Soft tube and method for manufacturing the same, and sheet conveying roller and method for manufacturing the same
AssigneeKonica Minolta, Inc.
InventorsYoshifumi Imazu, Hajime Mori
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a soft tube of a sheet conveying portion of a sheet conveying roller, including: a region with irregularities in an outer peripheral surface of the soft tube. The region has a root mean square slope Sdq within a range of 0.03 to 0.50.
Claims9
A soft tube of a sheet conveying portion of a sheet conveying roller, the soft tube comprising:
- a region with irregularities in an outer peripheral surface of the soft tube, the region having a three-dimensional root mean square slope (Sdg) within a range of 0.30 to 0.44, an arithmetic mean height (Sa) within a range of 3.4 to 22.0 μm, and a Shore A hardness at 25° C. within a range of 40-80;
- wherein the irregularities have a random shape;
- wherein the soft tube includes a first portion of a tube circumference within a predetermined axial width of the tube including the region with irregularities and a second portion of the tube length outside of the predetermined axial width that is flat.
A method for manufacturing a soft tube of a sheet conveying portion of a sheet conveying roller, the method comprising:
- molding the soft tube by injection molding or compression molding,
- wherein the soft tube comprises:
- a region with irregularities in an outer peripheral surface of the soft tube, the region having a three-dimensional root mean square slope (Sdg) within a range of 0.30 to 0.44, an arithmetic mean height (Sa) within a range of 3.4 to 22.0 μm, and a Shore A hardness at 25° C. within a range of 40-80;
- wherein the irregularities have a random shape;
- wherein the soft tube includes a first portion of a tube circumference within a predetermined axial width of the tube including the region with irregularities and a second portion of the tube length outside of the predetermined axial width that is flat.
A sheet conveying roller, the roller comprising:
- a shaft and
- a tubular sheet conveying portion disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft,
- wherein the sheet conveying portion includes a soft tube, the soft tube comprising:
- a region with irregularities in an outer peripheral surface of the soft tube, the region having a three-dimensional root mean square slope (Sdg) within a range of 0.30 to 0.44, an arithmetic mean height (Sa) within a range of 3.4 to 22.0 μm, and a Shore A hardness at 25° C. within a range of 40-80, wherein the irregularities have a random shape, wherein the soft tube includes a first portion of a tube circumference within a predetermined axial width of the soft tube including the region with irregularities and a second portion of the soft tube length outside of the predetermined axial width that is flat.
A method for manufacturing a sheet conveying roller, the sheet conveying roller comprising a shaft and a tubular sheet conveying portion disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, wherein the sheet conveying portion includes a soft tube, the method comprising:
- molding the soft tube, wherein the soft tube comprises a region with irregularities in an outer peripheral surface of the soft tube, the region having a three-dimensional root mean square slope (Sdg) within a range of 0.30 to 0.44, an arithmetic mean height (Sa) within a range of 3.4 to 22.0 μm, and a Shore A hardness at 25° C. within a range of 40-80, wherein the irregularities have a random shape, wherein the soft tube includes a first portion of a tube circumference within a predetermined axial width of the soft tube including the region with irregularities and a second portion of the soft tube length outside of the predetermined axial width that is flat;
- providing a mold, the mold including a holding portion for holding the molded soft tube and a molding portion for molding the shaft such that the shaft is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the soft tube;
- inserting the molded soft tube within the holding portion of the mold;
- and
- molding the shaft in the molding portion of the mold such that the soft tube within the holding portion and the molded shaft form the sheet conveying roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.