Film carrying roller
OwnerRyuji Ohtomoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A film carrying roller comprises an outer annular groove for receiving a film, and an annular recess formed at the central portion of the bottom of the groove. An annular elastic tire has an upper convex surface and fits in the recess. Two annular inclined surfaces form remaining portions of the groove bottom, each of the inclined surfaces ascending from a respective upper annular edge of the recess to a respective outer annular end of the groove bottom. Such ends are positioned higher than the peak of the convex surface of the tire.
Claims4
A device for carrying connected films of different widths, said device comprising:
- a roller having an outer periphery with an annular groove formed therein, said groove being defined by a groove bottom and by axially spaced side walls, and an annular recess formed at the axial central portion of said bottom of said groove, said recess being defined by first and second axially spaced, substantially radially extending end walls and by a substantially axially extending bottom wall;
- an annular elastic tire positioned within said recess, said tire having a radially outer annular convex surface extending axially continuously from said first end wall of said recess to said second end wall of said recess;
- and
- said groove bottom further including inclined annular surfaces positioned on opposite axial sides of said recess, each said inclined annular surface extending radially and axially outwardly from a respective end wall of said recess and from a respective axial end of said convex surface of said tire to a respective side wall of said groove, the radially outermost portions of said inclined annular surface being positioned further radially outward than the radially outwardmost peak of said convex surface of said tire.
A process for driving an guiding a length of film having opposite edges and a central portion, said process comprising:
- providing a roller carrying device including:
- a roller having an outer periphery with an annular groove formed therein, said groove being defined by a groove bottom and by axially spaced side walls, and an annular recess formed at the axial central portion of said bottom of said groove, said recess being defined by first and second axially spaced, substantially radially extending end walls and by a substantially axially extending bottom wall;
- an annular elastic tire positioned within said recess, said tire having a radially outer annular convex surface extending axially continuously from said first end wall of said recess to said second end wall of said recess;
- and
- said groove bottom further including inclined annular surfaces positioned on opposite axial sides of said recess, each said inclined annular surface extending radially and axially outwardly from a respective end wall of said recess and from a respective axial end of said convex surface of said tire to a respective side wall of said groove, the radially outermost portions of said inclined annular surfaces being positioned further radially outward than the radially outwardmost peak of said convex surface of said tire;
- positioning said film within said groove in said roller with at least one of said edges of said film contacting one of said inclined annular surfaces of said roller, while preventing contact of said central portion of said film with any surface of said roller;
- and
- rotating said roller and thereby driving said film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.