing seal 110 seals the periphery of the opening 110c by simple sealing means such as ultrasonic welding or heat sealing.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sealing seal 111 is folded at the sealing seal bending portion 110a, and is placed and accommodated so that the sealing seal pulling portion 111c can be pulled out so as to come out of the process cartridge.

  When this sealing seal 111 is pulled out, the sealing seal opening 111b is removed outside the apparatus, so that the opening is communicated and put into use.

  A developer agent (not shown) in which a carrier and toner are mixed at a certain ratio, which is a developer, is filled in the developer accommodating portion 106 on the toner conveying screws 107 and 108 side.

  When in use, as described above, the sealing seal 111 is pulled out by the user to the outside of the process cartridge, and at the same time, the opening 110c provided in the central portion of the sealing seal plate 110 is opened. As a result, the developer in the compartment is sent to the developing sleeve side, and an image can be formed.

  The developing sleeve 30 has a magnet 30a disposed therein at an arbitrary position, and attracts the developer with a magnetic force. At this time, a driving force is applied from a driving source (not shown) of the image forming apparatus, and the developing sleeve 30 rotates. The amount of developer due to the magnetic force of the developing sleeve 30 is regulated by the regulating blade 109. As a result, a fixed amount of developer is supplied to the photosensitive drum 18.

  The developer on the developing sleeve 30 jumps the toner on the developing sleeve to the electrostatic latent image formed by image exposure on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 18 to form a visible toner image.

  Since the image forming operation in the image forming apparatus including the process cartridge having the above-described configuration is well known to those skilled in the art, further detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Next, a seal structure using a hot melt seal that constitutes a feature of the present invention will be described.

(Seal structure)
In this embodiment, the cartridge container 101 serving as the first casing and the cartridge container lid 102 serving as the second casing are generally resin-molded. Further, as described above, since the sealing seal plate 110 is required to be a metal, particularly non-magnetic, a stainless material is often used. Therefore, the linear expansion coefficients of both members are different.

  On the other hand, the image forming apparatus is also provided with a fixing device and electrical components that generate heat, and it is known that the temperature of the image forming apparatus increases when the apparatus is operated. The process cartridge 10 causes bending and warping due to expansion and contraction due to the effects of temperature rise from the surroundings and self-temperature rise.

  In view of the above-mentioned viewpoint regarding the coefficient of linear expansion, according to the present embodiment, the sealing seal plate 110 made of stainless steel is attached with a seal structure 200 using a hot-melt seal interposed therebetween, so that linear expansion occurs in the longitudinal direction. Sealability can be maintained without being affected by distortion due to the coefficient.

  First of all, a skin layer having a good slidability is formed on the surface at the time of hot melt molding, and the hot melt seal and the mating member are in close contact with the effect of the release agent. It is also possible to absorb distortion by sliding. Secondly, due to the flexibility of the hot melt material itself, the distortion generated between the members is absorbed in the molded thickness of the hot melt seal. Further, other features of the seal structure of the present invention will be described later when describing the characteristic configuration of the present invention.

  The hot melt material used in this example was Morescommelt (Matsumura Oil Co., Ltd .: trade name). This material is 10 to 25% by weight of a synthetic rubber (SEPS), 30 to 55% by weight of a tackifier (petroleum resin), 25 to 40% by weight of a plasticizer (petroleum-based unit hydrogen), and 2% by weight or less of an antioxidant. It is a material ratio. In terms of physical properties, it has a softening point of 84 ° C., a melt viscosity of 1000 mPa · s, and an adhesive strength (vs. SUS, 12 N / 10 mm, at 20 ° C.), and is extremely flexible and viscous. The adhesive strength is a numerical value indicating a close contact state caused by molding with a counterpart member during hot melt molding.

  In the process cartridge 10 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it is desirable that the developer transport flow is uniform, and the developer is stirred in the developer storage unit 106 by the toner transport screws 107 and 108. To the sealing seal plate 110 and further to the developing sleeve 30 of the developing chamber 105.

