Abstract: A fuser member is disclosed with a supporting substrate having an outer layer of a composition comprising integral interpenetrating networks of haloelastomer and silica.

Abstract: A method including: (a) positioning a hollow substrate having a first end and an open second end in a solution, wherein the substrate is held by a chuck assembly and the open second end is submerged in the solution, wherein gas is present in the hollow portion of the substrate between the solution and the chuck assembly, thereby defining a quantity of trapped gas molecules; (b) removing the substrate from the solution; and (c) changing the quantity of the trapped gas molecules by (i) withdrawing a portion of the trapped gas molecules, or (ii) introducing additional gas molecules into the hollow portion, wherein (i) and (ii) are accomplished through the first end of the substrate, thereby controlling the pressure of the gas in the hollow portion.

Abstract: An endless flexible seamed belt formed by joining two ends of the material from which the belt is fabricated, the belt having at least one overlapping butting joint to form the endless belt, each end of the belt material having top and bottom overlapping mating portions of the same length and wherein both the top and bottom overlapping portions are about one-half the thickness of the belt material, the mating portions being joined to provide a lapping joint and two butting joints and wherein rigid high strength fibers are present between mating portions of at least one joint, the seamed belt having been formed by the application of heat to said mating portions when the fibers are present in at least one joint.

Abstract: A method is disclosed including: (a) dip coating a batch of substrates, each substrate defining an end region, a center region, and a top region, with a first coating solution including a solvent to deposit a first layer on the end region, the center region, and optionally on a part of the top region of each substrate, wherein the first layer includes a wet coating solution bead formed at the end region of each substrate, thereby resulting in a plurality of wet coating solution beads; (b) directing a gas simultaneously at the entire plurality of the wet coating solution beads to remove a portion of the solvent in each bead, wherein the gas fails to disrupt the coating uniformity of the part of the first layer over the center region of each substrate; and (c) dip coating the batch of the substrates subsequent to (b) with a second coating solution to deposit a second layer over the first layer, wherein the portion of the solvent removed from each bead in (b) is sufficient to prevent contamination of the second

Abstract: There is disclosed an electrostatographic imaging member comprising: (a) a substrate; (b) a charge blocking layer comprised of nickel hydroxide and nickel oxide, wherein the nickel hydroxide content is at least about 10% based on the number of the nickel hydroxide and the nickel oxide molecules; and (c) a least one imaging layer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a coating method involving a dispensing apparatus defining a particulate material exit opening including: (a) rotating a first applicator and an adjacent second applicator against a substrate, wherein the first applicator and the second applicator define a gap region therebetween; and (b) introducing particulate material into the gap region from the particulate material exit opening positioned at the gap region and moving a portion of the particulate material across the gap region to the substrate, wherein the rotation of the first applicator and the second applicator rubs the particulate material against the substrate.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dip coating method for fabricating a photosensitive member comprising: (a) dipping a substrate into a coating solution comprised of a photosensitive material and raising the substrate, thereby depositing a coating of the photosensitive material on the substrate; and (b) dipping the substrate in the same coating solution and raising the substrate, thereby increasing the thickness of the coating.

Abstract: A method is disclosed comprising: (a) rotating a hollow cylindrical substrate having a coating thereon; (b) employing a gas bearing around the circumference of the rotating substrate along a portion of the length of the substrate to provide support to the substrate during its rotation; and (c) removing a portion of the coating.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for coating a substrate having an end region including: (a) positioning the substrate within a coating vessel to define a space between the vessel and the substrate and providing a downwardly inclined surface contiguous to the outer surface at the end region of the substrate; (b) filling at least a portion of the space with a coating solution; and (c) withdrawing the coating solution from the space, thereby depositing a layer of the coating solution on the substrate.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electrical component for making electrical contact with another component comprising a composite member including a plurality of electrically conductive, nonmetallic fibers in an electrically conductive metallic matrix wherein said composite member has an axial direction and a DC volume resistivity of less than about 100 micro ohm cm, said plurality of conductive fibers being oriented in said matrix in a direction substantially parallel to each other and to the axial direction of said member and said fibers being continuous from one end of said member to the other end to provide a plurality of electrical contact points at each end of said member, at least one end of said member having a brush-like structure of said plurality of fibers wherein said brush-like structure is at least substantially free of the metallic matrix, thereby providing a distributed filament contact wherein the terminating ends of the fibers in the brush-like structure define an electrically contacting surface.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dip coating method comprising: (a) shaping the widths of a plurality of hollow, flexible, endless substrates into an elongated shape and arranging the plurality of the elongated substrates into a configuration for dipping into a coating solution of a single coating vessel prior to (c); (b) dipping the plurality of the substrates having the elongated shape into a coating solution disposed in the coating vessel; and (c) raising the plurality of the substrates having the elongated shape from the coating solution, thereby resulting in coated substrates.

