JP6587448B2 - Fixing tool and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fixing device used in a fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium, particularly paper.

Conventionally, a copying machine uses a fixing device that fixes an unfixed image made of toner onto paper as a recording medium. The image is fixed on the recording medium by a fixing tool that presses the transferred recording medium between the nip between the fixing belt and the roller. The performance of the copying machine is determined by the toner fixing ability and speed.
Here, the fixing belt and the fixing tool need to be in close contact with each other and slide, and the fixing surface of the fixing tool needs to have high slidability.
Therefore, improvement of the pressability and slidability of the fixing tool has been a long-standing problem.

When an unfixed image is fixed on paper as a recording medium using the roller described in Patent Document 1, the adhesion area between the roller and the paper is narrow and linear. Also, since the fixing time is short, the image is not fixed clearly.
As a result, the paper feeding speed is slow and the pressure needs to be increased. As a result, the speed is slow, and paper jam or tear due to high pressure occurs during paper feeding.

In the plate-like fixing device described in Patent Document 2, since the fixing is performed by the surface, the adhesion area is wide, and the fixing rate is easily obtained with a long contact time. As a result, the pressing pressure is low and paper can be fed at high speed.
However, if the plate-like fixing tool does not increase the sliding property with the paper, the resistance is high and the paper is torn. Therefore, a highly slidable film or fiber is attached to the base material surface of the fixture.

  However, when a highly slidable film or fiber is attached to the base material of the fixture, it is easy to slip between the fixture and it is difficult to fix to the fixing portion of the fixture, as described in Patent Document 3, They were wrapped around and fixed with screws.

  For this reason, films and fibers with high slidability may come off or torn, and at the same time, fixing to the base material of the fixture requires new parts and takes time to fix, resulting in poor productivity. . In addition, if it is wound around a base material, an extra high slidable film or fiber is used, and scraps are also generated. Therefore, stable production cannot be performed due to a decrease in yield. Furthermore, the highly slidable films and fibers on the extra side face have a problem that they are easily caught by contact with other parts.

JP 2011-248246 A JP2013-137470A JP 2014-174358 A

As described above, in the conventional technique, it is difficult to stably fix the slidable fabric to the fixing device, and thus the following problems occur.
(1) The friction between the fixing surface and the fixing belt increases, and the fixing belt is worn.
(2) When the fixing belt is worn, the wear is further accelerated and the fixing belt is clogged.
(3) When this occurs, the mechanical durability decreases.
(4) A slip occurs due to clogging of the fixing belt, and the image cannot be fixed.
From the above, there is concern about fixing a clear image with high speed and less blur.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional technique and provide a fixing tool that can stably press the fixing belt and the fixing surface and has excellent sliding properties with the fixing belt.

In order to solve the above problems, a fixing device according to the present invention has any one of the following configurations (1) to (11). In addition, the fixing device manufacturing method according to the present invention has any one of the following configurations (12) to (15).
(1) A fixing device that presses the fixing belt in a roller direction in a fixing device that fixes the image to the recording medium by pressing the recording medium onto which the image has been transferred between a fixing belt and a roller. ,
The fixing device includes a base material made of a thermoplastic resin (A) and a sliding member that presses the fixing belt in the roller direction in a state in which the fixing belt can slide relative to the fixing belt.
The sliding member has a sliding layer and an impregnation layer;
The fixing member, wherein the sliding member is fixed to the base material by impregnating the thermoplastic resin into the impregnation layer.
(2) The fixing device according to (1), wherein the sliding layer is made of a fabric, and the impregnation layer is made of a fabric or a film.
(3) The volume filling factor of the sliding layer is 0.60 to 0.95, the volume filling factor of the impregnation layer is 0.25 to 0.8, and the volume filling factor of the sliding layer is The fixing device according to (1) or (2), which is 1.1 to 3.8 times the volume filling rate of the impregnated layer.
(4) The air permeability of the sliding layer is 0.01 to 250 cc / (cm ² · sec), the air permeability of the impregnation layer is 0.02 to 950 cc / (cm ² · sec), and the sliding The fixing device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the air flow rate of the moving layer is 0.25 to 0.8 times the air flow rate of the impregnated layer.
(5) The fixing device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the sliding layer contains fibers or carbon fibers made of the thermoplastic resin (B).
(6) The sliding layer contains fibers made of a thermoplastic resin (B), and the thermoplastic resin (B) is any one of a fluororesin, a polyether ether ketone, a polyamide, and a PPS. ) Fixing tool.
(7) The fixing device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the impregnated layer contains fibers made of thermoplastic resin (C), wholly aromatic polyamide, or glass.
(8) The fixing device according to (7), wherein the thermoplastic resin (C) is any one of PPS, polyamide, polyester, and liquid crystal polymer.
(9) The fixing tool according to (7) or (8), wherein a melting point of the thermoplastic resin (A) is in a range of + 120 ° C. to −30 ° C. based on a melting point of the thermoplastic resin (C).
(10) The fixing device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the sliding member is made of a multilayer fabric having the sliding layer and the impregnation layer.
(11) The fixing tool according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the base material has no screw holes and protrusions for fixing the sliding member to the base material.
(12) A method of manufacturing a fixing device according to any one of (1) to (11), in which a base material forming step of forming a base material made of the thermoplastic resin (A) by injection molding or hot press molding, and sliding By performing injection molding or hot press molding with the moving member disposed on the substrate, the sliding member is impregnated with the thermoplastic resin (A) and the sliding member is fixed to the substrate. A fixing member manufacturing method comprising: a moving member fixing step.
(13) In the sliding member fixing step, after the belt-like sliding member is suction-fixed to the movable mold, the thermoplastic resin (A) is injection-molded and impregnated with the base material. Manufacturing method of fixing tool.
(14) The sliding member has a continuous strip shape, and includes a sliding member transporting step of transporting and fixing the continuous strip-shaped sliding member in the movable mold, and the sliding member fixing step. The method for manufacturing a fixing device according to (12) or (13), wherein a step of taking out a molded product by pulling out the base material to which the sliding member is fixed from a mold is repeated in this order.
(15) The fixing device manufacturing method according to any one of (12) to (14), wherein the sliding member is made of a substantially cylindrical cloth.

