阅读说明：本技术 弹性辊 (Elastic roller ) 是由 庄司进 福井和郎 于 2019-04-15 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种弹性辊,能够在低载荷下弹性变形,轻量且低成本,并且辊的表面速度稳定化。在从侧面观察构成辊(1)的管(2)及凸缘(3)的图中,具有管及凸缘的本发明的辊由插通于轴(8)的轴心(8a)的轴(8)支承,并且由加压体(11)从管的上方以压力(P)向下方按压而成为弹性变形了的状态。图6的(a)是配置于凸缘(3)的最外层的环(4a)与在其内侧相邻的中层的环(4b)之间的最外侧的间隙(6a)的4个最外侧的肋(7a)不存在于管(2)的上部的图,并且是由加压体(11)从在外侧的间隙(6a)的左右分离且相邻的2个肋(7a)的中间的位置的外侧的间隙(6a)的正上方的薄壁圆筒状管的上方以压力(P)按压的图,最外层的环(4a)与该位置处的薄壁圆筒状管在向上方反弹的状态下向下方以凹陷量(12)凹陷。(The invention provides an elastic roller which can elastically deform under low load, is light in weight and low in cost, and has a stabilized surface speed. In a figure of a pipe (2) and a flange (3) forming the roller (1) seen from the side, the roller of the invention with the pipe and the flange is supported by a shaft (8) inserted through a shaft center (8a) of the shaft (8), and is pressed downwards by a pressing body (11) from the upper part of the pipe with a pressure (P) to be in an elastic deformation state. Fig. 6 (a) is a diagram in which 4 outermost ribs (7a) of an outermost gap (6a) disposed between an outermost ring (4a) of a flange (3) and an intermediate ring (4b) adjacent to the inside thereof are not present in the upper portion of a tube (2), and is a diagram in which a pressing body (11) presses with a pressure (P) from above a thin cylindrical tube immediately above the gap (6a) at the outside of the gap (6a) at the left and right sides of the outer gap (6a) and at the outside of the middle position of the adjacent 2 ribs (7a), and the outermost ring (4a) and the thin cylindrical tube at that position are recessed downward by a recessed amount (12) in a state of rebounding upward.)

1. An elastic roller having a thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and an elastically deformable flange,

in a roller having a cylindrical pipe having flanges at both ends thereof, the cylindrical pipe is a thin-walled cylindrical pipe and has a material that deforms by having a rebound load and a rebound elasticity against a load applied in an axial direction of the pipe, the flanges at both ends of the thin-walled cylindrical pipe have a plurality of thin-walled annular rings having different diameters on a circumference having a different diameter from a circumference at the same position as the axial center, annular gaps between a ring having a small diameter among the annular rings having different diameters and a ring having a large diameter adjacent to the ring having a small diameter have a plurality of ribs provided at equal intervals perpendicular to the respective rings, the plurality of ribs and the annular rings having different diameters form the flanges at both ends that are capable of elastic deformation integrally, and the flanges at both ends of the thin-walled cylindrical pipe are fitted and locked on an outer circumference of an outermost ring of the flanges at both ends, the thin cylindrical pipe and the flanges at both ends are elastically deformable together in the same direction by a load in contact with the thin cylindrical pipe.

2. The elastic roller having a thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and an elastically deformable flange according to claim 1,

the flanges provided at both ends of the thin cylindrical tube have a hole in the center thereof through which the shaft supporting the elastic roller passes and the shaft end is disposed outside the hole, or the flanges provided at both ends of the thin cylindrical tube have a shaft-shaped body outside the center of the flange supporting the elastic roller.

3. The elastic roller having a thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and an elastically deformable flange according to claim 1 or 2,

the flanges provided at both ends of the thin cylindrical tube are resin flanges formed by resin molding, the resin flanges have a plurality of annular thin rings having different diameters concentrically, the plurality of concentric rings having different diameters are supported by a plurality of ribs arranged at equal intervals, the outermost ring is fitted into the thin cylindrical tube, the center portion of the resin flange is formed into a structure having a hole through which a shaft passes by being supported by the rings and the ribs or into an axial shape, and the thin cylindrical tube and the resin flange having the plurality of annular rings form an elastic roller, so that the resin flanges at both ends are deformed in the same direction as the deformation direction of the thin cylindrical tube by a pressure contact load applied to the elastic roller.

