Process for producing belt-shaped member from a die-extruded film having a film thickness, die gap relationship

摘要

A process produces a belt-shaped member to be used in an image-forming apparatus is disclosed in which a toner image held on a latent-image-bearing member is electrostatically transferred under application of a voltage via the belt-shaped transfer member. The process includes the steps of melt-extruding a material containing a thermoplastic resin, from a circular die into a cylindrical film; forming the resultant cylindrical film by stretching in such a way that the cylindrical film comes to have a thickness smaller than the die gap of the circular die; and cutting the cylindrical film thus formed, into a seamless belt having a thickness of from 40 m to 300 m and a modulus in tension of 600 MPa or higher. The stretched cylindrical film is formed to have a thickness not larger than of the die gap of the circular die. A belt-shaped transfer member may be produced by the above-described process. The so-produced belt-shaped transfer member is usable as a transfer belt in an image-forming apparatus in which a toner image held on a latent-image-bearing member is electrostatically transferred under application of a voltage via the belt-shaped transfer member.