By using the fixing tool of the present invention, an unfixed image on paper as a recording medium can be clearly fixed on paper.
Furthermore, since there is little friction with the fixing belt, it is highly durable and can be used stably over the long term.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of a fixing tool in a fixing device built in an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing an internal structure of the fixing device in FIG. 1. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus using a fixing tool in a fixing device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fixing device built in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 3. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the strip | belt-shaped fabric used for the fixing tool which concerns on this invention. It is the elements on larger scale which show the internal structure of the strip | belt-shaped fabric of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the cylindrical fabric used for the fixing tool which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the fixing tool which uses the cylindrical fabric of FIG. It is a schematic process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the fixing tool using the strip | belt-shaped cloth which concerns on this invention, (a) is the state which the metal mold | die opened, (b) is a sliding member to the nest | insert of a movable side metal mold | die. The set state, (c) is the state in which the mold is closed and the resin is injection-molded, (d) is the state in which the mold is opened and the fixing tool is molded, and (e) is the state in which the fixing tool protrudes and is taken out by the pin. Respectively. It is a schematic process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the fixing tool using the cylindrical fabric which concerns on this invention, (a) is the state which the metal mold | die opened and the sliding layer moved into the metal mold | die, (b) (C) is a state in which a mold is closed and resin is injection-molded, (d) is a state in which the mold is opened and a fixing tool is molded, (e) ) Shows a state in which the fixing tool protrudes and is taken out by a pin, and (f) shows a state in which the fixing tool is taken out downward. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a fixing tool according to the present invention, in which a sliding member 3 is fixed only to the bottom surface of a base material 2. It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of the fixing tool which concerns on this invention, the sliding member 3 adheres to a part of base material 2 bottom face and a side surface, (a) adheres to the smooth side surface of the base material 2 (B) adheres along the side surface shape of the substrate 2. It is a schematic block diagram for illustrating the structure of the fixing tool in the prior art, (a) is an example of a structure in which joints of sliding members are combined, and (b) is an example of a structure in which sliding members 3 are overlapped. Respectively.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fixing device in the present invention includes a base material 2 made of a thermoplastic resin and a sliding member 3. The sliding member 3 includes a sliding layer 4 and an impregnation layer 5. Further, although not essential, a mixed layer 6 may be provided between the sliding layer 4 and the impregnation layer 5 as shown in FIG.

  The internal structure of the sliding member 3 of the fixing device in the present invention is such that the impregnated layer 5 is partially or entirely impregnated with the thermoplastic resin of the base material 2 as shown in FIG. It is. The sliding layer 4 has a structure that appears on the surface from the substrate 1.

(Base material)
The base material 2 of the fixing tool 1 used in the present invention is made of a thermoplastic resin (A). Examples of the thermoplastic resin (A) include liquid crystal polymer, polyolefin, polyamide, aromatic polyamide, polyimide, polyamideimide, polycarbonate, polyester, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polysulfoxide, polytetrafluoroethylene, and acrylonitrile. Examples thereof include butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS), polyacetal, polyether, and polyetheretherketone. Moreover, the said thermoplastic resin derivative | guide_body, the copolymer of the said thermoplastic resin, and those mixtures may be sufficient. Among these, from the viewpoint of heat resistance, a liquid crystal polymer, polyimide, polyamideimide, aromatic polyamide, and PPS are preferable, a liquid crystal polymer, PPS, and polyamideimide are more preferable, and a liquid crystal polymer is particularly preferable.

(Image forming device)
The fixing tool in the present invention is used inside the image forming apparatus 11 as shown in FIG. 3 and used in the fixing apparatus 12 shown in FIG.

  Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 11 in which the fixing tool 1 in the present invention is used and the image forming on the paper 34 will be described.

  Specific examples of the image forming apparatus 11 include a color printer, a facsimile machine, a printing machine, a scanner, and a multifunction machine having two or more of these functions. 3 includes a toner bottle 27 and a transfer unit 13. The transfer unit 13 includes an intermediate transfer belt 21, a backup roller 22, a secondary transfer backup roller 26, which are not shown in the drawing. It consists of a tension roller.

  The toner 37 is transferred to the transfer unit 13 from the step of developing an image not shown in the drawing. In the transfer unit 13, a toner 35 image formed on the photosensitive drum 23 is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 21. The formed toner 37 image is nipped between the secondary transfer backup roller and the secondary transfer roll, and transferred to the paper that is the recording medium 34 that has moved from below.

  The unfixed image 35 toner transferred to the paper that is the recording medium 34 has not yet been fixed on the paper. Therefore, the image toner 37 is fixed on the paper in the fixing device 12 shown in FIG.

(Fixing device)
The fixing device 12 includes a fixing belt 41, a fixing tool 1 inside the fixing belt 41, and a pressure rotating body 43 that faces the fixing tool 1.

  Further, although not illustrated, a belt guide and a heater are provided in the fixing belt 41. The fixing belt 41 heated by the heater is pressed by the fixing tool 1 and the pressure rotator 43 to form a nip portion 42 between the pressure rotator. The shape of the fixing tool 1 on the fixing belt 41 side may be an arc shape that matches the curved surface of the pressure rotating body 43. The pressure rotating body 43 is preferably a silicone roll. The fixing belt 41 is made of a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) sheet or a polyimide sheet.