4. The elastic roller having the thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and the elastically deformable flange according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

when the Young's modulus of the material is set to E in a thin cylindrical tube₁The second axial moment of the cross section of the cylindrical tube is represented by I₁L represents the length of the pipe in the longitudinal direction and t represents the wall thickness of the pipe₁In the flanges at both ends of the thin cylindrical pipe, the Young's modulus of the material of the flange is set to E₂The second axial moment of the cross section of the ring of the flange is set to I₂B represents the axial width of the flange ring and t represents the thickness of the flange ring₂In the case of a thin cylindrical pipe, the relationship between the thin cylindrical pipe and the flanges at both ends is as follows:

E₁×I₁≥E₂×I₂or E₁×L×(t₁)³≥E₂×b×(t₂)³

In the above-described relation, the flanges at both ends of the thin cylindrical pipe have a plurality of rings including the outermost ring concentrically, the plurality of rings support the adjacent rings by a plurality of ribs arranged annularly at equal intervals in the gaps between the adjacent rings, the plurality of ribs arranged annularly at equal intervals in the gap between the one ring and the ring on the outer layer support the annular gap between the one ring and the ring on the inner layer, the plurality of ribs arranged annularly at equal intervals in the gap between the adjacent ribs arranged annularly at equal intervals in the ring on the outer layer support the one ring, and the gap on the inner side formed by the hole through which the shaft passes, the bearing contact portion of the shaft-shaped body, or the equivalent body of the bearing contact portion is supported by the plurality of ribs arranged annularly at equal intervals, the bearing connection part or the body corresponding to the bearing connection part, which has the hole through which the shaft passes or the shaft-shaped body, is integrated with the plurality of rings, and forms the rebound elasticity generated by the stress in the axial direction in the outermost ring, so that both ends of the thin-walled cylindrical pipe are both ends of the elastic roller having the flange capable of deforming in the diameter direction, and the deformation direction of the thin-walled cylindrical pipe generated by the pressing load to the roller is the same direction as the deformation direction of the flange.

5. The elastic roller having the thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and the elastically deformable flange according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the surface of the elastic roller is covered with a coating agent which is at least one selected from silicone, urethane, and teflon (registered trademark).

6. The elastic roller having the thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and the elastically deformable flange according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the surface of the elastic roller is covered with a braid.

7. The elastic roller having the thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and the elastically deformable flange according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the thin-walled, elastically deformable cylindrical tube used in the elastic roller is made of an electrically conductive material.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the construction of rollers that require elasticity for applications in the mechanical field, i.e. elastic rollers.

Background

For a roller requiring general elasticity, for example, a roller for printing, since a thin paper is conveyed, a roller having elasticity by covering the surface of the roller with rubber is used. These rollers requiring elasticity have a structure in which rubber (elastic body) or plastic foam is provided on a metal core, and elasticity is obtained by the rebound elasticity of the rubber (elastic body) or the rebound elasticity of the plastic foam. However, the outer diameter of these elastic rollers is formed by molding of a die, surface grinding, or the like.

However, an elastic roller in which a liquid and a gas having a pressure equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure are sealed on an inner surface is disclosed as such an elastic roller (see, for example, patent document 1). However, such an elastic roller in which a liquid and a gas having an atmospheric pressure or higher are sealed on the inner surface of the elastic roller is not suitable as an elastic roller for general-purpose products because the structure of the roller becomes complicated and the cost becomes high.

Further, an elastic roller in which a plurality of elastic bodies made of porous materials are laminated along the axial center of a rotating shaft is disclosed (for example, see patent document 2). However, if an elastic body is laminated along the axial center in this manner, since the joint portion is scratched, it is not suitable for an elastic roller whose surface needs to be free from scratches in the axial direction.

Further, there is disclosed an elastic roller in which a plurality of small-diameter elastic tubes are arranged on an outer peripheral portion of a roller shaft body, and an aggregate of the small-diameter elastic tubes is covered with a large-diameter elastic tube (see, for example, patent document 3). However, the elastic roller in which the aggregate of small-diameter elastic tubes is disposed on the outer periphery of the shaft body and covered with the large-diameter elastic tube has a region where the small-diameter tube is in contact with the large-diameter tube and a region where the small-diameter tube is not in contact with the large-diameter tube, and has a different amount of deformation under a constant load. Therefore, there is a problem that the contact pressure is different when the deformation amount is constant. In addition, since a large-diameter elastic tube made of a rubber material is covered in a state where a plurality of small-diameter tubes are arranged along a shaft body, the following problems occur: when the covering tension of the large-diameter elastic tube is large between the positions where the small-diameter elastic tube and the large-diameter elastic tube are in contact with each other, the state where the outer diameter of the large-diameter elastic tube is supposed to be a circular arc is changed into a chordal state due to the tension, and the large-diameter elastic tube becomes a polygonal roller or the small-diameter tube is deformed; on the other hand, even when the small-diameter elastic tube is covered with the covering tension reduced so as not to become a polygonal shape, there is a problem that the small-diameter elastic tube is easily pulled out. Therefore, the disclosed technology is not suitable for practical use.

Further, an elastic roller as a developing roller is disclosed which uses a hollow thin-walled tube and has a structure in which an elastic body of silicone rubber is attached as both end portions (for example, see patent document 4). There is also disclosed an elastic roller as a toner carrier having an elastic flange made of a foam body attached to an inner peripheral surface of one end of a hollow cylindrical shape (for example, see patent document 5). Further, an elastic roller having an annular elastic body is proposed (for example, see patent document 6).

