JP6236917B2 - Coating apparatus and coating method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coating apparatus and coating how performing paint leaving uncoated areas.

  An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, or a multifunction machine adopting an electrophotographic system includes a pair of rollers facing each other or a belt facing each other, such as a fixing device or a paper transport device. What has a pair with a roller is mounted. In such an apparatus, one of the rollers or a roller of the belt-roller set is driven to rotate, and the other roller or belt is often a driven member. . Here, in many cases, the outer surfaces of the above-described rollers and belts are formed of PFA (tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer) which is highly formed to suppress adhesion of developer and paper powder. Yes. In order to compensate for the decrease in the friction coefficient due to the outer surface made of PFA and transmit a sufficient driving force to the driven member, for example, a rotationally driven roller has a high friction coefficient on the outer peripheral surfaces of both ends thereof. A grip portion made of rubber may be formed.

  Conventionally, most of the rollers with grip portions as described above are manufactured by covering a roller member having grip portions at both ends with a PFA tube and bonding them. At this time, the adhesive for adhering the PFA tube is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the roller member while avoiding the grip portion. For example, such coating is performed by applying a cylindrical mask member having an inner diameter equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the roller member to the grip portion, and then coating the entire surface with an adhesive. This is done by pulling out.

  However, in such a method, when the mask member is pulled out from the roller member, there is a possibility that the adhesive attached to the mask member may adhere to the grip portion. In general, a longer PFA tube than the actual bonding area is placed on the roller member, and after the adhesive is cured, an excess portion is cut and removed. For this reason, when the PFA tube is bonded with the adhesive attached to the grip portion as described above, there is a possibility that a part of the grip portion is peeled off when the extra PFA tube is removed. .

  As a method for coating the roller member as described above, the following ring die coating method has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this method, coating is performed by moving a ring-shaped nozzle facing the outer peripheral surface of the roller member up and down while rotating around the central axis of the roller member while discharging the adhesive. In this method, the coating is performed only within the raising and lowering range of the nozzle, so that the mask member as described above is unnecessary.

  Here, a roller used in a fixing device or a paper transport device, and in other words, a roller member to be coated with an adhesive, generally has outer diameters at both ends in order to suppress a paper passage failure in the nip region. The shape is often thicker than the outer diameter of the central portion (hereinafter referred to as a drum shape). In the method using the ring die coating described in Patent Document 1 described above, when such a drum-shaped roller member is coated, the coating gap between the nozzle and the outer peripheral surface of the roller member changes when the nozzle moves up and down. End up. It is desirable to apply the adhesive to the outer peripheral surface of the roller member with a constant film thickness. However, in the above method in which the coating gap changes as described above, the application with such a constant film thickness is performed. Is difficult.

  Although the object to be bonded is not a roller member but a sheet member, as a method of realizing coating with a certain film thickness, there is a method of finely adjusting the coating gap from the back side opposite to the painted surface using air pressure. It has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This method achieves coating with a constant film thickness by finely adjusting the coating gap to keep it constant.

  However, the coating method described in Patent Document 2 is realized only when the object to be bonded is a sheet member, and is difficult to apply to the coating on the outer peripheral surface of the roller member.

  In this way, the outer peripheral surface of a substantially cylindrical member to be painted, such as the above-mentioned roller member, is coated with a paint such as an adhesive on a non-painted region such as the grip portion and the film thickness. At present, there is no proposal for an effective coating apparatus that performs coating while suppressing both of these changes.

  Therefore, the present invention is to provide a coating apparatus capable of coating paint on the outer peripheral surface of a substantially cylindrical member to be coated while suppressing both adhesion to a non-coating region and change in film thickness. And

In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention according to claim 1
In a coating apparatus that paints paint on the outer peripheral surface of a substantially cylindrical member to be coated, leaving a strip-shaped non-coating region at least one of the two ends of the member to be coated.
A holding portion that detachably holds the member to be coated in an upright posture with the non-coating region on the upper side;
A hollow for storing paint is passed, and the member to be coated held by the holding portion is passed through the bottom of the depression, and the diameter of the member to be painted is smaller than the outer diameter of the member to be coated before the member to be coated is passed. The first through-hole that can be expanded and contracted is provided, and when the member to be coated is passed, the edge of the first through-hole is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated, thereby A paint tank that can be moved up and down along the central axis of the member to be coated;
A paint supply unit for supplying paint to the paint tank;
A stretchable sheet supported so as to be able to move up and down along the central axis above the coating tank, wherein the sheet to be coated is located at a position overlapping the first through hole when viewed in the direction of the central axis. A second through-hole having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the member to be coated is provided in a stage before the member to be coated is passed, and when the member to be coated is passed, A mask sheet member that extends along the outer peripheral surface while the edge of the through-hole of 2 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated, and masks the intimate region of the outer peripheral surface;
A drive mechanism for driving the paint tank and the mask sheet member up and down;
An expansion mechanism for expanding the second through hole of the mask sheet member and separating the mask sheet member from the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated;
The drive mechanism moves the mask sheet member to a position where the non-coating area is masked, and moves the paint tank storing the paint to a position where the first through hole overlaps the mask sheet member. The coating member is coated on the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated except for the non-coating region, and then the second through hole is expanded together with the first through hole by the expansion mechanism. A paint control unit that allows the member to be removed from the holding unit;
A coating apparatus characterized by comprising:

  In the coating apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the non-painting area is masked by the mask sheet member, so that the coating is performed while leaving the non-painting area. Then, the mask sheet member is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated by expanding the second through hole. For this reason, in the coating by the coating apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the adhesion of the paint to the non-coating region can be suppressed as compared with, for example, a method of pulling out the cylindrical mask member after painting. Furthermore, the coating performed by the rising of the paint tank in which the paint is stored is leveled by the edge of the first through hole through which the member to be coated passes while keeping the watertightness between the paint tank and the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated. While done. At this time, since the first through hole is expandable / contractable with a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the member to be coated before the member to be coated is passed, for example, the member to be coated has the above-described drum shape. Even if it has, it expands and contracts following the shape of its outer peripheral surface. Thereby, the leveling by the edge of the first through-hole becomes uniform with the change in the film thickness of the paint suppressed. That is, according to the coating apparatus of the invention according to claim 1, the paint is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the substantially cylindrical member to be coated including the drum shape, and both the adhesion to the non-coating region and the change in the film thickness are suppressed. Can be painted.

