Component for an image forming apparatus with designed thermal response
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a component that exhibits a designed thermal response which may be used in an image forming apparatus. The component may include a roller that contacts a heating device such as a fuser.
1. A component directly engaging a heating source in an image forming apparatus comprising a shaft comprising a metallic material having a thermal response (TR 1 ) and a core coupled to said shaft comprising a plurality of ribs extending generally radially outwardly from said shaft and defining a plurality of hollow areas between said plurality of ribs, said core comprising a non-metallic material having a thermal response (TR 2 ), wherein TR 1 +TR 2 is less than or equal to about 130 J/K.
2. A component according to claim 1 wherein said component is a roller and said heating source is a fuser.
3. A component according to claim 1 wherein said metallic component has a thermal response of equal to or less than about 75 J/K.
4. A component according to claim 1 wherein said non-metallic component of equal to or less than about 75 J/K.
5. A component according to claim 1 wherein said metallic material and non-metallic material have a thermal mass, and said thermal mass of said non-metallic material is less than said thermal mass of said metallic material.
6. A component according to claim 1 wherein said non-metallic material comprises a polymeric material.
7. A component according to claim 1 wherein said non-metallic material has a volumetric heat capacity of equal to or less than about 2.0 J/cc-K.
8. A component according to claim 1 located within a printer cartridge.
9. A component according to claim 1 located within an image forming apparatus.
10. A component according to claim 1 wherein said core has a thermal conductivity of less than about 5 W/m-K.
11. A component according to claim 1 wherein said metallic material has a thermal mass of equal to or less than about 200 grams.
12. A component according to claim 1 wherein said core has a thermal mass of less than about 100 grams.
13. A component according to claim 1 further comprising a layer of polymeric material circumscribing said core.
14. A component according to claim 13 further comprising a release layer disposed on said layer of polymeric material.
15. A component according to claim 1 wherein the volumetric heat capacity of the metal component is greater than the volumetric heat capacity of the non-metal component.
16. A component according to claim 1 wherein said core further comprises an inner cylindrical body and an outer cylindrical body, and wherein said plurality of ribs extend between said inner and said outer cylindrical bodies.
17. A roller directly engaging a fuser in an image forming apparatus wherein said roller comprises a metallic shaft having a thermal response (TR 1 ) and a non-metallic core coupled to said shaft comprising a plurality of ribs extending generally radially outwardly from said shaft and defining a plurality of hollow areas between said plurality of ribs, said core having a thermal response (TR 2 ) wherein TR 1 +TR 2 is less than or equal to about 130 J/K.
18. The roller of claim 17 wherein said metallic shaft and non-metallic core have a thermal mass and said thermal mass of said non-metallic material is less than said thermal mass of said metallic shaft.
19. The roller of claim 17 wherein said non-metallic material has a volumetric heat capacity of equal to or less than about 2.0 J/cc-K.
20. The roller of claim 17 located within a printer cartridge.
21. The roller of claim 17 located within an image forming apparatus.
22. A component according to claim 16 wherein said plurality of hollow areas are disposed between said inner and said outer cylindrical bodies.