Imageable seam intermediate transfer belt having toner particle-sized kerf gap
US6353725B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 2000 |
| Grant date | Mar 5, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 29, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB29L2031/709
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Marking machines having imageable seam intermediate transfer belts and toner particles that are “tuned” to that belt. An imageable seam intermediate transfer belt includes a puzzle-cut first end and a puzzle-cut second end that are interlocked along a kerf to form a seam. That kerf has an average width of W. A developer deposits toner particles onto a latent image on a photoreceptor. Those toner particles have an average minimum width (diameter if the particles are spherical) of a size that is similar to W. That is, the kerf width is at least within an order of magnitude of the average minimum width of a toner particle. A transfer station then transfers toner from the photoreceptor to the imageable seam intermediate transfer belt. The marking machines beneficially include a charging station for charging the photoreceptor, an imaging station for exposing the charged photoreceptor to produce the latent image, a fuser for receiving and fusing toner from the seamed intermediate transfer belt to a substrate, and a cleaning station for cleaning the photoreceptor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.