  Here, in the seal structure 200 in which the sealing seal plate 110 is attached to the process cartridge 10, the hot melt seal 210 makes a business trip from the groove 201, or the top surface of the seal 210 (the contact surface with the sealing seal plate 110). It should be avoided that 210c (FIG. 5) hits the wave. If this happens, the developer flow becomes uneven, thereby affecting the image quality such as the density change of the image. Therefore, it is desirable to form a smooth and uniform sealed state.

  5 to 7 schematically show a seal structure 200 of this embodiment that constitutes a characteristic portion of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the cartridge container lid 102, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge container lid 102.

  5 to 7 are shown upside down with respect to FIG. 2 in order to facilitate understanding. That is, the cartridge container lid 102 is positioned below.

  In the present embodiment, a groove 201 is provided in the cartridge container lid 102 which is a resin molded product. In this embodiment, the groove portion 201 is a groove having a rectangular cross section, is formed by a bottom wall surface 201 a and both side wall surfaces 201 b, and extends in the width direction (longitudinal direction) of the process cartridge 10. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 201 is not limited to this.

  In the present embodiment, guide ribs 211 and 212 that constitute guide portions at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction are provided on both side wall surfaces 201b extending in the longitudinal direction of the groove 201.

  In the following description, the seal structure 200 for the cartridge container lid 102 will be described.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a similar seal structure 200 is provided on the cartridge container 101 side. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sealing seal plate 110 is attached to the process cartridge 10 via the seal structure 200 at the longitudinal edge portions 110 a and 110 b (FIG. 4).

  The seal structure 200 for the cartridge container lid 102 will be described. According to this embodiment, first, the cartridge container lid 102 has a groove section extending in the width direction of the process cartridge having a concave cross section as described above. 201 is formed.

  In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the groove part 201 is a rectangular square groove whose upper part is opened in FIG. 5, the width w3 of the bottom wall surface 201a is 4.6 mm, and the height h2 of the side wall surface 201b is 3. It was 4 mm. The dimension shape of the groove part 201 is not limited to this.

  A hot melt seal 210 is formed in the square groove 201 by hot melt molding. At this time, the hot melt seal 210 is formed in a trapezoidal shape in which the cross-sectional shape is a square shape, or both side surfaces are tapered slopes with a draft and the top surface is narrow. What is important in the present invention is that a space gap (gap) is formed between the hot melt seal 210 and the side surface 201b of the groove 201. In this embodiment, the hot-melt seal 210 has a shape having a bottom surface 210a that is in close contact with the bottom wall surface 201a of the groove 201 and both side surfaces 210b that are separated from the both side wall surfaces 201b of the groove 201. It is set as the shape which competes from 201a to a groove opening part.

  The top surface 210c of the hot melt seal 210 is flat. Furthermore, the width (w1) of the top surface 210c is wider than the opening width (w2) of the narrowest opening 213 formed by both guide ribs 211 and 212. That is, the guide ribs 211 and 212 are formed on both side walls 201b and 201b of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove 201 and are formed to protrude inward of the groove 201. Further, the top surface 210c is set lower than the opening 213 at the position of the opening width (w2) of the guide ribs 211 and 212 by a distance (h). In this example, the height h of the seal 210 was 0.3 mm, the width w1 of the top surface 210c was 3.8 mm, and the opening width w2 of the ribs 211 and 212 was 3.5 mm. However, it is not limited to this.

  Here, the shape of the guide ribs 211 and 212 may be arbitrary. However, the surfaces 211 a and 212 a of the guide ribs 211 and 212 facing the side surface 210 b of the hot melt seal 210 are complementary to the side surface 210 b of the hot melt seal 210. As a result, the hot melt sealing side surface 210b is in close contact with the hot melt molding, and the guide ribs 211 and 212 and the hot melt seal 210 are integrated. Further, the upper surfaces 211b and 212b of the guide ribs 211 and 212 are inclined surfaces 211c and 212c in which the inner surface forming the opening 213 is chamfered. With this configuration, a guide for incorporating the sealing seal plate 110 into the seal structure 200 is provided, and the assembly of the sealing seal plate 110 is facilitated.

