Lexmark International, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Alan Stirling Campbell

Gary Allen Denton

Cary Patterson Ravitz

Gregory Lawrence Ream

David Anthony Schneider

Jarrett Clark Gayne

Peter Brown Pickett

David Brian Langer

Kermit Arnold Meece

Albert Munn Carter, Jr

Eric L Ziercher

Jerome Michael Eldridge

Brian Lester Boettcher

Benjamin Keith Newman

Mark William Amann

Paul Douglas Horrall

Donald Wayne Stafford

David Lee Merrifield

Donald Leo Elbert

Ronald Lloyd Roe

John Parker Richey

Michael John Dixon

James J Molloy

Franklin Joseph Palumbo

Francis C Lee

Scott Richard Castle

Martin Victor DiGirolamo

Peter E Wallin

Julie Ann Gordon Whitney

Royden Thomas Kern

Pramod K Sharma

Eugene David Allen

Graham Olive

Stanley Coy Tungate, Jr

Christopher Edward Rhoads

Todd Lucas Janes

Brandon Alden Kemp

Chris Anthony Burdette

Jason Edward Gordon

William Dale Smith

William Hargis Barton

Christina Allison Cullins

Curt J Claflin

Jack H Jennings

William C McCornack

Jerry Wayne Calia

Randy L Fagerquist

Tracy G Floyd

Brenda M Kelly

In an imaging device having a photoconductive drum and a lubricant applicator brush, methods and apparatus teach application of the lubricant to the drum at a transfer nip and removing undeveloped toner particles. A first voltage is applied to the drum while the brush receives a voltage that switches more positive and more negative than the first voltage. It attracts to the brush from the drum negatively and positively charged toner. Embodiments contemplate amounts of voltages and frequencies of switching. An elongate rod contacts the brush downstream of the transfer nip to flicker off the toner particles from the brush. The rod can also have voltages applied and switched greater than and lesser than the voltages of the applicator brush to facilitate toner removal. A cleaning blade downstream of the transfer nip scrapes clean a surface of the drum.

Biased lubricant applicator brush in imaging device

A method and apparatus for retracting a magnetic brush in an imaging device. The apparatus includes a housing containing carrier beads and toner particles; a magnetic structure at least partly disposed within the housing and generating at least one magnetic field; and an endless sleeve disposed around and rotatable about the magnetic structure, at least a portion of the sleeve extending from the housing. During toner development, the magnetic structure is in a first position for developing a magnetic brush of the carrier beads and toner particles along the portion of the sleeve extending from the housing which forms a developer nip with a photoconductor, and during a period of time when toner development is not to be performed, the magnetic structure is in a second position for retracting the magnetic brush by causing the carrier beads to be positioned against the portion of the endless sleeve extending from the housing forming the developer nip.

Method and apparatus for magnetic brush retraction in electrophotographic system

A device for cleaning a photoconductive member in an image forming device. The device includes a blade extending across the photoconductive member and having an edge that contacts a surface of the photoconductive member to remove toner therefrom. An elongated seal disposed adjacent the blade extends across a length of the blade such that an opening for receiving removed toner is formed between the elongated seal and the blade. The elongated seal includes at least one tab projecting at each longitudinal end thereof and extending between the blade and the photoconductive member so as to prevent a longitudinal end section of the edge of the blade from contacting the surface of the photoconductive member.

Cleaner unit for removing waste toner within an image forming device

An imaging device, including one or more imaging units for use in transferring toner to media sheets, one of the imaging units being a black imaging unit for transferring black toner; a media transport path having a duplex path, the duplex path having at least one set of rollers for independently moving media sheets through the duplex path; and a controller operatively coupled to the one or more imaging units and the media transport path, for staging one or more media sheets in the duplex path for a period of time. The period of time results in an increase in the interpage gap which may be utilized while the imaging device interrupts a printing operation to perform any of a number of operations.

Method and system for efficient duplex printing

A device and method for determining and applying a transfer voltage in an imaging apparatus is provided. A servo voltage is determined based in part upon a change in an environmental condition. A determination is made whether or not to perform a new transfer servo operation based upon at least one of an amount of time passing since the last transfer servo operation was performed and a comparison of the determined servo voltage and a servo voltage used in a prior transfer servo operation. A transfer servo operation includes charging a photoconductive drum to a charge corresponding to a printing voltage.

Device for determining and adjusting transfer voltage in an imaging apparatus and a method thereof

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoconductive drums, each photoconductive drum transferring a portion of a toner image to an intermediate transfer member. The photoconductive drums are individually rotated to a printing speed such that a downstream photoconductive drum starts rotating prior to an adjacent upstream photoconductive drum starts image transfer. Similarly, an upstream photoconductive drum starts deceleration when its following downstream station has transferred image.

Method for increasing useful life of an image forming apparatus

A method for delaying the start of a gage for tracking the life of a consumable item for an imaging device according to one exemplary embodiment includes counting the number of revolutions of a rotating imaging component having a correlation with the life of the consumable item and determining whether a predetermined delay threshold is satisfied based on the number of revolutions of the imaging component counted. Until the predetermined delay threshold is satisfied, starting the gage and tracking the remaining life of the consumable item are delayed.

