The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 20, 1997
Donald S Rimai, Webster, NY (US);
Paul M Borsenberger, Hilton, NY (US);
Salvatore Leone, Rochester, NY (US);
Marie B O'Regan, Rochester, NY (US);
Thomas N Tombs, Brockport, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
Unexpectedly good transfer of electrophotographically-produced images using small toner particles occurs when the image is developed on an electrostatographic recording member, preferably an organic photoconductive element, which has been overcoated with a thin (about 10 nm to about 10 .mu.m thick) layer of a material having a Young's modulus greater than 10 GPa and preferably greater than about 100 GPa. The image is then transferred to an intermediate member which is comprised of an elastomeric blanket between about 0.1 and about 3 cm thick, having a Young's modulus between about 0.5 MPa and about 50 MPa, and preferably between about 1 and about 10 MPa, and having an electrical resistivity between about 10.sup.6 ohm-cm and about 10.sup.12 ohm-cm, by applying an appropriate electrostatic potential between the transfer intermediate member and the photoconductive element. The toned image is transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the receiver by applying an electrostatic field between the receiver and the intermediate transfer member. The blanket material comprising the intermediate transfer member should be overcoated with a thin (between about 0.1 .mu.m and about 25 .mu.m thick) layer of a material having a Young's modulus greater than about 100 MPa and preferably greater than about 1 GPa.