Lexmark International, Inc.

Clark Edwin Jarnagin

Douglas Campbell Hamilton

Daniel Paul Cahill

Donald Eugene Proffitt

Louann Behymer Samuels

Curtis Duane Woodson

Chad Michael Piening

Todd Allison Quinn

William Thomas Kearney, Iii

Thomas Paul Maddux

Thomas Paul Maddox

In a copier, printer, or similar device, paper is loaded in large quantities. To separate a top sheet of a stack of sheets from the next adjacent sheet, a dam is used, which is an element having an inclined surface in the path of the top sheet. This invention addresses devices with variably compliant separation strips, preferably a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer such as Pellethane&#xae;, that are part of the dam, so that the leading edge of a media sheet will strike the inclined surface of the separation strip. By adjusting the compliance of the separation strip, different weights of media may be accommodated while minimizing the multi-feeds that may cause jamming of the device.

Adjustable compliance of separation strips in a media dam

The present application is directed to sensors and methods of use to determine a width of a media sheet moving along a media path. In one embodiment, the sensor includes a shaft that extends at least partially across the media path. First and second paddles may extend outward from the shaft and into the media path. The paddles may be axially spaced apart along a length of the shaft, and the first paddle may be positioned upstream along the media path from the second paddle. A flag may extend outward from the shaft. A detector may be positioned in proximity to the shaft. In use, the shaft may rotate during contact between the media sheets and the paddles to move the flag. The detector may be able to differentiate between a first amount of rotation due to contact with a wide media sheet and a second amount of rotation with a narrow media sheet to determine a width of the media sheets.

Media width sensors containing axially spaced paddles and method of using the media width sensor

A fuser assembly includes a fuser housing, a fuser roller rotatably mounted to the fuser housing, an actuator mechanism, and a fuser detack mechanism. The fuser detack mechanism includes a detack housing pivotably mounted to the fuser housing. The fuser detack mechanism is pivoted from a first position to a second position when the actuator mechanism is actuated. A plurality of detack fingers is mounted to the detack housing. Each of the plurality of detack fingers has a distal end, wherein when the fuser detack mechanism is in the first position, the distal end of each of the plurality of detack fingers is positioned to be disengaged from an exterior surface of the fuser roller, and when the fuser detack mechanism is in the second position, the distal end of each of the plurality of detack fingers is positioned to be engaged with the exterior surface of the fuser roller.

Fuser assembly having selectable fuser detack mechanism

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Clark Edwin Jarnagin