Xerox Corporation

Brendan P Obrien

Mark A Atwood

Andrew James Bonacci

A resilient contact blade includes a blade root and a blade tip. The blade is movable from an inoperative position in which the blade root is spaced from a print sheet contacting an imaging member by a first distance. The blade tip is spaced from the print sheet to an operative position in which the blade root is spaced from the print sheet by a second distance that is greater than the first distance. A blade deflector is located in the path of travel of the blade from the inoperative position to the operative position. While the blade is moving from the inoperative position to the operative position the blade engages the deflector. When the blade is in the operative position the blade is deflected by the deflector causing the blade tip to contact the print sheet and press the print sheet against the imaging member.

Variable length transfer assist blade

A contact blade, formed of a plurality of blade segments, is mounted parallel to and spaced from an imaging surface. A plurality of blade lifters, one blade lifter for each of the blade segments, are individually movable from an inoperative position immediately adjacent to the blade segments to an operative position. When in the operative position the engage lifters engage the blade segments and deflect the blade segments. This causes tips of the blade segments to contact a print sheet contacting the imaging surface and press the print sheet against the imaging surface. A lifter activating device moves a current select number of adjacent blade lifters into the operative position.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

Brendan P Obrien