  The paper, which is the recording medium 34 to which the unfixed image toner 35 has not yet been fixed, moves to the heated nip portion 42, and the image toner is fixed on the paper, whereby an image is formed on the paper. The paper that is the recording medium 34 on which the image is formed is further fed and discharged through a discharge roller 36 shown in FIG.

(Sliding member)
The fixing device 1 according to the present invention has the sliding member 3 and can use a belt-like fabric 52 as shown in FIG. 5 or a tubular fabric 71 as shown in FIG. Each of these has a sliding layer 4, an impregnation layer 5, and a mixed layer 6 entangled with each other. Among them, a belt-like multilayer fabric that can prevent the sliding between the sliding layer and the impregnated layer hardly occurs and can firmly fix the sliding layer is more preferable.

(Sliding layer)
The sliding layer 4 is preferably made of a fabric, more preferably a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric, and particularly preferably a fabric made of a fiber made of a thermoplastic resin (B) or a carbon fiber. As the thermoplastic resin (B), fluorine resin, polyether ether ketone, polyamide and PPS are preferable, fluorine resin and PPS are more preferable, and fluorine resin is particularly preferable. The fluororesin is preferably composed of a polymer having a repeating structural unit containing one or more fluorine atoms in the main chain or side chain and composed of a repeating structural unit having a large number of fluorine atoms. For example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-6 fluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), ethylene-4 fluoroethylene copolymer For example, it is more preferable to use PTFE having excellent surface low friction characteristics. The thermoplastic resin (B) may be the same resin as the thermoplastic resin (A) or a different resin.

(Fluorine fiber)
There is no particular limitation on the method for producing the fluorine fiber made of the fluororesin. For example, a wet spinning method in which an emulsion of viscose or the like and PTFE particles is spun in an acidic aqueous solution from a multi-hole mold and then fired may be used. Alternatively, a slit cutter method may be used in which a film peeled off from a roll obtained by baking and solidifying PTFE particles is scored by a number of cutters. Alternatively, a solution spinning method in which PTFE is dissolved in a solvent and spun onto a net from a multi-hole mold onto a spray may be used. Moreover, in PFA, ETFE, etc., the melt spinning method which discharges molten resin from a nozzle | cap | die can also be used.

  In the belt-like fabric used for the fixing device in the present invention, the nonwoven fabric is formed by crimping a bundle of crimped fibers with a fiber spreader, forming a web shape with a card m / c, and superimposing a plurality of them, and then performing needle punching. May be. A plurality of webs may be overlapped and entangled with a water jet. By forming the mixed layer by entanglement of the impregnated layer and the non-woven fabric of the sliding layer with a needle punch or water jet, a belt-like fabric can be obtained.

  Alternatively, a spun or twisted yarn obtained by spinning a fiber may be woven by a loom. Examples of the weaving method include plain weave, satin weave, twill weave, leash weave, imitation weave and the like, and plain weave and satin weave are preferable from the viewpoint of slidability.

(Impregnation layer)
The impregnated layer 5 is preferably bonded to the base material 2 made of the thermoplastic resin (A). The impregnation layer 5 is preferably composed of a fabric or a film, and more preferably a fabric. The fabric is preferably a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric. Further, when the impregnated layer 5 is a film, the porous layer is preferable.

  The impregnation layer 5 preferably contains fibers made of thermoplastic resin (C), wholly aromatic polyamide, or glass. Examples of the thermoplastic resin (C) include liquid crystal polymer, polyolefin, polyamide, aromatic polyamide, polyimide, polyamideimide, polycarbonate, polyester, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polysulfoxide, polytetrafluoroethylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene. Styrene copolymer (ABS), polyacetal, polyether, polyetheretherketone and the like can be mentioned. Among these, liquid crystal polymer, polyimide, polyamideimide, polyamide, and PPS are preferable, PPS and polyamide are more preferable, and PPS is particularly preferable. The thermoplastic resin (C) may be the same resin as the thermoplastic resin (A) or the thermoplastic resin (B), or may be a different resin. Examples of the wholly aromatic polyamide include polyparaphenylene terephthalamide, a copolymer of polyparaphenylene terephthalamide and diaminophenylene terephthalamide, and polymetaphenylene isophthalamide.

(Mixed layer)
The mixed layer 6 is a layer in which the sliding layer 4 and the impregnating layer 5 are entangled, and the film of the impregnating layer and the resin of the fabric fibers are mixed with the fibers of the sliding layer.
The mixing method includes joining the film of the impregnation layer 5 to the cloth of the sliding layer 4 by thermocompression bonding or vibration welding, or tangling the cloth of the impregnation layer 5 to the cloth of the sliding layer 4 by needle punch or water jet. There are also methods in which the fibers of each layer are entangled to form a multilayer fabric.

(Multilayer fabric)
As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6, the belt-like fabric 52 used in the fixing device 1 in the present invention has the fibers of the impregnated layer 5 and the fibers of the sliding layer 4 woven to intersect each other to form a multilayer fabric. Is preferred. The multilayer fabric is a single fabric having a plurality of layers in which two or more layers of a fabric including a sliding layer and an impregnation layer are intertwined and joined with each other's warp yarns and / or weft yarns. Point to. Fluoropolymer fiber suitable for sliding layer is a soft material and shows excellent wear resistance due to its low friction sliding property at low temperature and low load sliding, but tends to wear out and wear down at high temperature and high load sliding It is in. However, by using a multilayer fabric, long-term sliding characteristics can be exhibited even if the fluororesin is worn away by high temperature or high load sliding. That is, the fluororesin that is worn away by high-temperature or high-load sliding is received by the multilayer fabric between the entangled portion of the sliding layer and the impregnated layer or between the fibers on the sliding surface side of the impregnated layer, and part of the entangled portion or sliding surface Even if the entire multi-layered fabric is worn out because it is coated on the side surface, the surface of the fabric is continuously coated with the fluororesin by continuing to coat the surface with the fluororesin accumulated in the uneven portions of the impregnated layer. Continue to maintain slidability for a long time.