  The sealing seal plate 110 is formed by pressing stainless steel SUS304CSP having a plate thickness (t) of 1 mm. The sealing seal plate 110, which is a thin metal plate, is guided by the guide ribs 211 and 212 through the narrow opening 213 between the guide ribs 211 and 212, and is brought into contact with and urged by the hot melt seal 210. As a result, the hot melt seal 210 is displaced while applying an elastic force to the sealing seal plate 110, and is brought into close contact with the longitudinal edge 110a of the sealing seal plate 110, so that the seal on the cartridge container lid 102 side is sealed. Achieve function.

  In this example, a suitable seal was obtained when the amount of penetration into the hot melt seal 210 was in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm with respect to the length 380 mm in the width direction of the process cartridge 10, that is, the longitudinal direction of the sealing seal plate 110. .

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the hot melt seal 210 has a trapezoidal shape in the rectangular groove, and the groove 201 has guide ribs (guide portions) 211 and 212 for guiding the sealing seal plate 110. Is provided. This is for the following reason.

  When the hot melt seal 210 is provided so as to fill the groove 201, the contact portion of the sealing seal plate 110 facing the seal 201 comes into contact with the seal, and there is no escape space for the deformed seal. It will be impossible to press sufficiently.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a clearance between the groove 201 and the trapezoidal cross section of the seal, for example, as in the present embodiment, so that a clearance is possible when pressing.

  However, when such a shape is taken into consideration in the escape area, the top surface (contact surface) 210c of the hot melt seal 210 becomes narrow. Therefore, it is conceivable that when the tip contact portion of the sealing seal plate 110 is brought close to contact, effective sealing cannot be performed without contacting the correct position.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the guide ribs 211 and 212 for correctly guiding the contact portion (the tip contact portion 110a of the sealing seal plate 110 in the present embodiment) to the hot melt seal top surface are provided. Make sure that it is in the correct position and seal securely.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, liquid hot melt is injected into the mold from the gates 121 and 122 provided in the vicinity of both longitudinal ends of the cartridge container lid 102 and heated. Thus, the hot melt seal 210 is formed in the groove 201. Thereafter, when the mold is opened and the workpiece is taken out, a hot melt molding product (that is, hot melt seal 210) as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is obtained.

  The cartridge container lid 102 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is assembled to the cartridge container 101 of the process cartridge 10 assembled in the state of FIG. 3 so as to match, and is fixed integrally by fixing means such as screws. Thereby, the sealing seal plate 110 is held in the state of FIG. 2 inside the process cartridge via the seal structure 200.

  At this time, the sealing seal plate 110 is guided and positioned between the guide ribs 211 and 212 as shown in FIG. Further, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the seal structure 200 is also provided at the end of the cartridge container lid 102. Accordingly, the end of the cartridge container 101 is similarly guided and positioned by the guide ribs 213 and 214 formed on the cartridge container lid 102.

  Therefore, the developer storage portion 106 in which parts such as the toner conveying screw 201 of the process cartridge 10 formed by the cartridge container 101 and the cartridge container lid 102 are incorporated is provided with the developing sleeve 30 by the sealing seal 110. Developer leakage to the developing chamber 105 side can be prevented.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the process cartridge 10 includes the first casing (cartridge container) 101 made of resin, the second casing (cartridge container lid) 102, and the seal disposed inside the casing. And a seal plate 110. In the process cartridge 10 having such a configuration, a seal structure 200 using a hot melt seal is employed as a sealing material for the mutual casing and the sealing seal plate.

