Xerox Corporation

Conrad J Bell

Joseph A Swift

Stanley John Wallace

Jeffrey William Drawe

Alan B Amidon

Sharon R Hagell

Andrew C Larocca

James D Rees

Geoffrey M Foley

John L Webb

Roger W LaForce

Thomas W Cherry

Ronald G Buckner

Francis R Harmon

Pat Grasso

John A Yavonditte

A gradient index lens assembly is formed by joining a plurality of separate lens arrays end to end to form a lens array assembly of extended length. This concept is especially useful in machines for copying large documents where lens arrays of up to 36 inches in length are required. A single lens array of this length is expensive to manufacture but can be approximated by three shorter 12-inch lenses at a fraction of the price of the single, unitary lens. Each of the plurality of the lens arrays are masked at their end, the mask overlapping the end fibers. The lens arrays are joined together in an alternate staggered configuration so that light transmitted through each lens array is optically coupled or stitched at the interfaces to optically form a single, continuous line of exposure at an image plane.

Gradient index lens array assembly comprising a plurality of lens arrays

A sheet registration and deskew assembly including a force reducing deskew roll having deflectable ribs, and alternating grooves for enabling the ribs to deflect once the sheet is in resisting contact against a registration edge guide member of the registration assembly, thus reducing a driving force on the sheet, and hence preventing damage to the sheet as well as excessive wear on the registration edge guide member.

Sheet registration assembly including a force reducing deskew roll

A device for transferring electrical charge between a first element and a second element is provided the elements have an electrical potential therebetween. The device has a body including a multiplicity of electrically conductive carbon fibers. A substantial portion of the fibers extend in a substantially parallel direction, parallel to a first axis. The body includes a first contact area for contact with the first element. The body further includes a second contact area on the periphery thereof spaced from the first contact area, the second contact area for contact with the second element.

Solid carbon fiber electrical rod developer bias contacting method

A device for transferring electrical charge from an electrically conductive element to a rotating element is provided. The device has a body including a pultruded composite member having a multiplicity of electrically conductive fibers provided with a polymer matrix. The plurality of conductive fibers is oriented within the polymer matrix in a longitudinal direction of the pultruded composite member. The fibers each extend in a substantially parallel direction, parallel to a first axis. The body includes a first contact area. The body defines an aperture therein. The body has a second contact area on the periphery of the aperture spaced from the first contact area and a support. The support is secured to the body for supporting the body. The first contact area is for contact with the conductive element and the second contact area is for contact with the rotating element. The fibrillated portion is coincident with at least one of the first contact area or said second contact area.

Carbon fiber electrical contact mounting for rotating elements

A device for transferring electrical charge between a first element and a second element is provided. The elements have relative rotational motion therebetween. The device has a body including a multiplicity of electrically conductive fibers. A substantial portion of the fibers extend in a substantially parallel direction, parallel to a first axis. The body includes a first contact area. The body defines an aperture therein. The body further includes a second contact area on the periphery of the aperture spaced from the first contact area. The first contact area is for contact with the first element and the second contact area is for contact with the second element.

Carbon fiber electrical contact for rotating elements

A device that addresses the problem of substrate distortion created by a fuser nip being transmitted back to a transfer nip includes a post transfer corrugator that introduces a non-image side protrusion in the substrate path between the transfer zone and the fuser zone. The post transfer corrugator forces the substrate to flatten out any distortion caused by the fuser/nip and prevents this distortion from entering the transfer zone. The corrugator also supports the substrate so as to increase the wrap angle of the substrate around an electrostatic member.

Post transfer corrugator

The invention is directed towards a web cleaning system which is used in a xerographic reproduction machine to simultaneously clean the surface of a photoreceptor and of a fuser roll. The fuser roll is of the type having an elastomer coating requiring application of a silicone oil. The web cleaning system performs a third function by applying a predetermined amount of oil from an oil donor web onto the side of the web which cleans the fuser roll surface. In a further aspect of the invention, the web cleaning components are mounted in a customer replaceable unit (CRU) for convenient removal.

