Transfer assist blade

A transfer assist blade for an electrostatographic machine, the electrostatographic machine comprising a charging station for charging a copy sheet to attract a developed image from an image bearing surface to a copy sheet, wherein said charging station includes a corona generating device spaced from the image bearing surface to define a gap therebetween through which the copy sheet passes,

• the transfer assist blade comprising:
• a wear layer for contacting a copy sheet, wherein the wear layer of the transfer assist blade has a surface resistance of greater than about 1010 ohms;
• an interior layer having a thickness of from about 150 microns to about 500 microns;
• and
• a back layer comprising a polyethylene terephthalate film having an outer layer comprising cross-linked aziridine/carboxylated polyester at a weight ratio of from about 0.5/99.5 to about 40/60 and a conductive component wherein an outer surface of the back layer has a surface resistance of from about 1×108 ohms to about 9.99×108 ohms.

An electrostatographic printing machine of the type in which a developed image is transferred from a photoconductive surface to a copy sheet at a transfer station, comprising:

• an electrostatic charging unit for charging the copy sheet to attract the developed image from the photoconductive surface toward the copy sheet wherein said electrostatic charging unit includes a corona generating device spaced from the photoconductive surface to define a gap therebetween through which the copy sheet passes;
• a transfer assist blade for pressing the copy sheet into contact with at least the developed image on the photoconductive surface wherein the transfer assist blade includes;
• a wear layer for contacting the copy sheet, wherein the wear layer of the transfer assist blade has a surface resistance of greater than about 1010 ohms,
• an interior layer having a thickness of from about 150 microns to about 500 microns;
• and
• a back layer comprising a polyethylene terephthalate film having an outer layer comprising cross-linked aziridine/carboxylated polyester at a weight ratio of from about 0.5/99.5 to about 40/60, a conductive component, a leveling agent and an acid catalyst wherein an outer surface of the back layer has a surface resistance of from about 1×108 ohms to about 9.99×108 ohms,
• the transfer assist blade adapted to be shifted between a non-operative position spaced from the photoconductive surface, and an operative position in contact with the copy sheet on the photoconductive surface;
• and
• a lever member for shifting the transfer assist blade between the non-operative position and the operative positions, the lever member responsive to a registration signal.