Pressure roller containing a volume of fluid

摘要

A pressure roller for a media processing device has enhanced temperature uniformity and resists temperature increases when subjected to elevated temperatures, enabling greater dimensional stability of the pressure roller in fluctuating temperatures. The pressure roller includes a hollow cylindrical member, an elastomeric layer, and an endbell on each end of the hollow cylindrical member. A chamber is defined by an inner wall of the hollow cylindrical member and the endbells in which a volume of fluid is contained to absorb heat from the hollow cylindrical member.

主权项

1. A pressure roller for a media processing device comprising:
a hollow cylindrical member having a first end, a second end, an inner cylindrical wall, and an outer cylindrical wall, the inner cylindrical wall forming a chamber that extends between diametrically opposed portions of the inner cylindrical wall around an entire circumference of the inner cylindrical wall and that extends from the first end to the second end of the hollow cylindrical member, the inner cylindrical wall having at least one paddle extending from the inner cylindrical wall; an elastomeric layer positioned immediately adjacent to the outer cylindrical wall and surrounding the outer cylindrical wall from the first end to the second end of the hollow cylindrical member, the elastomeric layer defining an outer surface of the pressure roller; a first endbell sealingly connected to the first end of the hollow cylindrical member; a second endbell sealingly connected to the second end of the hollow cylindrical member, the first endbell and the second endbell preventing ingress and egress of fluid from the chamber within the hollow cylindrical member; and a volume of a fluid within the chamber that fills no more than ninety-five percent of the chamber to absorb heat transferred to the hollow cylindrical member by another roller forming a nip with the hollow cylindrical member, the at least one paddle extending from the inner cylindrical wall being configured to mix the fluid within the chamber to distribute the heat absorbed by the hollow cylindrical member throughout the fluid as the hollow cylindrical member rotates to enable uniform thermal expansion of the hollow cylindrical member in the nip.