(Tubular fabric)
The sliding member 3 used for the fixing device 1 in the present invention may be a cylindrical fabric as shown in FIG. In the cylindrical fabric, both ends of the fabric of the sliding layer 4 and the impregnation layer 5 may be mixed. The mixed layer 6 may be woven or entangled with a needle punch or a water jet.

  The fixing device 1 according to the present invention may have a structure as shown in FIG. 8 using a tubular fabric 71.

  When comparing the density of the fibers of the impregnated layer and the sliding layer, it is preferable that the impregnated layer is rough and the sliding layer is dense. With such a configuration, the resin at the time of injection molding fills the impregnation layer. In addition, a decrease in slidability with the fixing belt due to the resin reaching the surface of the sliding layer is also prevented.

  More specifically, the volume filling factor of the sliding layer is preferably 1.1 to 3.8 times the volume filling factor of the impregnated layer. Further, the volume filling rate of the sliding layer is preferably in the range of 0.60 to 0.95, and the volume filling rate of the impregnated layer is preferably in the range of 0.25 to 0.8. Here, the volume filling rate is expressed by the formula: P = 1− when the pore volume ratio defined in 8.11 b) of JIS L 1096: 2010 “Testing method for fabrics and knitted fabrics” is Pv (%). The value P calculated by (Pv / 100).

The air permeability of the sliding layer is preferably 0.25 to 0.8 times the air permeability of the impregnated layer, and the air permeability of the sliding layer is 0.01 to 250 cc / (cm ² · sec). It is preferable that the air permeability of the impregnated layer is 0.02 to 950 cc / (cm ² · sec). Here, the air flow rate refers to the air flow rate measured by 8.26.1 A method (Fragile method) of JIS L 1096: 2010 “Fabric and knitted fabric test method”.

(fiber)
The fibers made of the thermoplastic resin (B) used for the sliding layer 4 may be those obtained by a wet spinning method or a melt spinning method. However, commercially available fibers that can be melt-spun are preferably those obtained by a melt spinning method.

  In the sliding member 3 used for the fixing device 1 in the present invention, the thickness of the fiber used for the fabric is preferably 0.3 to 50 dtex, more preferably 1 to 30 dtex, and further preferably 2.5. -10 dtex.

  In addition, it is preferable to bundle a plurality of fibers so that one fiber bundle is 50 to 3000 dtex, more preferably 100 to 2000 dtex, and the fabric has a good balance between strength and slidability.

  Although it is preferably within the above range, it is also possible to use a monofilament. The fiber thickness is preferably in the range of 50 to 800 dtex, more preferably in the range of 100 to 400 dtex.

  When a fabric is used as the sliding layer or the impregnated layer, the fibers in the fabric may be crimped, preferably 3 to 60/25 mm, more preferably 5 to 30/25 mm, and more preferably 8/25 mm. ~ 20 mountain / 25 mm is preferred.

  When a fabric is used as the sliding layer or the impregnation layer, the fibers in the fabric may be continuous fibers, but may be short fibers, and the length is preferably 20 to 250 mm, more preferably 30 to 100 mm, and further 35 to 80 mm. preferable.

When using the fabric as impregnated layer, basis weight of the fabric is preferably 50~3600g / ^{m 2,} more preferably 75~1800g / ^{m 2,} further 100 to 1000 g / ^{m 2} is preferred. Furthermore, 150-800 g / m < ² > is preferable.

When using the fabric as a sliding layer, basis weight of the fabric is preferably 50~3600g / ^{m 2,} more preferably 75~1800g / ^{m 2,} further 100 to 1000 g / ^{m 2} is preferred. Furthermore, 150-800 g / m < ² > is preferable.

  When a fabric is used as the sliding layer or the impregnation layer, the thickness of the fabric is preferably 0.1 to 1.5 mm, more preferably 0.2 to 1.0 mm, and further 0.3 to 0.8 mm. preferable.

  When a woven fabric is used as the sliding layer or the impregnation layer, it is preferable that at least one of the warp and the weft is a twisted yarn in the case of a plain weave.

  Oil or grease may be attached to the sliding layer as a lubricant.

(Production method)
The manufacturing method of the fixing device 1 in the present invention is preferably an injection molding method or a heat press method. In particular, insert molding is preferable in which molding is performed in a state where the belt-like fabric 52 and the tubular fabric 71 are arranged in advance in the mold. The insert molding method may be a vertical type or a horizontal type, but in consideration of productivity, the vertical type and horizontal type of injection molding are preferable, and the horizontal type of injection molding is more preferable.

(Insert suction installation)
In the method of manufacturing the fixing device 1 according to the present invention, an insert suction installation method will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the state where the mold is opened in FIG. 9A, the sliding member 3 cut into a strip shape is prepared.

  Next, the sliding member 3 is attached to the movable mold 92 in FIG. At this time, the sliding layer 4 is put in contact with the movable side insert 93. At this time, the nesting side is fixed by air suction or the like so that the sliding member 3 does not fall from the nesting. The sliding member 3 may be attached to the nest by automatic attachment by an arm or manual attachment.

