Lexmark International, Inc.

Daniel George Mlejnek

Harald Portig

Richard Andrew Seman, Jr

Daniel Lee Carter

Gregory Lawrence Ream

Virgil Johnson, Jr

Thomas Campbell Wade

Paul Douglas Horrall

David Lee Merrifield

Douglas Anthony Able

Steven Alan Curry

James J Molloy

Cyrus Bradford Clarke

William Joseph Thornhill

Mark Edwin Kirtley Lund

Adam Thomas Manor

Hassan Bahrami

Henry Marshall Brooks

George Peter Olson

A system includes a drive gear and a sensor mounted in an image forming device and a replaceable unit removably installable in the image forming device. The replaceable unit includes a gear for receiving rotational force from the drive gear. The system includes an encoded member encoded with identifying information of the replaceable unit and operatively connected to the gear such that rotation of the gear causes movement of the encoded member for communicating the identifying information of the replaceable unit to the sensor. The encoded member is configured to move toward the sensor upon rotation of the gear of the replaceable unit in a first rotational direction for communicating the identifying information of the replaceable unit to the sensor. The encoded member is configured to move away from the sensor upon rotation of the gear of the replaceable unit in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction.

Image forming device having a replaceable unit including a retractable encoded member

A replaceable unit includes a rotatable gear positioned on a housing of the replaceable unit and an encoded member encoded with identifying information of the replaceable unit. The encoded member is positioned on an axially outboard face of the gear such that the encoded member is rotatable with the gear for communicating the identifying information of the replaceable unit to a sensor of an image forming device when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. The encoded member is configured to move axially outward relative to a rotational axis of the gear upon rotation of the gear in a first rotational direction for communicating the identifying information of the replaceable unit to the sensor. The encoded member is configured to move axially inward relative to the rotational axis of the gear upon rotation of the gear in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction.

Replaceable unit for an image forming device having a retractable encoded member

A low profile, alignment assembly for a media feed roll assembly using torsion spring biasing. The alignment assembly has a first and a second spaced bushings mountable to a frame. Each bushing has a circular collar and a cradle positioned along a common centerline for rotatably holding a driven first and an opposed second shaft on the common centerline. A first and a second torsion spring mount around the second shaft adjacent to the first and second bushing, respectively, and each has a pair of legs extending tangentially therefrom, attachable to the frame or respective bushing and forming a substantially planar profile. Each torsion spring biases the second shaft toward the first shaft along the common centerline and, as a media sheet moves between the first and second shafts, allows the second shaft to move within the cradles radially away from the first shaft along the common centerline.

Self-aligning low profile spring-biased media feed roll assembly for an imaging device

A single aligning roller is disposed at angle to each of two reference barriers to which a printed sheet is to be advanced so as to be aligned at a specific location for stapling. The aligning roller exerts a greater force towards the reference barrier further from the adjacent edge of the printed sheet to be aligned. The aligning roller is preferably at 66&deg; to the reference barrier further from the adjacent edge of the printed sheet to be aligned.

Finisher with single roller for frictionally moving each sheet

An improved EP printer will automatically compensate for printer output darkness shift over the usage life of one or more components of the print engine. In many EP print engines, the printer output darkness without correction will gradually change as the components are used, and typically, the darkness will increase to an extent that is perceptible. The printer output darkness can be controlled using a EP operating point that changes certain operating parameters, such as the laser diode current, the duty cycle of the video data signals driving the laser diode, and other voltage parameters including the charge roller voltage, or the developer bias voltage. It is desirable to make adjustments over the usage life of these components, so as to maintain the initial printer output darkness throughout the life of the major system components. The adjustments can occur at periodic intervals based upon a metric that includes one or more of the following parameters: number of pels produced, number of pages printed, number of cycles of one or more components of the print engine, and/or the consumption of toner in grams. The adjustment information can be provided as look-up tables, or in the form of transfer functions. If look-up tables are used, the adjustment control algorithm could be one that interpolates between periodically-adjusted usage values stored in the look-up tables. Since many EP process cartridges tend to print darker rather than lighter over the life usage of that process cartridge, the present invention will accomplish two important goals by utilizing the methodology described above; not only will the printer output darkness be maintained at a substantially constant value, but the actual number of pels printed and pages printed will be increased by use of the same quantity of toner stored within the replaceable process cartridge.

Method and apparatus for compensating for a darkness shift during the life of an electrophotographic printer cartridge

A plastic gear is rotatably supported on at least one plastic fixed support stud, which is preferably formed of plastic and molded on a metal support plate. The fixed support stud has three equiangularly spaced lobes extending from its outer surface without any nominal clearance with an inner surface of a hub of a plastic gear defining a bore in the gear hub to receive the fixed support stud. The lobes cause deformation of portions of the gear hub between the adjacent lobes. By increasing the clearance between the outer surface of the fixed support stud and the inner surface of the gear hub, spaces are provided between the adjacent lobes to allow portions of the inner surface of the gear hub to extend thereinto due to the deformation of the plastic. This reduces the vibration or jitter of the plastic gear, which is the output gear of a gear train for driving a photoconductive drum of a laser printer to improve its print quality.

Gear arrangement

A toner cartridge (1) contains a photoconductive drum (49) having a central shaft (47). Gear (145) turns with the drum and has a stud (602). A coil spring (604) is mounted on the stud to form a spring clutch which is unwound by the rotation of the drum during imaging. Alternatively, a flat frictional surface is pressed against the side wall (600b) of the gear. Both contact areas have a light grease. The drag forces provide accurate, smooth operation during imaging.

Control of photosensitive roller movement

A gearbox (1) is formed by two steel plates (3,5) which support molded elements (such as 13b and combined 35e, 33e). A separate molding operation is performed on each plate, in which a plurality of individual molded parts are molded. The precise positioning is from the mold, not the plate. The liquid plastic is bound to the plate by entering a plurality of holes (such as 66 and 66a) for each part. The plates are then populated and then held together by screws (72a-72d). A bevel gear (31) is mounted on the outside by molded supports (29a, 29b) and by contact with gear (36) with which it meshes.

Frame with molded features

Modules, such a paper tray 21, are stacked under a printer (3). Power to drive the paper feed originates from the printer. A housing (9, 27) carries a shaft (17, 35) which is keyed to turn with the housing. The shafts have abutment surfaces (47a) which mesh with abutment surfaces on the housing (29a, 29b). A thrust bearing (51) supporting the housing has a configured bottom to permit limited adjustment by rotation of the housing around the gear (35) at the opposite end of the housing. The top of the modules under the printer extend past their general frame and have a conical guide surface (23) to direct an entering shaft. The bottom of the modules has an opening (19e) to receive the extended part from a module on which it is stacked.

Growing community of inventors

Nicholasville, KY, United States of America

Daniel George Mlejnek