Xerox Corporation

Tektronix, Inc.

Tekronix, Inc.

Gerard H Rousseau

Brent Rodney Jones

David Walter Johnson

Larry Eugene Hindman

John Albert Wright

Barry Daniel Reeves

Timothy L Crawford

Clark W Crawford

Jeffrey Russell Kohne

Kelly Anne Kessler

Donald R Titterington

Ernest I Esplin

Wolfgang G Wedler

James D Rise

Randy C Karambelas

David R Koehler

James Matthew Cunnington

Garry A Jones

Steven V Korol

Michael Edward Norkitis

Augustus J Rogers, Iv

Mary Ryan-Hotchkiss

Edward Charles Grenier

Richard Brzezinski

Hattie Raeann Hiatt

Rolf K Mueller

Michael S Allen

Brently L Cooper

A drip bib for use with a printhead of an imaging device includes a plate having an upper surface having an upper edge, an intermediate surface angled with respect to the upper surface, and a lower edge. The intermediate surface includes a plurality of fastener openings. The lower edge includes a drip point projecting from the lower edge with remaining portions of the lower edge being upturned and angled downwardly from at least one end of the lower edge toward the drip point. A plurality of protrusions protrudes from a back side of the upper surface. The protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are spaced from each other and proximate the upper edge.

Directed flow drip bib for printhead with three point contact

A mounting scheme for a drum maintenance unit oiling roller assembly utilizing an end cap keeps the roller center justified on the image and/or keeps the oiling part of the roller centered on the image through a wide range of roller variation.

Oiling roller assembly for a drum maintenance unit

A latching mechanism is provided on a Drum Maintenance Unit (drum maintenance unit). The latching mechanism releasably secures the drum maintenance unit to a media device when installed in the media device and provides an electrical connection. The latching mechanism contacts with a locking tab and a data connection that may be located on a receiving portion of the media device. This arrangement allows the latching mechanism to simultaneously latch and connect with a receiving portion of the media device. The latching device of the connection device may be provided to releasably lock with the media device until a predetermined amount of force is applied.

Latching mechanism for drum maintenance unit

A drum maintenance unit (drum maintenance unit) to reduce build up of electrostatic charge within a printer device. The drum maintenance unit may have a static shield positioned to reduce the build up of an electrostatic charge and to act as a physical barrier by preventing discarded oil from becoming airborne and returning to the oiling roller unfiltered. The static shield may also be utilized to retain and house the filtration system of the drum maintenance unit thus reducing part count and manufacturing time.

Electrostatic grounding for drum maintenance unit

A system for applying a liquid to a support surface in an imaging apparatus comprises an application surface that applies liquid to the support surface; and a filter positioned in relation t the application surface such that liquid removed from the support surface passes through the filter to the application surface.

Filtering of ink debris in reclaimed liquid in an imaging device

A metering blade suspension system utilizes a leaf spring that performs multiple combined functions such as supporting a metering blade assembly, controlling the angle, position and/or load of the blade assembly while allowing the assembly to pivot in a quasi-frictionless motion, locking the blade assembly in place, providing an electrical connection and/or bleeding static charge.

Metering blade suspension system

Print drum maintenance unit

A method of improving automatic document feed of media printed with phase change inks coats the surface of the phase change inks on the media with fine particles. The particles may include PMMA, glass bead, silica particles, crushed glass particles, kaolin clay, micronized PE and PTFE, calcium carbonate powder, hard inks or toner powder. The particles may be applied to the surface of a transfix drum by oil transfer or electrostatically prior to jetting the phase change ink, or in the case of hard inks may be jetted onto the surface of the transfix drum (offset) with the phase change ink or onto the print media (direct) after application of the phase change ink in an overprint printing process. Also the particles may be applied by a pair of finishing rollers after the media has been printed with the phase change inks, either in a direct or offset print process, the finishing roller on the print side being coated with the fine particles.

Automatic document feed of phase change inks

An improved replaceable liquid application system for applying a liquid intermediate transfer surface to a support surface in a printer is provided. The liquid application system is contained in a removable cassette and utilizes a liquid impregnated arcuate surface that engages the support surface by rolling contact. The liquid impregnated arcuate surface and a reclamation assembly are contained in a removable cartridge in the cassette. A cartridge life status assembly determines when the useful life of the cartridge has been exhausted. Push tabs on the cartridge and finger wells on the cassette allow for easy and convenient removal of a used cartridge and insertion of a replacement cartridge.

Apparatus and method for improved life sensing in a replaceable intermediate transfer surface application assembly

A scheme for extending the life of a drum maintenance unit that applies a release agent to the surface of a transfer drum in a phase change ink inkjet printer determines a release agent usage ratio based on an ink coverage percentage for each print. The release agent usage ratios for each print are accumulated, and each time the release agent ratio accumulation value has an integer change a maintenance counter in the drum maintenance unit is decremented by one from an initial nominal number of prints to produce a number of prints remaining. Once the number of prints remaining reaches a specified low value, the maintenance counter may be decremented by one for each additional print to allow for variability in the amount of release agent consumed per print from projected values. As a result depending upon a particular customer usage profile a drum maintenance unit having a nominal life of 30,000 prints, for example, may be extended by over 40%.

Drum maintenance unit life extension

Replaceable intermediate transfer surface application assembly

A solid ink stick feed system for use in a color printer is disclosed that utilizes a plurality of ink stick feed receptacles in an ink stick feed bin of predetermined shapes corresponding to the plurality of shapes of the ink sticks such that an incorrectly matched ink stick shape or incorrectly oriented ink stick is retained in a raised position to indicate to the printer operator that the ink stick should be removed and to facilitate grasping and removing such ink stick.

Solid ink stick feed system

An apparatus and method are described for applying an intermediate transfer surface, in the form of a liquid layer, on a support surface that may be used in a phase change ink printing system. The apparatus includes an applicator assembly with a leak-free valving system for distributing the liquid layer onto the support surface to produce the intermediate transfer surface and a means for metering the liquid layer uniformly on the support surface. The applicator assembly has a wick contact surface for removing foreign matter from and delivering the liquid onto the support surface. An improved liquid dispensing system is provided to provide the liquid to the wick which becomes saturated and, when brought into contact with the rotatable support surface of a transfer drum, applies the liquid in a layer to the support surface to form a liquid intermediate transfer surface.

Removable applicator assembly for applying a liquid layer

An apparatus and method are described for applying an intermediate transfer surface, in the form of a liquid layer, on a support surface as may be used in a phase change ink printing system. The apparatus includes an applicator assembly for distributing the liquid layer onto the support surface to produce the intermediate transfer surface and an apparatus for metering the liquid layer uniformly on the support surface. The applicator assembly has a contact medium for removing foreign matter from and delivering the liquid onto the support surface. Preferably the contact medium is a liquid impregnated web that is periodically incremented to present a clean web surface in contact with the support surface. The metering apparatus is a hydrodynamic blade that uniformly distributes the liquid intermediate transfer layer over the support surface. The apparatus provides for sequencing of the applicator, then the applicator and the blade together, and finally the blade only to ensure proper application of the intermediate transfer layer and cleaning of the support surface.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Gerard H Rousseau