Xerox Corporation

Frederick C DeBolt

Kenneth R Rasch

Mark T Miller

Paul Michael Fromm

Thomas F Szlucha

Barry J Gheer

Michael R Elter

Andrew Charles LaRocca

Frank A Grossi

Russell A Parisi

Barry G Rickett

Arthur A Barton

A fuser apparatus for heat fusing toner images to print substrate comprising an elongated fuser roll and an elongated pressure roll. The pressure roll is supported for pressure engagement with the fuser roll to form a nip therebetween adapted to receive substrates. An oil impregnated web material and an elongated pinch roll are provided. The pinch roll has an outer surface mounted against the web material to urge the web material into contact with the fuser roll to apply release material to the fuser roll. The outer surface includes a first portion having a diameter and a length, a second portion having a diameter and a length, and a third portion having a diameter and a length. The first portion diameter is greater than the second and third portion diameter. The first portion, second portion and third portion are spaced along the axis of the pinch roller. The second portion and third portion are located at opposite ends of the pinch roll. The first portion adjoins between the second portion and the third portion, thereby when the pinch roll is mounted against the web material into contact with the fuser roll to apply release material to the fuser roll a lesser amount of release material is applied to the fuser roll where the second and third portion is mounted against the web material into contact with the fuser roll.

Pinch roll for a release material delivery system

A web release agent delivery system for a heat and pressure fuser. The system includes an oil impregnated web which is transported between supply and take-up rolls while contacting the fuser roll. The web is formed of a material having sub-denier fibers. It is preferred that the web is formed of a polyaramid fiber material with a polyester binder wherein some of the polyaramid fibers are of a sub-denier thickness. The preferred composition of the material is approximately 70% polyester and 30% polyaramid with approximately 50% of the polyaramid fibers having a denier ranging between approximately 0.8 and 0.25 denier. The disclosed material having an improved oil retaining capacity and donor capacity as used in a web release agent delivery system for a heat and pressure fuser.

Web release agent system for a heat and pressure fuser

A roll fuser assembly including a fuser roll and a pressure roll. The rolls are crowned and are supported in pressure engagement with each other to form a fusing nip. The pressure engagement of the rolls eliminate nonuniform nip loading in wide fusers as well as providing uniform velocity through the fuser roll/pressure roll nip. It is preferred that the crowned profile of one of the rolls be substantially to the center of the roll and that the other be offset therefrom. It is further preferred that the diameters of each of the rolls be substantially the same at each end.

Fuser mechanism having crowned rolls

Apparatus and method for applying offset preventing liquid to a fuser roll including an oil impregnated web member adapted to be moved by a motor from a supply core to a take up core; and a control to vary the duty cycle operation of the motor to drive the web member at a relatively constant liner speed at a contact nip, the control including a timer to monitor the cumulative time of operation of the motor and to progressively decrease the duty cycle of the motor in response to the cumulative time of operation wherein the progressively decreased duty cycle of operation compensates for the increasing radius of the web member on the take up core to maintain the relatively constant linear speed at the contact nip.

Method and apparatus for controlling the application of a fuser release

Fuser apparatus for heat fusing toner images to a print substrate has a fuser roll and a pressure roll forming a fusing nip therebetween, a system to deliver liquid release agent to the fuser roll including a movable web having a first side and a second side supported between a web supply roll and a web take-up roll, a housing supporting the supply roll and take-up roll such that one of the supply and take-up rolls is on one side of the fuser roll and the other is on the other side of the fuser roll and the first side of the movable web is in contact with the fuser roll along a path parallel to its longitudinal axis. The movable web is impregnated with a liquid release agent and the movable web, supply roll and take-up roll are reversibly mounted in the housing to deliver liquid release agent to the fuser roll initally from the first side of the movable web followed by reversing the location of the supply roll and take-up roll in the support housing so that the second side of the impregnated web is in contact with the fuser roll to deliver release agent. The movable web is urged into delivery engagement with the fuser roll by an open celled foam pinch roll impregnated with liquid release agent.

Fuser apparatus with release agent delivery system

A stripper for separating a print substrate from a fuser member in an electrostatographic printing machine has a substantially flat, thin, resiliently flexible finger-like member having a raised dimple-like bump adjacent one end of the finger-like member for contacting the print substrate when stripped from the fuser member, the finger-like member being coated on both sides with a smooth low surface energy film.

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

Frederick C DeBolt