However, in the elastic roller using a hollow thin cylindrical tube as disclosed in these documents, the hollow thin cylindrical tube is supported by the silicone rubber member, the elastic flange, and the annular elastic body which are fitted to both end portions thereof, but when such an annular elastic body is inserted, shear deformation occurs due to a shear force (shear elasticity) in a rotation direction of the hollow thin cylindrical tube, and therefore, when the shear force increases, the deformation amount of these silicone rubber member, elastic flange, and annular elastic body also increases, and peeling and breakage of the elastic body easily occur. Further, when pressure fluctuation occurs due to vibration or the like of the elastic roller into which the elastic body is inserted, there is a problem that the fluctuation of the shearing force occurs and the shearing deformation amount also fluctuates, and the speed fluctuation of the surface of the elastic roller easily occurs. And therefore is not suitable as an elastic roller requiring a stable surface speed.

As a method of forming the elastic roller in this way, there are disclosed, according to the related art: an elastic roller in which liquid and gas are sealed inside the roller; an elastic roller having an elastic member provided on a surface of the metal core and utilizing resilience of the elastic member; there are also rolls using a hollow thin-walled tube and an elastic body at the end.

However, in the elastic roller in which the elastic member is covered with the metal core, in order to obtain a large amount of deformation of the elastic member under a predetermined load, a method of increasing the thickness of the elastic body or a method of using a material having a low elastic modulus is adopted. In such a roll there are the following factors: a relatively heavy roller is formed by summing the mass of the metal core and the rubber member of the elastic body; in a roller using an elastic body such as rubber having a large thickness, the surface speed of the elastic roller inserted with the elastic body becomes unstable due to the shear elasticity of the elastic body. Further, when rubber is used, the production process takes time and the cost increases because of the vulcanization process and the grinding process.

Further, it is described that in an elastic roller using an elastic body made of an elastic body such as rubber or a plastic foam at an end of an elastically deformable thin tube, since a driving shaft is connected via an elastic flange as described above, a rotational driving shaft force becomes unstable, causing a problem (for example, see patent document 7). It is considered that since the roller is connected to the drive shaft via the elastic flange, shear elasticity is generated in the elastic body of the elastic flange by the load, and the surface speed becomes unstable.

Further, in a rubber roller covered with rubber having a thickness capable of elastic deformation, in a case where a thick sheet having a width narrower than a roller wide end is conveyed, or the like, since a position where the rubber rollers contact each other and a position where the thick sheet is nipped are deformed differently, there is a phenomenon that shear elasticity is generated and the rubber of the rubber roller is broken.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an elastic roller that can be elastically deformed under a low load, is lightweight and low-cost, and has a stable surface speed.

Means for solving the problems

A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a roller including a cylindrical tube and flanges at both ends of the cylindrical tube, wherein the cylindrical tube is a thin cylindrical tube and is made of a material that deforms by having a repulsive load and a repulsive elasticity against a load applied in an axial direction of the tube. Further, the structure of the flanges disposed at both ends of the thin cylindrical tube has a plurality of thin annular rings having different diameters on circumferences (i.e., concentric circumferences) having different diameters around the same position as the axial center, and a plurality of ribs disposed at equal intervals perpendicular to the respective rings are provided in an annular gap between a ring having a small diameter among the annular rings having different diameters and a ring having a large diameter adjacent to the ring having a small diameter. The ribs and the annular rings having different diameters form flanges at both ends which can be elastically deformed integrally. The thin-walled cylindrical tube and the flanges at both ends are elastically deformable together in the same direction by a load applied to the thin-walled cylindrical tube.

In a second aspect, the elastic roller according to the first aspect, wherein the flanges provided at both ends of the thin cylindrical tube have a hole in the center thereof for supporting the shaft of the elastic roller, and the shaft end is disposed outside the hole, or the flanges provided at both ends of the thin cylindrical tube have a shaft-shaped body outside the center of the flange for supporting the elastic roller.

In a third aspect, the elastic roller according to the first or second aspect, which has the thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and the elastically deformable flange, is characterized in that the flanges provided at both end portions of the thin-walled cylindrical tube are resin flanges formed by resin molding. The resin flange has a plurality of annular thin rings of different diameters concentrically supported by ribs arranged at equal intervals, and the outermost ring is fitted into the thin cylindrical tube. The resin flange has a structure in which a central portion thereof is supported by a rib and a ring and has a hole through which a shaft passes or is formed in a shaft-shaped body, and an elastic roller is formed by the thin cylindrical tube and the resin flange having a plurality of annular rings, and the resin flanges at both end portions are deformed in the same direction as the deformation direction of the thin cylindrical tube by a pressure contact load to the elastic roller.

