Disk-loading roller

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a disk-loading roller which consistently loads and ejects a disk without a considerable decrease in conveying force, even when the roller is employed in the presence of a very large amount of dust or over a very long period of time. The disk-loading roller is for loading a disk with the roller abutting a peripheral portion of the disk, and the roller has such an outer surface that the outer diameter of the roller varies in an axial direction and is formed from a rubber molded elastic product, wherein the roller has a rough outer surface having a peak count RPc of 2 to 30 per 700 μm, a maximum valley depth Rv of 35 to 80 μm, and an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 2.5 to 5.5 μm, wherein these values are mean values as determined through measurement of the rough outer surface in a ×400 vision field.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other objects, features, and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of cross-section profiles of the disk-loading roller of the invention and a conventional disk-loading roller;

FIG. 2 is a chart showing a method for determining peak count RPc;

FIG. 3A schematically shows a disk conveyance feature when the disk-loading roller of the present invention is employed;

FIG. 3B schematically shows a disk conveyance feature when a conventional disk-loading roller is employed;

FIGS. 4 to 11 are graphs showing the results of Test Example 1;

FIG. 12 is a photograph showing the surface of the roller of Example 1 observed at a magnification of 400;

FIG. 13 is a photograph showing the surface of the roller of Example 4 observed at a magnification of 400;

FIG. 14 is a photograph showing the surface of the roller of Comparative Example 1 observed at a magnification of 400;

FIG. 15 is a photograph showing the surface of the roller of Comparative Example 2 observed at a magnification of 400;

FIG. 16 is a photograph showing surfaces of the roller of Example 1 observed at a magnification of 3,000;

FIG. 17 is a photograph showing the surface of the roller of Example 4 observed at a magnification of 3,000;

FIG. 18 is a photograph showing the surface of the roller of Comparative Example 1 observed at a magnification of 3,000;

FIG. 19 is a photograph showing the surface of the roller of Comparative Example 2 observed at a magnification of 3,000;

FIG. 20 is a graph showing maximum valley depth Rv of the roller of Example 4 at respective magnifications;

FIG. 21 is a graph showing arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the roller of Example 4 at respective magnifications;

FIG. 22 is a graph showing square root height Rq of the roller of Example 4 at respective magnifications;

FIGS. 23 and 24 are graphs showing the results of Test Example 3; and

FIGS. 25 and 26 are sketches showing a mode of employing a disk-loading roller.

Claims

1. A disk-loading roller for loading a disk with the roller abutting a peripheral portion of the disk, the roller having such an outer surface that the outer diameter of the roller varies in an axial direction and being formed from a rubber molded elastic product, wherein the roller has a rough outer surface havinga peak count RPc of 2 to 30 per 700 μm,a maximum valley depth Rv of 35 to 80 μm, andan arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 2.5 to 5.5 μm,wherein these values are mean values as determined through measurement of the rough outer surface in a ×400 vision field.

2. A disk-loading roller as described in claim 1, wherein the rough outer surface has a mean square root height Rq of 3.5 to 10.0 μm, as determined through measurement of the rough outer surface in a ×400 vision field.

3. A disk-loading roller as described in claim 1, wherein the rubber molded elastic product has a rubber hardness, as stipulated by JIS A, of 20 to 90°.