  Next, the mold is closed in FIG. 9C, and the thermoplastic resin (A) is injected. Here, when the impregnated layer 5 is made of a fabric, the injected resin impregnates the impregnated layer 5 and the mixed layer 6, and the resin 2 is then solidified to form the base material 2 made of the thermoplastic resin (A). At the same time, the sliding member 3 is fixed to the substrate 2. When the impregnated layer 5 is a film, the injected resin comes into contact with the film to melt the film, and then the resin is solidified to form the base material 2 and the sliding member 3 as a base. Fixed to the material 2. Here, from the viewpoint of satisfactorily fixing the sliding member 3 to the base member 2, the film is preferably porous.

  Next, in FIG. 9D, the mold is opened, and the molded fixing tool 1 is moved to the movable mold 92.

Next, the fixing tool 1 is taken out by the protruding pin 95 in FIG.
If necessary, the sliding member 3 protruding from the base material is removed by cutting in the mold, or after removal by scissors, a cutter, Thomson punching, or the like.

(Automatic hoop molding)
In the method for manufacturing the fixing device 1 according to the present invention, an automatic hoop forming method will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 10A, a sliding member 103 that is continuous in a band shape or an annular shape is prepared in a state where the mold is opened. The sliding member 103 may be a belt-like fabric 52 or a tubular fabric 71.

  Next, in FIG. 10B, the movable mold 92 moves to contact the continuous sliding member 103 and the movable insert 93. At this time, the sliding layer 3 is put in contact with the movable-side insert 93. At this time, the nesting 93 side may be fixed by air suction or the like so that the sliding member 3 is not displaced from the nesting 93.

  Next, in FIG. 10C, the slide 94 moves from the fixed mold 91 to the movable mold 92, and the upper and lower openings are closed to close the mold and inject the resin. If the resin injected at this time is the impregnation layer 5 made of a fabric, it penetrates into the impregnation layer 5. Further, the resin enters the mixed layer 6 and adheres to form the base material 2. Further, when the impregnated layer 5 is a film, the injected resin comes into contact with the film, so that the base material 1 is formed by melting and fixing the film.

  Next, in FIG. 10D, the mold is opened, and the molded fixing tool 1 is moved to the movable mold 92.

  Next, the fixing tool 1 is taken out by the protruding pin 95 in FIG.

  Next, in FIG. 10 (f), the fixing tool 1 moves downward, and a new continuous sliding member 3 moves into the mold.

  In the fixing device 1 connected by the continuous sliding member 3, the sliding member that protrudes from the base material is removed by scissors, Thomson punching, or the like, and becomes an individual fixing device 1.

  Although not shown in the figure, the inside of the mold is cut, taken out of the mold by an automatic take-out machine, and the sliding member 3 remaining in the frame shape moves downward together with the remaining continuous sliding member 3. Then, the new sliding member 3 is moved into the mold. As a result, no extra burr occurs.

  FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the fixing device 1 obtained.

  In the injection molding used in the present invention, when the base material 2 made of the thermoplastic resin (A) has a melting point of the heat-resistant fiber contained in the impregnated layer 4, + 120 ° C. based on the melting point of the heat-resistant fiber. It is preferably in the range of -30 ° C, and more preferably in the range of + 100 ° C to -20 ° C.

  A perspective view and a configuration diagram of the fixing device 1 according to the present invention are shown in FIGS. 11, 12A, and 12B. In FIG. 11, a sliding member 3 is fixed to the bottom surface of a convex rectangular parallelepiped base 2 on the fixing tool 1. In FIG. 12A, the sliding member 3 is fixed to the fixing tool 1 on the bottom surface of the convex rectangular parallelepiped base 2 and a part of the smooth side surface. In FIG. 12B, the sliding member 3 is fixed to the fixing device 1 along the bottom surface of the convex rectangular parallelepiped base 2 and the side surface shape thereof.

(Sliding member winding of comparative example)
13A and 13B show a fixing device 121 of a comparative example (prior art). The fixing tool 121 (a) has a structure in which the joints of the sliding members are combined, and the fixing tool 121 (b) has a structure in which the sliding members 3 are overlapped. The sliding member 3 is wound so as to cover the convex rectangular parallelepiped base material. Although the base material 2 and the sliding member 3 are not shown in the drawing, the base material 2 and the sliding member 3 are fixed by a clip or the like at the upper part of the adhesive or the convex portion. This fixing time requires a great deal of labor. In addition, since the winding is performed manually, there is a large variation in workers, and correction is necessary in some cases.

  Further, the area of the sliding member 3 of the conventional fixing tool 121 used in the conventional winding method is 2.5 to 3.5 times the area of the fixing sliding member 3 used in the present invention. . As a result, not only is the fabric used for the sliding member 3 wasted, but also the sliding member containing expensive PTFE or the like on the side of the fixing device, etc., which is not involved in sliding in the implementation. 3 was used, and it was difficult to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost. Further, in the conventional fixing device 121, there is a possibility that the cloth and other members may be caught on the side surface or the like. This is one of the concerns when realizing the image forming apparatus 11 that operates stably for a long time. It was. On the other hand, in the fixing device 1 of the present invention, the sliding member 3 is provided only on the surface of the base material 2 on the fixing belt side, or only on the surface and its side surface, and the upper surface (non-sliding surface) of the fixing device 1. Since there is no fabric, there are no screw holes or protrusions for fixing the sliding member to the base material, and such catching is prevented in advance, and the manufacturing cost is lower than that of conventional products. It can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, by using the sliding member and base material fixed by the multilayer fabric, the slidability is maintained for a longer period than the multilayer fabric alone. The effect of receiving the abrasion powder generated by abrasion of the fluororesin fibers constituting the sliding layer is the same, but the fibers constituting the impregnation layer are firmly fixed by fixing, so that the received abrasion powder flows out. Can be suppressed.

