Xerox Corporation

John Joseph Darcy, Iii

Michael Stephen Roetker

David W Martin

Scott J Griffin

Felix J Santana

Robert C U Yu

Edward F Grabowski

Satchidanand Mishra

Markus Rudolf Silvestri

Moritz Patrick Wagner

Satish R Parikh

Donald J Goodman

M John Hinckel

Joellen Simone

James F Dildine, Jr

Robert J Flanagan

John P Kerwawycz

Donald R Laflair

Matthew J Torpey

J Stephen Olesiuk

Anthony M Horgan

Richard L Post

John A Bergfjord, Sr

Tsu-sen Chow

Miguel A Boscan

There is provided a process for producing a seamed, flexible electrostatographic imaging member belt comprising providing a flexible, substantially rectangular, electrostatographic imaging sheet having a first major exterior surface opposite and parallel to a second major exterior surface and a first marginal end region of said sheet opposite and parallel with a second marginal end region; shaping said first marginal end region at an angle to form a first new sloping surface between the first major exterior surface and the second major exterior surface, shaping said second marginal end region at an angle to form a second new sloping surface between the first major exterior surface and the second major exterior surface, wherein the second new sloping surface is substantially parallel with the first new sloping surface; forming the sheet into a loop and overlapping said first new sloping surface with said second new sloping surface to form a mated region; and, joining said first new sloping surface to said second new sloping surface in the mated region to form a thin profile butt-lap seam. The sloping surfaces may be formed using a cutting assembly in accordance with the disclosure.

Process for producing an imaging member belt having an angular seam

Belt material is wrapped around a small diameter mandrel. Instead of cutting the belt to length, the material is then continued to be wrapped around the mandrel, forming a belt material overlap, and held under tension. An ultrasonic welding horn is then traversed across the width of the belt overlap. As this horn is traversed across the overlapped joint, the horn not only joins the belt material wrapped around the mandrel but, as the trailing edge is held under tension, the horn also separates or severs the trailing edge of the material from the welded seam.

Concurrent welding and severing belt forming process

There is provided an apparatus for producing a cross-sectional angular surface along a substrate, such as a flexible electrostatographic imaging member belt. The apparatus may include a support body, and a blade support member connected to the blade support body. The blade support member comprises a cutting blade having a straight blade edge. The cutting blade may be positioned at an angle relative to a plane of an associated substrate to be cut.

Apparatus for producing an imaging member belt having an angular seam

A seamless flexible electrophotographic imaging member comprising a flexible substrate strip material having an unmelted photodecomposed seam of carbon-black loaded polyimide polymer.

Laser ablation of welded seam area

A method is disclosed that involves providing a sheet of thermoplastic belt material having a first end with a first radius of curvature, providing a mandrel having a second radius of curvature that is no more than 12% larger or smaller than the first radius of curvature, wrapping the sheet of thermoplastic belt material on the mandrel to form a material overlap region, and welding the material overlap region to form a seamed belt. In one embodiment, instead of cutting the belt to length, the material is then continued to be wrapped around the mandrel, forming a belt material overlap, and held under tension. As the ultrasonic welding horn is traversed across the width of the belt overlap, the horn not only joins the belt material wrapped around the mandrel but, as the trailing edge is held under tension, the horn also separates or severs the trailing edge of the material from the welded seam. A seamed belt is also disclosed.

Belt and method of making same

Post treatment of an ultrasonically welded seamed flexible imaging member belt includes providing a flexible belt having an outer surface, an inner surface, parallel edges and a welded seam extending from one parallel edge to the other parallel edge, the belt seam including a seam region comprising an overlap of two oppositely miter cut edges, and two adjacent splashing formed around the seam; contacting the seam with abrasive and a super finishing tool; and super finishing the seam to remove at least the splashing on the outer surface of the belt.

Flexible imaging member belt seam smoothing method

A weldable intermediate transfer belt having a substrate with a homogeneous composition of polyaniline in an amount of from about 2 to about 25 percent by weight of total solids, and a thermoplastic polyimide in an amount of from about 75 to about 98 percent by weight of total solids, and the polyaniline has a particle size of from about 0.5 to about 5.0 microns, and an apparatus for forming images on a recording medium and incorporating the intermediate transfer belt.

