Apparatus and methods for delivery of a functional material to an image forming member

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a) one or more imaging members comprising:
• a support substrate, and
• one or more photoconductive layers disposed on the substrate;
• b) an intermediate transfer belt disposed in contact with the surface of the one or more imaging members;
• c) an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit disposed in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt;
• and
• d) a delivery unit disposed in contact with a surface of the intermediate transfer belt downstream from the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit, wherein the delivery unit applies a first layer of a lubricant material to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt and the intermediate transfer belt in turn applies a second layer of the lubricant material onto the surface of the one or more imaging members, wherein the lubricant material is present on the surface of the one or more imaging members in an amount of from about 0.5 nanogram/cm2 to about 500 nanograms/cm2;
• wherein the delivery unit comprises a delivery member comprising:
• a support member, and
• an elastomeric layer disposed on the support member, wherein the elastomeric layer is comprised of a polymer matrix containing one or more lubricant materials dispersed within the polymer matrix, further wherein the lubricant material is incorporated into the polymer matrix at a weight ratio of from about 1:10 to about 1:2.

A method for reducing printing defects in an image forming apparatus comprising:

• providing a delivery unit containing functional material in an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising
• a) one or more imaging members comprising
• a support substrate, and
• one or more photoconductive layers disposed on the substrate;
• b) an intermediate transfer belt disposed in contact with the surface of the one or more imaging members, and
• c) the delivery unit disposed in contact with a surface of the intermediate transfer belt;
• wherein the delivery unit comprises a delivery member comprising:
• a support member, and
• an elastomeric layer disposed on the support member, wherein the elastomeric layer is comprised of a polymer matrix containing one or more lubricant materials dispersed within the polymer matrix, further wherein the one or more lubricant materials are incorporated into the polymer matrix at a weight ratio of from about 1:10 to about 1:2;
• contacting the intermediate transfer belt with the delivery unit to apply a layer of the one or more lubricant materials to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt;
• and
• contacting the one or more imaging members with the intermediate transfer belt to deliver the one or more lubricant materials to the surface of the one or more imaging members, wherein the one or more lubricant materials are present on the surface of the one or more imaging members in an amount of from about 0.5 nanogram/cm2 to about 500 nanograms/cm2.