Improved silicone rubber drive belt and an apparatus for thermal development of a photographic medium using said drive belt

摘要

A drive belt for use in a processor assembly for a hard copy reproduction apparatus is disclosed. The first section is a layer of cured silicone rubber impregnated with 26 parts by weight or greater of a filler element, such as carbon black for providing said belt with a stiffness characteristic thereby reducing its propensity to stretch and reducing its capacity to absorb a chemical exudate exuded from a photographic paper medium disposed adjacent a heater platen within said hardcopy reproduction apparatus. The drive belt also includes a second section, the second section, the second section being a hard coating, such as a silicone coating disposed over the first section for lowering the friction between the drive belt and said photographic paper medium, or between the drive belt and said heater platen. In an alternative embodiment, to further improve the performance of the drive belt, a third section is disposed over the second section, the third section being a lubricating film disposed over the hard coating for further reducing the friction developed between the drive belt and the photographic medium or between the drive belt and the heater platen.