Lexmark International, Inc.

Other

Christopher Edward Rhoads

Jichang Cao

David Anthony Schneider

John Parker Richey

Daniel R Steinberg

John Patrick Spicer

Michael William Lawrence

Darin Michael Gettelfinger

Alan Stirling Campbell

Scott Stephen Williams

Delbert Lester Elliott

Matthew Christopher Coriale

Steve Brennen Ball

Benjamin C DeVore

A system and method for controlling the fuser assembly of an electrophotographic imaging device, including determining a resistance of the fuser heater at a predetermined temperature that is less than a fusing temperature for performing a fusing operation; calculating a set point heater resistance based on the determined heater resistance, the set point heater resistance being a resistance of the fuser heater at a predetermined set point temperature; reading a line voltage to the electrophotographic imaging device at a first time; calculating heater power based on the line voltage reading and the calculated set point heater resistance; and controlling a speed of a fusing operation based on the calculated heater power.

Power management and control for a fuser of an electrophotographic imaging device

A system and method for controlling the fuser heater of an electrophotographic imaging device, including determining an initial temperature of the fuser heater; calculating a plurality of warm-up times for heating the fuser heater to a first predetermined temperature based on the initial temperature and a plurality of previously determined warm-up times taken over a plurality of line voltages and stored in memory of the electrophotographic device; determining an actual warm-up time for heating the fuser to the first predetermined temperature; selecting a first calculated warm-up time and a second calculated warm-up time from the plurality of calculated warm-up times; determining a first line voltage value and a second line voltage value corresponding to the first and second warm-up times, respectively, and calculating a current line voltage based on the actual warm-up time, the first and second calculated warm-up times, and the first and second line voltage values.

Control for a fuser of an electrophotographic imaging device which determines current line voltage

A system and method for controlling the fuser assembly of an electrophotographic imaging device, including initiating reading line current and line voltage for a plurality of consecutive AC cycles; from the AC cycle readings, identifying heater on cycles in which power is applied to the fuser heater and heater off cycles in which power is not applied to the fuser heater; calculating heater power from the identified heater on cycles and the heater off cycles, the heater power being the power of the fuser heater during a predetermined heater on cycle of the consecutive AC cycles; calculating a fuser heater voltage of the fuser heater during the predetermined heater on cycle based on the voltage readings; calculating a resistance of the fuser heater based on the calculated heater power and the calculated fuser heater voltage; and controlling the fuser assembly based upon the calculated resistance of the fuser heater.

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

Methods and devices for moving a media sheet along a media path from an input area to a toner transfer area. One method comprises initially determining that the media sheet is to be moved from the input area. After making the determination, the media path is detected to ensure it is capable of moving the media sheet. If the media path is available, the media sheet is picked and moved along the path. If the media path is not available, the media sheet remains in the input area until the path is available. When required to wait for the path, an amount of delay is determined. Once the path is available, the delayed media sheet is picked from the input area and then accelerated to compensate for the delay.

Method and device for correcting pick timing in an image forming device

A pick mechanism, having a clutch mechanism, for picking media sheets from an input tray and introducing them into a paper path of an image forming apparatus. The clutch mechanism comprises a plurality of balls positioned between an inner race and an outer race. Angular backlash between the inner race and the outer race may result in variations in the timing of the media sheets. An algorithm is further included to estimate the pick timing of the media sheets. The algorithm calculates an estimated pick time for a subsequent media sheet that incorporates the known engagement variations of the ball clutch pick mechanism.

Pick mechanism and algorithm for an image forming apparatus

A method for calculating a print medium pick time for an imaging apparatus that transports media at variable speeds along a media path, includes the steps of providing a staging process for varying a transport velocity of a media sheet before transferring an image to the media sheet at the image transfer location, the staging process being used for positioning a top writing line margin of the media sheet in relation to the image at the image transfer location; determining a time period t corresponding to a time when a pick motor is started to pick the media sheet to a time when the staging process is started; determining a derived time period t representative of a normalized time from when the staging process is started to a time when a media path sensor senses the media sheet; and determining a compensated calculated pick time for the media sheet by summing the time period t with the time period t .

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Georgetown, KY, United States of America

Christopher Edward Rhoads