Xerox Corporation

J Robert Blaszak

Edward L Schlueter, Jr

Edward F Bowler, Jr

David Battat

Margaret C Plain

Csaba Z Konya

Multiple layer fuser belts having a woven fabric layer and a high conformability, low surface energy elastic layer. The fabric layer is formed from high modulus, high temperature fibers that are woven together at acute angles to the circumference of the belt fibers. The fabric layer forms a substrate with preferential stretching along the circumference of the fuser belt. The elastic layer is bonded to the fabric layer and is made from a highly conformable, low durometer material having a low surface tension. When the fuser belt is partially wrapped around a driven roller so as to form a nip with a pressure roller the fuser belt stretches in the direction of belt motion. As the fuser belt passes through the nip the fuser belt contracts, releasing surface tension and thus reduces sticking between the fuser belt and fused toner.

Woven belts for business machines

Multiple layer fuser belts having a rigid or semi-rigid substrate layer and a high conformability, low surface energy elastic layer. The substrate layer is formed from long-life material such as polyimide. Apertures, beneficially elongated diamonds, are cut into the substrate layer such that the substrate layer can stretch slightly along the circumference of the fuser belt. The elastic layer is bonded to the substrate layer and is made from a highly conformable, low durometer material having a low surface energy. When the fuser belt is partially wrapped around a driven roller so as to form a nip with a pressure roller the fuser belt stretches in the direction of belt motion. As the fuser belt passes through the nip the fuser belt contracts, releasing surface strain, and thus reduces sticking between the fuser belt and fused toner.

Apertured fuser belt

A sheet transport member has at least one surface for movable engagement with a sheet to be transported made from an elastomeric thermoplastic styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer and a polysiloxane substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the copolymer, the polysiloxane being present in an amount of from about 0.5% to 8% by weight of the total weight of the composition and having a viscosity of from about 20 to 1,000,000 centistokes.

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Penfield, NY, United States of America

J Robert Blaszak