In a fourth aspect, according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the elastic roller has a thin cylindrical elastically deformable tube and an elastically deformable flange, the young's modulus of the material of the cylindrical tube is E in the thin cylindrical tube₁The second axial moment of the cross section of the cylindrical tube is represented by I₁L represents the length of the cylindrical pipe in the longitudinal direction, and t represents the wall thickness of the cylindrical pipe₁E is the Young's modulus of the material of the flanges at both ends of the cylindrical pipe₂The second axial moment of the cross section of the ring of the flange is set to I₂B represents the width of the flange ring, and t represents the thickness of the flange ring₂In this case, the roller formed by the relation (1) or (2),

E₁×I₁≥E₂×I₂…(1)

E₁×L×(t₁)³≥E₂×b×(t₂)³…(2)

the flanges at both ends of the roller have a plurality of concentric rings including an outermost ring, the plurality of concentric rings support the adjacent rings by a plurality of ribs annularly arranged at equal intervals in the centrifugal direction, the plurality of ribs annularly arranged at equal intervals in the centrifugal direction for maintaining the rings at equal intervals annularly between the rings at the middle layer and the rings at the outer side, the plurality of ribs annularly arranged at equal intervals in the centrifugal direction for maintaining the rings at equal intervals annularly between the rings at the middle layer and the rings at the inner side are annularly arranged at equal intervals in the middle parts of the plurality of ribs annularly arranged at equal intervals for supporting the rings at the outer side, and the plurality of ribs annularly arranged at equal intervals support the region of the flange at both ends having a hole through which the shaft passes or the innermost ring having a region of a shaft-shaped body made of a molded product, the ring composed of the innermost ring and the rings outside the innermost ring are integrated, the outermost ring has the springback elasticity due to the stress in the axial direction of the shaft, the roller is provided with the flanges which can be deformed in the radial direction at both ends of the cylindrical pipe as described above, and the deformation direction of the thin cylindrical pipe due to the pressing load to the roller is the same as the deformation direction of the flanges.

In a fifth aspect, the elastic roller according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, which has a thin-walled cylindrical elastically deformable tube and an elastically deformable flange, is characterized in that a surface of the elastic roller is covered with a coating agent, the coating agent being at least one selected from silicone, urethane, and teflon (registered trademark).

In a sixth aspect, according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the elastic roller has a thin cylindrical elastically deformable tube and an elastically deformable flange, a surface of the elastic roller is covered with a knitted fabric.

In a seventh aspect, according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the elastic roller has a thin cylindrical elastically deformable tube and an elastically deformable flange, the thin cylindrical elastically deformable tube used for the elastic roller is made of an electrically conductive material.

Effects of the invention

With the above-described configuration, the elastic roller according to the present invention is an elastic roller that can be elastically deformed under a low load, is lightweight and low-cost, and has a stabilized rotation speed of the roller surface. Further, the elastic roller according to the present invention is an elastic roller in which flanges for supporting a pipe are provided on both end surfaces of a thin cylindrical pipe, and therefore, the elastic roller can deform the thin cylindrical pipe due to stress and also deform the flanges on both end portions. The elastic roller according to the present invention is an elastic roller that elastically deforms a thin cylindrical tube and flanges at both ends thereof integrally by stress applied thereto, regardless of the presence or absence of an elastic member on the surface of the thin cylindrical tube. Further, in order to provide the grip property to the elastic roller, a covering made of a material having a high friction coefficient is formed on the surface of the thin cylindrical tube of the elastic roller, and the thickness of the covering is a thickness that does not generate shear elasticity by a load, so that the service life is improved.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a view showing an example in which shaft-like bodies are provided at both ends of an elastic roller according to the present invention, (a) is a front view of the elastic roller, (B) is a side view of (a), (c) is a sectional view taken along line B-B of (B), and (d) is a sectional view taken along line A-A of (a).

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the method of assembling the elastic roller of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the structure of another elastic roller of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a structure of a flange of a conventional roller.

Fig. 5 is a view showing an example of a structure of an elastic roller having a shaft at the shaft center of the present invention and a flange.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the roller of the present invention is elastically deformed.

Fig. 7 is a view showing an example of combined use of the rigid roller at the upper side and the elastic roller of the present invention at the lower side.

Fig. 8 is a view showing an example of combined use of the elastic roller of the present invention and the rigid roller below the elastic roller.

Fig. 9 is a view showing an example of combined use of the elastic roller of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a graph showing measurement of the rebound load and the deformation amount by the tension meter.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows an example of the roller 1 of the present invention in which a shaft-shaped body 9 that operates similarly to a shaft and a flange 3 are integrally provided. Fig. 1 (a) shows a front view of the elastic roller, fig. 1 (B) shows a side view, fig. 1 (c) shows a front view of a B-B section of (B), and fig. 1 (d) shows a side view of an a-a section as a front view of (a). In this example, an elastically deformable thin cylindrical tube 2a and elastically deformable flanges 3 fitted to both end portions 2b of the thin cylindrical tube 2a are provided. The flange 3 shows an example of a flange of a resin molded article made by resin molding, and the flange 3 is composed of large, medium, and small rings 4 and a shaft 8. Gaps 6 are provided between the large, medium and small rings 4 and a shaft-shaped body 9 corresponding to the shaft. A plurality of ribs 7 are annularly provided at equal intervals in each of the plurality of annular gaps 6, and the large, medium, and small rings 4 and the shaft-shaped body 9 are coupled and supported by the respective ribs 7. The left and right shaft-shaped bodies 9 corresponding to the shafts are formed to protrude leftward and rightward from the flange 3. In the roll 1 of the present invention having these configurations, the flange 3 is elastically deformed in the direction of the axial center 8a of the shaft 8 in accordance with the elastic deformation in the direction of the axial center 8a by the pressure applied to the thin cylindrical tube 2 a.

