Eastman-kodak Company

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Nexpress Solutions, Inc.

Heidelberg Digital L.l.c.

Other

David E Hockey

Matthias Hermann Regelsberger

Philip A Stern

George R Walgrove, Iii

Kevin D Lofftus

Edward Michael Eck

James A Zimmer, Jr

Jeffrey C Blood

Alfred Gonnella, Jr

Thomas Nathaniel Tombs

William B Vreeland

Francisco Luiz Ziegelmuller

Kenneth Joseph Brown

Diane Marie Herrick

Christopher Stephen Garcia

David McLaughlin Rakov

Anne F Lairmore

Kurt E Jones

Paul L Nielsen

John P Swapceinski

George N Tsilibes

Gary P Hoffman

Pierce B Day

Tomas Roztocil

Gerald L Kelly, Iii

John L Steeves

Warren G Branch, Iii

Dennis E DeMeyer

Clifton T Hartford

John Franklin Quester

David R Heberle

Amy J Deyaeger

Dale Smith

In order to prevent an imaging forming process of an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus from becoming contaminated with fuser release oil, a substantially uniform layer of pigmented marking particles from a development subsystem of the image forming process is deposited onto a photoconductive member of the image forming process during any non-imaging cycles of the process, including cycle down, non-imaging skip frames, or recovery from a receiver jam. The substantially uniform layer of pigmented marking particles acts as a barrier to block fuser release oil from the photoconductive member and as a vehicle to carry away contaminating fuser release oil.

Fuser oil contamination prevention and clean-up method

An electrophotographic print engine has a variable primary charger and toning bias which places the machine in abnormal reproduction modes in order to provide service and diagnostic information to troubleshoot subsystems involved in the electrophotographic process.

Image forming apparatus with variable toning bias offset service utility

An electrophotographic (EP) image-forming device and related method are provided for on-line quantitative assessment of the image formation and development process. The EP image-forming device has a primary charger, an exposure device, a toning station, a transfer charger, a fusing station, and a cleaner operatively disposed about a photoconductor. A transmission densitometer is positioned adjacent to the photoconductor. The densitometer determines the successive tones corresponding to a plurality of step areas of a toner pattern for each image frame. The density readings are stored in memory. The photoconductor densities are subtracted from the combined densities to provide measured toner densities, which are then averaged for each step area. The average measured toner densities or voltage readings are compared to the aim toner densities or voltage readings for each step in the step tablet which are displayed in an output chart to quantitatively assess the image quality of the image-forming process. Preferably, every image frame on the photoconductor is assessed successively.

Image-forming device having on-line image quality assessment and related method

A logic and control unit (LCU) is configured to assess the viability of various subsystems in the electrophotographic marking process. The LCU determines a charging efficiency between a primary charger and a photoconductor, establishes a reference voltage on the photoconductor, wherein the reference voltage corresponds to the charging efficiency, operates a first subsystem in a non-print production mode to produce a first resulting voltage on the photoconductor, and translates the photoconductor to a stationary sensor for measuring the first resulting voltage.

Electrophotographic process control and diagnostic system

A method and apparatus for identifying the root causes of image artifacts visible in the printed output of an electrophotographic printer, activating a special operating mode for the marking engine, and referencing the printing process intentionally to each rotating member of the electrophotographic process in turn. The referencing insures that image artifacts and/or non-uniformities originating from each rotating member are visible in the same location on each printed output. Since the rotating members employed are intentionally designed to be different in diameter, the referencing of the printing process to each one of the rotating members in conjunction with variable receiver sizes enables an operator to associate each image artifact or non-uniformity with a specific rotating member causing it. The appearance of image artifacts is enhanced through zero offset voltage printing and flat-field exposure of the rotating member images as appropriate. Where referencing of the printing process cannot be done,master timing marks are printed on the rotating member images to guide the image interpretation.

Service routine to identify causes for image artifacts in printed output

An eletrophotographic marking machine and electrophotographic process wherein the machine has a logic and control unit programed to complete a print mode operation wherein an image recording member such as a belt is moved past a series of workstations in a print mode operation, the control unit being configured to permit a process isolation that interrupts the print mode operation of the machine without causing a hard stop of the machine. The controller is further configured to allow the restart of the interrupted print mode operation from the point of stoppage so the interrupted print mode can be completed.

Electrophotographic marking machine including a controller for the selective interruption and restart of a print mode operation and method

An electrophotographic marking machine is described including a first set of data with a plurality of parameters corresponding to a plurality of prior electrophotographic markings or frames. The electrophotographic marking machine further includes a second set of data selected from the first set of data based upon a predetermined set of criteria. In addition, the electrophotographic marking machine has a volatile storage device for storing the first set of data, and a non-volatile storage device for storing the second set of data. A method for assessing operability of an electrophotographic marking machine is also described. The method includes the steps of recording a first set of data including a plurality of parameters corresponding to a plurality of prior electrophotographic markings, storing the first set of data in a volatile storage device, selecting a second set of data from the first set of data based upon a predetermined set of criteria, and storing the second set of data in a non-volatile storage device.

Method and apparatus for monitoring parameters corresponding to operation of an electrophotographic marking machine

A system for assessing the performance of an electrophotographic marking machine is provided, wherein data from several different inputs are gathered in two distinct sets having different frequencies. A high-frequency data set includes parameters typically recorded with each print made, and provide an electrophotographic history which is used in deducing the cause of malfunctions. The lower-frequency data are typically recorded at the time of each autosetup, and provide electrophotographic trend information which is used as a predictor of component and consumable lifetimes. In each data set, only data over an appropriately selected period maintained on a first-in, first-out basis. This system has the advantage of simultaneously providing an intensive recent history for tracing faults, and enabling long-term trends to be discerned without being buried in a redundant excess of data.

