Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080286019 | PRESSURE ROLL FOR FUSING OPERATION - Washers are used for a pressure roll in a fusing system of an electrophotographic system that improve the functionality and durability of the pressure roll. These washers are made up of a rigid ring section having flexible (less rigid) fingers projecting from the inner periphery of the ring. This provides a more uniform pressure to be exerted in the pressure roll and, consequently, a more uniform nip for better handling and fusing. | 11-20-2008 |
20090116888 | THERMALLY UNIFORM PAPER PREHEAT TRANSPORT - A pre-heater system and adapted to be used on an electrostatic marking apparatus for improving gloss on media having marking thereon at a location in the apparatus prior to a conventional fuser roll assembly or station, the system including a primary heater adapted to blow pressurized hot air into a surface of an image receiving media in order to substantially dispense hot air throughout an entire paper or media surface; and a preheat media transport for transporting media from the location in the apparatus prior to the conventional fuser roll assembly or station through the primary heater, the preheat media transport includes means for maintaining the preheat media transport at a substantially uniform predefined temperature. | 05-07-2009 |
20090180819 | Self Adjusting Metal Stripper Fingers - A plurality of stripper fingers in a fuser assembly are provided to assist in preventing damage to the fuser roll caused by prior art fingers. In the present invention, skiis are positioned away back from the tip of the stripper finger. These skiis extend beyond the lower surface of the stripper finger and are enabled to lift the tip away from the fuser surface during a paper jam or hard stripping situation. | 07-16-2009 |
20100079560 | VARIABLE RATE FUSER RELEASE FLUID APPLICATION - According to various illustrative embodiments, an apparatus, method, and system for variable rate fuser release fluid application are described. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a supply of release agent material. The apparatus also comprises a release agent metering roller supported for contact with the supply of the release agent material. The apparatus also comprises a variable speed drive arranged to effect movement of the release agent metering roller in an endless path at different surface velocities. The apparatus also comprises a donor roller supported in contact with the release agent metering roller and a fuser roller of a contact fuser, the donor roller arranged to convey release agent material from the release agent metering roller to the fuser roller at various rates depending on a surface velocity of the release agent metering roller, wherein the variable speed drive is operative independently of the fuser roller. | 04-01-2010 |
20100079561 | VARIABLE RATE FLUID FILM RELEASE IN AN INK JET PRINTER - An apparatus for ink jet printing, as well as corresponding method and system are described. The apparatus includes a source of fluid film, a fluid film metering roller supported for contact with the source of fluid film, a variable speed drive arranged to effect movement of the fluid film metering roller in an endless path at different surface velocities, a donor roller supported in contact with the fluid film metering roller, an ink jet printhead configured to emit ink, and a print assembly rotatably supported in the apparatus, the print assembly having a print assembly surface coupled to the donor roller, the print assembly configured to receive ink from the ink jet printhead and produce an image on media using the ink, wherein the donor roller is configured to convey the fluid film from the fluid film metering roller to the print assembly surface at various rates depending on a surface velocity of the fluid film metering roller, and at least one of the following: an amount of fluid film left on the donor roller, a film thickness of the fluid film on the fluid film metering roller, and a speed ratio between the fluid film metering roller and the donor roller, wherein the variable speed drive is operative independently of the print assembly. | 04-01-2010 |
20100092219 | FUSER APPARATUS HAVING FUSER CLEANER WEB AND CORRESPONDING METHODS - Disclosed are methods of controlling a speed of a fuser cleaner web in a fuser apparatus, and the corresponding fuser apparatus. The method utilizes a fuser cleaner web for cleaning a fuser roll and being disposed between the fuser roll and a web nip roll, the fuser cleaner web being unwound from a web supply roll and wound onto a take up roll, the take up roll being driven by a motor. The method determines an angular displacement of the motor from a start of the fuser cleaner web being unwound from the web supply roll, and controls a speed of the motor to maintain a substantially constant fuser cleaner web speed, wherein the speed of the motor is controlled based on the determined angular displacement of the motor and a changing diameter of the take up roll, the changing diameter of the take up roll including a diameter of the fuser cleaner web as it is wound onto the take up roll. | 04-15-2010 |
20100111578 | APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FUSER ROLL - In a printer for forming toner images on a photoreceptor, the printer including a heated fuser roll with an elastomer-coated surface, an external heating roll, in contact with the heated fuser roll, the external heating roll includes a braking mechanism for generating frictional contact with the heated fuser roll thereby improving fuser cleaning | 05-06-2010 |
20100150585 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING NIP WIDTH IN AN IMAGE PRODUCTION DEVICE - A method and apparatus for measuring nip width in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include receiving a signal to measure the nip width, the nip width being the distance of an arc length created by an intersection of the fuser roll and the pressure roll, positioning a nip width measuring device into the nip, measuring the nip width, determining if the measured nip width meets a required nip width, wherein if the measured nip width does not meet the required nip width, adjusting the nip width. | 06-17-2010 |