1 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of a pressure roller. It is sectional drawing showing the cross section orthogonal to the center axis | shaft of a pressure roller. It is a figure which shows the structure of a coating device. It is an enlarged view of a painting unit. It is a figure which shows the preparation process for attachment of a to-be-coated member. It is a figure which shows the attachment process of a to-be-coated member. It is a figure which shows the coating start stage. It is a figure which shows the state in process of painting. It is a figure which shows the preparation process for removal of a to-be-coated member. It is a figure which shows the removal process of a to-be-coated member. It is a figure which shows the structure of the coating unit of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the coating unit of 3rd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  An image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum, develops the electrostatic latent image with a developer, and transfers the developed image to a recording medium. This is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 1 is a color printer that forms full-color images of four colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) on a sheet P, that is, a recording material. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a housing 2, a paper feed unit 3, a paper transport unit 4, an intermediate transfer belt 5, a primary transfer roller 6, a secondary transfer roller 7, and a belt. A cleaner 8 and a fixing device 9 are provided. The image forming apparatus 1 also includes an exposure unit 10 and a total of four process cartridges 11 for four colors of YMCK.

  The housing 2 is formed in a box shape, for example, and is installed on a floor or the like. The housing 2 houses a paper feed unit 3, a paper transport unit 4, an intermediate transfer belt 5, four primary transfer rollers 6, a secondary transfer roller 7, a belt cleaner 8, a fixing device 9, and an exposure unit 10. Further, four process cartridges 11 are detachably mounted on the housing 2.

  The paper feed unit 3 is provided in the lower part of the housing 2. In the paper feeding unit 3, a plurality of sheets P are stacked and stored.

  The paper transport unit 4 feeds the paper P in the paper feed unit 3 one by one, transports it on the transport path via the secondary transfer roller 7 and the fixing device 9, and finally discharges it onto the paper discharge tray 2a. To do.

  The intermediate transfer belt 5 is an endless belt stretched around a plurality of rollers, and one of the plurality of rollers is driven by a drive source (not shown) so as to move counterclockwise in FIG. It moves cyclically. Then, the toner images of each color of YMCK are transferred from the four process cartridges 11 so as to overlap each other on the intermediate transfer belt 5 that is in circulation. By this transfer, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 5.

  Each of the four primary transfer rollers 6 faces the photosensitive drums with the intermediate transfer belt 5 interposed between the photosensitive drums described later of each process cartridge 11. A primary transfer bias is applied to each primary transfer roller 6 by a high voltage power source (not shown). As a result, each primary transfer roller 6 transfers the toner image from the photosensitive drum of the corresponding process cartridge 11 to the intermediate transfer belt 5.

  The secondary transfer roller 7 faces the one roller with the intermediate transfer belt 5 sandwiched between one of a plurality of rollers on which the intermediate transfer belt 5 is stretched. A secondary transfer bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller 7 by a high voltage power source (not shown). The full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 5 by the transfer by the primary transfer roller 6 is transferred onto the paper P by the secondary transfer roller 7 to which a secondary transfer bias is applied.

  The fixing device 9 receives the paper P on which the toner image has been transferred by the secondary transfer roller 7, heats and pressurizes the paper P, and fixes the toner image on the paper P. The fixing device 9 includes a heating roller 91 and a pressure roller 92. The heat roller 91 has a heat source disposed therein, and heats the paper P with heat from the heat source. The peripheral surface of the pressure roller 92 is pressed against the heating roller 91 to form a nip portion, and the paper P is pressed. The pressure roller 92 is rotationally driven by a driving source (not shown), and the heating roller 91 is driven to rotate as the pressure roller 92 rotates. In the present embodiment, the heating roller 91 is employed as a member for heating the paper P. However, the member for heating the paper P may be an endless belt that is heated by a heat source and circulates.

  The pressure roller 92 corresponds to an embodiment of the roller member referred to in the present invention. The pressure roller 92 will be described in detail later.

  The exposure unit 10 scans and exposes the photosensitive drum of each process cartridge 11 based on the image information, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum. In the present embodiment, the exposure unit 10 uses a laser beam scanner system that includes a laser diode 10a as a light source, and performs scanning exposure by reflecting exposure light from the laser diode 10a by a plurality of mirrors 10b. The exposure method is not limited to the laser beam scanner method, and may be a method of performing scanning exposure using an LED array in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged as a light source.

  The four process cartridges 11 are detachably arranged in parallel on the intermediate transfer belt 5 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the circulating movement direction of the intermediate transfer belt 5, and are exchanged for new ones as necessary. Each process cartridge 11 is fixed to each arrangement position by a stopper (not shown). Then, at the time of replacement with a new one, the stopper is released by a user operation, whereby the process cartridge 11 to be replaced is removed and replaced with a new one. Each process cartridge 11 receives a scanning exposure from the exposure unit 10 and forms a toner image by the components described below.

  The process cartridge 11 has a configuration in which a photosensitive drum 101, a charging member 102, a developing device 103, and a drum cleaner 104 are integrally coupled.

  The photosensitive drum 101 rotates clockwise in FIG. The charging member 102 is in pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 101, and is rotated by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 101. The charging member 102 charges the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 101. In this embodiment, a contact charging method in which a roller-shaped member is brought into contact for charging is used as the charging method. However, as the charging method, the charging member and the photosensitive drum are charged in a non-contact state. A non-contact charging method may be used. The outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 101 charged by the charging member 102 is scanned and exposed by the exposure unit 10, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the outer peripheral surface. The electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer by the developing device 103, and a toner image is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 101. The formed toner image, that is, the developed image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 5 by the primary transfer roller 6 described above. Then, adhered matter such as residual toner remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 101 after the transfer is removed by the drum cleaner 104.

