Abstract: A polyimide film substrate pre-heater assembly is provided for pre-heating substrates in an image producing machine and includes (a) plural rollers including a drive roller; (b) a substrate path defining and heating assembly for defining a portion of substrate path; and (c) a belt assembly including a polyimide film belt forming a loop. The loop forms a substrate transport nip against the substrate path defining and heating assembly. The polyimide film belt includes a polyimide film support layer, a puzzle cut seam having inter-fitting teeth and receptacle members, and a fluoroelastomeric overcoat layer for filling and strengthening the puzzle cut seam, thereby preventing the inter-fitting teeth and receptacle members thereof from popping up when the loop is driven over relatively small diameter rollers.

Abstract: An ink image producing machine has (a) imaging devices, including at least one ink jet print head and an image receiving station for producing an ink image on a heated substrate; (b) a substrate handling assembly including holding devices for holding supplies of substrates, and transport feeding devices for transporting and feeding substrates in a substrate direction towards the image receiving station; (c) a first substrate heating assembly located upstream of the image receiving station for initially heating each substrate being fed and transported from the holding devices; and (d) a second substrate heating assembly located downstream of the first substrate heating assembly and upstream of said image receiving station, relative to the substrate feeding direction, for controllably re-heating each substrate, initially heated by the first substrate heating assembly, to a desired ink image receiving temperature.

Abstract: A polyimide film substrate pre-heater assembly is provided for pre-heating substrates in an image producing machine and includes (a) plural rollers including a drive roller; (b) a substrate path defining and heating assembly for defining a portion of substrate path; and (c) a belt assembly including a polyimide film belt forming a loop. The loop forms a substrate transport nip against the substrate path defining and heating assembly. The polyimide film belt includes a polyimide film support layer, a puzzle cut seam having inter-fitting teeth and receptacle members, and a fluoroelastomeric overcoat layer for filling and strengthening the puzzle cut seam, thereby preventing the inter-fitting teeth and receptacle members thereof from popping up when the loop is driven over relatively small diameter rollers.