Roller, image forming apparatus and manufacturing method of cylindrical shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9599951-B2
Application number	US-201514607363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A roller is provided includes a cylindrical shaft supported by a main assembly of an image forming apparatus or a detachable cartridge. The cylindrical shaft includes a separation region on a circumference of the cylindrical shaft, where a pair of end portions of the cylindrical shaft oppose each other or are in contact with each other with respect to a circumferential direction relative to the circumference of the cylindrical shaft, and wherein the separation region extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft. In addition, a rotatable cylindrical member is mounted around an outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft and is rotatable about the cylindrical shaft while an inner peripheral surface of the rotatable cylindrical member is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft in a region of the cylindrical shaft other than the separation region with respect to the circumferential direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roller provided in a main assembly of an image forming apparatus or provided in a cartridge detachably mountable to the main assembly, the roller comprising:
a cylindrical shaft supported by the main assembly or the cartridge, wherein the cylindrical shaft includes, in at least one location on a circumference of the cylindrical shaft, a separation region where a pair of end portions of the cylindrical shaft are located such that the end portions oppose each other or are in contact with each other with respect to a circumferential direction relative to the circumference of the cylindrical shaft, and wherein the separation region extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft; and
a rotatable cylindrical member mounted around an outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft, wherein the rotatable cylindrical member is rotatable about the cylindrical shaft while an inner peripheral surface of the rotatable cylindrical member is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft in a region of the cylindrical shaft other than the separation region with respect to the circumferential direction.

2. A roller according to claim 1 , further comprising an urging member for urging the cylindrical shaft,
wherein the separation region is located such that it opposes the urging member with respect to the rotatable cylindrical member.

3. A roller according to claim 2 , wherein the rotatable cylindrical member contacts a second rotatable member, with the second rotatable member being supported at an outer peripheral surface of the second rotatable member by the main assembly or the cartridge,
wherein the urging member is provided in the main assembly or the cartridge, and
wherein the cylindrical shaft is urged by the urging member in a direction toward a contact portion between the rotatable cylindrical member and the second rotatable member.

4. A roller according to claim 1 , wherein the inner peripheral surface of the rotatable cylindrical member is in contact with the separation region of the cylindrical shaft at a portion of the rotatable cylindrical member that is opposed to the separation region.

5. A roller according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical shaft includes an engaging portion engageable with a rotation preventing portion provided in the main assembly or the cartridge.

6. A roller according to claim 5 , wherein the engaging portion is provided at an end portion of the cylindrical shaft with respect to an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft.

7. A roller according to claim 6 , wherein the engaging portion projects outwardly from the end portion of the cylindrical shaft in the axial direction of the cylindrical shaft.

8. A roller according to claim 7 , wherein the engaging portion projects obliquely with respect to the axial direction of the cylindrical shaft.

9. A roller according to claim 8 , wherein the engaging portion projects obliquely from the end portion of the cylindrical shaft toward a center axis of the cylindrical shaft with respect to the axial direction of the cylindrical shaft.

10. A roller according to claim 5 , wherein the engaging portion is provided, at a location corresponding to a contact portion between the cylindrical shaft and the rotatable cylindrical member, at an end portion of the cylindrical shaft with respect to an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft.

11. A roller according to claim 5 , wherein the cylindrical shaft is formed by bending a metal plate, including a frame portion, a flat plate portion and a connecting portion connecting the frame portion and the flat plate portion, into a cylindrical shape at the flat plate portion and then by separating the flat plate portion from the frame portion by cutting the connecting portion such that a part of the connecting portion provides the engaging portion at an end portion of the flat plate portion.

12. A roller according to claim 11 , wherein the engaging portion is formed by moving a pair of tools relative to the connecting portion such that the part of the connecting portion at the end portion of the flat plate portion inclines with respect to an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft when the connecting portion is cut by moving the pair of tools relative to the connecting portion.

13. A roller according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical shaft is formed by bending a metal plate into a cylindrical shape.

14. A roller according to claim 1 , wherein a lubricant is supplied to an inside of a cylindrical portion of the cylindrical shaft and bleeds out to an outside of the cylindrical portion through the separation region.

15. A roller according to claim 1 , wherein the roller feeds a recording material in the image forming apparatus.

16. A roller according to claim 1 , wherein the roller stretches an endless belt in the image forming apparatus.

17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a cylindrical shaft supported by a main assembly or a cartridge, wherein the cylindrical shaft includes, in at least one location on a circumference of the cylindrical shaft, a separation region where a pair of end portions of the cylindrical shaft are located such that the end portions oppose each other or are in contact with each other with respect to a circumferential direction relative to the circumference of the cylindrical shaft, and wherein the separation region extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft;
a rotatable cylindrical member mounted around an outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft, wherein the rotatable cylindrical member is rotatable about the cylindrical shaft while an inner peripheral surface of the rotatable cylindrical member is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft with respect to the circumferential direction in a region of the cylindrical shaft other than the separation region; and
an urging member for urging the cylindrical shaft,
wherein the separation region is located such that it opposes the urging member with respect to the rotatable cylindrical member.

18. A manufacturing method of a cylindrical shaft that includes a roller provided in a main assembly of an image forming apparatus or in a cartridge detachably mountable to the main assembly, wherein the cylindrical shaft includes, in at least one location on a circumference of the cylindrical shaft, a separation region in which a pair of end portions of the cylindrical shaft are located such that the end portions oppose each other or are in contact with each other with respect to a circumferential direction of the cylindrical shaft, wherein the cylindrical shaft is supported in the main assembly or in the cartridge by a support, the support extending in an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft, wherein a rotatable cylindrical member is rotatably mounted around an outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft, and wherein the cylindrical shaft further includes an engaging portion engageable with a rotation preventing portion provided in the main assembly or the cartridge, the manufacturing method comprising:
a bending step of bending a metal plate, including a frame portion, a flat plate portion and a connecting portion connecting the frame portion and the flat plate portion, into a cylindrical shape at the flat plate portion; and
a cutting step of separating the flat plate portion, formed into the cylindrical shape, from the frame portion in order to form a part of the connecting portion as the engaging portion at an end portion of the flat plate portion formed in the cylindrical shape.

19.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Noritomo
• Iizuka Yoichiro

Classifications

• Y10T29/49544

  Roller making · CPC title

• G03G15/1685 Primary

  Structure, details of the transfer member, e.g. chemical composition · CPC title

• B65H2402/70

  Lubrication · CPC title

• B65H2404/117

  comprising hollow portions · CPC title

• G03G21/1695

  for paper transport · CPC title