Xerox Corporation

Karen E Halliley

Kevin H Taft

Sandra L Schmitt

Richard G Labombard

Ana M Perez

This invention provides a mandrel used to produce belts where materials are cured onto a belt. Specific examples for illustration purposes are directed to a mandrel used to produce fuser belts for use in electrophotographic marking systems. The mandrel provides for reduced heating temperature during the curing heating step because the only mass required to be heated during curing is the belt and not the prior art solid mandrel. This provides significant advantages, such as faster cycle time, less energy, and less degrading of layer materials. The present mandrel comprises two terminal caps connected by threaded rods around which the belt is positioned for coating and curing.

Mass-less belt mandrel

This is a mandrel used to fabricate seamless belts including those used in electrophotographic marking systems. The mandrel has a center core unit with two circular caps on each side. In between the caps is sandwiched a deformable O-ring which is outwardly deformed upon tightening of the two caps together. Once a tubular sheet is placed over the mandrel, the elastomeric O-ring will hold the sheet in place for further processing.

Expandable belt mandrel

A method of forming an economical image conditioning device suitable for conditioning low solids and high solids images in a liquid Immersion Development reproduction machine. The method includes the steps of arranging a quantity of metallic fibers into a flat pattern having a desired thickness; partially compressing and sintering the fibers forming the pattern to create a sintered metallic fiber sheet held together by metallic bonds between touching fibers; rolling the sintered metallic fiber sheet into a cylindrical shape having a seam; welding the seam to create a finished cylindrical core; and forming a foam layer and a skin layer over the core for contacting an image being conditioned.

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Marion, NY, United States of America

Karen E Halliley