Abstract: There is provided a rubber composition in which an antistatic agent is uniformly dispersed and the rubber composition has antistatic ability, coefficient of friction, and wear resistance. A rubber composition includes 7 parts by mass or more of a polyether/polyolefin block copolymer resin with respect to 100 parts by mass of a rubber component, and the total amount or a part of a rubber component is mixed with a polyether/polyolefin block copolymer resin at a temperature that is equal to or higher than a melting point of the polyether/polyolefin block copolymer resin.

Abstract: A paper feed roller of the present invention comprises a roller body 2 integrally formed of elastic material in a cylindrical shape in which a plurality of protruding lines 6 are disposed on a peripheral surface 5 at even intervals, wherein the roller body 2 is formed so that crest portions 6a and trough portions 6b are continuously provided in a circumferential direction, an opening angle ? is equal to or more than 2° and is equal to or less than 8°, a radial height h of the protruding line is equal to or more than 0.051 mm and is equal to or less than 0.1 mm, and a curvature radius r1 at a shoulder is equal to or more than 0.55 mm.

Abstract: There is provided a rubber composition in which an antistatic agent is uniformly dispersed and the rubber composition has antistatic ability, coefficient of friction, and wear resistance. A rubber composition includes 7 parts by mass or more of a polyether/polyolefin block copolymer resin with respect to 100 parts by mass of a rubber component, and the total amount or a part of a rubber component is mixed with a polyether/polyolefin block copolymer resin at a temperature that is equal to or higher than a melting point of the polyether/polyolefin block copolymer resin.

Abstract: There are provided: an electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition which can be produced with higher productivity at lower costs by means of a simple arrangement and has excellent extrudability and a lower resistance required for a driving roller; a production method for the composition; a driving roller produced by employing the electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition; and an image forming apparatus incorporating the driving roller. In the electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition, 5 to 15 parts by mass of Ketjen black is finely dispersed in 100 parts by mass of a mixture of an ester type urethane thermoplastic elastomer and a plasticizer or in 100 parts by mass of a polyester thermoplastic elastomer. In the production method, the ingredient other than the Ketjen black is first kneaded, and then the Ketjen black is added to and further kneaded with the ingredient.

Abstract: Provided is a paper feeding roller in which recesses due to deformation are unlikely to be formed even when contact with another roller in one location continues for a comparatively long period of time, particularly as a conveying roller or the like. A paper feeding roller that has a shaft measuring 6 mm in exterior diameter pressure-welded to the outer circumferential surface under a load of 600 g in a high-temperature environment of 60° C. for 24 hours is left at room temperature for eight hours while being pressure-welded, after which the recess amount obtained using the difference (T)0?T1, between the thickness T1 (mm) of the position where the shaft was pressure-welded and the thickness T0 (mm) of a position where the shaft was not pressure-welded, is 0.1 mm or less.

Abstract: The invention provides a paper feed roller capable of reducing abnormal noise caused by a knurled shape while maintaining characteristics thereof, including maintaining friction coefficient and coping with paper powder. The paper feed roller comprises a roller body formed of elastic material in a cylindrical shape and is characterized in that the roller body has protruding lines and recessed grooves inclinedly extending relative to an axis of the roller body so that convex and concave portions having predetermined widths are alternatively formed in a circumferential direction of a peripheral surface, and the protruding lines have one-end side protruding line portions extending from a central part in an axial direction of the roller body toward one end thereof and other-end side protruding line portions extending from the central part in the axial direction toward the other end, and they are inclined relative to the axis in opposite directions.

Abstract: Provided is a paper feeding roller in which recesses due to deformation are unlikely to be formed even when contact with another roller in one location continues for a comparatively long period of time, particularly as a conveying roller or the like. A paper feeding roller that has a shaft measuring 6 mm in exterior diameter pressure-welded to the outer circumferential surface under a load of 600 g in a high-temperature environment of 60° C. for 24 hours is left at room temperature for eight hours while being pressure-welded, after which the recess amount obtained using the difference (T)0?T1, between the thickness T1 (mm) of the position where the shaft was pressure-welded and the thickness T0 (mm) of a position where the shaft was not pressure-welded, is 0.1 mm or less.

Abstract: Provided is a paper feeding roller in which recesses due to deformation are unlikely to be formed even when contact with another roller in one location continues for a comparatively long period of time, particularly as a conveying roller or the like. A paper feeding roller that has a shaft measuring 6 mm in exterior diameter pressure-welded to the outer circumferential surface under a load of 600 g in a high-temperature environment of 60° C. for 24 hours is left at room temperature for eight hours while being pressure-welded, after which the recess amount obtained using the difference (T)0?T1, between the thickness T1 (mm) of the position where the shaft was pressure-welded and the thickness T0 (mm) of a position where the shaft was not pressure-welded, is 0.1 mm or less.

Abstract: A rubber composition contains a higher ethylene content EPDM and a lower ethylene content EPDM as a rubber component. The proportion of the higher ethylene content EPDM is 30 to 80 mass % based on the overall amount of the rubber component. The rubber composition is less susceptible to reduction in friction coefficient ? and has a proper hardness, a smaller permanent elongation and an excellent abrasion resistance after crosslinking. Therefore, the rubber composition is suitable for a sheet conveying roller and an image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying roller.