  This is the end of the description of the image forming apparatus 1. Next, the pressure roller 92 included in the fixing device 9 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the pressure roller, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section orthogonal to the central axis of the pressure roller.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pressure roller 92 includes a cored bar 921, an elastic layer 922, and a release layer 923. The elastic layer 922 is made of a foam and is bonded and fixed to the core metal 921 with an adhesive 924. The release layer 923 is a PFA tube having a thickness of 30 μm to 50 μm whose inner surface is etched, and is covered with the elastic layer 922 except for the range of 5 mm to 15 mm at both ends of the elastic layer 922. Bonded and fixed.

  Further, in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm at both ends of the elastic layer 922, a grip portion 925 for rotating the pressure roller 92 shown in FIG. The grip portion 925 is obtained by coating and curing the same adhesive as the adhesive 924 used for bonding and fixing the elastic layer 922 and the release layer 923.

  The outer diameter of the cored bar 921, the thickness of the elastic layer 922, and the total length of the pressure roller 92 vary depending on the use situation. For example, the outer diameter of the cored bar 921 is outside of φ15 mm to φ20 mm (both ends journal diameter φ8 mm to 12 mm). Diameter can be employed. The elastic layer 922 may have a thickness of 2 mm to 5 mm, and the pressure roller 92 may have a length of about 310 mm to 400 mm.

  The elastic layer 922 has a drum shape whose outer diameter is generally about 0.1% to 1% smaller than both ends in order to prevent paper wrinkling during paper passing. . One embodiment of the coating apparatus according to the present invention described below has this drum shape, and is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 922 having the grip portions 925 formed at both ends, excluding the grip portions 925. This is a coating apparatus for coating the adhesive 924 only at a portion where the mold layer 923 is coated. In the present embodiment, the adhesive 924 corresponds to an example of the paint according to the present invention. Further, the grip portion 925 formed in a band shape corresponds to an example of a non-painting region according to the present invention.

  Hereinafter, the structure of this coating apparatus and the coating method performed by this coating apparatus are demonstrated. First, the configuration of the coating apparatus will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the coating apparatus.

  The coating apparatus 500 targets the pressure roller 92 at the stage where the grip portions 925 are formed on both ends of the elastic layer 922 before the PFA tube serving as the release layer 923 is covered. Hereinafter, this object to be coated is referred to as a member 92a (illustrated after FIG. 7). In this embodiment, the member 92a to be coated has a substantially cylindrical shape called a drum shape as described above for the elastic layer 922 to which the adhesive 924 is coated.

  The coating apparatus 500 includes an apparatus base 501, a first drive mechanism 502, a lower chuck 503, an upper chuck 504, a coating unit 505, a supply unit 506, and a control unit 507. The apparatus base 501 is a stand that supports the entire coating apparatus 500, and the first drive mechanism 502 and the lower chuck 503 are fixed to the apparatus base 501. The first drive mechanism 502 supports a coating unit 505 having a substantially cylindrical shape and an upper chuck 504 so as to be movable up and down coaxially with the lower chuck 503, and receives an instruction from the control unit 507. The painting unit 505 and the upper chuck 504 are respectively driven up and down.

  The lower chuck 503 and the upper chuck 504 hold the member 92a to be coated from above and below so as to be detachable in an upright posture. A combination of the lower chuck 503 and the upper chuck 504 corresponds to an example of the holding portion according to the present invention. The upper chuck 504 is raised and lowered by the first drive mechanism 502 when the member 92a to be coated is attached or removed.

  The coating unit 505 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and allows the member 92a to be coated held by the lower chuck 503 and the upper chuck 504 to pass therethrough. Inside, a coating tank described later for storing the adhesive 924 is provided. Then, the coating unit 505 is lifted by the first drive mechanism 502 in a state where the adhesive 924 in the coating tank is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated, thereby being bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated. Agent 924 is painted. In response to an instruction from the control unit 507, the supply unit 506 supplies the adhesive 924 to the paint tank of the coating unit 505. The supply unit 506 corresponds to an example of the paint supply unit referred to in the present invention.

  The control unit 507 controls operations of the first drive mechanism 502, a drive mechanism described later in the painting unit 505, and the supply unit 506. Specific operations of these mechanisms under the control of the control unit 507 will be described in detail later. The control unit 507 corresponds to an example of the painting control unit referred to in the present invention.

  Next, the structure of the coating unit 505 will be described.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the painting unit.

  The painting unit 505 includes a painting unit base 511, a paint tank 512, a second drive mechanism 513, a mask sheet member 514, an expansion cylinder 515, and a third drive mechanism 516. The painting unit base 511 is supported by the first drive mechanism 502 shown in FIG. Further, in the center of the coating unit base 511, a through hole 511a through which a member to be coated 92a (illustrated after FIG. 7) is passed is provided coaxially with the lower chuck 503 shown in FIG. The second drive mechanism 513 is fixed to the painting unit base 511. The second drive mechanism 513 supports the paint tank 512 so as to be movable up and down coaxially with the lower chuck 503, and drives the paint tank 512 up and down in response to an instruction from the control unit 507. A combination of the first drive mechanism 502 and the second drive mechanism 513 corresponds to an example of the drive mechanism according to the present invention.

  The paint tank 512 includes an annular tank 512a, a seal sheet 512b, and a first metal ring plate 512c. The annular tank 512a has a shape in which a bottom surface is recessed toward the center and is recessed in a tapered shape. Although the adhesive 924 is stored in the recess, the annular tank 512a has a capacity capable of storing the adhesive 924 from the bottom of the recess to a height of about 10 mm to 30 mm. A through hole 512a-1 having a diameter sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the member 92a to be coated, through which the member 92a to be coated (illustrated in FIG. 7 and subsequent figures) passes, is provided at the bottom of the recess. Further, a through hole 512a-2 for guiding the adhesive 924 supplied from the supply unit 506 shown in FIG. 4 into the annular tank 512a is provided on the slope forming the depression.