An electrostatographic recording apparatus and method has a primary image forming member (PIFM) that is moving along a closed path. The PIFM is sufficiently large to form a series of images thereon in the direction of movement of the PIFM during a production run of image formation. Plural series of toner images are formed on the PIFM during production runs. A first location on the PIFM is normally used to form images forming a part of the production runs. The first location is adjacent to and downstream of, in the direction of movement of the PIFM, a second location, such as a seam area, that is not used for image recording of production images during the production runs. A transfer device that is in engagement with the PIFM has its electrical bias switched from a first polarity used when transferring toner images from the PIFM to a second polarity that is of opposite polarity when the transfer device is in engagement with the PIFM at the second location. After a new cycle-up of the apparatus, there is provided for no recording at the first location on the PIFM of a first image forming a part of a new production run of images. Instead, the first image is recorded at a next available location on the PIFM downstream of the first location in the direction of movement of the PIFM, so that the transfer device is provided more time to recover when switching from the second polarity to the first polarity.

Electrostatographic image-forming apparatus and method with control of image forming after cycle-up

A grid electrode for attachment to a corona charger includes a series of substantially parallel grid wires extending in a longitudinal direction of the wires. A flat metallic plate member is formed integral with the wires at one of the longitudinal ends of the wires. A cap member is connected to the plate member. The cap member includes a cover segment having a surface that overlies and is in planar contact engagement with a substantial portion of a respective plate member with a thickness of at least 0.5 millimeters and the cover segment being formed of a material that is substantially electrically more resistive than the flat metallic plate member.

Grid electrode for corona charger

An apparatus and method for replenishing toner and collecting used toner in an electrostatographic machine. The apparatus includes a replenishment hopper having a supply of fresh toner. A development device feeds toner onto a recording member having an electrostatic image to be developed. A feeding device feeds fresh toner to the development device from a replenishment bottle. A replenishment motor drives the feeding device to feed fresh toner to the development device. A collection container or bottle collects used toner removed from a recording member. A controller tracks a first accumulated motor operating on-time and is programmed to compare the operating on-time with a first pre-programmed value for determining when the collection container is to be emptied or to be replaced or that the machine is to be cycled down. The controller also tracks a second accumulated motor operating on-time for determining when the replenishment bottle is to be replaced.

Toner replenishment and collection apparatus and method

In an electrostatographic process and apparatus a replenishment device adds toner particles to a development station that includes a developer comprising a mixture of toner particles and carrier particles. A reference parameter that is used in control of aim point of toner concentration in the mixture is set to an initial value until about a midlife of the developer is reached. Once the midlife of the developer is reached there are provided programmed step adjustments in the reference value in accordance with further increases in life of the developer to thereby control replenishment of toner particles so that control of charge to mass of the toner particles in the mixture is provided to reduce a tendency of dusting by the toner particles of the mixture due to age of the developer.

Electrostatographic apparatus and method with programmable toner

In accordance with the invention, a toner transfer member for electrostatography comprises a substrate and an outer surface layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a ceramer comprising a polyurethane silicate hybrid organic-inorganic network and a fluoropolymeric composition comprising a polyester-based polyurethane and polytetrafluoroethylene. The transfer member of the present invention is particularly useful for duplex electrostatographic copying processes; its outer surface layer substantially reduces the migration of release oil from the fusing station to the photoconductor via the transfer member, thereby ensuring high quality fused images on both sides of a receiver sheet.

Transfer member for electrostatography

An electrostatographic reproduction apparatus having a transfer assembly, including an electrically biased transfer roller in nip relation with a dielectric support member, for effecting transfer of a pigmented marking particle image from an image area of a dielectric support member to a receiver member in transfer relation with the dielectric support member in the transfer nip, a mechanism for cleaning the transfer roller including a control for the electrical bias on the transfer roller. The electrical bias control has a power supply generating an electrical output, of a settable polarity, connected to the transfer roller for applying an electrical bias of a set polarity thereto. A timing signal generator produces signals respectively corresponding to the location of a receiver member relative to the transfer nip. A mechanism, responsive to the signal from the timing signal generator, indicating the passing of the trail edge of a receiver member through the transfer nip, reverses the setting of the polarity of the electrical output from the power supply so as to prevent transfer of residual marking particles from the dielectric support member to the transfer roller.

Transfer roller electrical bias control

An electrostatographic recording apparatus and method wherein a primary charger establishes a uniform electrostatic charge on an electrophotoconductive image recording member in accordance with a first operating parameter. A recording device imagewise modulates the charge on the image recording member to form electrostatic latent images in accordance with a second operating parameter and also forms a developable process control patch. A development station develops the electrostatic latent images and the control patch on the image recording member with toner in accordance with a third operating parameter. A replenishment device provides toner to the development station at a controlled rate in accordance with a replenishment signal. A sensor senses density of the control patch developed by the development station; and a controller is responsive to density of the control patch and provides adjustments to the first, second and third operating parameters and controls a reference signal used to generate the replenishment signal as a function of a parameter related to one of the first, second or third operating parameters. Preferably the controller controls the reference signal as a function of the parameter related to the first operating parameter, primary voltage setpoint.

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Brockport, NY, United States of America

David E Hockey