Abstract: The present invention provides a method of resurfacing a pressure member in a printer having a fuser member that is externally heated by a heater roller. The method includes providing a pressure member having an outer surface of a high temperature fluorothermoplastic. When it is determined that the outer surface is in need of resurfacing, the fuser member is removed from the printer, and the pressure member is mounted in the place of the fuser member. The pressure member is rotated at a speed of at least 1 rpm while engaging the outer surface of the fuser member with the heating roller normally used to heat the fuser member at a pressure of at least 5 psi at a temperature of at least 10° C. below the fluorothermoplastic melting temperature for a time sufficient to resurface of the outer surface of the pressure member.

Abstract: A method of making a fuser roller comprising: providing a fuser roller an outer layer comprising a fluorothermoplastic polymer; and annealing the outer surface of the outer layer through contact the outer layer by means of heat and pressure.

Abstract: A method for producing a replaceable fuser member including a thin, seamless or welded high temperature nickel sleeve, a base cushion positioned around the sleeve and an outside topcoat applied over the base cushion elastomer layer. The sleeve is replaceable on a machine mandrel positioned in an electrophotographic copying machine in a fuser section of the electrophotographic copying machine. The method includes the use of a mandrel having a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the sleeve to support the sleeve during positioning of a cured base cushion layer around the sleeve and a cured topcoat layer over the cured base material.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for refurbishing a fusing member. The apparatus includes a fusing member that contacts the toner image on a receiver medium and fuses the toner image to the receiver medium. The fusing member has an outer contact surface of a fluorothermoplastic resin The apparatus includes a tooling member positionable adjacent to the outer contact surface of the fusing member such that a pressure nip is formed between the outer contact surface of the fusing member and the tooling member. A heat source is provided for transferring heat to the fusing member and the tooling member, wherein the surface of the fuser member is engagable with the tooling member to rotate at a speed of at least 1 rpm at a pressure of at least 5 psi and at a temperature of at least 10° C. below the thermoplastic melting temperature of the outer contact surface for a time sufficient to resurface of the outer surface of the fuser member.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for refurbishing a fusing member. The apparatus includes a fusing member that contacts the toner image on a receiver medium and fuses the toner image to the receiver medium. The fusing member has an outer contact surface of a fluorothermoplastic resin The apparatus includes a tooling member positionable adjacent to the outer contact surface of the fusing member such that a pressure nip is formed between the outer contact surface of the fusing member and the tooling member. A heat source is provided for transferring heat to the fusing member and the tooling member, wherein the surface of the fuser member is engagable with the tooling member to rotate at a speed of at least 1 rpm at a pressure of at least 5 psi and at a temperature of at least 10° C. below the thermoplastic melting temperature of the outer contact surface for a time sufficient to resurface of the outer surface of the fuser member.

Abstract: The fuser members of this invention include a core member that includes a rigid outer surface. An adhesion promoter layer comprising silane or epoxy silane coupling is disposed on the outer surface of the core member. A resilient layer comprising an elastomer is disposed on the adhesion promoter layer. A tie layer is disposed on the resilient layer, the tie layer being made of fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorocarbon thermoplastic copolymers and mixtures thereof. A primer layer, disposed on the tie layer, comprising perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethyl vinyl ether-perfluoroethylene vinyl phosphate or a mixture of perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethylvinyl ether; and an outer layer of fluoropolymer resin made from polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroalkoxy-tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluorinated ethylene-propylene and blends thereof is disposed on the primer layer.

Abstract: The present invention is a fuser member that includes a core member having a rigid outer surface. A resilient layer made of an elastomer is disposed on outer surface. A primer layer of perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethylvinyl ether-perfluoroethylene vinyl phosphate or a mixture of perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethylvinyl bonds the resilient layer and an outer layer. The outer layer comprises fluoropolymer resin selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroalkoxy-tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluorinated ethylene-propylene, and blends thereof.