Abstract: There is disclosed a crucible assembly comprising: (a) an electrically conductive tube having a first end portion and a second end portion and defining an opening in the surface of the tube, wherein the tube defines an imaginary horizontal line which bisects the cross-sectional dimension of the tube and an imaginary vertical line which bisects the cross-sectional dimension of the tube; and (b) at least one power connection area, operatively associated with the first end portion of the tube, wherein for the crucible assembly having only one power connection area associated with the first end portion, the one power connection area is positioned above the imaginary horizontal line on the same side of the horizontal line as the opening in the tube surface, wherein for the crucible assembly having at least two power connection areas associated with the first end portion, the at least two power connection areas permit coupling of at least two power cables.

Abstract: A method of making a low surface energy material such as a fuser member comprising providing a shaped fluoroelastomer, preparing a solvent solution of a polyorganosiloxane having reactive functionality and the formula: ##STR1## where R is an alkyl, alkenyl or aryl group having less than 19 carbon atoms or an aryl group substituted with an alkyl or alkenyl group having less than 19 carbon atoms, the functional group A is epoxy, vinyl, acrylic, allylic or methacrylic and n is 2 to 350, contacting the fluoroelastomer with the solution to form at least a thin coating of the polyorganosiloxane on said fluoroelastomer and exposing the coated fluoroelastomer to a level of radiation to form a thin surface layer of the polyorganosiloxane grafted to said fluoroelastomer.

Abstract: There is disclosed an intermediate toner transfer member for use in an electrostatographic printing apparatus employing a liquid developer comprising: (a) a substrate; and (b) an outer layer comprised of a fluoroelastomer polymerized from a plurality of monomers, at least one monomer being an olefin having only carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, and at least one monomer being fluorinated.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for maintaining the levelness of a crucible having a first end and a second end during thermal expansion of the crucible comprising: providing a continuous pulling force on the first end in a direction parallel to the length of the crucible during heating of the crucible.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dip coating method for fabricating a photosensitive member employing a substrate which defines a top non-imaging portion, a middle imaging portion, and a bottom non-imaging portion, wherein the method comprises: (a) immersing the bottom non-imaging portion, the middle imaging portion, and optionally a part of the top non-imaging portion of the substrate in a coating solution; (b) raising the middle imaging portion out of the coating solution; and (c) raising the bottom non-imaging portion out of the coating solution at a take-up speed which is decreasing from the take-up speed of the substrate at the junction between the middle imaging portion and the bottom non-imaging portion, thereby reducing the size of any bead on the bottom non-imaging portion.

Abstract: There is disclosed an intermediate toner transfer component including: (a) an electrically conductive substrate; (b) a conformable and electrically resistive layer comprised of a first polymeric material; and (c) a toner release layer comprised of a second polymeric material selected from the group consisting of a fluorosilicone and a substantially uniform integral interpenetrating network of a hybrid composition of a fluoroelastomer and a polyorganosiloxane, wherein the resistive layer is disposed between the substrate and the release layer.

Abstract: An assembly is disclosed comprising: (a) a coupling member comprising a cradle portion defining a container receiving space, and including a first side end having a first flange which extends into the receiving space and a second side end having a second flange which extends into the receiving space; and (b) a first container including one or more outer surface protuberances, wherein the first container is partially disposed in the container receiving space and at least a portion of the first flange and at least a portion of the second flange contact the outer surface of the first container to define a first region of the outer surface of the first container below the first flange and the second flange, wherein the one or more protuberances, disposed in the first region, minimize movement of the first region above the first flange and the second flange by engaging the first flange or the second flange when the first container is subjected to movement out of the receiving space, thereby coupling the first cont

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for drying a cylindrically-shaped substrate having a wet coating thereon which is oriented in a substantially vertical direction comprising directing a plurality of gas streams at a tangential angle against the substrate surface around the circumference of the substrate, wherein there is a plurality of imaginary lines on the substrate surface which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the substrate, one imaginary line intersecting one gas stream, wherein each gas stream is directed upwards at an acute angle with the intersecting imaginary line, thereby reducing the gas pressure above a portion of the substrate surface which promotes drying of the coating.

Abstract: There is disclosed a substrate reclaim method comprising directing laser energy at a coating covering a part of an outer surface of a substrate, wherein the outer surface has a shiny finish, thereby removing with the laser energy all of the coating on the outer surface and etching with the laser energy a portion of the outer surface to change the etched outer surface portion from a shiny finish to a matte finish.