  The seal sheet 512b is a circular stretchable sheet made of a fluororesin having a good sliding property having a thickness of about 0.5 mm to 2 mm, and the first through hole 512b-1 through which the member 92a to be coated passes in the center. Is provided. The first through-hole 512b-1 is a hole that can be expanded and contracted with a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the member 92a to be coated by about 2 mm to 5 mm before the member 92a is passed through. Since the seal sheet 512b is a stretchable sheet, the first through hole 512b-1 can be expanded and contracted. The seal sheet 512b is fixed to the back surface of the annular tank 512a facing the coating unit base 511 by a first metal ring plate 512c having the same inner diameter as the through hole 512a-1 of the annular tank 512a. The fixing by the first metal ring plate 512c is performed so that the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b and the through hole 512a-1 of the annular tank 512a are coaxial. When the member 92a to be coated passes through the through hole 512a-1 of the annular tank 512a and the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b, the edge of the first through hole 512b-1 is on the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated. In close contact. Thereby, the watertightness between the paint tank 512 and the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated is maintained. When the member 92a to be coated is not passed, as shown in FIG. 5, the edge of the first through-hole 512b-1 hangs downward due to its own weight.

  The paint tank 512 corresponds to an example of the paint tank according to the present invention, and the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b corresponds to an example of the first through hole according to the present invention.

  The mask sheet member 514 includes a mask sheet 514a and a second metal ring plate 514b. The mask sheet 514a is a stretchable sheet made of the same thickness and material as the seal sheet 512b and formed in a downwardly convex conical shape. And the 2nd through-hole 514a-1 which lets the to-be-coated member 92a pass is provided in the center. The second through hole 514a-1 is provided at a position overlapping the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b when viewed in the direction of the central axis of the member 92a. And this 2nd through-hole 514a-1 is smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the to-be-coated member 92a in the step before the to-be-coated member 92a passes, and is the same diameter as the 1st through-hole 512b-1, or a small diameter. It is a hole that can freely expand and contract. The mask sheet 514a is fixed to the upper edge of the second drive mechanism 513 by the second metal ring plate 514b. The second metal ring plate 514b is fixed so that the second through hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a and the through hole 512a-1 of the annular tank 512a are coaxial.

  Since the coating unit 505 is supported by the first drive mechanism 502 so as to be movable up and down, the mask sheet member 514 can be lifted and lowered above the paint tank 512. When the member 92a to be coated passes through the second through-hole 514a-1, the edge of the second through-hole 514a-1 extends downward while being in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated, and the outer peripheral surface thereof is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface. Mask the area. In a state where the member to be coated 92a is not passed, as shown in FIG. 5, the edge of the second through hole 514a-1 hangs down due to its own weight.

  The mask sheet member 514 corresponds to an example of the mask sheet member according to the present invention, and the second through hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a corresponds to an example of the second through hole according to the present invention.

  The expansion cylinder 515 is a cylinder having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the member 92a to be coated, and is supported above the mask sheet member 514 by a third drive mechanism 516 so as to be movable up and down. When the third driving mechanism 516 lowers the expansion cylinder 515, the expansion cylinder 515 presses the inner surface of the conical mask sheet 514a and deflects the mask sheet 514a downward. Thereby, the 2nd through-hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a is expanded. The expansion of the second through hole 514a-1 is performed when the member 92a to be coated is attached and removed, as will be described later. A combination of the expansion cylinder 515 and the third drive mechanism 516 corresponds to an example of the expansion mechanism according to the present invention.

  Above, description about the structure of the coating device 500 is complete | finished, Next, the coating method performed with this coating device 500 is demonstrated. The operation of each component of the painting apparatus 500 in this painting method is performed according to an instruction from the control unit 507 shown in FIG. 4 unless otherwise specified. In each figure for explaining the following coating method, the control unit 507 is not shown.

  In this coating method, the member 92a to be coated having the grip portions 925 formed at both ends of the elastic layer 922 is attached to the coating apparatus 500 through the processes shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a preparation process for attaching a member to be coated, and FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an attachment process of the member to be painted.

  At the start stage of the preparation process shown in FIG. 6, the coating unit 505 is arranged at the initial position at the lowermost end of the ascending / descending range. When the preparation process is started, first, the second drive mechanism 513 moves the paint tank 512 to the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b and the edge of the second through hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a. Is raised in the direction of arrow A to the position where the enters. Thereby, the seal sheet 512b and the mask sheet 514a overlap each other. Further, the first drive mechanism 502 raises the painting unit 505 to the next painting start position in the arrow B direction. The coating start position is a position where the back surface of the annular tank 512a in the paint tank 512 coincides with the boundary between the grip portion 925 on the lower end side of the elastic layer 922 and the elastic layer 922 when the member 92a to be coated is attached. Thereby, painting will be performed upward from this boundary. In the present embodiment, the above-described coating start position obtained based on various dimensions of the member to be coated 92a is stored in a memory (not shown) in the control unit 507 shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, the third drive mechanism 516 lowers the expansion cylinder 515, and the second through hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a is coated together with the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b. The member 92a is expanded to such an extent that it can be attached. Further, by this expansion, the mask sheet 514a comes into close contact with the inner surface of the annular tank 512, and a space defined by the inner surface of the annular tank 512 and the mask sheet 514a is formed. The formed space is filled with the adhesive 924 from the supply unit 506 to a height of about 10 mm to 30 mm from the bottom of the annular tank 512. The process of supplying the adhesive 924 from the supply unit 506 corresponds to an example of the paint supply process according to the present invention.

  In the process of attaching the member 92a to be coated shown in FIG. 7, the first drive mechanism 502 raises the upper chuck 504 in the direction of arrow D to the extent that the operator can attach the member 92a to be coated. Thereafter, the operator fixes the lower end of the member 92a to be coated to the lower chuck 503 through the inside of the expansion cylinder 515 and the inside of the second through hole 514a-1 expanded as described above. When the operator inputs from the input unit (not shown) that the fixing to the lower chuck 503 has been completed, the first drive mechanism 502 lowers the upper chuck 504 in the direction of arrow E, and moves the upper end of the member 92a to be coated. Fix to the upper chuck 504. The attachment process shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to an example of the holding process according to the present invention.

  When the process of attaching the member 92a to be coated is completed, the adhesive 924 is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated through the processes shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a painting start stage, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state during painting.