  Further, in the conventional fixing device 121, since the sliding layer 4 is directly fixed to the surface of the substrate 2, it is slippery and difficult to fix. On the other hand, in the fixing device 1 of the present invention, the sliding member 3 has the impregnated layer 5 having low slidability, so that it can be easily fixed to the base material 2.

Hereinafter, the test conditions in each Example and Comparative Example are basically the same as those in Example 1 unless otherwise specified.

(Measurement of time required for mounting sliding member)
Measurements were taken with a stopwatch, and the mold shot cycle, manual winding time, and manual deburring time were measured.

(Hook test)
A destructive test by hooking with a nail was performed on the fixing device side surface 111 of FIG. Applying the snag test method of woven fabric and knitting according to JIS 1058: 2011, prepare a hook with a nail tip radius of 0.127 mm, a nail protrusion length of 9.5 mm, and a mass (including nail) of 320 g. After placing the tools, the operation of pulling the hooks at a speed of 10 cm / s was performed 50 times for each fixing tool, and the average number of times of hooking was measured for each fixing tool.

(Volume content and ventilation rate)
Analyze the thread usage (material, total fineness, weave density), weave structure, and cotton amount of the fabric used in the fixing tool, reproduce the fabric of the sliding layer and the impregnated layer, and use the method described above. taking measurement.

(Fabric weight)
Analyze the thread use (material, total fineness, weave density), weave structure, and cotton amount of the fabric used in the fixing tool, and reproduce the fabric of the sliding layer and impregnated layer, in accordance with JISL1096. Calculate the basis weight per area.

(Cloth thickness)
Analyze the thread use (material, total fineness, weave density), weave structure, and cotton amount of the fabric used in the fixing device, reproduce the fabric of the sliding layer and impregnated layer, and thickness according to JISL1096. Measure.

Example 1
PTFE fibers (“Toyoflon (registered trademark)” manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) having an average thickness of 7.3 dtex produced by a wet spinning method were bundled to obtain PTFE fiber bundles (yarns) having an average thickness of 440 dtex. In addition, PPS fibers (“Torcon (registered trademark)” manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) having an average thickness of 4.4 dtex at a melting point of 280 ° C. manufactured by a melt spinning method are bundled to form a PPS fiber bundle (yarn) having a thickness of 220 dtex. Obtained. Using the obtained two types of fiber bundles for warp and weft yarns, a double flat woven fabric is obtained, and a sliding member (multi-layer) having a sliding layer made of PTFE fiber bundle and an impregnated layer made of PPS fiber bundle Fabric) and then heat set at 200 ° C. The weight of the sliding member was 693 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.55 mm. The basis weight of the sliding layer was 489 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.25 mm. The weight of the impregnated layer was 204 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.3 mm.
Using the obtained sliding member, a fixing device was formed by the method shown in FIG. Specifically, after the sliding member 3 having an area of 26.8 cm ² is installed in the movable side nest 92, the sliding member 3 is sucked from the nest 92 and the sliding layer 4 is in contact with the nest 92 side. 3 was fixed in place. Further, the mold was closed and a liquid crystal polymer having a melting point of 350 ° C. (“SUMICA SUPER LCP E5006 (registered trademark)”, manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.) was injection molded. After the mold was opened, the molded product in the mold was taken out by the push pin 95 to obtain the fixing tool 1. In the obtained fixing tool, the area of the sliding surface was 26.8 cm ² .
The molding time of the fixing device 1 was 45 seconds on average in the three-piece method, and the time required for attaching the sliding member was 15 seconds / piece on average.

  When the hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing device 1, the sliding layer 4 was not on the side surface, and the number of hooks was zero.

(Example 2)
PTFE fiber with an average thickness of 6.5 dtex ("Toyoflon", manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) is crimped with a crimping machine and cut into PTFE short fibers having an average fiber length of 65 mm and an average crimp number of 18 threads / 25 mm. Got. This was processed with a needle punch to obtain a PTFE nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 0.3 mm and a basis weight of 828 g / m ² . Further, by means of a melt spinning method, aromatic nylon 9T (“Genesta (registered trademark)”, manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) having an average thickness of 1.6 dtex and a melting point of 306 ° C. is crimped with a crimping machine and cut to obtain an average fiber A nylon 9T short fiber having a length of 100 mm and an average crimp number of 7.5 crests / 25 mm was obtained. This was processed with a needle punch to obtain a nylon 9T nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 0.35 mm and a basis weight of 165 g / m ² . By laminating the obtained two types of nonwoven fabric and needle punching again, a continuous belt-like sliding member (nonwoven fabric) having a sliding layer made of PTFE nonwoven fabric and an impregnated layer made of nylon 9T nonwoven fabric was obtained. . The sliding member had a thickness of 0.58 mm and a basis weight of 993 g / m2.
Using the obtained sliding member, a fixing tool was formed by automatic hoop forming as shown in FIG. Specifically, after the continuous belt-like sliding member 3a is installed on the movable side nest 92, the sliding member 3a is sucked from the nest 92 and the sliding member 3a is set in a state where the sliding layer 4 is in contact with the nest 92 side. The position was fixed. Further, the mold was closed and a liquid crystal polymer having a melting point of 291 ° C. (“Siberus” manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) was injection molded. Then, the sliding member 3 was separated from the continuous strip-shaped sliding member 3 a by in-mold cutting, and the mold was opened and the molded product was taken out from the movable side insert 92 by the push pin 95 to obtain the fixing device 1. The area of the sliding member 3 in the obtained fixing tool 1 was 32.8 cm ² .
The molding time of the fixing device 1 is 30 seconds on average in the three-piece method, and the time required for attaching the sliding member is 10 seconds / piece on average.
In addition, 1.2 g of fluorinated oil per 100 cm ² was adhered to the sliding layer 4 of the fixing device 1.
When the hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing device 1, the number of hooks was 0 because there was no sliding layer 4.

