A printing system is described that has an intermediate transfer member in the form of a seamed endless belt for transporting an ink image from an image forming station, at which an ink image is deposited on the intermediate transfer member, to an impression station, where the ink image is transferred onto a printing substrate. The belt has along its edges formations of a greater thickness than the belt. The formations are received in channels to guide the belt and maintain the belt under lateral tension. Two drive members are provided, each located within a respective one of the channels. The two drive members are connected for movement in synchronism with one another and each has a respective laterally projecting gripper shaped for form locking engagement with the formations on a leading end of a strip from which the intermediate transfer member is to be formed. Rotation of the drive members during installation of a new intermediate transfer member serves to thread the strip through the printing system by pulling the strip from its leading end.

A supporting unit for supporting a rotatable member to feed a developer includes a frame including a first surface extending in a direction crossing an axis of the rotatable member and a second surface extending in a direction crossing the first surface, and a fixed member. The fixed member includes (i) a first opposing surface opposing and contacting the first surface, (ii) a second opposing surface opposing the second surface, and (iii) a first front side surface opposite from the second opposing surface. The second opposing surface is welded to the second surface by ultrasonic spot welding such that a first recess is formed on the first front side surface.

A heat-curable tape, a kit, and a method for connecting ends of an elongate belt to form an intermediate transfer members suitable for use with indirect printing systems. The kit includes an elongate belt and the heat-curable tape. The kit can include a crimping pin. The method includes using the heat curable tape to join ends of the elongate belt at a seam. A heater is used, in a printing system, for heat-curing the heat-curable tape onto the free ends of the elongate belt so as to form the intermediate transfer member.

A fixing member which ensures a surface pressure during toner fixation and which can achieve both an enhanced grip force of an elastic layer and cost efficiency; and a method for producing the fixing member are provided. The fixing member, as a press roll, has the elastic layer of a foamed elastic material on the outer peripheral surface of a core body. The elastic layer is an integrally shaped product of the foamed elastic material. When the specific gravity of the foamed elastic material in axially opposite end portions (grip portions) of the elastic layer is designated as d1, the specific gravity of the foamed elastic material in a portion (free portion) of the elastic layer other than the grip portions is designated as d2, and the specific gravity d2 is 0.7 or less, the proportion of the difference between d1 and d2 to the specific gravity d2 is 10-70%.

Peripheral portion of filters includes short-side portions and long-side portions. A first component and a second component each include a first holding section and a second holding section, the long-side portion of the filter being compressively held between the first holding sections, and the short-side portion of the filter being compressively held between the second holding sections. At least one of the first component and the second component includes a wall portion configured to isolate the long-side portion and the resin from each other. The short-side portion and the resin are in contact with each other.

A main body of doctor blade chambers including a first portion configured to hold a first doctor blade, a second portion configured to hold a second doctor blade, a third portion connecting the first portion and the second portion, a cavity intended to receive ink and defined at least by the first portion, the second portion and the third portion, characterized in that the main body is a single closed hollow profile extending along a longitudinal main axis X-X, the main body being made of pultruded composite material.

The present invention provides a flame retardant composition including a flame retardant that is extracted from a plant and can exhibit high flame retardancy. The flame retardant composition includes a flame retardant compound represented by Formula (1) and polybutylene terephthalate. The content of the flame retardant compound is 12% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less based on the total weight of the flame retardant compound and the polybutylene terephthalate. ##STR00001##
In Formula (1), R.sub.1 to R.sub.3 represent substituents.

A flexo-plate maker uses two different curable liquids. After curing, the curable liquids result in different physical properties. Optionally, the system also uses two illumination subsystems preferably with a different resolution.

A method of making a fluid channel in a printhead structure includes positioning a printhead die on a carrier; compression molding the die into a molded printhead structure; compression molding a first segment of a fluid channel into the molded printhead structure simultaneously with compression molding the die; and materially ablating a second segment of the fluid channel to couple the channel with a fluid feed hole in the die.