20100183326 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING FUSER NIP WIDTH - An apparatus ( | 07-22-2010 |
20100327481 | BELTS AND METHODS OF MAKING BELTS FOR APPARATUSES USEFUL IN PRINTING - The disclosed embodiments include methods of making belts for apparatuses useful in printing and fuser belts for apparatus useful for printing. An embodiment of the methods includes forming a first layer of the belt using a first material comprising a first polymer applied on an inner surface of a mandrel, the first layer including a first outer surface facing the inner surface of the mandrel and a first inner surface; forming a second layer of the belt using a second material comprising a second polymer applied over the first inner surface, the second layer including a second inner surface; and removing the belt from the mandrel. | 12-30-2010 |
20110052235 | APPARATUSES USEFUL IN PRINTING AND METHODS OF CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF SURFACES IN APPARATUSES USEFUL IN PRINTING - Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of controlling the temperature of surfaces in apparatuses useful in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses useful in printing includes a belt including a first surface; at least one heat source for heating the first surface; a roll including a second surface; a temperature sensor positioned to measure a temperature of the second surface; and a roll positioning device coupled to the roll for positioning the second surface of the roll in contact with the first surface of the belt to form a nip and increase the temperature of the second surface, and for positioning the second surface out of contact with the first surface to decrease the temperature of the second surface, in response to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. | 03-03-2011 |
20110211879 | APPARATUSES USEFUL IN PRINTING ONTO MEDIA AND METHODS OF MITIGATING MEDIA EDGE WEAR EFFECTS ON FIXING BELTS IN PRINTING - Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of mitigating media edge wear effects on fixing belts in printing are provided. An exemplary apparatus useful for printing onto media includes a first roll including a first surface; a second roll including a second surface; a fixing member including a third surface; a fixing belt supported on the first surface and second surface, the fixing belt including a surface forming a nip with the fixing member; a registration distribution system for translating the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt, as a unit, transversely with respect to a media travel path of media received at the nip; and a belt steering mechanism connected to the second roll for translating the fixing belt across the first surface of the first roll at the nip, transversely to the media travel path, while the registration distribution system translates the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt transversely to the media travel path. | 09-01-2011 |
20110318072 | FUSER RELEASE FLUID RATE TRANSIENT CONTROL VIA VARIABLE SPEED OIL METERING SYSTEM - An apparatus for applying release agent to a fuser roll used in printing a print job is provided. The apparatus has a release agent metering roll supported for contact with a supply of release agent material; a variable speed drive arranged to effect movement of the release agent metering roll in an endless path at different surface velocities; a donor roll supported in contact with the release agent metering roll and the fuser roll, the donor roll arranged to convey release agent material from the release agent metering roll to the fuser roll at various rates depending on a surface velocity of the release agent metering roll; and a controller that controls a velocity of the variable speed drive such that the surface velocity of the release agent metering roll varies relative to a surface velocity of the fuser roll and the engagement and disengagement times at the start and end of the print job. The variable speed drive is operative independently of the fuser roll. | 12-29-2011 |
20120003415 | BELTS FOR ELECTROSTATOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME - The present embodiments are generally directed to a belt for use in an electrostatographic apparatus that is made by applying the substrate and various layers onto the inside of a mandrel, rather than on the outside of the mandrel. The method of the present embodiments allows formation of the belt from the outer layer in to the inner layers, which provides a more effective method of making the belt as well as a belt with enhanced properties. The tensile member of the belts comprises fibrous materials and is formed in place with the rest of the layers. | 01-05-2012 |
20120189969 | APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR BELT-ROLL FUSER LATCHING - A belt-roll fuser system includes a belt-roll fuser module that is movable to engage and disengage to a main frame of the belt-roll fuser system. The belt-roll fuser has an internal pressure member that defines a fusing nip with an external pressure member of the main frame when the belt-roll fuser module is engaged. The belt-roll fuser module is movable by a latch, and when engaged, a nip load path crosses through a point at which the latch attaches to the belt-roll fuser module. | 07-26-2012 |
20120237275 | APPARATUS AND METHOD TO CONTROL MEDIA WRINKLING THROUGH ROLL FLARING - According to aspects of the embodiments, an electrophotographic system utilizing a belt roll fuser mechanism which inhibits or minimizes wrinkling or slipping of printed media through the fuser is disclosed. In this device, the belt is driven at the ideal velocity at all locations across the width of the roll with minimal differential shear stress between the internal pressure roll and the inside of the belt in the nip and around the wrap. The ideal velocity is achieved by straining the circumference belt while its mounted on a roll support structure by flaring the other rolls equally and flaring the internal pressure roll to match the strained circumference of the belt. A small flaring of the rolls in the belt module would reduce sliding of the belt and make the transition between the wraps or the stripper shoe less stressful. | 09-20-2012 |
