Method for reducing surface roughness in a welded seam of an imaging belt

Abstract

A welded seam of an imaging belt comprises a surface roughness. To reduce the surface roughness, the welded seam is treated by compressing a portion of the belt comprising the welded seam and adjacent belt portions and, while compressing, heating the welded seam to a heating temperature near but less than the glass transition temperature of the imaging layer of the belt, then cooling the welded seam to a cooling temperature. The compressing continues while the heating and cooling steps are repeated until the surface roughness is determined to be satisfactory. The process then ceases.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for reducing surface roughness in a welded seam of an imaging belt, the imaging belt comprising first and second ends, the first and second ends overlapping and thereat joined by a welded seam, the welded seam comprising a surface roughness, the belt comprising an imaging layer, a glass transition temperature corresponding to the imaging layer, the method comprising the steps of: 
       at a controlled pressure, compressing a belt portion comprising the welded seam and belt end portions adjacent thereto and, while compressing:  
       heating the welded seam to a heating temperature near but less than the glass transition temperature;  
       then cooling the welded seam to a cooling temperature;  
       the compressing, heating and cooling reducing the surface roughness; and  
       then determining when the surface roughness is satisfactory.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , the surface roughness comprising a protrusion spike. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , the welded seam formed by means of an ultrasonic welding method. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , the controlled pressure substantially between 40 and 80 pounds per square inch. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , the heating temperature substantially between 0.5 and 15 degrees Celsius below the glass transition temperature. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , the cooling temperature substantially at room temperature. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising a step of repeating the heating, cooling and determining steps until the determining step determines that the surface roughness is satisfactory. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , including a step of determining when the protrusion spike has been eliminated. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , including a step of determining when the surface roughness has been reduced by about 40% with respect to its original roughness. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , comprising a step of ceasing the compressing when the determining step determines that the surface roughness is satisfactory. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , the heating step performed for a fixed heating time period. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , the determining step comprising determining when the heating step has been performed a fixed number of times. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , the imaging belt comprising outer and inner surfaces, the heating step comprising a step of applying heat to the outer surface. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , the heating step further comprising a step of applying heat to the inner surface. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , the heating step performed by means of at least one heating element, the cooling step comprising a step of cooling the at least one heating element with a fluid. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , the fluid comprising water. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , the imaging belt being flexible. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , the imaging belt comprising a photoreceptor belt. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , the imaging belt comprising an electroreceptor belt. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , the imaging belt comprising an intermediate image transfer belt.