Method for delaying the start of a gage for tracking the life of a consumable item for an imaging device

An imaging system comprises a laser source for emitting a beam, a photoconductive surface, a scanning device and a controller. The controller designates at least a first part and a second part of each line of image data, corresponding to a first part and a second part of each associated sweep of the beam. The laser source is modulated based upon the first part of the line of image data during the first part of a first one of the associated sweeps of the beam. The laser source is not modulated according to image data for the second part of the first one of the sweeps. During the first part of a second one of the associated sweeps of the beam, the laser source is not modulated based upon image data. However, the laser source is modulated based upon the second part of the line of image data during the second part of the second one of the sweeps.

Systems and methods for using multiple scanner facets to write a scan line of image data in an electrophotographic device

The present invention relates to a device or method which may reduce starvation in the transfer of an image forming substance to a developing location within an image forming apparatus. The device may include a first roller having a surface which is capable of supplying an image forming substance to a developing location. A second roller may then be included having a surface in rotating contact with the first roller. The second roller is capable of supplying image forming substance to the first roller. The second roller may comprise foam having a specified porosity, electrical conductivity, and/or be configured to rotate in a desired direction and/or desired speed relative to the first roller.

Apparatus and method for transfer of image forming substances

Control circuitry associated with an electrophotographic imaging device is adapted to operate in conjunction with a sensor to adjust a difference in electrical bias between a photoconductive surface and an associated roller. The sensor detects a reflectance or luminosity of a developed image and the control circuitry uses this detected information and information related to reflectance or luminosity of the underlying surface and the developing toner to determine whether the developed image is produced as desired. The control circuitry adjusts the difference in electrical bias between the photoconductive surface and an associated roller in response to a comparison between the detected and desired images. In one embodiment, a predetermined test pattern is developed over a range of electrical bias differences and an optimum operating point is determined from the iterations.

White vector feedback adjustment

Control circuitry associated with an electrophotographic imaging device is adapted to operate in conjunction with a sensor to adjust operating parameters, including an imaging power. The sensor detects a reflectivity of a developed image and the control circuitry uses this detected information and information related to reflectivity of the underlying surface and the developing toner to determine whether the developed image is produced as desired. The control circuitry adjusts imaging power in response to a comparison between the detected reflectivity and a target reflectivity. In one embodiment, a predetermined halftone pattern is developed over a range of imaging powers and an optimum operating point is determined from the iterations. A predictive model may be generated based on many data points to select imaging power based on optimized surface potentials.

Optimization of operating parameters, including imaging power, in an electrophotographic device

An electrophotographic device comprises a printhead having at least one laser associated with a corresponding photoconductive surface. Where multiple laser beams are associated with the same photoconductive surface, the laser beams are spaced a predetermined distance from one another in a process direction, which is orthogonal to a scan direction in which the laser beams are swept. The electrophotographic device operates at one of at least two image transfer rates. A controller in the electrophotographic device selectively directs image data to the printhead based, at least in part, upon the selected image transfer rate, the facet resolution, and/or the desired output image resolution. The print speed can thus be adjusted over a relatively wide range.

Multiple speed modes for an electrophotographic device

A method of calibrating a multi-color electrophotographic machine having an image bearing surface includes forming toner patches of cyan, magenta, and yellow solid areas individually and in superimposed combination to form a series of single layer and multi-layer test patches. Light is emitted onto these single and multi-layer test patches. The amount of light that is reflected off of each test patch is measured. Light is also emitted onto a bare section of the image-bearing surface. The bare section has substantially no toner thereon. An amount of light that is reflected off of the bare section is measured. The step of measuring an amount of light reflected off single layer solid area test patches is repeated for a series of laser power and developer bias conditions. A laser power and/or a developer bias is adjusted dependent upon each of the three measuring steps.

Method of setting laser power and developer bias in a multi-color electrophotographic machinie

A device and method for storing toner within an image forming apparatus having an upper reservoir and a lower reservoir. A sensor paddle is positioned within the lower reservoir for determining a toner level within the lower reservoir. The sensor paddle rotates within an angular displacement from a fall point to a toner rest point. The device and method further includes a drive gear for rotating the sensor paddle, and a cam mechanism positioned adjacent to the drive gear. The cam mechanism is connected to the sensor paddle and has a cam angular displacement relative to the drive gear about equal to the sensor paddle angular displacement. A pawl having at least one opening is mounted on at least one post extending axially outward from the drive gear and includes a boss positioned within the cam track. Upon a predetermined angular displacement of the sensor paddle, the boss moves along the cam track resulting in the pawl radially extending outward from the drive gear and contacting a toner supply mechanism for transferring toner from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir.

Toner supply with level sensor and meter and method of using the same

A waste toner removal device for transporting toner from a photoconductive drum within an image-forming apparatus. The invention includes a waste toner reservoir having outer walls forming an interior chamber for housing toner removed from the photoconductive drum. An opening is positioned within the outer walls into the interior chamber forming an upper chamber section extending above the opening and a lower chamber section extending below the opening. An auger extends along the photoconductive drum and unobstructed into the opening of the waste toner reservoir. The auger includes helical blades extending outward for moving the toner from the photoconductive drum into the waste toner reservoir. A pumping cylinder having a generally cylindrical shape extends around the auger adjacent to the waste toner reservoir. The diameter of the pumping cylinder is approximately equal to the helical blades wherein rotation of the auger creates a pumping action for moving toner into the said upper and lower chamber sections.

Conveyor and waste toner reservoir for an image-forming apparatus

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

Alan Stirling Campbell