What is claimed is:
1. A roller adapted for contacting print media in an image forming device, the roller comprising:
a tubular core formed of a first material and having an inner surface and an outer surface; and
a sleeve formed of a second material and surrounding a portion of the tubular core,
wherein the sleeve includes an inner portion surrounding a portion of the inner surface of the tubular core and an outer portion surrounding a portion of the outer surface of the tubular core.
2. The roller of claim 1, wherein the second material is a rubber material.
3. The roller of claim 2, wherein the first material is a plastic material.
4. The roller of claim 1, wherein the tubular core has a first end and a second end, wherein the inner portion of the sleeve extends between the first end and the second end of the tubular core.
5. The roller of claim 4, wherein the outer portion of the sleeve extends between the first end and the second end of the tubular core.
6. The roller of claim 4, wherein the outer portion of the sleeve includes a first portion extending from the first end of the tubular core toward the second end of the tubular core and a second portion extending from the second end of the tubular core toward the first end of the tubular core, wherein the first portion and the second portion are spaced axially on the tubular core.
7. The roller of claim 1, wherein the inner portion of the sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface of the inner portion contacts the inner surface of the tubular core.
8. The roller of claim 7, wherein the outer portion of the sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the outer portion contacts the outer surface of the tubular core and the outer surface of the outer portion is adapted to contact the print media.
9. The roller of claim 1, wherein the tubular core has a first end and a second end, wherein the sleeve further includes at least one end portion surrounding a portion of at least one of the first end and the second end of the tubular core.
10. The roller of claim 9, wherein the at least one end portion of the sleeve includes an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the at least one end portion contacts the at least one of the first end and the second end of the tubular core.
11. The roller of claim 9, wherein the at least one end portion of the sleeve has a plurality of openings formed therein, wherein the tubular core is accessible through each of the openings.
12. A method of forming a roller for an image forming device, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a tubular core formed of a first material and having an inner surface and an outer surface; and
surrounding a portion of the tubular core with a sleeve formed of a second material, including surrounding a portion of the inner surface of the tubular core with an inner portion of the sleeve and surrounding a portion of the outer surface of the tubular core with an outer portion of the sleeve.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second material is a rubber material.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first material is a plastic material.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the tubular core has a first end and a second end, wherein surrounding the inner surface of the tubular core includes surrounding the inner surface of the tubular core from the first end to the second end of the tubular core.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein surrounding the outer surface of the tubular core includes surrounding the outer surface of the tubular core from the first end to the second end of the tubular core.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein surrounding the outer surface of the tubular core includes surrounding the outer surface of the tubular core with a first portion and a second portion spaced axially from the first portion.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein the tubular core has a first end and a second end, wherein surrounding the tubular core further includes surrounding a portion of at least one of the first end and the second end of the tubular core with an end portion of the sleeve.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein surrounding the at least one of the first end and the second end of the tubular core includes forming a plurality of openings in the end portion of the sleeve, wherein the tubular core is accessible through each of the openings.
20. A print media transport assembly, comprising:
a shaft; and
at least one roller mounted on the shaft, the at least one roller including a tubular core, an inner sleeve surrounding a portion of an inner surface of the tubular core, and an outer sleeve surrounding a portion of an outer surface of the tubular core, wherein the tubular core is formed of a first material and the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve are formed of a second material, and wherein the inner sleeve contacts the shaft.
21. The print media transport assembly of claim 20, wherein the second material is a rubber material.
22. The print media transport assembly of claim 21, wherein the first material is a plastic material.
23. The print media transport assembly of claim 20, wherein the roller is mounted for rotation with the shaft.
24. The print media transport assembly of claim 23, wherein the inner sleeve of the roller frictionally couples the roller with the shaft.
25. The print media transport assembly of claim 20, wherein the roller includes an end sleeve surrounding at least one of a first end and a second end of the tubular core, wherein the end sleeve is formed of the second material.
26. The print media transport assembly of claim 25, wherein the end sleeve of the roller is integral with the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve of the roller.
27. The print media transport assembly of claim 20, wherein the outer sleeve of the roller includes a first portion surrounding the outer surface of the tubular core and a second portion surrounding the outer surface of the tubular core, wherein the first portion and the second portion are spaced axially on the tubular core.