  In the coating start stage shown in FIG. 8, first, the third drive mechanism 516 raises the expansion cylinder 515 in the direction of arrow F. Thereby, the 2nd through-hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a shrinks together with the 1st through-hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b. As a result, the mask sheet 514a is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated with the edge of the second through hole 514a-1 extending downward.

  Next, the relative position of the mask sheet 514a with respect to the paint tank 512 is moved upward without changing the positional relationship between the member 92a to be coated and the paint tank 512. This movement is performed as follows. That is, the first drive mechanism 502 raises the painting unit 505 in the direction of arrow B, and the second drive mechanism 513 lowers the paint tank 512 in the direction of arrow G at the same speed as the raising speed of the painting unit 505. . Thereby, the mask sheet 514a and the seal sheet 512b of the paint tank 512 are separated, and the adhesive 924 in the paint tank 512 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated. At this time, the seal sheet 512b is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated with the edge of the first through hole 512b-1 extending downward, so that the outer periphery of the paint tank 512 and the member 92a to be coated Watertightness between the surfaces is maintained. Here, in the preparation process described with reference to FIG. 6, the coating unit 505 has the back surface of the annular tank 512 a in the paint tank 512 coincides with the boundary between the grip portion 925 on the lower end side of the elastic layer 922 and the elastic layer 922. The paint start position is set. For this reason, the above-mentioned adhesive 924 does not touch the grip portion 925, but touches only the region above the boundary on the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated.

  Thus, following the contact of the adhesive 924 with the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated, the first drive mechanism 502 raises the coating unit 505 in the direction of arrow B, as shown in FIG. As a result, the adhesive 924 is coated on the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a.

  Here, as described above, the elastic layer 922 constituting the member 92a to be coated has a drum shape whose outer diameter is smaller than that of both ends. In the present embodiment, the adhesive 924 is applied to the edge of the first through-hole 512b-1 through which the member to be coated 92a passes while keeping the watertightness between the paint tank 512 and the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated 92a. It is performed while being leveled by. And since this 1st through-hole 512b-1 is smaller than the outer diameter of the to-be-coated member 92a and can be expanded and contracted, the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 922 having a drum shape is raised while the coating unit 505 is raised. Scale to follow. Thereby, the leveling by the edge of the first through hole 512b-1 becomes uniform with the change in the film thickness of the adhesive 924 suppressed.

  The rising of the coating unit 505 by the first drive mechanism 502 stops when the lower edge of the mask sheet 514a reaches a rising stop position that coincides with the boundary between the grip portion 925 on the upper end side of the elastic layer 922 and the elastic layer 922. In the present embodiment, the above-described coating end position obtained based on various dimensions of the member 92a to be coated is also stored in a memory (not shown) in the control unit 507 shown in FIG. When the rising of the coating unit 505 is stopped, the grip portion 925 that is above the boundary on the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated is masked by the mask sheet 514a as a non-coating region.

  Thereafter, the coating unit 505 does not move, and the second drive mechanism 513 moves the paint tank 512 to the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b and the second through hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a. Raise to the position where the rim enters. Thereby, the seal sheet 512b and the mask sheet 514a overlap each other. The coating by raising the paint tank 512 is performed in a state where the grip 925 on the upper end side is masked by the mask sheet 514a as described above. As a result, painting is performed in which the grip portion 925 on the upper end side is left as a non-coating region. The process shown in FIG. 9 corresponds to an example of a painting process according to the present invention.

  When the rising of the paint tank 512 by the second drive mechanism 513 is completed, the member 92a to be coated is removed from the coating apparatus 500 through the processes shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a preparation process for removing the member to be coated, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a removing process of the member to be painted.

  In the preparation process shown in FIG. 10, the third drive mechanism 516 lowers the expansion cylinder 515 in the direction of arrow C, and the second through hole 514a-1 of the mask sheet 514a is moved to the first of the seal sheet 512b. The through holes 512b-1 are expanded together. Thereby, the mask sheet 514a is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated, and the member 92a to be coated can be removed. At this time, the mask sheet 514a is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated by expanding the second through hole 514a-1. For this reason, for example, the adhesion of the adhesive 924 to the grip portion 925 can be suppressed as compared with a method in which a cylindrical mask member is placed on the grip portion 925 and pulled out after coating.

  After that, in the removal process shown in FIG. 11, the first drive mechanism 502 raises the coating unit 505 and the upper chuck 504 in the direction of arrow B, thereby enabling the member 92a to be removed to be removed. After the ascent, the operator removes the member 92a to be coated from the lower chuck 503, and the coating with the coating apparatus 500 is completed.

  As described above, according to the coating apparatus 500 of the present embodiment, painting is performed particularly on the grip portion 925 on the upper end side through the mask by the mask sheet 514a. Then, the separation of the mask sheet 514a is performed by the expansion of the second through hole 514a-1, so that the adhesion of the adhesive 924 to the grip portion 925 is suppressed. Further, the edge of the first through-hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512 through which the member to be coated 92a passes while keeping the watertightness between the paint tank 512 and the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated is the outer periphery of the member 92a to be coated. Scales to follow the shape of the surface. Thereby, the leveling by the edge of the first through hole 512b-1 becomes uniform with the change in the film thickness of the adhesive 924 suppressed.

  The coated member 92a after coating is covered with a PFA tube by the following procedure to form a release layer 923 shown in FIGS. The PFA tube is 450 mm to 500 mm long enough to cover the member 92 a to be coated, and the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the elastic layer 922 by about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. In this PFA tube covering operation, a pipe having an inner diameter that is 1% to 5% wider than the outer diameter of the elastic layer 922 is prepared as a jig. First, the bottom of the PFA tube is plugged so that no air can pass through it, and is hung from the top of the pipe in an upright state. Thereafter, air is sucked from the lower end of the pipe using a vacuum pump or the like, and the inside of the pipe is brought into a vacuum state of about −50 KPa to −60 KPa, thereby adsorbing and expanding the diameter of the PFA tube on the inner surface of the pipe. The member 92a to be coated with the adhesive 924 applied thereto is inserted while keeping the same axis as the pipe so as not to contact the PFA tube. When the member 92a to be coated is completely inserted into the pipe, the vacuum from the lower end of the pipe is released and the PFA tube is contracted to the original state to cover the member 92a to be coated. Heat and cure for min-60 min. Finally, an excess portion of the PFA tube covering the grip portion 925 is cut to expose the grip portion 925, and the pressure roller 92 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is completed.

