1. A method comprising:
forming a nitride-based wear resistant layer on a cutting tool by reactive magnetron sputtering, wherein parameters for reactive magnetron sputtering include:
a deposition rate, td, higher than 2 nms,
a positive bias voltage, Vs, between +1 V and +60 V applied to a substrate of the cutting tool, the positive bias voltage with respect to ground potential,
a substrate current density, IsAs, larger than 10 mAcm2,
a ratio R=AtAs greater than 0.7, where At is a target surface area and As is a substrate surface area, and
a distance between a target surface and a substrate surface, dt, less than (At)0.5
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cutting tool is a cutting tool for machining by chip removal.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein R is greater than 1.0 and dt is less than 0.7*(At)0.5.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein R is greater than 1.5 and dt is less than 0.5*(At)0.5
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate current density, IsAs, is larger than 30 mAcm2.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deposition rate, td, is higher than 3 nms.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the nitride-based wear resistant layer is MeN andor Me2N, where Me is one or more of the elements Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Si, Al and B.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nitride layer contains a total amount of Al andor Si andor Cr of more than about 40% of the selected Me element.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein up to 10 at % of N is replaced by B.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deposition rate is less than 14 nms.
11. A method comprising:
forming a nitride-based wear resistant layer on a cutting tool by reactive magnetron sputtering, wherein parameters for reactive magnetron sputtering included:
a deposition rate, td, of 4 to 8 nms,
a positive bias voltage, Vs, between +1 V and +60 V applied to a substrate of the cutting tool, the positive bias voltage with respect to ground potential,
a substrate current density of 30 mAcm2 to 750 mAcm2,
a ratio R=AtAs greater than 0.7, where At is a target surface area and As is a substrate surface area, and
a distance between a target surface and a substrate surface, dt, less than (At)0.5.
12. The method according to claim 11, the cutting tool is a cutting tool for machining for chip removal.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein R is greater than 1.0 and dt is less than 0.7*(At)0.5.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the nitride-based wear resistant layer is MeN andor Me2N, where Me is one or more of the elements Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Si, Al and B.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process cartridge detachably mountable on a main casing of an image-forming device, the main casing being provided with a coupling member providing a driving force, the process cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive cartridge that has a photosensitive drum; and
a developing cartridge that is detachably mountable on the photosensitive cartridge, the developing cartridge comprising:
a developing roller configured to supply toner to the photosensitive drum;
an input gear that comprises a contact portion that is in contact with the coupling member to receive the driving force and a gear portion, the input gear rotating about a rotational axis defining an axial direction when the contact portion receives the driving force, the gear portion being of a cylindrical shape and having an outer circumferential shape formed with gear teeth; and
a transmission gear that is meshingly engaged with the gear teeth of the gear portion to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the developing roller,
wherein the gear teeth of the gear portion has a pitch circle defined by being meshingly engaged with the transmission gear, the pitch circle of the gear teeth of the gear portion being arranged to overlap with the contact portion in the axial direction of the input gear.
2. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the input gear further comprises an outer circumferential wall extending along a rotational direction of the input gear, the outer circumferential wall being integrally formed with the contact portion.
3. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion comprises:
a first wall that extends from the outer wall in a direction intersecting with the rotational direction of the input gear;
an inner circumferential wall that is provided separately from the outer circumferential wall and is located on an inner side of the outer circumferential wall in a radial direction of the input gear, the inner circumferential wall extending from the first wall along the rotational direction of the input gear, and
a second wall that is provided separately from the first wall and extends from the inner circumferential wall to the outer circumferential wall,
wherein the first wall, the second wall, the inner circumferential wall, and the outer circumferential wall form a groove portion opened outward of the input gear along the axial direction of the input gear.
4. The process cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising:
a developing casing that accommodates the developing roller; and
a supply roller that is accommodated in the developing casing and configured to supply toner to the developing roller, the supply roller having a rotational shaft rotatably supported on the developing casing, the rotational shaft extending parallel to the rotational axis of the input gear and having one end that protrudes from the developing casing, and
wherein the transmission gear comprises a supply roller gear fixed to the one end of the rotational shaft, the supply roller gear including a gear main body formed in a disk shape whose circumferential surface is formed with gear teeth that are meshingly engaged with the gear portion of the input gear, the gear main body having an outer surface facing outward of the developing casing in a direction that the rotational shaft extends,
wherein the developing casing is provided with a bearing boss that rotatably supports the input gear and extends outward from the developing casing in the axial direction of the input gear, the bearing boss having a distal end located more outward of the developing casing than the outer surface of the gear main body in the axial direction.
5. A developing cartridge that is detachably mountable on a main casing of an image-forming device, the main casing being provided with a coupling member providing a driving force, the developing cartridge comprising:
a developing roller;
an input gear that comprises a contact portion that is in contact with the coupling member to receive the driving force and a gear portion, the input gear rotating about a rotational axis defining an axial direction when the contact portion receives the driving force, the gear portion being of a cylindrical shape and having an outer circumferential shape formed with gear teeth; and
a transmission gear that is meshingly engaged with the gear teeth of the gear portion to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the developing roller,
wherein the gear teeth of the gear portion has a pitch circle defined by being meshingly engaged with the transmission gear, the pitch circle of the gear teeth of the gear portion being arranged to overlap with the contact portion in the axial direction of the input gear.
6. The developing cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the input gear further comprises an outer circumferential wall extending along a rotational direction of the input gear, the outer circumferential wall being integrally formed with the contact portion.
7. The developing cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the contact portion comprises:
a first wall that extends from the outer wall in a direction intersecting with the rotational direction of the input gear;
an inner circumferential wall that is provided separately from the outer circumferential wall and is located on an inner side of the outer circumferential wall in a radial direction of the input gear, the inner circumferential wall extending from the first wall along the rotational direction of the input gear, and
a second wall that is provided separately from the first wall and extends from the inner circumferential wall to the outer circumferential wall,
wherein the first wall, the second wall, the inner circumferential wall, and the outer circumferential wall form a groove portion opened outward of the input gear along the axial direction of the input gear.
8. The developing cartridge according to claim 5, further comprising:
a developing casing that accommodates the developing roller; and
a supply roller that is accommodated in the developing casing and configured to supply toner to the developing roller, the supply roller having a rotational shaft rotatably supported on the developing casing, the rotational shaft extending parallel to the rotational axis of the input gear and having one end that protrudes from the developing casing, and
wherein the transmission gear comprises a supply roller gear fixed to the one end of the rotational shaft, the supply roller gear including a gear main body formed in a disk shape whose circumferential surface is formed with gear teeth that are meshingly engaged with the gear portion of the input gear, the gear main body having an outer surface facing outward of the developing casing in a direction that the rotational shaft extends,
wherein the developing casing is provided with a bearing boss that rotatable supports the input gear and extends outward from the developing casing in the axial direction of the input gear, the bearing boss having a distal end located more outward of the developing casing than the outer surface of the gear main body in the axial direction.