28. An image forming device, comprising:
at least one print media transport assembly adapted for routing print media through the image forming device,
wherein the at least one print media transport assembly includes a shaft mounted in the image forming device and at least one roller mounted on the shaft, the at least one roller adapted for contacting the print media and including a tubular core, an inner sleeve surrounding a portion of an inner surface of the tubular core, and an outer sleeve surrounding a portion of an outer surface of the tubular core, wherein the tubular core is formed of a first material and the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve are formed of a second material, and wherein the inner sleeve contacts the shaft and the outer sleeve is adapted for contacting the print media.
29. The image forming device of claim 28, wherein the second material is a rubber material.
30. The image forming device of claim 29, wherein the first material is a plastic material.
31. The image forming device of claim 28, wherein the roller is mounted for rotation with the shaft.
32. The image forming device of claim 31, wherein the inner sleeve of the roller frictionally couples the roller with the shaft.
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. Piston engine (1) provided with lubrication arrangement comprising a source (2) of lubricating medium, first pressure elevating means (3) for elevating the pressure of the lubricating medium, and first ducting means (7) for delivering the lubricating medium to lubrication targets (6.1, 6.2) of the engine, the arrangement further comprises second ducting means (7.1, 7.2) separate from the first ducting (7), including a valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) controllable by external control means (8), characterised in that the second ducting means includes a pressure accumulator (10), and that the second ducting means (7.1, 7.2) is connected to the pressure accumulator (10) by means of the valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) controllable by external control unit (8).
2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the second ducting means (7.1, 7.2) comprises second pressure elevating means (3) separate from said first pressure elevating means (3).
3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the second ducting means (7.1, 7.2) is arranged as a section of the first ducting means (7).
4. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that the second ducting means (7.1, 7.2) is connected to the first ducting means (7) as a first branching duct in a flow direction of the lubricating medium after the first pressure elevating means (3).
5. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piston engine comprises a piston unit (14), characterised in that the second ducting means (7.1) is connected to the piston unit (14) of the piston engine via a lubricating channel (16).
6. An arrangement according to claim 5, characterised in that a pressure driven non-return valve (18) or the like has been arranged in the piston unit (14).
7. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) is controlled by means of the control unit (8) which receives control signals from sensors (13.1, 13.2) measuring parameters of some of the lubrication targets (6.1, 6.2) of the engine.
8. An arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that said valve arrangement and said measuring sensors are arranged so that measurement signals received by the control unit (8) from the sensors (13.1, 13.2) enable the lubrication of each lubrication target to be independently controlled.
9. A method of lubricating a piston engine (1) comprising steps of feeding lubricating medium, with the use of pressure elevating means (3, 3), from a source (2) of the lubricating medium to a lubrication medium delivery ductwork (7), and further feeding the lubricating medium from the delivery ductwork (7) to at least one lubrication target (6.1, 6.2) of the engine (1), feeding a lubricating medium with a separate ductwork section (7.1,7.2) to other lubrication target (6.1, 6.2), characterised in that lubricating medium is fed to a pressure accumulator (10), in which a predetermined pressure level is maintained, and that from the pressure accumulator (10) the lubricating medium is fed by means of a valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) to the separate ductwork section (7.1,7.2) leading to respective lubrication target (6.1, 6.2) controlling the feeding of the part of the lubricating medium by controlling the valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) by an external control (8).
10. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that the valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) is controlled by a control unit (8) associated with the valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) and which receives measurement signals from sensors (13.1, 13.2) measuring parameters of the engine andor by control information stored in the control unit.
11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that a number of measurement sensors measuring parameters of different lubrication targets
are connected to the control unit (8), whereby the valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) is controlled by the control unit for controlling the lubrication of each lubrication target (6.1, 6.2) independently from other lubrication targets.
12. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that the lubricating medium is fed by the pressure elevating means (3, 3) to a pressure accumulator (10), in which a predetermined pressure level is maintained, and from the pressure accumulator (10) the lubricating medium is fed via the valve arrangement (9.1, 9.2) to the separate ductwork section (7.1, 7.2) leading to each lubrication target (6.1, 6.2).
13. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that the feeding of the lubricating medium is controlled so that the starting moment and the duration of the feeding is controlled by external control (8).