Transport belt, process for manufacturing the transport belt, and image-forming apparatus having the transport belt

Abstract

A transport belt comprising a base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, and a plurality of electrodes arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth on the outer periphery or inner periphery of the first base member layer. The electrodes each comprise a linear film comprised of a thermoplastic material and are joined by heating onto the first base member layer. This transport belt is improved in attraction of recording mediums and enables transport of the recording mediums in a high accuracy. Also disclosed are a process for its manufacture and an image-forming apparatus making use of the same.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A transport belt which comprises a first base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, and a plurality of electrodes arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth on the outer periphery or inner periphery of the first base member layer, wherein; 
 said electrodes each comprise a film comprised of a thermoplastic material, formed in a line, and are joined by heating onto the first base member layer.    
     
     
         2 . The transport belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting said electrodes has a lower volume resistivity than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said first base member layer.  
     
     
         3 . The transport belt according to  claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting said electrodes has a volume resistivity lower which is lower than 1.0×10 5 Ω·cm.  
     
     
         4 . The transport belt according to  claim 1 , wherein a second base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt is so provided as to hold said electrodes between said first base member layer and the second base member layer.  
     
     
         5 . The transport belt according to  claim 4 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting the base member layer positioned on the outer peripheral side in said first base member layer and second base member layer has a volume resistivity which is higher than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said electrodes and is lower than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting the base member layer positioned on the inner peripheral side in said first base member layer and second base member layer.  
     
     
         6 . The transport belt according to  claim 4 , wherein an intermediate layer comprised of a thermoplastic material is provided at spaces between electrodes adjoining to each other which are held between said first base member layer and said second base member layer, with which intermediate layer the spaces are filled up.  
     
     
         7 . The transport belt according to  claim 6 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting said intermediate layer has the same volume resistivity as the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said first base member layer.  
     
     
         8 . The transport belt according to any one of  claims 1  to  7 , wherein the thermoplastic materials constituting the respective layers comprise a like base material.  
     
     
         9 . A process for producing a transport belt comprising a base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, and a plurality of electrodes arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth on the outer periphery of the base member layer; the process comprising the steps of: 
 winding around a cylindrical member a sheetlike film comprised of the thermoplastic material making up the base member layer;    arranging a plurality of linear films comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the respective electrodes, on the outer periphery of the sheetlike film wound around the cylindrical member, and at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth; and    inserting into a tubular mold member the cylindrical member with these films, followed by heating in the state that the respective films are so held between the cylindrical member and the tubular mold member as to be capable of being pressed against each other, to join the sheetlike film at its ends and simultaneously join the films to each other at their part coming into contact with each other.    
     
     
         10 . The process for producing a transport belt according to  claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting said electrodes has a volume resistivity which is lower than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said base member layer.  
     
     
         11 . The process for producing a transport belt according to  claim 10 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting the electrodes has a volume resistivity which is lower than 1.0×10 5  μ·cm.  
     
     
         12 . A process for producing a transport belt comprising a first base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, a plurality of electrodes arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth on the outer periphery of the first base member layer, and a second base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, which is so provided as to hold the electrodes between the first base member layer and the second base member layer; the process comprising the steps of: 
 winding around a cylindrical member a first sheetlike film comprised of the thermoplastic material making up the first base member layer;    arranging a plurality of linear films comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the respective electrodes, on the outer periphery of the first sheetlike film wound around the cylindrical member, and at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth;    winding around the first base member layer a second sheetlike film comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the second base member layer; and    inserting into a tubular mold member the cylindrical member with these films, followed by heating in the state that the respective films are so held between the cylindrical member and the tubular mold member as to be capable of being pressed against each other, to join each of the first and second sheetlike films at their ends and simultaneously join the films to each other at their part coming into contact with each other.    
     
     
         13 . The process for producing a transport belt according to  claim 12 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting said second base member layer has a volume resistivity which is higher than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said electrodes and is lower than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said first base member layer.  
     
     
         14 . A process for producing a transport belt comprising a first base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, a plurality of electrodes arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth on the outer periphery of the first base member layer, a second base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, which is so provided as to hold the electrodes between the first base member layer and the second base member layer, and an intermediate layer comprised of a thermoplastic material, provided at spaces between electrodes adjoining to each other which are held between the first base member layer and the second base member layer; the process comprising the steps of: 
 winding around a cylindrical member a first sheetlike film comprised of the thermoplastic material making up the first base member layer;    winding around the first base member layer a sheetlike film with fitting openings which is comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the intermediate layer and has a plurality of fitting openings arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth;    fitting in the fitting openings of the film with fitting openings a plurality of linear films comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the respective electrodes;    winding around the film with fitting openings a second sheetlike film comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the second base member layer; and    inserting into a tubular mold member the cylindrical member with these films, followed by heating in the state that the respective films are so held between the cylindrical member and the tubular mold member as to be capable of being pressed against each other, to join each of the first and second sheetlike films and the film with fitting openings at their ends and simultaneously join the films to each other at their part coming into contact with each other.    
     
     
         15 . The process for producing a transport belt according to  claim 14 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting said second base member layer has a volume resistivity which is higher than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said electrodes and is lower than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said first base member layer, and the thermoplastic material constituting said intermediate layer has the same volume resistivity as the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said first base member layer.  
     
     
         16 . A process for producing a transport belt comprising a first base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, a plurality of electrodes arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth on the outer periphery of the first base member layer, a second base member layer formed of a film comprised of a thermoplastic material and wound in the shape of a belt, which is so provided as to hold the electrodes between the first base member layer and the second base member layer, and an intermediate layer comprised of a thermoplastic material, provided at spaces between electrodes adjoining to each other which are held between the first base member layer and the second base member layer; the process comprising the steps of: 
 winding around a cylindrical member a first sheetlike film comprised of the thermoplastic material; the first sheetlike film having in an integral form the part forming the first base member layer and the part forming the intermediate layer, having a plurality of fitting openings arranged at given intervals in the shape of comb teeth which openings have been made in the part forming the intermediate layer, and being so wound that the part forming the intermediate layer is superposed on the part forming the first base member layer;    fitting in the fitting openings of the first sheetlike film a plurality of linear films comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the respective electrodes;    winding around the first sheetlike film with these films a second sheetlike film comprised of a thermoplastic material making up the second base member layer; and    inserting into a tubular mold member the cylindrical member with these films, followed by heating in the state that the respective films are so held between the cylindrical member and the tubular mold member as to be capable of being pressed against each other, to join each of the first and second sheetlike films at their ends and simultaneously join the films to each other at their part coming into contact with each other.    
     
     
         17 . The process for producing a transport belt according to  claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic material constituting said second base member layer has a volume resistivity which is higher than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said electrodes and is lower than the volume resistivity of the thermoplastic material constituting said first base member layer.  
     
     
         18 . An image-forming apparatus which comprises a recording means for forming an image on a recording medium and a transport means for transporting the recording medium, wherein; 
 said transport means comprises the transport belt according to  claim 1 , which is rotatingly driven by a drive means, and an electrical-feed means for feeding electricity to electrodes of said transport belt.    
     
     
         19 . The image-forming apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said recording means is an ink-jet recording head which ejects an ink out of nozzles to form images.