  According to the coating apparatus 500 of this embodiment, as described above, adhesion of the adhesive 924 to the grip portion 925 is suppressed, so that the grip portion 925 is peeled off when an excess portion of the PFA tube is cut. The occurrence of such a situation can also be suppressed. Further, since the change in the film thickness of the adhesive 924 is suppressed, the completed pressure roller 92 has a drum shape in which the deformation from the drum shape of the elastic layer 922 is suppressed.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. This 2nd Embodiment is the same as that of 1st Embodiment mentioned above except the structure of the coating unit. Therefore, in the following description, only the coating unit will be described in the second embodiment, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Also, the description of the overall configuration of the coating apparatus, the pressure roller obtained through painting by the coating apparatus, and the image forming apparatus equipped with such a pressure roller will be omitted.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a painting unit according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same components as those of the painting unit 505 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. A duplicate description of the components is omitted.

  The coating unit 600 shown in FIG. 12 has a liquid level detection sensor 601 that measures the liquid level position of the adhesive 924 in the coating tank 512. Then, the control unit 507 determines whether or not the liquid level position measured at any time by the liquid level detection sensor 601 is lower than a predetermined position. When determining that the liquid level position is lower than the predetermined position, the control unit 507 instructs the supply unit 506 to replenish the paint tank 512 with the paint. A combination of the liquid level detection sensor 601 and the control unit 507 corresponds to an example of the liquid level position detection unit referred to in the present invention. The control unit 507 also corresponds to an example of the paint supply control unit referred to in the present invention. Furthermore, the replenishment of the paint performed by the supply unit 506 under the control of the control unit 507 corresponds to an example of the paint supply control process according to the present invention.

  According to the present embodiment, the amount of the adhesive 924 in the paint tank 512 is substantially kept above a certain amount. Thereby, the change of the film thickness by the fall of the adhesive agent 924 in the coating tank 512 at the time of painting will also be suppressed.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is the same as the second embodiment described above except for the structure of the painting unit. Therefore, in the following, only the coating unit will be described in the third embodiment, paying attention to the difference from the third embodiment. Also, the description of the overall configuration of the coating apparatus, the pressure roller obtained through painting by the coating apparatus, and the image forming apparatus equipped with such a pressure roller will be omitted.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a painting unit according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 13, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 12 are given to the same components as those of the painting unit 600 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. A duplicate description of the components is omitted.

  The coating unit 700 shown in FIG. 13 has an outer diameter measuring sensor 701 that measures the outer diameter of the member 92a (see FIGS. 7 to 11) to be coated above the coating tank 512. In the present embodiment, the outer diameter measuring sensor 701 detects the distance between the outer diameter measuring sensor 701 and the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated, and obtains the outer diameter of the member 92a to be coated from the detection result. . The outer diameter measuring sensor 701 is moved up and down along the central axis of the member 92a to be coated together with the coating unit 700. Then, the control unit 507 controls the rising speed, that is, the moving speed of the coating unit 700 by the first drive mechanism 502 to a speed corresponding to the outer diameter of the member 92a to be coated measured by the outer diameter measuring sensor 701. Specifically, the outer diameter decreases toward the central portion of the drum-shaped member 92a having a drum shape, and the adhesion pressure of the edge of the first through hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b to the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated decreases. As you go up, the rate of ascent is delayed. And as the outer diameter increases beyond the central portion and the contact pressure increases, the rising speed is increased. The outer diameter measuring sensor 701 corresponds to an example of an outer diameter measuring unit according to the present invention.

  According to this embodiment, the change in the film thickness due to the change in the adhesion pressure during coating is also suppressed.

  In the three embodiments described above, as an embodiment of the coating apparatus and the coating method according to the present invention, all of the modes in which the mask sheet member and the paint tank are raised during coating are exemplified. However, the painting apparatus and the painting method referred to in the present invention are not limited to this form, and may be a form in which the mask sheet member and the paint tank are lowered during painting. In this embodiment, the edge of the first through hole of the seal sheet and the edge of the second through hole of the mask seal extend upward along the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated.

  The three embodiments described above are merely representative forms of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. That is, those skilled in the art can implement various modifications in accordance with conventionally known knowledge without departing from the scope of the present invention. Of course, such modifications are included in the scope of the present invention as long as they are provided with any configuration of the coating apparatus, the coating method, and the roller of the present invention.

  Next, examples of a coating apparatus, a coating method, and a pressure roller corresponding to the above-described embodiment will be described. In the following examples, the dimensions of the coating apparatus and the pressure roller are specifically described. However, these dimensions and materials are merely examples, and the present invention is limited to these dimensions and materials. is not.

(First embodiment)
In the first embodiment, what is created is the pressure roller 92 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the dimensions and the like of each component are as follows. The cored bar 921 has an outer diameter of φ24 mm. The elastic layer 922 is made of a foam, has a length of 347 mm, an outer diameter of both ends of 32 mm, and an outer diameter of the central portion that is 0.17 mm smaller than the outer diameter of both ends. The release layer 923 is a 3 μm thick PFA tube whose inner surface is etched. Further, at both ends of the elastic layer 922, a grip portion 925 is formed by applying and curing an adhesive KE-1880 made by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. with a width of 7.5 mm. The release layer 923 is formed in a range excluding the grip portion 925.

  The release layer 923 is bonded to the outer peripheral surface by an adhesive 924 that is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 922 except for the grip portions 925 at both ends. In the first embodiment, as the adhesive 924, the same adhesive KE-1880 made by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. is used as the adhesive forming the grip portion 925. And the coating of the adhesive agent 924 is performed by the coating apparatus 500 of 1st Embodiment shown by FIGS.

