Xerox Corporation

James D Walsh

Douglas S Smith

Eliud Robles Flores

Bruce J Parks

Gerald F Daloia

Jamie S Clayfield

William H Wayman

Timothy Patrick Foley

Ana Perez Tooker

Mark R Halvonik

James A Dunst

Barbara J Schaeffer

Mary Beth Bordeau

A vehicle collision avoidance signaling method and system are disclosed. The collision signal captures the attention of a distracted driver for the driver to brake appropriately. The vehicle collision warning signal and lighting system automatically alerts an approaching driver of a stopped or slowed vehicle via a strobe or flashing lighting system. An onboard driver is also alerted to the approaching vehicle. Rear vehicle sensors can sense vehicles approaching from the rear and determine the distance, velocity, and the deceleration of the approaching vehicle. A processor processes the signal and integrates with the onboard vehicle's speedometer signal and braking system. If the approaching car's rate of closure is determined to be extreme compared to the vehicle's location, a bright strobe signal along with the brake signal would be automatically given The intensity of the strobe warning can be determined by the rate and distance at which a vehicle is approaching.

Collision avoidance signal

This is a baffle used in a transfer station of an electrophotographic marking system. The baffle has a series of air passages that, when these passages are opened, they apply pressure to a sheet of paper and push it upward against a belt or drum surface of a photoreceptor or photoconductor. The toner imaged photoreceptor then transfers the image to the paper that is in contact with it. From the transfer station, the paper with the transferred image is then moved to the fuser station where the image is fused to the paper. The baffle with air passages does not scratch the photoconductor surface as do the prior art systems. Also, the baffle has a much longer useful life than the more costly lift finger transfer blades previously used. A controller senses when a sheet enters the transfer station, senses the paper size, then activates a number of air passages to match the paper size.

Pneumatic transfer assist baffle

A system and apparatus that removes and collects non-functional wire assemblies from dicorotron units is described. It has a removal tool with flexible levers mounted on the top of a storage box. The removal tool has an open top and bottom, the open bottom is aligned with an opening in the top of the box to permit a dislodged anchor and wire assembly to fall therethrough.

Tool for dicorotron wire assembly removal and storage

This is a thumper assembly that is positioned in a developer station of a xerographic marking system. A waste container connected to a drop tube collects waste developer from this station. A magnet prevents magnetic developer from moving through the tube when the container is removed. Once a new container is installed, the magnet is moved away from the tube thereby allowing magnetic developer lodged therein to again move through the tube. A thumper is moved striking the tube to further dislodge developer and allow this developer to move through the tube into the waste container.

Simplified resetting thumper assembly

This is a titanium shield that fits into a discorotron and helps to eliminate destructive effluents. The shield conforms to the shape of the discorotron housing and has side portions that extend beyond the side portions of the discorotron housing. On this extended portion, a grid is attached over the open surface of the discorotron. The extended portions are called ears. These ears have notches to mate with apertures in the grid. The exposed ends of the ears are covered by a guard to prevent the ears from making contact with a photoreceptive surface. Below the ears are upstanding electrical contacts which when viewed from an end view form an H-like configuration with the ears.

Discorotron assembly with titanium shield with integrated grid mounting and electrical connection

A corona generating device for charging a surface including, a housing; the housing including spaced generally parallel side panels; members for holding a corona generating electrode in an operable position within the housing; and system for adjusting the height spacing of the corona generating electrode relative to the surface the adjusting system includes a first bridge member adjacent to the inboard wire mount and a second bridge member adjacent to the outboard wire mount, the first bridge member and second bridge member contacts the wire to change the distance of the wire relative to the surface.

Dicorotron having adjustable wire height

This is a modular connector used to supply electricity and air to a corona assembly. The connector has an electrical component removably positioned on an air component. When one of these components becomes inoperative, it can be detached from the other component, and the detached component replaced with new functional component. The air component is configured to remove effluents such as ozone and NOfrom the corona assembly.

Modular snap-together electrical and air connector

A system and apparatus that removes and collects non-functional wire assemblies from dicorotron units is described. It has a removal tool mounted on the top of a storage box. The removal tool has an open top and bottom, the open bottom is aligned with an opening in the top of the box to permit a dislodged wire assembly to fall therethrough.

Dicorotron wire assembly removal and storage tool

Electrostatic printing processes utilize corona-charging units. When those units wear out or become faulty, they need to be replaced. This embodiment provides a tool that can be used to remove a faulty electrode wire assembly from the unit. This same tool when loaded with a new wire assembly can insert a new wire assembly into the emptied corona charging unit, sometimes referred to as a dicorotron unit. The tool, therefore, is used both to remove or insert a wire assembly from or into a dicorotron unit.

Dicorotron wire assembly removal-insertion tool

Raster Output Scanner (ROS) shutter system capable of blocking and unblocking harmful radiation selectably, semi-automatically or automatically. The system and uses thereof can be applied to various fields including scanners and printers.

ROS shutter system

A static controlling system is provided for effectively and economically controlling static charge build up on a driven web member moving in contact with support structures. The static controlling system includes (a) at least one resistive contact member for contacting the surface of the driven web member, and (b) a bias source coupled to the resistive contact member for biasing the resistive contact member to apply to the surface of the driven web member a neutralizing bias, having a selected polarity and potential level, thereby effectively neutralizing and controlling static charge build up on the driven web member.

Static charge controlling system and a reproduction machine having same

A document handling system adapted for delivery of input documents to an imaging station of an imaging input terminal, wherein a friction transport belt transports the input documents across an imaging platen of the imaging station. The belt is urged into planar orientation with the platen by a self-levitating pressure loading element in the form of a ski-like member that bears upon the belt for encouraging flat or horizontal orientation of input documents on an imaging platen. The ski like member is provided with a configuration for capturing inherent airflow generated by the transport motion of the belt so as reduce the load pressure produced by the ski when the transport belt is in motion, thereby reducing frictional forces to substantially reduce drag and wear in the document handling system.

Document handling system having a self-levitating pressure loading device

In a document feeding system for unfolding and feeding an elongated web multi-sectional computer form (CF) document from one end of a fan-folded stack in a document input stacking area to an imaging station, a CF document unfolding assistance system is provided by a mounting system cantilever mounting from behind the fan-folded stack a single smoothly radiused cylindrical CF unfolding assistance bar, with a radius of approximately 5 to 8 mm, rotatable between a completely non-obstructing rear storage position and a stationary operating position overlying the document input stacking area, and with a detent system for detaining the CF unfolding assistance bar in the operating position, in which this CF unfolding assistance bar is in a fixed position spaced intermediately above the CF web stack by about 5 cm and extending horizontally over the stack substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction in a position which is spaced closer to the one end of the stack than its opposite end, approximately 11 cm from that one end; for otherwise unobstructed loading, unfolding and feeding of the CF document up and over the unfolding assistance bar towards the imaging station with reduced forces and improved control.

Computer form web document unfolding and feeding assistance system

A paper inverter system includes a clutch driven inverter nip for maintaining a positive bi-directional contact with the sheet. The apparatus includes a pair of opposing rollers defining a nip therebetween and a shaft connected to at least one of the pair of opposing rollers. A spring is held stationary on a first end and is connected to the shaft on the other end for resisting the rotation of the shaft with a spring force. The clutch responsive to a control signal, selectively couples the shaft to a drive system against the spring force in a first rotational direction and decouples the shaft from the drive system for rotation in a second and opposite direction with the spring force. In another embodiment a clutch operates a planetary gear system to be bi-directionally control the nip.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

James D Walsh