  In particular, according to the present embodiment, in the seal structure 200 that joins the sealing seal plate 110 to the casings 101 and 102, the sealing seal plate side surface guide rib against the hot melt surface with which the sealing seal plate 110 abuts. 211 and 212 are formed. The contact end portion 110a of the sealing seal plate 110 is in contact with the hot melt surface 210c between the two guide ribs 211 and 212. It becomes a sealing seal that prevents the developer from leaking.

  Furthermore, by defining the contact end portion 110a of the sealing seal plate 110 between the guide ribs 211 and 212 arranged in the longitudinal direction, the hot melt mold molded product (hot melt seal) 210 is positioned at the approximate center. Can be positioned. Thereby, since the sealing pressure can be directed in the tangential direction of the sealing seal sheet metal surface, a stable sealing urging force is applied, and the sealing performance is enhanced.

  Further, since the guide ribs 211 and 212 are integrally formed with the hot melt seal 210, there is no gap between the guide ribs 211 and 212 and the hot melt molding (hot melt seal) 210. Accordingly, since the hot melt seal 210 that is in close contact with the guide ribs 211 and 212 maintains the sealing effect due to viscosity, even if there is a sealing seal plate near the rib, the sealing effect can be reliably achieved after pressing.

  In contrast to the hot melt seal 210 molded in the groove 201 provided in the resin casing, both guide ribs 211 and 212 protrude from the sealing seal plate contact surface (top surface) 110a of the hot melt seal and seal. A guide for the stop seal plate 110 is formed. Therefore, even if the sealing seal plate 110, which is a thin sheet metal that is easily bent in the longitudinal direction, bends in a longitudinal arc shape when the casing is mounted, it is corrected to the hot melt seal contact surface 210c by the guide shape of the inclined surfaces 211c and 212c of the guide rib. While being guided to a specified position.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, as described above, the top surface 210c of the hot melt 210 formed in the groove 201 is slightly smaller than the opening width w2 of the guide ribs 211 and 212 and the opening width of the guide ribs 211 and 212. As long as it is considered to be a wide range. Therefore, the mating part does not shift in the groove, and therefore, the amount of hot melt seal material used can be kept to a minimum.

  That is, the sealing seal plate 110 is positioned approximately at the center between the hot melt molding (hot melt seal) 210 and the guide ribs 211 and 212 arranged on the left and right by the guide ribs 211 and 212. Therefore, the hot melt top surface 110a is not necessary on the left and right portions outside the center. Therefore, the amount of materials used can be reduced accordingly. Moreover, since the heating time and the cooling time which are solidification time can be decreased, a molding cycle can be shortened.

  Furthermore, the surface 210c between the both guide ribs 211 and 212 of the hot melt seal 210 has a concave shape with a central portion recessed. Therefore, the sealing seal plate 110 that comes into contact when the casing is assembled is finally positioned at the center as much as possible following the center of the concave portion of the hot melt molded product. Thus, the sealing effect can be enhanced by increasing the contact area between the hot melt and the sealing seal plate while further utilizing the flexibility by minimizing the amount of hot melt used for the hot melt sealability.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the hot melt 210 has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, so that it is possible to make a large draft so that hot melt having high viscosity can be easily released from the mold. . Therefore, it is possible to improve the moldability and the yield, and further, it is possible to obtain an effect that the molding cycle is accelerated.

  In other words, the cross-sectional shape formed by hot melt molding is a trapezoidal shape with a substantially tapered slope with both sides extending from the casing adhesion surface to the height direction, a casing groove surface and a gap, and the top surface is The width of the guide rib is set to be wider. Thereby, since the draft angle of the left and right side surfaces in hot melt molding can be increased, it is possible to improve the mold release property with respect to hot melt which is highly sticky and easily sticky.

  Here, a seal structure 200A as a comparative example is shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, and compared with the seal structure 200 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS.

  In the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, guide ribs 211 and 212 that are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction are provided in an integral fashion with respect to the groove 201 provided in the cartridge container lid 102.