Abstract: The fuser members of this invention include a core member that includes a rigid outer surface. A resilient layer comprising an elastomer is optionally disposed on the cylindrical outer surface of the core member. A tie layer is disposed on the resilient layer or the outer surface if no resilient layer is present, the tie layer being made of fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorocarbon thermoplastic copolymers and mixtures thereof. An outer layer of fluoropolymer resin made from polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroalkoxy-tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluorinated ethylene-propylene and blends thereof, is disposed on the tie layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of resurfacing a fuser member in-situ. The method includes providing a fuser member having an outer surface of a high temperature fluorothermoplastic. When it is determined that the outer surface is in need of resurfacing, the fuser member is rotated at a speed of at least 1 rpm while engaging the outer surface of the fuser member with at least one heating roller at a pressure of at least 5 psi at a temperature of at least 10° C. below the fluorothermoplastic melting temperature for a time sufficient to resurface of the outer surface of the fuser member.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for refurbishing a fusing member. The apparatus includes a fusing member that contacts the toner image on a receiver medium and fuses the toner image to the receiver medium. The fusing member has an outer contact surface of a fluorothermoplastic resin The apparatus includes a tooling member positionable adjacent to the outer contact surface of the fusing member such that a pressure nip is formed between the outer contact surface of the fusing member and the tooling member. A heat source is provided for transferring heat to the fusing member and the tooling member, wherein the surface of the fuser member is engagable with the tooling member to rotate at a speed of at least 1 rpm at a pressure of at least 5 psi and at a temperature of at least 10° C. below the thermoplastic melting temperature of the outer contact surface for a time sufficient to resurface of the outer surface of the fuser member.

Abstract: This invention relates to a polymer sleeve including a polymer sidewall and a ceramer outer coating and a method for producing the polymer sleeve for use with a blanket cylinder in an electrophotographic process.

Abstract: A toner fuser member contains a substrate on which is disposed a toner release surface layer formed from a composition that includes a silsesquioxane and a curable phenolic resin. On curing, the composition forms an interpenetrating polymer network of the silsesquioxane and phenolic resin.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a polymer sleeve including a polymer sleeve for use with an image cylinder or a blanket cylinder in an electrophotographic process so that the sleeve has a stretched length as mounted on the mandrel equal to a length of the mandrel.

Abstract: This invention relates to a low camping fluorocarbon thermoplastic random copolymer roller coating having a closely controlled curing agent content.

Abstract: A method of making a fuser roller comprising: providing a fuser roller an outer layer comprising a fluorothermoplastic polymer; and annealing the outer surface of the outer layer through contact the outer layer by means of heat and pressure.

Abstract: The fuser members of this invention include a core member that includes a rigid outer surface. An adhesion promoter layer comprising silane or epoxy silane coupling is disposed on the outer surface of the core member. A resilient layer comprising an elastomer is disposed on the adhesion promoter layer. A tie layer is disposed on the resilient layer, the tie layer being made of fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorocarbon thermoplastic copolymers and mixtures thereof. A primer layer, disposed on the tie layer, comprising perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethyl vinyl ether-perfluoroethylene vinyl phosphate or a mixture of perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethylvinyl ether; and an outer layer of fluoropolymer resin made from polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroalkoxy-tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluorinated ethylene-propylene and blends thereof is disposed on the primer layer.

Abstract: The present invention is a fuser member that includes a core member having a rigid outer surface. A resilient layer made of an elastomer is disposed on outer surface. A primer layer of perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethylvinyl ether-perfluoroethylene vinyl phosphate or a mixture of perfluoroalkoxy resin and trifluoroethylene-perfluoroethylvinyl bonds the resilient layer and an outer layer. The outer layer comprises fluoropolymer resin selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroalkoxy-tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluorinated ethylene-propylene, and blends thereof.

Abstract: The fuser members of this invention include a core member that includes a rigid outer surface. A resilient layer comprising an elastomer is optionally disposed on the cylindrical outer surface of the core member. A tie layer is disposed on the resilient layer or the outer surface if no resilient layer is present, the tie layer being made of fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorocarbon thermoplastic copolymers and mixtures thereof. An outer layer of fluoropolymer resin made from polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroalkoxy- tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluorinated ethylene-propylene and blends thereof, is disposed on the tie layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved fuser roller for use in a high speed fusing station where improved heat transfer from the fuser roller to the fused substrates is required. The invention also relates to an improved fuser system using the improved fuser roller of the present invention in combination with an improved pressure roller to produce an improved fuser section.

Abstract: A toner fuser member has a substrate, on which is formed a toner release surface layer from a composition that includes: about 95 wt. % to about 99.9 wt. % of a cross-linked, glycidyl end-capped bisphenolic polymer having the formula where R1 and R2 are each independently H or an alkyl group containing 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, and R3 and R4 are each independently H, F, or an alkyl group containing 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, Z is a carbonyl cross-linking group, and x is an integer from 1 to about 10; and about 0.01 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of a perfluoroalkylsubstituted glycidyl-reactive compound having the formula where R5 is H or F, Q is OH or SiR6R7R8, R6, R7, and R8 being independently selected from the group consisting of Cl, OH, an alkyl group containing 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group containing 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, an acyloxy group containing 2 to about 4 carbon atoms, and an amino group containing 0 to about 4 carbon atoms; and n is an integer from 1 to about 15.