That is, in the example shown in fig. 1, the large, medium and small 3 rings 4 provided on the flange 3 and the shaft center 8a corresponding to the shaft are connected and supported by a plurality of ribs 7 provided at equal intervals in the annular gap 6, and are integrated. Therefore, when stress is applied to the tube 2 of the roller 1, the rings 4 forming the flanges 3 are elastically deformed toward their centers, that is, in the direction corresponding to the axial center 8a of the shaft, by the load. In this case, as described above, the rib 7 existing in the annular gap 6 between the outermost ring 4 and the middle ring 4 of the flange 3 and the rib 7 existing in the annular gap 6 between the middle ring 4 and the innermost ring 4 are arranged at positions different from each other in the gap, and the rib 7 existing in the annular gap 6 between the middle ring 4 and the innermost ring 4 and the rib 7 existing in the annular gap 6 between the innermost ring 4 and the shaft-shaped body 9 are arranged at positions different from each other in the gap. Therefore, when stress is applied to the pipe 2 of the roll 1 in the direction corresponding to the axial center 8a of the shaft as described above, the rings 4 forming the flanges 3 are pressed toward the centers thereof, that is, in the direction corresponding to the axial center 8a of the shaft, and are elastically deformed. In the outermost ring 4, the flange 3 is received on the end face of the thin cylindrical tube 2a so as not to enter the thin cylindrical tube 2a by a flange 3c serving as a stopper for pressing the tube 2 so as to annularly raise and integrate the most end side portion of the outer diameter surface of the flange 3 by the thickness of the thin cylindrical tube 2a so that both end portions 2a of the tube 2 do not protrude outside the flanges 3 at both ends.

Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the assembling method of the roller 1 of the present invention shown in fig. 1. A flange 3 having a shaft-shaped body 9 protruding to the left side of fig. 2 (b) is fitted to the left end of a thin cylindrical tube 2a as a tube 2 shown in fig. 2 (a), and a flange 3 having a shaft-shaped body 9 protruding to the right side of fig. 2 (c) is fitted to the right end, thereby forming the roller 1. Fig. 2 (d) is a side view of the left flange 3 shown in (b), and fig. 2 (e) is a side view of the right flange 3 shown in (c).

Fig. 3 shows an example of the structure of the flange 3 used for the end of the elastic roller 1a of the present invention, and in the example of the roller 1 of the present invention shown in fig. 1, the flange 3 is an example of a shaft-shaped body 9 made of a resin molded product and integrally disposed at the end of the flange 3. Fig. 3 (a) is a view seen from the left side of the flange 3 shown in fig. 3 (b). Since the flange 3 is formed by resin molding, unnecessary portions are hollowed out (reduced in material), and the center portion in fig. 3a is the back surface 9a of the shaft-shaped body 9, and the peripheral annular portion is the body 5a corresponding to the bearing-connecting portion. The body 5a corresponding to the bearing-connecting portion has an innermost ring 4c supported by the 4 inner ribs 7c, an intermediate ring 4b supported by the 4 intermediate ribs 7b, and an outermost ring 4a supported by the outer ribs 7 a. Fig. 3 (c) is a cross section of E-E in fig. 3 (a) viewed in the direction of the arrow, fig. 3 (d) is a cross section of F-F in fig. 3 (b) viewed in the direction of the arrow, and fig. 3 (E) is a cross section 9b of the shaft-like body 9G-G in fig. 3 (b) viewed in the direction of the arrow. When the flange 3 of the present invention shown in fig. 3 is pressed from above, it elastically dents downward as will be described later.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a flange 3 having a shaft-shaped body 9 at an end of a flange 3 made of a resin molded product of a conventional roller 1, and fig. 4 (a) is a diagram of a rigid flange 3 configured such that a thick portion of a material is reduced and the thickness becomes uniform, as seen from the left side of the flange 3 shown in fig. 4 (b). The central portion of fig. 4 (a) is a rear surface 9a of the shaft-shaped body 9, and positions 4 of the sector shape of fig. 4 (a) are an annular outer gap 6a between the outermost ring 4a and the middle outer ring 4b, an annular middle gap 6b between the middle outer ring 4b and the innermost ring 4c, and an innermost ring 4c, respectively, and fig. 4 (c) is a cross section of fig. 4 (a) viewed in the arrow direction from e-e. Fig. 4 (d) is a cross section of fig. 4 (b) viewed in the direction of the arrow f-f. FIG. 4 (e) is a cross section of FIG. 4 (b) as viewed in the direction of the arrow g-g. The conventional rigid flange 3b is made of an integral solid body as viewed in a section of a portion g-g in fig. 4 (e). Therefore, even if these flanges 3 are pressed by a pressure applied from above, they are rigid and therefore do not sink downward.