  On the other hand, in the seal structure 200 </ b> A shown as a comparative example in FIGS. 10 to 12, the hot melt 210 is formed in the groove 201 of the cartridge lid 102 by hot melt molding. The top surface 210 </ b> C of the hot melt 210 is formed flat, but no guide rib is formed in the groove 201. The same applies to the cartridge container 101.

  Here, when the sealing seal plate 110, which is an abutting member, was pressed against the top surface 210 c of the hot melt 210, the sealing seal plate 110 was bent in the longitudinal direction by the repulsive force of the hot melt 210.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, when the process cartridge 10A having the seal structure 200A was assembled, a vibration test was performed, and air pressure was applied to the inside of the sealed developer storage portion, developer leakage occurred.

  When disassembled, the hot melt seal contact end portions 110a and 110b along the longitudinal direction of the sealing seal plate 110 were bent into an arcuate shape. As a result, it was found that the hot melt seal contact end portions 110a and 110b and the cartridge container lid 102 leaked from the longitudinal central portion with the least pressure.

  That is, as can be understood from FIG. 12, the hot melt seal 210 is formed in the groove 201 of the cartridge container lid 102, and other hot melt molding surfaces except for the top surface 210c are in close contact with the three groove wall surfaces. doing. Therefore, it has been found that the sealing seal plate 110 is deformed because the hot melt seal 210 cannot escape with only the elastic force against the biasing pressure of the sealing seal plate 110.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, the hot melt seal 210 was molded so as to be in close contact with only the groove bottom surface 201a (FIG. 5). As a result, both side surfaces 210b and 210b of the hot melt seal have a trapezoidal draft, thereby creating a space where the surfaces on both sides can freely swell in correspondence with the energized sealing seal plate 110. The deformation which can utilize the flexibility of the hot melt was obtained.

  Urethane foam, etc. swells like a sponge and deforms by extruding the air inside the foam under pressure, but in the case of hot melt seal, the material itself is solid and gets displaced by the flexibility of the material Can, but the volume hardly changes. Therefore, in order to obtain a displacement that makes use of stable flexibility, escape is necessary.

  This embodiment is characterized in that a clearance taper is used as a clearance space.

  Further, in the flat portion of the hot melt seal 210 and the sealing seal plate end portions 110a and 110b in the comparative example, a skin layer peculiar to a molded product is formed, and a synergistic effect is that a release agent is attached thereto. It became clear that the surface became slippery.

  As a countermeasure against this, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the guide ribs 211 and 212 are extended from the cartridge container lid 102 to prevent the seal seal plate 110 from slipping.

  However, it has been found that if the guide ribs are arranged so as to face the same position in the longitudinal direction of the sealing seal plate 110, they become orifices in the mold and hinder fluidity during hot melt molding.

  In hot melt molding by hot melt molding as shown in the comparative examples of FIGS. 10 to 12, sinking due to heat shrinkage occurs after molding in a state of excessive build-up, which is originally called “bottom meat”.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to avoid the orifice state due to the guide rib, which causes this sink, and to improve the hot melt moldability, the guide ribs on the both side walls of the groove portion 201 are not opposed to each other, and are set to be staggered. Deployed at an interval of.

  As a result, the molding injection time was accelerated, the molding pressure could be reduced, and the molding time could be shortened as well as the prevention of sink marks. In this way, in this example, the molding time of about 40 seconds could be reduced to 18 seconds or less, resulting in improved productivity.

  In other words, by arranging the ribs of the casing alternately, it is possible to keep the ribs from blocking when the high-viscosity hot melt flowing in the mold flows through the mold to the minimum. Improve fluidity. Thereby, residual stress due to pressure balance and molding sink are prevented, and the shape dimension of the hot melt seal top surface can be secured.

  The present invention relates to a paper guide member, a paper feed roller drive, a transport roller drive, a double-sided transport drive, and a development in an information output device such as a computer, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a facsimile. Can be applied to seals of various mechanisms such as structural parts, units, etc. that require high precision of drive, drum, and intermediate transfer member, or to fastening parts for assembly parts for anti-vibration measures, backlash removal, and hot-wire expansion locations It is.

