Claims
- 1. An image forming apparatus for forming images on a recording medium comprising:a charge-retentive surface to receive an electrostatic latent image thereon; a development component to apply toner to said charge-retentive surface to develop said electrostatic latent image to form a developed image on said charge retentive surface; a transfer belt to transfer the developed image from said charge retentive surface to a-copy substrate, wherein said transfer belt is an endless seamed flexible belt comprising a first end and a second end, each of said first end and said second end comprising a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, said transfer belt comprising a substrate and an outer layer comprising a polyurethane derived from polyvinylbutyral and isocyanate; and a fixing component to fuse said developed image to said copy substrate.
- 2. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a polyimide.
- 3. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said outer layer further comprises a fluorocarbon.
- 4. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said isocyanate is a block isocyanate.
- 5. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said outer layer comprises an electrically conductive filler.
- 6. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said electrically conductive filler is selected from the group consisting of carbon filler, metal filler, metal oxide filler, doped metal oxide filler, ionic conductive filler, polymer fillers, and mixtures thereof.
- 7. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein said carbon filler is selected from the group consisting of carbon, graphite, fluorinated carbon, and mixtures thereof.
- 8. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein said doped metal oxide is antimony doped tin oxide.
- 9. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein said ionic conductor is selected from the group consisting of alkali alkyl sulfonates, quaternary ammonium salts, phosphonium salts, and mixtures thereof.
- 10. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein said polymer filler is selected from the group consisting of polyanilines, polythiophenes, polypyrrolles, and mixtures thereof.
- 11. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 6, herein said electrically conductive filler comprises doped polyaniline, antimony doped tin oxide and carbon black.
- 12. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said seam comprises an adhesive comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl butyral, nitrile phenolic, epoxy, polyimide, polyurethane, polyamide, and mixtures thereof.
- 13. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said outer layer has a surface energy of from about 10 to about 40 dyn/cm to water.
- 14. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said outer layer has a sliding coefficient of from about 0.1 to about 0.4.
- 15. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said belt has a surface resistivity of from about 102 to about 1015 ohm/sq.
- 16. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said belt has a surface resistivity of from about 106 to about 104 ohm/sq.
- 17. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said belt is an intermediate transfer belt.
- 18. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of mutually mating elements are in the form of a puzzle cut pattern.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/886,841; filed Jun. 20, 2001 U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,767.
Attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,223 filed Jan. 28, 2000, entitled “Process and Apparatus for Producing an Endless Seamed Belt;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,347, filed Dec. 22, 1999, entitled, “Continuous Process for Manufacturing Imageable Seamed Belts for Printers;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,070, filed May 28, 1998, entitled, “Unsaturated Carbonate Adhesives for Component Seams;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,486, filed Jul. 13, 2000, entitled, “Polyimide Adhesive For Polyimide Component Interlocking Seams;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/615,426 (D/99598Q), filed Jul. 13, 2000, pending entitled, “Process For Seaming Interlocking Seams Of Polyimide Component Using Polyimide Adhesive”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,454, filed Sep. 13, 2000, entitled, “Imageable Seamed Belts Having Fluoropolymer Adhesive Between Interlocking Seaming Members;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,465, filed Sep. 13, 2000, entitled, “Imageable Seamed Belts Having Fluoropolymer Overcoat;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,105 filed Apr. 11, 2001, entitled, “Imageable Seamed Belts Having Hot Melt Processable, Thermosetting Resin and Conductive Carbon Filler Adhesive Between Interlocking Seaming Members;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 9/833,965 (D/A0895Q), filed Apr. 11, 2001, pending entitled, “Conductive Carbon Filled Polyvinyl Butyral Adhesive;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/833,488 (D/A0895Q1), filed Apr. 11, 2001, pending entitled, “Dual Curing Process for Producing A Puzzle Cut Seam;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/833,546 (A0584) filed Apr. 11, 2001, pending entitled “Imageable Seamed Belts Having Polyamide Adhesive Between Interlocking Seaming Members; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/833,507 (A0584Q) filed Apr. 11, 2001, pending entitled “Polyamide and Conductive Filler Adhesive;” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,078 filed Apr. 11, 2001 entitled “Flashless Hot Melt Bonding of Adhesives for Imageable Seamed Belts.” The disclosures of each of these references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5525446 |
Sypula et al. |
Jun 1996 |
A |