Sleeved fuser member
View Patent ↗A fuser member is described wherein the fuser member includes a core, a cushion comprising a first layer adjacent to the core and a second layer on top of the first layer, and a plastic sleeve. Also described is a process for producing a fuser member, which includes applying a first layer of cushioning composition on a core, applying a second layer of cushioning composition on the first layer of the cushioning composition, and applying a plastic sleeve on the second layer of the cushioning composition.
1. A fuser member comprising:
a core;
a first cushioning layer adjacent to said core;
a second cushioning layer on top of said first cushioning layer; and
a plastic sleeve comprising a fluoroplastic and having a tensile hardness of from about 3*10 7 to about 30*10 8 pascals at 175° C.;
wherein said sleeve, first cushioning layer, and second cushioning layer have a thickness, and wherein said second cushioning layer has a thickness of at least about three times said thickness of said sleeve to no more than about equal to said thickness of said first cushioning layer;
wherein said plastic sleeve has a thickness of from about 10 to about 200 microns;
wherein the second cushioning layer has a shore A hardness of at least 5; the first and second cushioning layers have a hardness difference of about 5 shore A or greater; when the second cushioning layer has a shore A hardness of greater than a shore A hardness of said first cushioning layer, the shore A hardness of said second cushioning layer is from about 40 to about 90 and the shore A hardness of said first cushioning layer is from about 20 to about 70; and when the second cushioning layer has a shore A hardness of less than a-shore A hardness of said first cushioning layer, the shore A hardness of said second cushioning layer is from about 5 to about 70 and the shore A hardness of said first cushioning layer is from about 40 to about 90; and the fuser member has an apparent shore A hardness of at least about 45, such that said first and second cushioning layers have a hardness sufficient to allow said fuser member to make sufficient contact with a toned media surface to provide fusing properties and also limit strain on said sleeve to minimize wrinkling of said sleeve.
2. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said core is metallic.
3. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said first cushioning layer and said second cushioning layer are made of polymers that have a sufficient heat resistance to remain stable at fusing temperatures.
4. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said first and second cushioning layers comprise a silicone rubber or silicone polymer.
5. The fuser member of claim 4 , wherein said first and second cushioning layers comprise a cured product of vinyl and hydrosilane functional polyorganosiloxane.
6. The fuser member of claim 4 , wherein said first and second cushioning layers comprise a polydimethylsiloxane composition.
7. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said first and second cushioning layers have a thickness of from about 20 mils to about 1000 mils or more.
8. The fuser member of claim 7 , wherein said first and second cushioning layers have a thickness of from about 100 mils to about 600 mils.
9. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said first and second cushioning layers have a thickness of about 120 mils or less, when said fuser member primarily includes an internally heat fusing system.
10. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said first and second cushioning layers have a thickness of at least about 100 mils, when said fuser member primarily includes an externally heat fusing system.
11. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said first cushioning layer has a thickness of about 10 mils or greater.
12. The fuser member of claim 11 , wherein said first cushioning layer has a thickness of from about 25 mils to about 900 mils.
13. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said second cushioning layer has a thickness of about 10 mils or greater.
14. The fuser member of claim 13 , wherein said second cushioning layer has a thickness of from about 15 mils to about 200 mils.
15. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said fluoroplastic comprises polytetrafluoroethylene, a polymer of chlorotrifluoroethylene, a fluorinated ethylene-propylene polymer, polyvinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, a vinylidene fluoride-co-tetrafluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene, or combinations thereof.
16. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said plastic sleeve has a thickness of from about 25 to about 100 microns.
17. The fuser member of claim 1 , further comprising an agent to lessen offset of a toner from a receiver to said fuser.
18. A process for producing the fuser member of claim 1 comprising:
applying a first cushioning layer on a core;
applying a second cushioning layer on top of said first cushioning layer; and
applying a plastic sleeve.
19. The process of claim 18 , wherein said first cushioning layer is formed by injection molding followed by curing.
20. The process of claim 18 , wherein said first cushioning layer is cured and is heated at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to reach a predetermined hardness.
21. The process of claim 20 , wherein said first cushioning layer is heated at a temperature of at least about 100° C. for at least about 3 hours.
22. The process of claim 20 , wherein said first cushioning layer is heated at a temperature of at least about 180° C. for at least about 4 hours.
23. The process of claim 18 , wherein said second cushioning layer is formed by injecting liquid between said first cushioning layer and said plastic sleeve.
24. The process of claim 23 , wherein said second cushioning layer located between said first cushioning layer and said plastic sleeve is heated at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to reach a predetermined hardness.
25. The process of claim 24 , further comprising a post-curing process, wherein said post-curing process involves heating said first and second cushioning layers at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to prevent shrinking of said first and second cushioning layers.
26. The process of claim 25 , wherein said post-curing process includes heating said first and second cushioning layers to a temperature of from about 150° C. to about 260° C. for from about 3 hours to about 48 hours.
27. The process of claim 18 , wherein said plastic sleeve comprises a sintered fluoropolymer resin powder.
28. The process of claim 27 , wherein said fluoropolymer resin powder comprises semicrystalline fluoropolymer or a semicrystalline fluoropolymer composite.
29. The process of claim 27 , wherein said fluoropolymer resin powder comprises PTFE powder, polyperfluoroalkoxy powder, FEP powder, PFA powder, poly(ethylenetetrafluoroethylene) powder, polyvinylfluoride powder, polyvinylidene fluoride powder, poly(ethylene-chloro-trifluoroethylene) powder, polychlorotrifluoroethylene powder, a copolymer thereof or mixtures thereof.
30. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said fluoroplastic is a polyperfluoroalkoxy.
31. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said fuser member is a fuser roller.
32. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said fuser member is a fuser belt.
33. The fuser member of claim 1 , wherein said fuser member is a fuser plate.