FIG. 1A is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of an image forming apparatus using a process cartridge according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an image formation showing a state in which an upper door unit is opened. It is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus. It is sectional drawing of the process cartridge which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cartridge container lid, a photosensitive drum, and the like are removed in order to show an internal configuration of the process cartridge according to the present invention. 4A is a plan view showing a sealing seal plate, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the sealing seal plate. It is sectional drawing explaining one Example of the seal structure which concerns on this invention. It is a top view explaining one Example of the seal structure which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view explaining one Example of the seal structure which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the inner surface of the cartridge container lid which shows the seal structure of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge container lid which shows the seal structure of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the process cartridge provided with the seal structure as a comparative example. It is a perspective view of the cartridge container lid provided with the seal structure as a comparative example. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge container lid which shows the seal structure as a comparative example.

Explanation of symbols

2 Image forming apparatus 10 Process cartridge 11 Exposure apparatus 12 Transfer belt unit 18 Photosensitive drum (image carrier)
19 Primary charger 30 Developing sleeve (developing device)
31 Drum cleaner device 101 Cartridge container (first casing, first member)
102 Cartridge container lid (second casing)
105 Developing chamber 106 Developer accommodating portion 107, 108 Conveying screw 110 Sealing seal plate 201 Groove portion 210 Hot melt seal 210c Hot melt seal contact surface (top surface)
211, 212, 213, 214 Guide rib (guide part)

Claims (9)

In the seal structure formed by contacting the contact portion of the second member with respect to the hot melt seal provided in the groove portion formed in the first member,
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first member is formed with a guide portion that guides the contact portion such that the contact portion of the second member contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal .
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
The width formed by the guide ribs formed on both sides of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove portion is larger than the width of the contact surface of the hot melt seal with which the contact portion of the second member contacts. Seal structure characterized by being narrowed . In the seal structure formed by contacting the contact portion of the second member with respect to the hot melt seal provided in the groove portion formed in the first member,
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first member is formed with a guide portion that guides the contact portion such that the contact portion of the second member contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal.
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
Features and to luciferyl Lumpur structures that are integrally formed with said hot-melt seal and the guide rib. The guide rib, the are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the groove, and wherein not both sides of the guide rib is facing the groove walls, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is staggered Seal structure. The first member is a resin casing that forms a process cartridge, and the second member is a sealing seal plate that separates the developer storage portion and the developing chamber of the process cartridge. The seal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The seal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a surface between the guide ribs of the hot melt seal has a concave shape with a recessed central portion. Sealing seal plate attached by abutting against a hot melt seal provided in a groove formed in the first casing and the second casing, and a first casing made of resin, a second casing made of resin In a process cartridge with
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first and second casings are formed with a guide portion for guiding the contact portion so that the contact portion of the sealing seal plate with the hot melt seal contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal. Has been
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
The width formed by the guide ribs formed on both sides of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove portion is larger than the width of the contact surface of the hot melt seal with which the contact portion of the sealing seal plate contacts. A process cartridge that is narrowed . Sealing seal plate attached by abutting against a hot melt seal provided in a groove formed in the first casing and the second casing, and a first casing made of resin, a second casing made of resin In a process cartridge with
The hot melt seal is provided in the groove portion by hot melt molding so as to have a gap between the groove portion and the groove wall.
The first and second casings are formed with a guide portion for guiding the contact portion so that the contact portion of the sealing seal plate with the hot melt seal contacts the contact surface of the hot melt seal. Has been
The guide part is a guide rib that is disposed on both side walls of the groove wall along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, and is formed to protrude inward of the groove part,
Features and to pulp b Seth cartridge that is integrally formed with said hot-melt seal and the guide rib. The guide rib, the are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the groove, and wherein no ribs are opposed on both sides of the groove walls, according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it is staggered Process cartridge. 9. The process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein a surface between the two guide ribs of the hot melt seal has a concave shape with a recessed central portion.

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