# US 12,181,812 B2 · Endless belt, transfer device, and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,812 B2 - Document ID: US12181812B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/949,456 - Filed: 2022-09-21 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-15 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Applicants: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Inventors: Yosuke Kubo; Toshiyasu Yukawa; Hiroaki Tanaka; Shigeru Fukuda; Daisuke Tanemura; Masato Ono; Masato Furukawa; Masayuki Seko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181812B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/162: {details of the the intermediate support, e.g. chemical composition} - C08G 73/105: {with oxygen only in the diamino moiety} - C08G 73/1071: {Wholly aromatic polyimides containing oxygen in the form of ether bonds in the main chain} - C09D 7/61: inorganic - C09D 7/65: macromolecular (C09D7/41-C09D7/48 take precedence) - C09D 179/08: Polyimides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors - C08G 73/14: Polyamide-imides - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D) ## Abstract An endless belt contains a resin and a surface modifier. The endless belt has, at an outer circumferential surface thereof, a sea-island structure including a sea portion containing the resin and island portions containing the surface modifier. The area of the island portions is equal to or less than 5% of the total area of the outer circumferential surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An endless belt comprising: a resin selected from the group consisting of polyimide resin, polyamide-imide resin, aromatic polyether ether ketone resin, polyetherimide resin, and polyphenylene sulfide resin; and a surface modifier, wherein the endless belt has, at an outer circumferential surface thereof, a sea-island structure including a sea portion containing the resin and island portions containing the surface modifier, and wherein an area of the island portions is equal to or less than 5% of the total area of the outer circumferential surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The endless belt according to claim 1, wherein the island portions have an average equivalent circle diameter of 1.5 μm or less. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The endless belt according to claim 2, wherein the surface modifier includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a surface modifier having a silicone structure and a surface modifier having a fluorine atom. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The endless belt according to claim 3, wherein the surface modifier includes modified dimethyl silicone as the surface modifier having a silicone structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The endless belt according to claim 4, wherein the modified dimethyl silicone has a thermal decomposition starting temperature of 200° C. or higher. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The endless belt according to claim 4, wherein the content of the modified dimethyl silicone is from 1 part by mass to 10 parts by mass inclusive based on 100 parts by mass of the total of the resin and the surface modifier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The endless belt according to claim 1, wherein the surface modifier includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a surface modifier having a silicone structure and a surface modifier having a fluorine atom. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The endless belt according to claim 7, wherein the surface modifier includes modified dimethyl silicone as the surface modifier having a silicone structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The endless belt according to claim 8, wherein the modified dimethyl silicone has a thermal decomposition starting temperature of 200° C. or higher. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The endless belt according to claim 8, wherein the content of the modified dimethyl silicone is from 1 part by mass to 10 parts by mass inclusive based on 100 parts by mass of the total of the resin and the surface modifier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The endless belt according to claim 7, wherein the surface modifier includes a compound having a perfluoroalkyl group as the surface modifier having a fluorine atom. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The endless belt according to claim 11, wherein the compound having a perfluoroalkyl group has a thermal decomposition starting temperature of 200° C. or higher. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The endless belt according to claim 11, wherein the content of the compound having a perfluoroalkyl group is from 0.5 parts by mass to 10 parts by mass inclusive based on 100 parts by mass of the total of the resin and the surface modifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The endless belt according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the Hansen solubility parameter of the resin and the solubility parameter of the surface modifier is 7 or less. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A transfer device comprising: an intermediate transfer body having an outer circumferential surface onto which a toner image is to be transferred, the intermediate transfer body including the endless belt according to claim 1; a first transfer unit including a first transfer member that first-transfers a toner image formed on a surface of an image holding member onto the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer body; and a second transfer unit including a second transfer member that is disposed in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer body and second-transfers the toner image transferred onto the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer body onto a surface of a recording medium. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An image forming apparatus comprising: a toner image forming device that includes an image holding member and forms a toner image on a surface of the image holding member; and a transfer device that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image holding member onto a surface of a recording medium, the transfer device being the transfer device according to claim 15. ### Claim 17 An endless belt comprising: a resin selected from the group consisting of polyimide resin, polyamide-imide resin, aromatic polyether ether ketone resin, polyetherimide resin, and polyphenylene sulfide resin; and a surface modifier, wherein the endless belt has, at an outer circumferential surface thereof, a sea-island structure including a sea portion containing the resin and island portions containing the surface modifier, and wherein the island portions have an average equivalent circle diameter of 1.2 μm or less. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The endless belt according to claim 17, wherein the surface modifier includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a surface modifier having a silicone structure and a surface modifier having a fluorine atom. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The endless belt according to claim 18, wherein the surface modifier includes modified dimethyl silicone as the surface modifier having a silicone structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The endless belt according to claim 19, wherein the modified dimethyl silicone has a thermal decomposition starting temperature of 200° C. or higher. ### Claim 21 An endless belt comprising: a resin; and a surface modifier having a silicone structure, wherein the endless belt has, at an outer circumferential surface thereof, a sea-island structure including a sea portion containing the resin and island portions containing the surface modifier, and wherein an area of the island portions is equal to or less than 5% of the total area of the outer circumferential surface.