Polyaniline filled polyimide weldable intermediate transfer components

A method of welding together the ends of a web segment of a thermally weldable material, such as for a xerographic photoreceptor or intermediate transfer belt, to form an endless loop belt with a welded seam, by compressing the web segment ends in a welding area with a weld-splash confining laser-light transmissive glass plate, and applying sufficient laser-light energy through that glass plate to thermally weld the web ends together into a smoothly welded seam. The side of the belt opposite from the glass plate may be held by a pneumatic holding system. The side of the glass plate pressing against the web ends may have a slightly convex parabolic shape.

Laser welded photoreceptor belts with quartz pressure plate welding seam control

A metal welding horn having tripartite ceramic coating on its welding horn tip.

Treatment for ultrasonic welding

Multilayered web stock is directed toward a curved surface and at least one layer of the web stock is heated to a temperature above a glass transition temperature of the at least one layer of the web stock. The heating can occur just before or upon engaging the curved surface. The temperature of the at least one layer remains above the glass transition temperature while engaging the curved surface, allowing reshaping and/or realignment of the at least one layer relative to other layers of the web stock according to conformance to the curved surface. The web stock is cooled before it disengages from the curved surface. The heating can be done with a high power infrared lamp focused into a line across the web stock, and the cooling can be done with a cooled fluid jet. Additionally, a preheater can be employed, and a supplemental cooler can be used.

Endless belt member stress relief

A welded intermediate transfer belt and process for making the same having a substrate made primarily of at least one polyimide polymer. The weld may be ultrasonically or otherwise welded and may have favorable properties such as relatively thin seam thickness and small weld steps. The weld may be overlapped or miter cut.

Welded polyimide intermediate transfer belt and process for making the belt

Packaging apparatus is provided for packaging a flexible photoconductive belt loop to prevent light from shocking the flexible photoconductive belt loop during shipping and during loading into an image reproduction machine. The packaging apparatus includes (a) a cut sheet of light occluding and protective flexible member for wrapping over the flexible photoconductive belt loop. The cut sheet has a length Lincluding a first end, a second end, and (iv) at least one loop tacking aperture formed through a second end portion thereof. The packaging apparatus also includes a first adhesive tape member applied over the second end portion, through the at least one loop tacking aperture, and onto a first end portion. The packaging apparatus further includes a plurality of packaging cores, and a second adhesive tape member applied over the second end and over a portion of the main body portion.

Packaging apparatus for wrapping and folding flexible photoreceptor belts

A packaging machine and method are provided for wrapping, folding and taping a flexible photoconductive belt loop to prevent light from shocking such photoconductive belt loop during shipping and during loading into a machine. The packaging machine for the method includes mandrels holding cylindrical cores for supporting, tensioning and folding the flexible photoconductive belt loop; devices for feeding a light occluding and protective flexible sheet over the flexible photoconductive belt loop to form a belt and sheet assembly; an aperture former for forming a loop tacking aperture through a loop tacking portion of one end of the light occluding and protective flexible sheet; folding and end-tucking mechanisms for folding the belt and sheet assembly into a tightly folded pattern around the cylindrical cores; and first and second taping stations for applying an end pull tab tape, and a loop tacking tape over the loop tacking portion and through the loop tacking aperture onto a portion of the light occluding and protective flexible sheet underneath the loop tacking portion thereof.

Packaging machine and method for wrapping and folding flexible photoreceptor belts

A method of forming a flexible belt including: providing a flexible member; providing a work surface; forming the flexible member in a loop shape including an overlap region; positioning the overlap region of the flexible member in pressure contact with the work surface such that the photosensitive surface and the work surface is on the outside of the loop shape; positioning a welding tool on an inside surface of the loop shape of the flexible member opposite the overlap region; and ultrasonically welding the flexible member at one or more locations.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

John Joseph Darcy, Iii