20120251202 | APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS INCLUDING BELT-ROLL FUSER STRIPPING SHOE WITH ROBUST COMPLIANT TIP - A belt-roll fuser stripping system has a stripping shoe and a stripping shim. The shim is support by a support member. The support member supports the shim to maintain a desired nip pressure profile, and reduce deformation and wear of the shim and belt-roll fuser components. | 10-04-2012 |
20120263508 | BELT CLEANING APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR BELT FUSER - A belt fuser system has a cleaning member with a changeable wick. The cleaning member has a first belt cleaning surface and a second belt cleaning surface. The cleaning member rotates about a longitudinal axis for bringing the first belt cleaning surface and the second belt cleaning surface in contact with a back of a fuser belt. | 10-18-2012 |
20130189004 | SELF-POSITIONING STRIPPER BAR APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR BELT ROLL FUSER SYSTEMS - A self-positioning belt roll fuser stripping apparatus and system includes an internal pressure roll entraining a fuser belt. The internal pressure engages an external pressure roll to form a fusing nip. The internal pressure roll includes an internal pressure roll bearing to which a mounting plate is attached, allowing the mounting plate to move about a rotational axis of the internal pressure roll. A strip bar is attached to the mounting plate, and configured to force the fuser belt toward the external pressure roll. A mounting plate ski is configured to contact an external pressure roll bearing to limit movement of the mounting plate, positioning the strip shoe as desired when the mounting plate is moved to guide the strip show toward the fusing nip. | 07-25-2013 |
20130223858 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MITIGATING FUSER ROLL EDGE WEAR USING VARIABLE END-POINT REGISTRATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM CONTROL - Methods include moving a fuser assembly with respect to a medium at a fusing nip. The fuser assembly may be moved back and forth, axially in a media cross process direction for registration distribution. The system may be configured to move the fuser assembly different distances based on a deduction of a current location of a fuser member in view of a known driving motor speed, and a time elapsed after a change in signal state. Systems may incorporate one or two sensors, and may be configured for axial movement over a distance of 2 mm or a distance of 55 mm. signature. | 08-29-2013 |
20130336683 | APPARATUS, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING STRIP RADIUS IN A FUSER UNIT USEFUL IN PRINTING - An apparatus, system and method are provided for controlling a nip pressure profile at a fusing nip and a strip radius in a fuser. The fuser has a first pressure member configured to be inflatable comprising one or more radial webs configured to extend between an external portion of the first pressure member and an internal member of the first pressure member. The fuser also has a second pressure member that having a surface that faces a surface of the first pressure member at a region defining a fusing nip. The second pressure member is configured to cause a deformation of the first pressure member to cause, at least in part, a selectable strip radius. | 12-19-2013 |
20140013541 | PROTECTED CASTER ASSEMBLY - An apparatus includes a wheel having an axle, and a round disk connected to the axle. The round disk has a disk middle connected to the axle and a disk circumferential surface surrounding the disk middle. Further, a round ring having an inner ring surface is connected to the disk circumferential surface of the round disk. The round disk is positioned within the round ring. The round ring contacts the round disk along a first plane, and the axle is coplanar with the first plane. Additionally, the round ring has a ring circumferential outer surface having threads. A threaded cylinder having an inner threaded cylinder surface is connected to the threads in the ring circumferential outer surface. The round ring is positioned within the threaded cylinder. Further, a worm gear is positioned between the threaded cylinder and the round ring. | 01-16-2014 |
20140204157 | Pressure Roller Containing A Volume Of Fluid - A pressure roller for a media processing device has enhanced temperature uniformity and resists temperature increases when subjected to elevated temperatures, enabling greater dimensional stability of the pressure roller in fluctuating temperatures. The pressure roller includes a hollow cylindrical member, an elastomeric layer, and an endbell on each end of the hollow cylindrical member. A chamber is defined by an inner wall of the hollow cylindrical member and the endbells in which a volume of fluid is contained to absorb heat from the hollow cylindrical member. | 07-24-2014 |
20150022834 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING SELECTABLE ROLL POSITIONING FOR WEB PRINTING IN A POST PROCESSING DEVICE OF AN IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A system and method are provided for implementing selectable roll positioning for web printing in devices, including post processing devices, for advanced image forming systems. A selectable drive system for continuous feed or web material image receiving medium substrate can “with the flip of a switch” transition the drive system from a tensioned web (transport) pulling system in a downstream device to a slack web nip-drive system as may be dictated by other system and/or operating characteristics. The selection of a particular drive method is based on a constitution of the continuous feed or web material image receiving media; a composition of a marking material deposited on the continuous feed or web material image receiving media; or a post-processing technique that the continuous feed or image receiving media, as marked, may undergo in the production of an output document. | 01-22-2015 |