Sliding Sheet Fabric with Bent Warp Yarns for Lubricant Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sliding sheets in image forming apparatuses suffer from lubricant leakage, leading to reduced service life and increased maintenance costs due to the inability to replenish lubricant after assembly, causing frictional losses and potential belt breakage in the endless fixing belt.
Innovation Solution
A sliding sheet with a fabric layer comprising interlaced warp and weft yarns, where the warp yarns are bent towards the middle portion of one edge, preventing lubricant leakage by guiding it towards the center during rotation, allowing the lubricant to be retained and reused, thereby extending the service life of the fixing device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a lubricant is applied on the sliding sheet before installation, then friction between the sliding sheet and endless fixing belt is reduced, but the lubricant leaks during rotation causing loss of substance
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding sheet is designed with a curved surface profile where the warp yarns are bent toward the middle portion of the first edge, creating a concave shape that guides lubricant toward the center during rotation. This curvature prevents lubricant from escaping at the edges while maintaining the lubrication film between the sliding sheet and endless fixing belt, thus reducing both frictional loss and lubricant leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding sheet features asymmetric yarn arrangement where only the warp yarns are bent toward the middle portion of the first edge, while the weft yarns extend radially from the middle portion to the second edge. This asymmetric structure creates a directional flow path for the lubricant during rotation, guiding it toward the center while preventing escape at the edges.
2Device complexity
If the lubricant cannot be replenished after assembling, then the structure remains simple, but the service life of the fixing device is reduced due to lubricant depletion
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding sheet structure enables self-service lubrication by utilizing the curved surface profile to automatically guide and retain lubricant during rotation. The bent warp yarns create a lubricant reservoir effect where the lubricant is continuously redistributed and retained on the sliding sheet surface without requiring external replenishment, thus extending service life while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding sheet design recovers lubricant that would otherwise be lost during operation. The curved surface profile captures and redirects lubricant flow toward the middle portion during rotation, preventing leakage and enabling the lubricant to be reused continuously throughout the service life of the fixing device.
3Productivity
If the endless fixing belt rotates continuously, then productivity is improved, but frictional loss increases and the belt may break due to lubricant depletion
Solution Approach 1:
The curved surface profile of the sliding sheet with bent warp yarns creates a self-retaining lubrication system that maintains adequate lubricant film during continuous rotation. This curvature ensures lubricant is continuously redistributed and retained, preventing friction-induced wear and belt breakage even during extended high-productivity operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding sheet structure enables continuous lubrication action during the entire rotation cycle of the endless fixing belt. The curved surface profile ensures that lubricant is continuously redistributed and maintained on the contact surface, providing uninterrupted friction reduction and protection against belt breakage during continuous high-speed operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces lubricant leakage, maintains the original lubricant amount, and increases the service life of the endless fixing belt, reducing maintenance costs by ensuring the lubricant is retained and reused efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of warp yarns are bent toward a middle portion of the first edge... preventing or reducing leakage of a lubricant
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding sheet includes a fabric layer is disclosed. The fabric layer includes warp yarns and weft yarns. The warp yarns are interlaced with the weft yarns. The sliding sheet has a first edge extending in a length direction of the sliding sheet. The warp yarns are bent toward a middle portion of the first edge. A method for manufacturing the sliding sheet is also disclosed. An auxiliary yarn is woven with the warp yarns and the weft yarns to form a fabric raw layer. A tension for weaving the auxiliary yarn is adjusted so that the tension of the auxiliary yarn is greater than the tension of the warp yarns, thereby bending the warp yarns in the fabric raw layer toward the auxiliary yarn. The fabric raw layer is heated to fix the shape of yarns, and cut into the fabric layer to form the sliding sheet.