  In the first embodiment, the coating apparatus 500 includes the following as the seal sheet 512b and the mask sheet 514a shown in FIG. The seal sheet 512b is made of fluororubber, has a thickness of 1 mm, and the diameter of the first through hole 512b-1 is φ28 mm. Further, the mask sheet 514a is made of the same fluororubber as the seal sheet 512b, has a thickness of 0.5 mm, and the diameter of the second through hole 514a-1 is φ10 mm. In the first embodiment, the adhesive 924 is supplied to the height of 20 mm from the bottom of the annular tank 512a in the coating tank 512 in the preparation process in the coating apparatus 500. The ascending speed of the coating unit 505 at the time of painting is set to 30 mm / sec, aiming at 50 μm as the coating film thickness.

Using the coating apparatus 500 described above, the adhesive 924 is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer 922 leaving the grip portions 925 at both ends, then covered with a PFA tube, and the excess portion is cut to release the release layer 923. Thus, a pressure roller 92 was obtained. In the first embodiment, 100 pressure rollers 92 were produced in this way, and the following inspections were performed on each pressure roller 92. First, an appearance inspection was performed to determine whether or not an appearance defect such as peeling occurred in the grip portion 925. Furthermore, it was inspected based on the dimension measurement to determine whether or not a shape defect in which the outer shape of the release layer 923 in the pressure roller 92 collapsed from the drum shape occurred. Then, among the 100 pressure rollers 92, the ratio of the appearance defect and the ratio of the shape defect were evaluated. Evaluation was performed based on the following evaluation criteria.
◎: Ratio of defective products is 0% or more and less than 0.5% ○: Ratio of defective products is 0.5% or more and less than 2% △: Ratio of defective products is 2% or more and 10% Less than% ×: The ratio of defects is 10% or more

(Second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the adhesive 924 is applied under the same conditions as in the first embodiment except that the coating is performed by a coating apparatus including the coating unit 600 shown in FIG. The pressure roller 92 was manufactured, and the same inspection and evaluation as in the first example were performed. In the second embodiment, the coating unit 600 is equipped with a reflective laser displacement meter FU-67TZ manufactured by Keyence Corporation as the liquid level detection sensor 601. Further, a unit SVB1W-8A-D2GSBDC24V manufactured by CKD Corporation is mounted as the supply unit 506, and the adhesive 924 is replenished during painting.

(Third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, the adhesive 924 is applied under the same conditions as in the first embodiment except that the coating is performed by a coating apparatus including the coating unit 700 shown in FIG. The pressure roller 92 was manufactured, and the same inspection and evaluation as in the first example were performed. In the third embodiment, the same liquid level detection sensor 601 and supply unit 506 as those in the second embodiment are mounted, and the outer diameter measurement sensor 701 is a reflective laser displacement meter FU manufactured by Keyence Corporation. -35FZ is mounted. Then, the ascending speed of the coating unit 700 by the first drive mechanism 502 is increased or decreased around 30 mm / sec according to the measurement result of the outer diameter measurement sensor 701.

(First comparative example)
In the first comparative example, as a coating apparatus, the paint tank 512 is formed only by the first driving mechanism 502 except for the mask sheet member 514, the expansion cylinder 515, and the third driving mechanism 516 from the coating apparatus 500 of the first embodiment described above. A painting device that lifts and lowers is used. Furthermore, in the first comparative example, at the time of painting, a cylindrical mask is put on the grip portion 925 on the upper end side of the member 92a to be coated. This mask is clamped by the edge of the first through-hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b when the paint tank 512 is lifted and lifted above the member 92a to be coated at the end of painting, and together with the paint tank 512. Is pulled out from the grip portion 925. The mask also serves as a plug that closes the first through-hole 512b-1 of the paint tank 512 to avoid leakage of the adhesive 924 when the mask is pulled out.

  In the first comparative example, except that such a coating apparatus is used, the pressure roller 92 is manufactured under the same conditions as in the first embodiment, and the same inspection and evaluation as in the first embodiment are performed. It was conducted.

(Second comparative example)
In the second comparative example, as a coating apparatus, a ring-shaped nozzle facing the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated 92a is moved up and down while rotating around the central axis of the member to be coated 92a while discharging the adhesive 924. A ring die coat type coating device is used for painting. In the second comparative example, the nozzle is lifted and lowered within a range in which the grip portions 925 at both ends are left, so that the coating with the grip portions 925 left is performed. In the second comparative example, the coating gap between the nozzle and the outer peripheral surface of the member 92a to be coated is set to a value between 0.05 mm and 0.1 mm.

  In the second comparative example, except that such a coating apparatus is used, the pressure roller 92 is manufactured under the same conditions as in the first embodiment, and the same inspection and evaluation as in the first embodiment are performed. It was conducted.

(Evaluation results)
The evaluation results for the first to third examples, the first and second comparative examples described above are shown in Table 1 below.

  As shown in Table 1, in the first to third examples and the second comparative example, almost no poor appearance was seen, whereas in the first comparative example, many bad appearances occurred. . This is probably because, in the first comparative example, the adhesive 924 adhered to the grip portion 925 when the mask was pulled out, and as a result, the grip portion 925 peeled off when the excess PFA tube was cut off. On the other hand, in the first to third embodiments, the grip portion 925 and the mask sheet 514a are separated by the expansion of the second through hole 514a-1, so that the adhesion of the adhesive 924 to the grip portion 925 is suppressed. In addition, the appearance defects are suppressed. Further, in the second comparative example, since the coating is performed without a mask by setting the lifting range of the nozzle, the adhesion of the adhesive 924 to the grip portion 925 is suppressed, and thus the appearance defect is suppressed. ing.