Fig. 5 is different from the roller 1 shown in fig. 1 in that the shaft-shaped body 9 is provided at both side ends of the elastic roller, and the shaft 8 is disposed so as to penetrate the shaft center 8a of the roller 1 and to project the end of the shaft 8 to the outside of the flanges 3 at both end portions. That is, the roller 1 shown in fig. 5 (a) is disposed as shown in fig. 5 (a) by inserting the shaft 8 into the thin cylindrical tube 2a at a portion of the axial center 8a thereof, instead of the shaft-shaped body 9, and the roller 1 is disposed by projecting the left and right ends of the shaft 8 from the flanges 3 at the left and right ends of the tube 2 a. Fig. 5 (a ') is a side view of the thin cylindrical tube 2a when viewed from the right side, (a), fig. 5 (b) is a view of the thin cylindrical tube 2a after the shaft 8 is removed from the bearing contact portion 5 of the thin cylindrical tube 2a, and fig. 5 (b') is a side view of the flange 3 when viewed from the right end of the thin cylindrical tube 2a in fig. 5 (b). Fig. 5 (c) is a front view of the thin-walled cylindrical tube 3 showing the flange 3 at the right end of the thin-walled cylindrical tube 2a, i.e., a view of a B-B section in the arrow direction (B '), and (c') is a side view of an a-a section in fig. 5 (B) from the right side in the arrow direction.

Fig. 6 is an example of a diagram showing a state in which the pipe 2 and the flange 3 are deformed when pressure is applied to the roller 1 of the present invention. The roller 1 of the present invention having the pipe 2 and the flange 3 is supported by the shaft-shaped body 9 protruding outward from the central portion 3a of the flange having the axial center 8a of the shaft 8 as seen in fig. 1 or 2, or by both end portions of the shaft 8 penetrating the axial center 8a and protruding outward from the central portion 3a of the flange as seen in fig. 5 (a), and is pressed downward by the pressing body 11 from above the pipe 2 with the pressure P to be in an elastically deformed state as shown in fig. 6 (a). Fig. 6 (a) shows a position where 4 outermost ribs 7a arranged at equal intervals are not present in the outermost gap 6a between the outermost ring 4a of the flange 3 and the intermediate ring 4b adjacent to the inside thereof, and the thin cylindrical tube 2a of the elastic roller 1a immediately above the outer gap 6a in the outer gap 6a, in other words, in the position spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and in the middle of the adjacent 2 ribs 7a, is pressed downward by the pressing body 11 having the pressure P from above. Therefore, the outermost ring 4a and the thin cylindrical tube 2a at the position are rebounded upward and recessed downward by the recess amount 12. That is, the upper outermost ring 4a is supported at 2 points of the upper right and left outer ribs 7a, 7a and is deformed by the deflection theory.

Further, fig. 6 (b) shows that one of 4 outer ribs 7a arranged at equal intervals is present in the outer gap 6a between the outermost ring 4a and the inner ring 4b of the flange 3 at an intermediate position above the left and right gaps 6a, and the outermost ring 4a and the intermediate ring 4b are supported and connected by the upper left and right intermediate ribs 7b, 7b between the intermediate ring 4b and the inner ring 4 c. In this state, when a pressure P is applied from the upper pressure body 11 to the upper portion of the outermost ring 4a of the tube 2 of the elastic roller 1a, the upper center of the outermost ring 4a is deformed downward, and the upper center of the middle ring 4b supported by the upper left and right middle ribs 7b and 7b by the outer rib 7a is pressed downward and deformed. That is, the middle ring 4b supported at two points by the upper left and right middle ribs 7b and 7b is also deformed according to the beam deflection theory. In the elastic roller 1a of the present invention, the flanges 3 at both ends of the thin cylindrical tube 2a are structured such that the plurality of rings 4 are supported by the ribs 7 and the plurality of bending beams are overlapped. That is, in the structure of the flange 3 made of the structure in which the ring 4 is formed by the plurality of bent beams, the ring 4 becomes the flange 3 that can be deformed by stress based on the beam deflection theory. The elastic roller 1a is configured by providing the elastically deformable flange 3 to both end portions of the elastically deformable thin cylindrical tube 2 a. By configuring in this manner, the following structure is formed: even if foam, rubber, or elastomer is not used, when pressure is applied to the deformable elastic roller 1a, the ring 4 and the thin-walled cylindrical tube 2a deform simultaneously, and the rebound load can be suppressed based on the beam deflection theory.