(Example 3)
Bundling 50 carbon fibers having an average thickness of 8 dtex ("Treka (registered trademark)", manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) obtained by firing polyacrylonitrile, a carbon fiber bundle (yarn) having an average thickness of 400 dtex was obtained. Obtained. Also, 200 PPS fibers ("Torcon", manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) having an average melting point of 280 ° C. and an average thickness of 0.9 dtex produced by a melt spinning method having an average of 0.9 dtex are bundled, and a PPS having an average thickness of 180 dtex. A fiber bundle (yarn) was obtained.
A continuous belt-like sliding member (woven fabric) having a sliding layer made of a carbon fiber bundle and an impregnation layer made of a PPS fiber bundle by making the two types of fiber bundles plain and double woven. It was created. The weight of this sliding member was 577 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.60 mm. The basis weight of the sliding layer was 325 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.32 mm. The weight of the impregnated layer was 252 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.28 mm.
Using the obtained sliding member, a fixing tool was formed by automatic hoop forming as shown in FIG. Specifically, the continuous sliding member 3a is installed in the movable side nest 92 and is sucked from the nest 92 side so that the sliding layer 4 is in contact with the nest 92 side. 3a was fixed in place. Further, the mold was closed, and PPS resin having a melting point of 280 ° C. (“Torelina (registered trademark)” manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) was injection molded. Then, the sliding member 3 was separated from the continuous strip-shaped sliding member 3 a by in-mold cutting, and the mold was opened and the molded product was taken out from the movable side insert 92 by the push pin 95 to obtain the fixing device 1. In addition, the area of the sliding member 3 in the obtained fixing device 1 was 33.9 cm ² .
The molding time of the fixing device 1 was an average of 33 seconds in the three-piece method, and the time required for attaching the sliding member was an average of 11 seconds / piece.
When the hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing device 1, the number of hooks was 0 because there was no sliding layer 4.

(Example 4)
By making the PTFE fiber bundle and the PPS fiber bundle of Example 1 into a plain weave and a double weave, a woven cloth having a sliding layer made of a PTFE fiber bundle and an impregnated layer made of a PPS fiber bundle was prepared. A cylindrical continuous sliding member 103 was prepared using The weight of this sliding member was 577 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.60 mm. The basis weight of the sliding layer 4 was 325 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.3 mm. Moreover, the basis weight of the impregnated layer 5 was 252 g / m ² and the thickness was 0.3 mm.
Using the obtained cylindrical sliding member, a fixing tool was formed by automatic hoop forming in the same manner as in Example 2. Specifically, after the cylindrical continuous sliding member 103 is installed in the movable side insert 93, it is sucked from the insert 93, and the cylindrical continuous member is in contact with the slide layer 4 on the insert 92 side. The sliding member 103 was fixed at a predetermined position. Further, the mold was closed and a liquid crystal polymer having a melting point of 291 ° C. (“Siberus” manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) was injection molded. Then, the sliding member 3 was separated from the continuous cylindrical sliding member 103 by in-mold cutting, and the mold was opened and the molded product was taken out from the movable side mold 92 by the push pin 95 to obtain the fixing device 1. In addition, the area of the sliding surface in the obtained fixing tool 1 was 31.2 cm ² .
The molding time of the fixing tool was an average of 32 seconds in the three-piece method, and the time required for attaching the sliding member was an average of 10.7 seconds / piece.
When a hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing device 1, the number of hooks was zero because there was no sliding layer.

(Comparative Example 1)
The liquid crystal polymer having a melting point of 350 ° C. in Example 1 was injection molded, and the obtained base material was taken out. The woven fabric of Example 1 was wound so as to cover the entire base material, and the upper part was fastened with a clip to obtain a fixing device 111 (a) as shown in FIG. The area of the sliding surface of this fixing tool was 80.1 cm ² .
The average time for manual winding was 46 seconds / piece, the average time for deburring after winding was 31 seconds / piece, and the average time required for attaching sliding members was 1 minute 17 seconds. .
Further, when a hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing device, the sliding layer was caught, and the number of times of catching was 2 times / piece on average.

(Comparative Example 2)
The liquid crystal polymer having a melting point of 291 ° C. in Example 2 was injection molded, and the obtained base material was taken out. The nonwoven fabric of Example 2 was wound so as to cover the entire base material, and the upper part was fastened with a clip to obtain a fixing device 111 (a) as shown in FIG. The area of the sliding surface of this fixing tool was 89.6 cm ² .
The average winding time for manual winding was 51 seconds / piece, the average deburring work time after winding was 42 seconds / piece, and the average time required for attaching sliding members was 1 minute 33 seconds. .
Further, when a hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing tool, a hook was generated on the sliding layer, and the average number of hooks was 5 times / piece.

(Comparative Example 3)
The PPS resin having a melting point of 280 ° C. in Example 3 was injection molded, and the obtained base material was taken out. The woven fabric of Example 1 was wrapped so as to cover the entire base material, and the upper part was fastened with a clip to obtain a fixing device 111 (b) as shown in FIG. The area of the sliding surface of this fixing tool was 91.3 cm ² .
The average time for manual winding was 48 seconds / piece, the average time for deburring after winding was 51 seconds / piece, and the average time required for attaching sliding members was 1 minute 39 seconds. .
Further, when a hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing tool, a hook was generated on the sliding layer, and the average number of hooks was 8 times / piece.