  Further, as shown in Table 1, in the first to third examples and the first comparative example, the occurrence of shape defects is suppressed as compared with the second comparative example. In the second comparative example, since the elastic layer 922 of the member 92a to be coated has a drum shape, the coating gap changes during painting, and the film thickness of the adhesive 924 becomes non-uniform. It is thought that it was because of. On the other hand, the first through-hole 512b-1 of the seal sheet 512b is expanded and contracted according to the shape of the elastic layer 922, and coating is performed while the adhesive 924 is leveled at the edge of the first through-hole 512b-1. In the third example and the first comparative example, the change in film thickness during coating is suppressed. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the occurrence of shape defects is particularly suppressed. This is considered to be because in the third comparative example, the coating unit 700 is accelerated or decelerated according to the outer diameter of the elastic layer 922 of the member 92a to be coated, so that the change in film thickness is suppressed. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 92 Pressure roller (One Embodiment of roller)
921 Core Bar 922 Elastic Layer 923 Release Layer 924 Adhesive (Example of Paint)
925 grip part (example of non-painting area)
500 Coating equipment (one embodiment of painting equipment)
502 1st drive mechanism (a part of example of drive mechanism)
503 Lower chuck (part of holding part)
504 Upper chuck (part of an example of a holding part)
505, 600, 700 Coating unit 506 Supply unit (an example of paint supply unit)
507 control unit (an example of a coating control unit, a part of an example of a liquid level position detection unit)
512 Paint tank (an example of a paint tank)
512b Seal sheet 512b-1 1st through-hole (an example of 1st through-hole)
513 Second drive mechanism (part of an example of drive mechanism)
514 Mask sheet member (an example of a mask sheet member)
514a Mask sheet 514a-1 2nd through-hole (an example of 2nd through-hole)
515 Cylinder for expansion (part of an example of expansion mechanism)
516 Third drive mechanism (part of an example of an expansion mechanism)
601 Liquid level detection sensor (part of an example of a liquid level position detection unit)
701 Outside diameter measuring sensor (an example of an outside diameter measuring unit)

JP 2009-226284 A JP 2007-14879 A

Claims (7)

In a coating apparatus that paints paint on the outer peripheral surface of a substantially cylindrical member to be coated, leaving a strip-shaped non-coating region at least one of the two ends of the member to be coated.
A holding portion that detachably holds the member to be coated in an upright posture with the non-coating region on the upper side;
A hollow for storing paint is passed, and the member to be coated held by the holding portion is passed through the bottom of the depression, and the diameter of the member to be painted is smaller than the outer diameter of the member to be coated before the member to be coated is passed. The first through-hole that can be expanded and contracted is provided, and when the member to be coated is passed, the edge of the first through-hole is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated, thereby A paint tank that can be moved up and down along the central axis of the member to be coated;
A paint supply unit for supplying paint to the paint tank;
A stretchable sheet supported so as to be able to move up and down along the central axis above the coating tank, wherein the sheet to be coated is located at a position overlapping the first through hole when viewed in the direction of the central axis. A second through-hole having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the member to be coated is provided in a stage before the member to be coated is passed, and when the member to be coated is passed, A mask sheet member that extends along the outer peripheral surface while the edge of the through-hole of 2 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated, and masks the intimate region of the outer peripheral surface;
A drive mechanism for driving the paint tank and the mask sheet member up and down;
An expansion mechanism for expanding the second through hole of the mask sheet member and separating the mask sheet member from the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated;
The drive mechanism moves the mask sheet member to a position where the non-coating area is masked, and moves the paint tank storing the paint to a position where the first through hole overlaps the mask sheet member. The coating member is coated on the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated except for the non-coating region, and then the second through hole is expanded together with the first through hole by the expansion mechanism. A paint control unit that allows the member to be removed from the holding unit;
A coating apparatus characterized by comprising: A liquid surface position detection unit for detecting whether or not the liquid surface position of the paint stored in the paint tank is lower than a predetermined position;
When the liquid level position detection unit detects that the liquid level position is lower than the predetermined position, the paint supply control unit for causing the paint supply unit to replenish paint to the paint tank,
The coating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: An outer diameter measuring unit for measuring the outer diameter of the member to be coated, supported so as to be movable up and down along the central axis above the paint tank,
The drive mechanism raises and lowers the outer diameter measuring unit together with the paint tank,
The said coating control part controls the moving speed of the said paint tank by the said drive mechanism to the speed according to the outer diameter of the said to-be-coated member measured by the said outer diameter measurement part. The coating device described in 1. The coated member has a different outer diameter in the direction of the central axis,
The first through-hole has a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of any part in the direction of the central axis of the member to be coated before the member to be coated is passed. When passing through the first through-hole, the edge of the first through-hole extends along the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated and contacts the outer peripheral surface by a surface for any of the portions. The coating apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3. The outer peripheral surface of the coating of a substantially cylindrical member, wherein the coating method of coating the coating material leaving the uncoated portion of the web at least one end of both ends of the coating member, a front SL be coated member, The holding member has a holding process for detachably holding in an upright position with the non-coating region on the upper side, and a recess for storing paint, and the member to be coated held at the holding portion at the bottom of the recess In the stage before passing the member to be coated, a first through hole having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the member to be coated is provided, and when the member to be coated is passed, the first through hole is provided. A paint tank capable of moving up and down along the central axis of the member to be coated, in which the edge of the through-hole is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated, thereby maintaining watertightness with the outer periphery of the member to be coated Paint supply process for supplying paint to
A stretchable sheet supported so as to be able to move up and down along the central axis above the coating tank, wherein the sheet to be coated is located at a position overlapping the first through hole when viewed in the direction of the central axis. A second through-hole having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the member to be coated is provided in a stage before the member to be coated is passed, and when the member to be coated is passed, A position where the edge of the two through holes extends along the outer peripheral surface while adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated and masks the adhering region of the outer peripheral surface, and masks the non-coating region. And the paint tank storing the paint is moved to a position where the first through hole overlaps the mask sheet member, so that the paint is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the member to be coated except for the non-coating region. Paint and then the second through hole in front A painting process to be removable from the first through-hole and the holding portion of the object to be coated member is expanded together,
The coating method characterized by having. When it is detected that the liquid level position is lower than the predetermined position by a liquid level position detection unit that detects whether the liquid level position of the paint stored in the paint tank is lower than the predetermined position, A paint supply control process for causing the paint supply unit to replenish the paint into the paint tank,
6. The coating method according to claim 5, further comprising: An outer diameter measuring unit that measures the outer diameter of the member to be coated, supported by the coating process so as to be movable up and down along the central axis above the paint stored in the paint tank, 6. The process of raising and lowering together and controlling the moving speed of the paint tank by the drive mechanism to a speed according to the outer diameter of the member to be coated measured by the outer diameter measuring unit. Or the coating method of 6.

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