The elastic roller 1a of the present invention is composed of a thin cylindrical tube 2a capable of generating a variable of elasticity and a flange 3 provided at an end of the thin cylindrical tube 2a, and the flange 3 is deformed in the same direction as the deformation of the thin cylindrical tube 2a, and the flange 3 is configured to support a portion of a ring 4 at two points by ribs 7 arranged at equal intervals in the beam deflection theory, and the portion of the ring 4 supported at two points is in a condition to which the beam deflection theory can be applied. Therefore, the amount of deflection (amount of deformation) of the flange 3 is determined by the load: p, length of the portion of the inter-rib ring 4 (beam): power of l, elastic modulus of the material of the flange 3 (beam): e₂Reciprocal of (d), section second moment of shaft of ring 4 of flange 3: i is₂The reciprocal of (a) is determined. Further, the deformation amount of the thin cylindrical tube 2a is also determined by the load: p, radius of curvature of thin-walled cylindrical tube 2 a: elastic modulus of material of the cubic, thin-walled cylindrical tube 2a of ρ: e₁Reciprocal of (d), sectional second axial moment of the tube 2: i is₁The reciprocal of (a) is determined. Therefore, in order to deform the elastic roller 1a under the contact load, it is necessary to deform the flange 3 at the end portion and deform the thin cylindrical tube 2a, and it is preferable that at least the relationship between the bending strength of the thin cylindrical tube 2a and the flange 3 is configured as E₁×I₁≥E₂×I₂Or E is₁×L×(t₁)³≥E₂×b×(t₂)³Further, in the case where the basic structures of the flanges 3 at both ends are the same, it is more preferable that:

E₁×I₁≥2×E₂×I₂，

alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

E₁×L×(t₁)³≥2×E₂×L×(t₂)³，

the roll gap (deformation amount) in the axial direction can be made uniform. L is the length of the pipe 2 in the axial direction 8, b is the width (width) of the ring 4 portion of the flange 3 in the axial direction, and t₁Is the wall thickness of the tube 2, t₂Is the thickness of the portion of the ring 4 of the flange 3.

In addition, a general expression of the amount of diameter displacement in the vertical direction of the thin cylindrical tube 2a is,

displacement amount: δ y-P ρ³/(E×I)×{(1/π)-(1/4)}＝-Pρ³/{E×(L×t₁ ³/1₂)}×{(1/π)-(1/4)}，

Where P is the load, ρ is the radius of curvature of the tube, E is the modulus of elasticity, I is the second moment of area, L is the length of the tube, t₁Is the wall thickness of the tube. Therefore, in order to deform under a low load, it is necessary to select a material having a low elastic modulus and set the wall thickness of the pipe 2. Therefore, in order to deform the elastic roller 1a in which the roller load, the roller length, and the roller outer diameter are predetermined, a material (selection of the elastic modulus) and the wall thickness t of the pipe are selected₁The thin cylindrical tube 2a required for deformation in the vertical direction (axial direction) is configured, and the flange 3 is required not to significantly hinder the deformation of the thin cylindrical tube 2 a. Therefore, the bending strength of the portion of the ring 4 configured as the flange 3 is equal to or less than the bending strength of the thin cylindrical tube 2a, and the thin cylindrical tube 2a is configured to be deformed together with the flange 3 to be the deformation of the elastic roller 1 a. Therefore, at least the relationship between the bending strengths of the thin cylindrical tube 2a and the flange 3 is configured as shown in the above relationship

E₁×I₁≥E₂×I₂Or E is₁×L×(t₁)³≥E₂×b×(t₂)³In the above relation, the thin-walled cylindrical tube 2a which is deformable in the vertical direction and the flange 3 having the ring 4 can be deformed, and further, when the basic structures of the flanges 3 at both ends are the same, the thin-walled cylindrical tube and the flange can be deformed by changing the shape of the flange

E₁×I₁≥2×E₂×I₂，

Alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

E₁×L×(t₁)³≥2×E₂×b×(t₂)³，

can deform under a lower load and is therefore more preferred.

In addition, when the flange 3 having a plurality of rings is in a state where the ribs 7 of the support ring 4 are arranged at equal angles (at equal intervals), the length of the arc formed by the ribs 7 is the outermost layerThe ring 4a has the longest length, and the arc of the ring 4 supported by the rib 7 becomes shorter as the center direction becomes closer, and the rebound load becomes higher. Therefore, the thickness t of the ring 4 determining the rebound load is set₂The rib 7 is preferably configured to be thinner toward the center, or more preferably configured such that the length of the arc supported by the rib 7 is substantially constant.

