Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-18
2004-11-16
Gray, Linda L (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S188000, C156S190000, C156S192000, C156S248000, C156S257000, C156S268000, C156S270000, C156S446000, C156S458000, C156S517000, C156S521000, C242S445000, C242S526000, C242S527000, C242S911000, C242S900000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06818088
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-8757, filed Feb. 19, 2002, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus to fabricate a photosensitive drum for an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus to fabricate a photosensitive drum for an image forming apparatus used in a printer, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an electrophotographic printer such as a laser printer forms a latent electrostatic image on a photosensitive medium, develops the latent electrostatic image with a toner having a predetermined color, and transfers the developed toner image to a printing paper in order to obtain a desired image. The photosensitive medium is typically a photosensitive belt or a photosensitive drum.
FIG. 1
is a view of a portion of an image forming apparatus using a typical photosensitive belt as a photosensitive medium. Referring to
FIG. 1
, the rotation path of a photosensitive belt
10
that travels a continuous path due to rollers
10
a
,
10
b
, and
10
c
includes an eraser
12
, a charger
14
, a laser scanning unit (LSU)
16
, and a plurality of developing units
18
a
,
18
b
,
18
c
, and
18
d
. The eraser
12
erases charges on the photosensitive belt
10
. The charger
14
charges the photosensitive belt
10
with a predetermined electric potential. The LSU
16
radiates light onto the photosensitive belt
10
to form a latent electrostatic image. The plurality of developing units
18
a
,
18
b
,
18
c
, and
18
d
are disposed in series along the travel direction of the photosensitive belt
10
and each develops the latent electrostatic image as a toner image with a different color. The developed toner image is transferred to a transfer belt
20
that circulates in contact with the photosensitive belt
10
.
However, in the above-described transfer method, the photosensitive belt
10
may move laterally outside of a transfer range of an image. Thus, a steering unit (not shown) is needed to adjust the photosensitive belt
10
.
FIG. 2
is a view of a portion of an image forming apparatus using a photosensitive drum as a photosensitive medium to solve the problems caused by the use of a photosensitive belt. Elements that are the same as those in
FIG. 1
are described with the same numerals, and thus their detailed descriptions are omitted.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, instead of the photosensitive belt
10
of
FIG. 1
, a large-sized photosensitive drum
30
is used. Thus, the steering unit is not needed. However, a different problem occurr s in the manufacture of the photosensitive drum
30
. When the small-sized photosensitive drum
30
having a diameter of 25-32 mm is manufactured, a small-sized rotary drum having a diameter of 25-32 mm is dipped in a container containing a photosensitive solution to form a photosensitive layer on the surface of the rotary drum. In this case, a plurality of small-sized rotary drums are manufactured at the same time, and thus manufacturing costs are low. However, since the photosensitive drum
30
uses a large-sized rotary drum having a diameter of about 150 mm, it is difficult to dip multiple rotary drums in the container containing the photosensitive solution. Also, it is expensive to manufacture the photosensitive drum
30
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus to fabricate a photosensitive drum for an image forming apparatus where a photosensitive belt can easily be wound on a rotary drum, and a method thereof.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a apparatus to fabricate a photosensitive drum having a photosensitive belt and a double-sided tape for an image forming apparatus, the apparatus to fabricate including a photosensitive belt supply roll to supply the photosensitive belt; a double-sided tape supply roll to supply the double-sided tape; a bonding unit to bond the photosensitive belt and the double-sided tape together; a cutting unit to cut the bonded photosensitive belt and double-sided tape at a predetermined length to form a double-sided tape cover; a rotating unit to rotate the cut photosensitive belt and double-sided tape around the rotary drum having a predetermined size; and a winding unit to wind the double-sided tape cover to thereby separate the double-sided tape cover from the photosensitive belt and the double-sided tape.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the rotating unit includes a plurality of supporting rollers to rotate underneath the rotary drum to support the rotary drum; a press roller to press the rotary drum, the rotary drum being interposed between the press roller and the supporting rollers and being rotated to rotate the rotary drum, the press roller having a shaft; a pressing unit to push the press roller against the rotary drum, the pressing unit including a connection member connected to the shaft of the press roller; and a moving unit to move the press roller towards and away from the rotary drum to provide a space to load and unload the rotary drum on the supporting rollers.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the pressing unit is a compression spring to press the connection member connected to the shaft of the press roller downward.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the vertical moving unit is a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the cutting unit includes a plate to provide a path of the bonded photosensitive belt and double-sided tape; a cutter to cut the bonded photosensitive belt and double-sided tape on the plate; and a cutter-driving unit to move the cutter downward after a predetermined time to separate the photosensitive belt and the double-sided tape from the double-sided tape cover.
The winding unit may include a winding roll to wind the double-sided tape cover, and a motor to rotate the wind roll, and the number of rotations of the motor is controlled.
The foregoing and other advantages of the present invention are also achieved by providing a method of fabricating a photosensitive drum for an image forming apparatus, the method including supplying a photosensitive belt and a double-sided tape, respectively; bonding the supplied photosensitive belt and the double-sided tape together; cutting the bonded photosensitive belt and double-sided tape from a double-sided tape cover, at a predetermined length; pressing and rotating the cut photosensitive belt and double-sided tape on a rotary drum having a predetermined size; and winding the double-sided tape cover which is separated from the photosensitive belt and the double-sided tape.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3547724 (1970-12-01), Zagusta
patent: 4849043 (1989-07-01), Instance
patent: 5651851 (1997-07-01), Gatcomb
patent: 6485878 (2002-11-01), Nagase et al.
patent: 2003/0206752 (2003-11-01), Hosoya et al.
Gray Linda L
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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