Intermediate Transfer Belt Polyimide Base Layer Curling Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intermediate transfer belts in image forming apparatuses face challenges with high-speed printing, accurate image positioning, durability, and uneven image formation due to issues like curling, abrasion, and insufficient correspondence to various sheet surfaces, leading to paper jamming and transfer unevenness.
Innovation Solution
An intermediate transfer belt with a base layer containing polyimide derived from pyromellitic acid and diaminodiphenyl ether, combined with an elastic layer, is designed to control curling and enhance durability, featuring a curling amount of 1.5 mm or less and a convexoconcave surface configuration for improved toner release and surface correspondence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a polyimide resin is used as the intermediate transfer belt material to achieve high speed transferring and flame resistance, then the belt has high hardness and heat resistance, but the toner layer experiences high pressure causing partial aggregation and missing images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure with a polyimide base layer providing flame and heat resistance, combined with a polyurethane elastic layer that provides softness for uniform pressure distribution. This composite material approach allows the belt to simultaneously achieve thermal stability and gentle toner transfer, preventing both flame damage and image distortion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different layers: the base layer has high hardness and heat resistance for structural integrity, while the surface elastic layer has low hardness for comfortable contact with toner and paper. This local differentiation of material qualities resolves the contradiction between thermal stability and image transfer precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a relatively flexible elastic layer is laminated onto the base layer to improve correspondence to sheet surfaces, then surface irregularity correspondence improves, but transfer pressure reduces and toner release becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure where the polyimide base layer maintains structural integrity and electrical properties, while the polyurethane elastic layer provides surface compliance. The combination ensures both adequate transfer pressure through the elastic layer and proper correspondence to various sheet surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the thickness ratio between the elastic layer and base layer to achieve the right balance. By controlling the elastic layer thickness to be 1-10 times the base layer thickness, the belt gains sufficient surface compliance for different paper types while maintaining enough structural support to generate adequate transfer pressure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the elastic layer is made thicker to provide correspondence to surface irregularities, then surface matching improves, but the belt curls outwards significantly causing paper jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the thickness parameter of the elastic layer, setting it to 1-10 times the base layer thickness. This parameter optimization allows the belt to achieve sufficient surface compliance without excessive curling, as the base layer provides counterbalancing structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure of polyimide base layer and polyurethane elastic layer creates internal balance where the rigid base layer counteracts the curling tendency of the flexible elastic layer. This material combination allows thicker elastic layers without proportional increase in curling, preventing paper jamming.
4Productivity
If a seamless belt is used for high speed printing, then printing speed increases, but accurate positioning becomes difficult due to environmental fluctuations causing displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the elastic layer's material properties to reduce mechanical stress and deformation during high-speed operation. The polyurethane elastic layer provides flexibility that accommodates speed variations while maintaining dimensional stability, thereby preserving positioning accuracy even at high printing speeds.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides high-quality images, prevents paper jamming, and ensures excellent cleaning properties while maintaining durability and accurate image positioning, even on diverse sheet surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic layer which is formed on the base layer and has a micro rubber hardness of 60° or lower
Implementation Method 2
The base layer contains polyimide which has a constitutional unit derived from pyromellitic acid and a constitutional unit derived from diaminodiphenyl ether
Data Source
AI summary
To provide an intermediate transfer belt, which contains a base layer, and an elastic layer formed on the base layer, wherein the base layer contains polyimide which has a constitutional unit derived from pyromellitic acid and a constitutional unit derived from diaminodiphenyl ether, wherein the intermediate layer has a curling amount of 1.5 mm or less in an absolute value, and wherein the intermediate transfer belt is configured to receive, by transferring, a toner image formed by developing, with a toner, a latent image formed on an image bearing member.