Combination photoreceptor and fuser roll cleaner with additional oil

A copier with an anamorphic magnification imaging system is provided with improvements which enable increased resolution of exposed line images at a photoreceptor. The improvement relates to reducing the effective imaging aperture through which the images is projected onto the surface of a photoreceptor. In one embodiment, a gradient index lens array which transmits light reflected from illuminated scan strip on a document platen is provided with two blockers attached to opposite sides of the lens array. Each blocker element has a blocking end which projects into the optical path and blocks a portion of the light that would otherwise be transmitted along the optical path. The effect of the two blockers is to form an effective imaging aperture having a width less than 1mm, in the preferred embodiment about 0.4mm. This narrow imaging width enables a high resolution output image. Increased illumination requirements are met, in another embodiment, by using a faster lens to increase exposure and modifying the lens by adding an extra pitch to increase the total conjugate which would otherwise limited by using the faster lens.

Copier with anamorphic magnification imaging system

A catch tray for a copier/printer holds and stacks copies of a wide variety of sizes exiting a copier/printer without operator involvement. The copies are allowed to fall into a funnel type baffling device with flexible friction paddles that drive the incoming copies into the catch tray and holds them in place while simultaneously allowing a major portion of each copy sheet to flip and hang down over a curved portion of the outer wall of the catch tray.

Active copy sheet catch and stacking device

A one piece, low cost, self-loading, articulating and hard surfaced idler roll is provided for use in a xerographic copying machine or the like. The idler roll includes an outer core with a surface of sufficient hardness to be non-compliant when sheet material and a drive roll comes into contact with it. A compliant material is positioned between a shaft which can be hollow and the outer core in order to complete the one piece structure and allow the idler roll to articulate about the shaft to diminish skewed entry of sheets into the nip formed between the idler roll and the drive roll.

Articulating idler roll

In order to minimize the footprint of a copier, a two-part paper tray is used with one part of the paper tray being pivotably attached to another part of the paper tray for pivoting upward along the back of the copier during use. The pivoting of the paper tray also serves to minimize multi-feeding by fanning the copy sheets.

Pivoting paper tray

In order to minimize the handling of large copy sheets when the feeding of a different size or type of copy sheet is required, and insertable copy sheet tray is included that is inserted on top of copy sheets already in a copy sheet tray for feeding purposes and removed once the requisite number of different size or type of copy sheets have been fed.

Paper feeder insert tray

A simple, low cost, hand operated paper feeder includes a media chamber mounted at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane that allows media to exit the chamber through a membrane. A two-position, T-shaped actuator including a pair of non-rotating rolls is slidably mounted on a rail for contacting the media. A rod is connected to the actuator such that when movement of the rod is initiated in a first direction, the actuator is moved to a position contacting the media and with continued movement of the rod, a top sheet of the media is moved a predetermined amount through the membrane, and with return of the rod in a second direction to its initial position, the actuator is caused to retract from the media surface to its initial position.

Paper feeder apparatus

A low cost, paper feeder for large copy sheets includes a media chamber mounted to support copy sheets in a substantially vertical plane. A two-position, T-shaped feeder mechanism including a pair of one-way clutch controlled feed rolls is slidably mounted on a rail for contacting the media. A foot pedal is connected to the feeder mechanism such that when movement of the foot pedal is initiated, the feeder mechanism is moved in a first direction to a position contacting the copy sheets and with continued movement of the foot pedal, a top sheet of the copy sheets is moved by the feeder mechanism out of the tray in a second direction a predetermined amount to a copier wait station, and with return of the foot pedal to its initial position, the feed mechanism is caused to retract from the surface copy sheets in a third direction to its initial position.

Foot pedal operated, modular, roll up paper feeder apparatus

A development system for a reproduction machine includes a pair of augers which mix and transfer the developer mixture to a magnetic roll brush system. The supply auger is positioned in a horizontal plane; the second return auger is at an angle to the first auger. The first auger transports developer material in one direction mixing the developer material and dispensing developer material along its length by gravity to the magnetic brush roll sump. A developer material transport opening at one end allows developer material to be gravity fed to the adjacent end of the inclined auger which carries the developer material uphill. The developer material is transferred at the other end by gravity feed back to the first auger.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

Conrad J Bell