Xerox Corporation

David J Pearce

Martin Richard Walsh

Joseph Benjamin Gault

Richard Guy Chambers

Michael Cameron Gordon

Anthony John Peters

Brian G Russell

Richard Marc Watson

Lee James O'Brien

Kevin Swain

A method and system to sense an amount of material such as toner in a container held in a horizontal position within a machine, such as a printing machine. A level sensor senses an amount of material within a dispensing unit which causes the level sensor to issue a signal. The dispensing unit is external to the container. The container holding the material is rotated, and a rotation direction reversed to a direction normally used to dispense the material. The reverse rotation direction moves the material to a closed end of the container. The container is then moved in a forward direction following the rotation of the container in the reverse direction. The forward rotation moves the material to the open end of the container, and the material further moves into the dispensing unit. A signal is generated when a sufficient amount of material has been moved into the dispensing unit. A time period is determined which represents the time it took to move the material from the closed end of the material, until the signal indicating a sufficient amount of material exists in the dispensing unit. The amount of material in the container is estimated by use of the determined time period.

Methods and systems for sensing an amount of material in a toner cartridge

Cleaner apparatus for a phase change ink printer

A printer includes an idler movement mechanism that rotates a transfix member at a speed corresponding to a rotational speed for a rotating image member before moving the transfix member into engagement with the rotating image member to form a nip. The printer includes a rotating image member for receiving colorant from a print head to form an image on the rotating image member, a motor having rotational output that is coupled to the rotating image member for rotating the rotating image member at a first surface speed, a transfix member for forming a nip with the intermediate print member to transfer the image from the intermediate print member to media in the nip, the transfix member being moveable from a first position, in which the transfix member does not form a nip with the intermediate print member, to a second position, in which the transfix member forms the nip with the intermediate print member, and a rotational transfer link for coupling the transfix member in the first position to the rotation of the rotating image member so the transfix member rotates at a second surface speed that corresponds with the first surface speed as the transfix member is moved to the second position to form the nip with the rotating image member rotating at the first surface speed.

Mechanism for transfix member with idle movement

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Bendish, United Kingdom

David J Pearce