US 6,165,670 AGranted

Method of treating electrostatographic imaging web and method of making electrostatographic imaging members using such imaging web

AssigneeXerox Corporation

InventorsRobert C. U. Yu, John J. Darcy, Edouard E. Langlois

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Abstract

A method of treating an electrostatographic imaging member web is applied to a web that includes a support substrate and at least one imaging layer formed over the support substrate. The electrostatographic imaging member web can optionally include no anti-curl backing layer. The web is bent into an arcuate shape and heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the imaging layer. The imaging layer is then cooled while in the arcuate shape to a temperature below the glass transition temperature, forming a substantially stress-free imaging layer when conforming to the arcuate shape. The electrostatographic imaging members can be electrographic and electrophotographic imaging members. The treated electrostatographic imaging member webs can be formed into seamed electrostatographic imaging member belts such as ionographic imaging member belts and photoreceptor belts.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method of treating an electrostatographic imaging member web, comprising:

(a) providing an electrostatographic imaging member web including a support substrate and at least one imaging layer formed over the support substrate, the imaging layer comprising a polymeric material having a glass transition temperature;
(b) moving a first portion of the electrostatographic imaging member web into contact with and parked over a surface to form the first portion into an arcuate shape, the imaging layer of the first portion being disposed outwardly from the support substrate relative to the surface;
(c) heating the imaging layer of the first portion of the electrostatographic imaging member web to a temperature above the glass transition temperature while the first portion is in the arcuate shape;
(d) cooling the first portion of the electrostatographic imaging member web to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the imaging layer while the first portion is in the arcuate shape, so that the imaging layer of the cooled first portion is substantially stress free as conformed in the arcuate shape;
(e) subsequent to (d), moving the electrostatographic imaging member web relative to the surface so that the cooled first portion is not in contact with the surface and a second portion of the electrostatographic imaging member web is in contact with and parked over the surface to form the second portion into the arcuate shape;
and
(f) repeating (c) and (d) for the second portion of the electrostatographic imaging member web so that the imaging layer of the second portion is substantially stress free;
wherein the second portion of the electrostatographic imaging member web is at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the imaging layer while the first portion is in the arcuate shape and being heated;
and
wherein the first portion of the electrostatographic imaging member web is at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the imaging layer while the second portion is in the arcuate shape and being heated.

7 more elements

A method of treating a photoreceptor web, comprising:

(a) providing a photoreceptor web including a support substrate and a charge transport layer formed over the substrate, the charge transport layer comprising a polymeric material having a glass transition temperature;
(b) moving a first portion of the photoreceptor web into contact with and parked over a surface having a cross-sectional shape to form the first portion into an arcuate shape, the charge transport layer of the first portion disposed outwardly from the support substrate relative to the surface;
(c) heating the charge transport layer of the first portion of the photoreceptor web to a temperature above the glass transition temperature while the first portion is in the arcuate shape;
(d) cooling the first portion of the photoreceptor web to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer while the first portion is in the arcuate shape, so that the charge transport layer of the cooled first portion is substantially stress free as conformed in the arcuate shape;
(e) subsequent to (d), moving the photoreceptor web relative to the surface so that the cooled first portion is not in contact with the surface and a second portion of the photoreceptor web is in contact with and parked over the surface to form the second portion into the arcuate shape;
and
(f) repeating (c) and (d) for the second portion of the photoreceptor web so that the charge transport layer of the second portion is substantially stress free;
wherein the second portion of the photoreceptor web is at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer while the first portion is in the arcuate shape and being heated;
and
wherein the first portion of the photoreceptor web is at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer while the second portion is in the arcuate shape and being heated.

7 more elements

A method of treating a photoreceptor web, comprising:

(a) providing a photoreceptor web including a support substrate and a charge transport layer formed over the substrate, the charge transport layer comprising a polymeric material having a glass transition temperature;
(b) moving a first portion of the photoreceptor web into contact with and parked over a surface having a cross-sectional shape to form the first portion into an arcuate shape, the charge transport layer of the first portion disposed outwardly from the support substrate relative to the surface;
(c) heating the charge transport layer of the first portion of the photoreceptor web to a temperature above the glass transition temperature while the first portion is in the arcuate shape, the remainder of the photoreceptor web other than the first portion being at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer while the first portion is in the arcuate shape and being heated and cooled;
(d) cooling the first portion of the photoreceptor web to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer while the first portion is in the arcuate shape, so that the charge transport layer of the cooled first portion is substantially stress free as conformed in the arcuate shape;
(e) subsequent to (d), moving the photoreceptor web relative to the surface so that the cooled first portion is not in contact with the surface and a second portion of the photoreceptor web is in contact with and parked over the surface to form the second portion into the arcuate shape;
and
(f) repeating (c) and (d) so that the charge transport layer of the second portion is substantially stress free, the remainder of the photoreceptor web other than the second portion being at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer while the second portion is in the arcuate shape and being heated and cooled.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.