Fuser member
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorJames S. Newkirk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuser member has a composite layer including (1) a first layer of a first material which is an elastomer; (2) a second layer of a second material comprising elastomeric fluoropolymer which is a crosslinked polymer having repeating units of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkyl perfluorovinylether; and (3) a layer intermediate to and continuous with the first and second layers in which the proportion of the first material to the second material gradually varies from substantially only the first material to substantially only the second material. Methods of making the fuser member by a spray technique and of using the fuser member to fuse toner images to a receiver are also disclosed.
Claims26
The method of forming a member for fusing toner images to a receiver, comprising:
- spraying a base member with a first material which is an elastomer;
- after a layer of the first material has been formed continuing to spray said first material while spraying a gradually varying proportion of a second material with said first material until only said second material is sprayed;
- and
- continuing to spray said second material only to form a layer of said second material:
- wherein said second material is an elastomeric fluoropolymer being a crosslinked polymer comprising repeating units of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkyl perfluorovinylether.
A member for fusing toner images to a receiver comprising:
- a composite layer including:
- (1) a first layer of a first material which is an elastomer;
- (2) a second layer of a second material which is an elastomeric fluoropolymer having a crosslinked polymer comprising repeating units of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkyl perfluorovinylether;
- and
- (3) a layer intermediate to and continuous with said first and second layers in which the proportion of the first material to the second material gradually varies from substantially only the first material to substantially only the second material.
A fuser roller for fusing toner images to a receiver comprising:
- a cylindrical core;
- a composite layer on said core including:
- (1) a first layer of a first material which is an elastomer;
- (2) a second layer of a second material which is resistant to absorption of fuser oil and which is an elastomeric fluoropolymer having a crosslinked polymer comprising repeating units of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkyl perfluorovinylether;
- and
- (3) a layer intermediate to and continuous with said first and second layers in which the proportion of the first material to the second material gradually varies from substantially only the first material to substantially only the second material.
The method of fusing a heat-softenable toner image to a receiver which comprises
- pressure contacting a heat-softenable toner image carried by a receiver with a fusing member at a temperature effective to fuse said toner image to said receiver member, said fuser member having a composite layer including:
- (1) a first layer of a first material which is a high-temperature resistant elastomer;
- (2) a second layer of a second material which is a high-temperature resistant elastomer which is an elastomeric fluoropolymer having a crosslinked polymer comprising repeating units of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkyl perfluorovinylether;
- and
- (3) a layer intermediate to and continuous with said first and second layers in which the proportion of the first material to the second material gradually varies from substantially only said first material to substantially only said second material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.