Metal-filled nucleophilic addition cured elastomer fuser member
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsJames A. Lentz, Paul D. DePalma, Rabin Moser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuser member and method of fusing or fixing thermoplastic resin powder images to a substrate in a fuser assembly of the type wherein a polymeric release agent having functional groups is applied to the surface of the fuser member is disclosed. The fuser member comprises a base member having an elastomer surface with metal-containing filler therein, said elastomer being cured with a nucleophilic addition curing agent. Exemplary of such a fuser member is an aluminum base member coated with poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) copolymer cured with a bisphenol curing agent
Claims53
A fuser member for fixing thermoplastic resin powder images to a substrate in a fuser assembly of the type wherein a polymeric release agent having functional groups is applied to the surface of the fuser member, the fuser member comprising a base member having an elastomer working surface with metal-containing filler dispersed therein in an amount sufficient to interact with a polymeric release agent having functional groups, said elastomer being cured with a nucleophilic addition curing agent.
A method of fusing thermoplastic resin toner images to a substrate comprising:
- (a) forming a film of polymeric release agent having functional groups on an elastomer surface of a fuser member at elevated temperatures, said elastomer surface having metal-containing filler dispersed therein in an amount sufficient to interact with the polymeric release agent having functional groups, the elastomer being cured with a nucleophilic addition curing agent;
- (b) contacting the toner images on said substrate with the coated, heated, elastomer surface for a period of time sufficient to soften the toner;
- and
- (c) allowing the toner to cool.
In a heated pressure fusing system for fusing toner images in an electrostatic reproducing apparatus in which a fuser roll and a backup roll define a contact arc to fuse toner images onto a substrate and a release agent is applied to the surface of the fuser roll to prevent toner offset upon the fuser roll, the improvement comprising a fuser roll having an elastomer surface with metal-containing filler dispersed therein, the elastomer being cured with a nucleophilic addition curing agent;
- the release agent applied upon the surface of the elastomer being a polymeric release agent having functional groups which interact with the metal in the filler.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.