By configuring as above, it is possible to configure that the tube 2 is a resin elastic roller 1a whose flange 3 is made of resin, the tube 2 is a metal thin-walled cylindrical tube 2a and the flange 3 is made of resin elastic roller 1a, the tube 2 is a resin elastic roller 1a whose flange 3 is made of metal, and the tube 2 is a metal thin-walled cylindrical tube 2a and the flange 3 is also made of metal elastic roller 1 a. Further, by configuring the flanges 3 at the end portions to have different structures, it is also possible to use the elastic roller 1a having a gradient in the nip, which is capable of forming a gradient in the amount of deformation in the shaft 8 direction under a constant load.

Fig. 7 is an example consisting of an upper and a lower 2-segment roll 1. In fig. 7 (a), the upper roller 1 is a rigid roller 1b having a rigid body and is a pressure body 11. The lower roller 1 is an elastic roller 1a having elasticity according to the present invention. Fig. 7 (b) is a view of the H-H cross section of fig. 7 (a) viewed in the direction of the arrow, and in a state where the axes of the rollers 1 are fixed, the upper center portion of the lower elastic roller 1a is deformed downward by a deformation amount 12, that is, the nip is formed by the deformation of the elastic roller 1 a. The lower tube 2 is formed of a thin cylindrical tube 2a, and both ends 2b of the tube are fitted around the flange 3.

Fig. 8 is an example consisting of upper and lower 2-segment rolls 1. In this example, however, in fig. 8 (a), the upper roller 1 is an elastic roller 1a having elasticity of the present invention, and the lower roller 1 is a rigid roller 1b having a rigid body and is a pressure body 11. Fig. 8 (b) is a view of the section I-I of fig. 8 (a) viewed in the direction of the arrow, and in a state where the axes of the rollers 1 are fixed, the lower center portion of the upper elastic roller 1a is deformed upward to form a deformation amount 12, that is, a nip is formed by the deformation of the elastic roller 1 a. Further, the tube 2 forming the upper elastic roller 1a is formed of a thin cylindrical tube 2a and both ends 2b of the tube are externally fitted around the flange 3.

Fig. 9 is an example consisting of identical upper and lower 2-segment rolls 1. In this example, unlike the examples of fig. 7 and 8, in fig. 9 (a), each of the rollers 1 of the upper and lower 2 stages is formed of the elastic roller 1a having elasticity of the present invention. Fig. 9 (b) is a view of the J-J section of fig. 9 (a) viewed in the direction of the arrow, and in a state where the axes of the rollers 1 are fixed, the lower center portion of the upper elastic roller 1a is deformed upward, the upper center portion of the lower elastic roller 1a is also deformed downward, and the deformations of both rollers 1 and 1 are combined to form a deformation amount 12, that is, a nip is formed by the deformations of the upper and lower elastic rollers 1a and 1 a. The upper and lower tubes 2 and 2 forming the upper and lower elastic rollers 1a and 1a are each formed of a thin cylindrical tube 2a, and both ends 2b of the tube are fitted around the flange 3.

Fig. 10 is a view showing a case where a strain amount (deflection amount) 12, which is a repulsive force against a load of the elastic roller 1a having elasticity of the present invention, is measured by a tension meter (load meter) 13. Fig. 10 (a) shows a measuring apparatus in which a shaft 8 supporting a roller 1 as a subject is placed on a support member 14 of a roller mounting table 15, and a pressure body 11 is pressed downward by a pressure P from a supported tension gauge 13 above an elastic roller 1a of the roller 1 by a method not shown, and a deformation amount (deflection amount) 12 of an upper portion of the elastic roller 1a as the roller 1 indicated by the tension gauge 13 is read. Fig. 10 (b) shows an elastic roller 1a as the roller 1 in the measurement, a pressure body 11 pressed from above with a pressure P, and a deformation amount (deflection amount) 12 of the upper surface of the elastic roller 1a as the roller 1 formed by the pressing.

As described above, the technique of using the elastic roller 1a having the thin-walled cylindrical tube 2a of the present invention shown in fig. 7, 8, and 9 to always fix and hold the axial distance between the upper and lower rollers 1 and 1 at an appropriate amount can be realized only by the elastic roller 1a of the present invention. Therefore, unlike the rigid roller 1 made of the flange 3, which is the conventional rigid flange 3b, shown in fig. 4, in the elastic roller 1a of the present invention shown in fig. 7, 8, and 9, the shaft-shaped body 9 or the shaft 8 is supported by the support member 14, the position of the support member 14 is fixed to the roller mounting table 15, and the elastic roller 1a of the present invention is elastically deformed to bring the upper and lower rollers 1, 1 into pressure contact with each other. Therefore, the deformation amount (deflection amount) 12, which is the width (nip) of the nip between the upper and lower rolls 1, is a constant value. Therefore, it is possible to stably carry thin printing paper, carry various electronic components made of a plurality of plate-like elastic bodies for cleaning, and the like. Further, by using the elastic roller 1a of the present invention, since the pressure of the pressure contact can be low, the object can be conveyed in a state where the surface of the object is not easily scratched. In addition, the elastic roller 1a of the present invention can be deformed using a general spring.