The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 06, 2001
Filed:
May. 18, 1999
Keita Shiraki, Inuyama, JP;
Akihiko Kaji, Komaki, JP;
Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd., Komaki, JP;
Abstract
A toner supply roll including a cylindrical soft polyurethane sponge structure which is integrally formed on a metal shaft and which has a hardness of not higher than 350 g, a network of cells, and a skin layer having openings which are open in its outer circumferential surface and which communicate with respective radially outermost ones of the cells located adjacent to the skin layer, wherein the openings have a size of 100-800 &mgr;m, and a total area percent of at least 20% of the total area of the outer circumferential surface of the skin layer, and the sponge structure has a plurality of helical protrusions formed on the outer circumferential surface of the skin layer so as to extend helically about an axis of the sponge structure, the helical protrusions being arranged in a circumferential direction of the sponge structure, so as to form a plurality of helical recesses each interposed between adjacent ones of the helical protrusions, so that helical protrusions and recesses cooperate to define a toothed profile in transverse cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axis.