Lexmark International, Inc.

Dat Quoc Nguyen

David Glenn Black

Ronald Harold Levin

Kasturi Rangan Srinivasan

Weimei Luo

Tanya Yvonne Thames

James Alan Hartman

Mark Thomas Bellino

Jennifer Kaye Neely

Brian David Munson

Franklin Dilworth Zartman

Scott Moreland Broce

Gerald Hugh Ciecior

Scott Daniel Reeves

Gregory Walter Haggquist

Mark Stephen Weisman, Jr

Rudolph Wayne Hrobsky

James Craig Minor

Vincent Wen-Hwa Ting

Johnathan Lee Barnes

Douglas Harris

Garry Dale Hinch

Peter Nikolaivich Yaron

Vladimir Kantorovich

Robert Max Lopez, Jr

Weimei Luo Gheleta

Bradford Lee Taylor

Cynthia Faye Reeves-Janzen

An overcoat layer and method to make an overcoated photoconductor drum of an electrophotographic image forming device using irradiation such as with electron beam (EB) or ultraviolet (UV) light is provided. The photoconductor drum is then cured using EB dose of between 10 and 100 kiloGrays (kGy), preferably between 20 and 40 kGys or UV irradiation with an exposure of between 0.1 and 2 J/cm. The unique overcoat layer of the present invention is formed having a biphasic morphology comprised of a highly cured crosslinked phase and a second phase enriched in uncured material. The desired amount of uncured uncrosslinked material found in the second phase of the biphasic structure, is between 2-70 wt % range, with particularly good combination of long-life and electrical performance when present at the 5-50 wt % level, and the best performance at the 15-40 wt % level. The biphasic morphology of the overcoat layer using the method of the present invention gives rise to the good wear rates while allowing rapid transport of the electrical charge and thus fast discharge properties of the photoconductor drum.

Overcoat formulation for long-life electrophotographic photoconductors and method for making the same

A method of quantifying the coverage of extra particulate additives (EPA) on the surface of toner particles is provided. More specifically, this invention is a method using automated image analysis to correctly identify toner and coverage of EPA particles on the surface of the toner.

Method of quantifying coverage of extra particulate additives on the surface of toner particles

A photoreceptor comprising a spectral marker and an electrophotographic printer using the same wherein the presence of the spectral marker is detected by the spectral marker detector, which enables photoreceptor authentication and thickness determinations, thereby permitting adjustment and optimization of component operating parameters within the electrophotographic printer.

Electrophotographic photoreceptor having a spectral marker and electrophotographic printer using the same

Embodiments of a photoconductor for use in a printer or printer cartridge comprise an electrically conductive substrate, a charge generation layer disposed over the electrically conductive substrate, and a charge transport layer disposed over the charge generation layer, wherein the charge transport layer comprises charge transport molecules with octyl/decyl glycidyl ether (OGE) or dodecyl/tetradecyl glycidyl ether (DGE), or combinations thereof, added to improve resistance to crazing, cracking and crystallization in the change transport layer.

Control of crazing, cracking or crystallization of a charge transport layer in a photoconductor

A charge transport composition is provided including a cyclo-aliphatic ether compound. One purpose of the cyclo-aliphatic ether compound is to improve the resistance to crazing, crystallization and etching of the charge transport layer. The charge transport composition may be coated along with a charge generation composition onto a conductive substrate to form a photoconductor. The charge transport composition may therefore be employed in a photoconductor located in a printer or a printer cartridge.

A method for recycling photoconductors is disclosed. In this method, the charge transport layer is selectively removed from the photoconductor without adversely affecting the electrical properties of the charge generating layer. The recycled drum may then be recoated with a new charge transport layer and reused in an electrophotographic process. In this method, the photoconductor to be recycled is placed in a specifically selected solvent, such as a dibasic ester, and is subjected to ultrasonic energy, preferably for a period not to exceed about 15 minutes.

Selective removal of photoreceptor coatings by ultrasonification

Charge transport layers comprise a charge transport compound and binder including styrene-acrylic resin. Dual layer photoconductors comprise a substrate, a charge transport layer as described, and a charge generation layer.

Dual layer photoconductors with charge transport layer including styrene-acrylic resin

A process for preparing fuser belts in electrophotographic devices is disclosed. In this process the belt is coated, preferably using a vertical dip coating technique, with an aqueous solution containing a fluorocarbon polymer, such as Teflon, and a water-soluble polymer additive. Preferred additives include pectin, polyacrylic acid, and pectin/polyacrylic acid mixtures. This method provides efficient and effective vertical dip coating of the topcoat onto the fuser belt, particularly in terms of the uniformity of the coating, the stability of the coating dispersion, and the minimization of cracking when the coating is dried and sintered at high temperatures.

Method of dip coating fuser belts using polymer binders

A process for dip coating, particularly vertical dip coating, the topcoat layer onto fuser belts used in electrophotographic processes is disclosed. In this process, a C -C alkanol, such as isopropyl alcohol is added to the solvent system for the fluorocarbon topcoat layer. The use of alcohols in this way provides an efficient and effective method and a topcoat layer which is smooth, uniform and has a good finish.

Method of dip coating fuser belt using alcohol as a co-solvent

Charge generation layers comprise a binder including an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon and charge generation compound, wherein the unsaturated, aliphatic hydrocarbon comprises at least 10 carbon atoms. Charge transport layers comprise one or more unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons and a charge transport compound, wherein the unsaturated hydrocarbon comprises at least 10 carbon atoms. Dual layer photoconductors comprise a substrate, a charge transport layer and a charge generation layer, wherein at least one of the charge generation layer or charge transport layer comprise one or more unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having at least 10 carbon atoms.

Charge transport layers and/or charge generation layers comprising unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons and photoconductors including the same

A photoconductor for use in electrophotographic reproduction devices is disclosed. This photoconductor exhibits dramatically reduced end seal and paper area wear, as well as reduced positive electrical fatigue. The photoconductor of the present invention includes a low surface energy polyolefin wax, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, in relatively large particulate form having a mean particle diameter of from about 6 to about 12.mu., homogeneously dispersed in its charge transport layer.

Electrophotographic photoconductor containing high levels of polyolefins

Charge generation layers comprising a binder and a charge generation compound, wherein the binder comprises a blend of methyl bisphenol A and an additional resin comprising an epoxy resin, a poly(phenylglycidyl ether)-co-dicyclopentadiene resin, a phenoxy resin or a polyhydroxystyrene resin. Dual layer photoconductors comprise the charge generation layer in combination with a substrate and a charge transport layer.

Growing community of inventors

Platteville, CO, United States of America

Dat Quoc Nguyen