Invisible seam electrostatographic belt
US5997974A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 24, 1997 |
| Grant date | Dec 7, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 24, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/24777
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An endless flexible seamed belt with a mechanically and electrically invisible seam, substantially equivalent in performance to a seamless belt, is formed by joining two ends of substrate material, each end of which has a plurality of mutually mating elements in a puzle cut pattern which are in interlocking relationship. After the two ends are joined, an bonding is applied to the seam of the belt. When the belt is to be an electrostatographic imaging member, the electrostatics of the belt become very important. The two ends of a flexible substrate with a conductive coating applied thereto are interlocked and a conductive bonding is applied to the gap between the interlocking surfaces. The undercoating layer can then be applied to the adhered seam in order to smooth the seamed surface for application of the charge generating layer and the charge transfer layer. The undercoating layer may be relatively thicker than current undercoating layers to insure that the seam surface is smooth.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.