Abstract: A paper feed roller of the present invention comprises a roller body 2 integrally formed of elastic material in a cylindrical shape in which a plurality of protruding lines 6 are disposed on a peripheral surface 5 at even intervals, wherein the roller body 2 is formed so that crest portions 6a and trough portions 6b are continuously provided in a circumferential direction, an opening angle ? is equal to or more than 2° and is equal to or less than 8°, a radial height h of the protruding line is equal to or more than 0.051 mm and is equal to or less than 0.1 mm, and a curvature radius r1 at a shoulder is equal to or more than 0.55 mm.

Abstract: A sheet feeding member is provided, which is made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising: a base polymer including a polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer and a polyester thermoplastic elastomer; and at least one ion conductive agent selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt and a lithium salt/polyol, wherein the ion conductive agent is present in a proportion of 0.2 to 4 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the base polymer in the thermoplastic elastomer composition.

Abstract: There are provided: an electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition which can be produced with higher productivity at lower costs by means of a simple arrangement and has excellent extrudability and a lower resistance required for a driving roller; a production method for the composition; a driving roller produced by employing the electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition; and an image forming apparatus incorporating the driving roller. In the electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition, 5 to 15 parts by mass of Ketjen black is finely dispersed in 100 parts by mass of a mixture of an ester type urethane thermoplastic elastomer and a plasticizer or in 100 parts by mass of a polyester thermoplastic elastomer. In the production method, the ingredient other than the Ketjen black is first kneaded, and then the Ketjen black is added to and further kneaded with the ingredient.

Abstract: Provided is a paper feeding roller in which recesses due to deformation are unlikely to be formed even when contact with another roller in one location continues for a comparatively long period of time, particularly as a conveying roller or the like. A paper feeding roller that has a shaft measuring 6 mm in exterior diameter pressure-welded to the outer circumferential surface under a load of 600 g in a high-temperature environment of 60° C. for 24 hours is left at room temperature for eight hours while being pressure-welded, after which the recess amount obtained using the difference (T)0?T1, between the thickness T1 (mm) of the position where the shaft was pressure-welded and the thickness T0 (mm) of a position where the shaft was not pressure-welded, is 0.1 mm or less.

Abstract: The inventive sheet conveying roller has a double-layer structure including a tubular outer layer and an inner layer inserted directly in the tubular outer layer without the intervention of an adhesive agent. The sheet conveying roller includes a roller body of a double-layer structure including a tubular outer layer (6) of a urethane thermoplastic elastomer and an inner layer (7) of a rubber such as IIR inserted directly in the tubular outer layer (6) without the intervention of an adhesive agent. The outer layer (6) has a Type-A Durometer hardness of not less than 40 and not greater than 65, and the inner layer (7) has a Type-A Durometer hardness of greater than 10 and not greater than 25.

Abstract: The paper feed roller according to the present invention is made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing an ester thermoplastic elastomer urethane or an ether thermoplastic elastomer urethane (E) having microrubber hardness (type A) of not less than 60 and not more than 80 and a plasticizer (P) in a mass ratio E/P of 70/30 to 50/50.

Abstract: The inventive sheet conveying roller has a double-layer structure including a tubular outer layer and an inner layer inserted directly in the tubular outer layer without the intervention of an adhesive agent. The sheet conveying roller includes a roller body of a double-layer structure including a tubular outer layer (6) of a urethane thermoplastic elastomer and an inner layer (7) of a rubber such as IIR inserted directly in the tubular outer layer (6) without the intervention of an adhesive agent. The outer layer (6) has a Type-A Durometer hardness of not less than 40 and not greater than 65, and the inner layer (7) has a Type-A Durometer hardness of greater than 10 and not greater than 25.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying roller which requires a smaller number of ingredients than a prior art sheet conveying roller, has an excellent weather resistance, is less liable to suffer from reduction in friction coefficient attributable to accumulation of paper dust and sheet conveying failure attributable to the reduction in friction coefficient, and ensures proper sheet conveyance for a longer period of time. The invention further provides a rubber composition for the sheet conveying roller. The rubber composition comprises an ethylene-propylene-diene rubber and an epoxylated natural rubber as a rubber component. In the rubber composition, the epoxylated natural rubber is present in a proportion of 10 mass % to 90 mass % based on the overall amount of the rubber component including the two rubbers. The sheet conveying roller includes a roller body formed from the rubber composition.

Abstract: A rubber composition contains a higher ethylene content EPDM and a lower ethylene content EPDM as a rubber component. The proportion of the higher ethylene content EPDM is 30 to 80 mass % based on the overall amount of the rubber component. The rubber composition is less susceptible to reduction in friction coefficient ? and has a proper hardness, a smaller permanent elongation and an excellent abrasion resistance after crosslinking. Therefore, the rubber composition is suitable for a sheet conveying roller and an image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying roller.

Abstract: The inventive sheet conveying roller includes a plurality of linear projections provided on an outer peripheral surface of a roller body of an elastic material and each having a generally right-angled triangular cross section which includes a hypotenuse edge and an adjoining edge provided on a forward side and on a rearward side, respectively, with respect to a roller body rotation direction, the adjoining edge aligning with a line perpendicular to a center axis of the roller body. The linear projections are rounded with the hypotenuse edges and the adjoining edges thereof connected to each other by curves as seen in section, and provided integrally with the roller body to be equidistantly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body.

Abstract: A sheet feeding member is provided, which is made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising: a base polymer including a polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer and a polyester thermoplastic elastomer; and at least one ion conductive agent selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt and a lithium salt/polyol, wherein the ion conductive agent is present in a proportion of 0.2 to 4 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the base polymer in the thermoplastic elastomer composition.