(Comparative Example 4)
The liquid crystal polymer having a melting point of 291 ° C. in Example 4 was injection-molded, and taken out to the obtained substrate. The tubular fabric of Example 4 was wrapped so as to cover the entire base material, and the upper part was fastened with a clip to obtain a fixing device 111 (b) as shown in FIG. The area of the sliding surface of this fixing tool was 92.8 cm ² .
The average time for manual winding was 45 seconds / piece, the average time for deburring after winding was 29 seconds / piece, and the average time required for attaching sliding members was 1 minute 14 seconds. .
Further, when a hook test was performed on the side surface of the fixing device, the sliding layer was caught, and the number of times of catching was 2 times / piece on average.

  The fixing device according to the present invention can be applied to all types of fixing devices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fixing tool 2 Base material 3 Sliding member 4 Sliding layer 5 Impregnation layer 6 Mixed layer 11 Image forming apparatus 12 Fixing apparatus 13 Transfer unit 21 Intermediate transfer belt 22 Backup roller 23 Photosensitive drum 24 Primary transfer bias roll 26 Secondary Transfer backup roller 27 Toner bottle 31 Secondary transfer roll 33 Paper feed roller 34 Recording medium 35 Unfixed image 36 Paper discharge roller 37 Toner 41 Fixing belt 42 Nip 43 Pressure rotating body 52 Banded fabric 71 Cylindrical fabric 91 Fixed side mold 91 92 Movable side mold 93 Nesting 94 Slide 95 Extrusion pin 101 Delivery roll 102 Take-up roll 103 Continuous sliding member 111 Fixing tool side surface 121a, b Fixing tool

Claims (15)

In a fixing device for fixing the image to the recording medium by pressing the recording medium onto which the image has been transferred between a fixing belt and a roller, the fixing device presses the fixing belt in the roller direction,
The fixing device includes a base material made of a thermoplastic resin (A) and a sliding member that presses the fixing belt in the roller direction in a state in which the fixing belt can slide relative to the fixing belt.
The sliding member has a sliding layer and an impregnation layer;
The sliding member is fixed to the base material by impregnating the impregnation layer with the thermoplastic resin,
The volume filling factor of the sliding layer is 0.60 to 0.95, the volume filling factor of the impregnation layer is 0.25 to 0.8, and the volume filling factor of the sliding layer is the impregnation layer. fixing device, characterized in that the a 1.1 to 3.8 times the volume filling ratio. The air permeability of the sliding layer is 0.01 to 250 cc / (cm ² · sec), the air permeability of the impregnated layer is 0.02 to 950 cc / (cm ² · sec), air permeability is 0.25 to 0.8 times the aeration amount of the impregnation layer fixing device of claim 1. In a fixing device for fixing the image to the recording medium by pressing the recording medium onto which the image has been transferred between a fixing belt and a roller, the fixing device presses the fixing belt in the roller direction,
The fixing device includes a base material made of a thermoplastic resin (A) and a sliding member that presses the fixing belt in the roller direction in a state in which the fixing belt can slide relative to the fixing belt.
The sliding member has a sliding layer and an impregnation layer;
The sliding member is fixed to the base material by impregnating the impregnation layer with the thermoplastic resin,
The air permeability of the sliding layer is 0.01 to 250 cc / (cm ² · sec), the air permeability of the impregnated layer is 0.02 to 950 cc / (cm ² · sec), A fixing device characterized in that the air flow rate is 0.25 to 0.8 times the air flow rate of the impregnated layer. The fixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sliding layer is made of a fabric, and the impregnated layer is made of a fabric or a film.   The fixing tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sliding layer contains fibers or carbon fibers made of a thermoplastic resin (B).   The said sliding layer contains the fiber which consists of a thermoplastic resin (B), and this thermoplastic resin (B) is a fluororesin, polyetheretherketone, polyamide, and PPS. Fixing tool.   The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the impregnated layer contains fibers made of a thermoplastic resin (C), wholly aromatic polyamide, or glass.   The fixing device according to claim 7, wherein the thermoplastic resin (C) is any one of PPS, polyamide, polyester, and liquid crystal polymer.   The fixing device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a melting point of the thermoplastic resin (A) is in a range of + 120 ° C to -30 ° C based on a melting point of the thermoplastic resin (C).   The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the sliding member is formed of a multilayer fabric having the sliding layer and the impregnation layer.   The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the base material has no screw holes and protrusions for fixing the sliding member to the base material.   It is a manufacturing method of the fixing tool in any one of Claims 1-11, Comprising: The base material formation process which shape | molds the base material which consists of a thermoplastic resin (A) by injection molding or hot press molding, and a sliding member. A sliding member fixing for impregnating the sliding member with the thermoplastic resin (A) and fixing the sliding member to the base material by performing injection molding or hot press molding in a state of being arranged on the base material. And a fixing device manufacturing method.   The fixing according to claim 12, wherein, in the sliding member fixing step, the belt-like sliding member is sucked and fixed to the movable mold, and then the thermoplastic resin (A) is injection-molded and impregnated with the base material. Manufacturing method of the tool.   The sliding member has a continuous belt shape, a sliding member transporting process for transporting the continuous belt-shaped sliding member and fixing it in the movable mold, the sliding member fixing process, and the sliding The method for manufacturing a fixing device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a step of taking out a molded product by pulling out the base material to which the moving member is fixed from the mold is repeated in this order.   The method for manufacturing a fixing device according to claim 12, wherein the sliding member is made of a substantially cylindrical fabric.

Images